YELLOWKNIFE, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

Page 6622NORTHWEST TERRITORIES HANSARD October 1, 2015

Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly

5th SessionDay 8617th Assembly

HANSARD

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Pages 6559 6620

The Honourable Jackie Jacobson, Speaker

Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories

Members of the Legislative Assembly

Speaker

Hon. Jackie Jacobson

(Nunakput)

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hon. Glen Abernethy

(Great Slave)

Minister of Health and Social Services

Minister responsible for

Persons with Disabilities

Minister responsible for Seniors

Hon. Tom Beaulieu

(Tu Nedhe)

Minister of Human Resources

Minister of Transportation

Minister of Public Works and Services

Ms. Wendy Bisaro

(Frame Lake)

Mr. Frederick Blake

(Mackenzie Delta)

Mr. Robert Bouchard

(Hay River North)

Mr. Bob Bromley

(Weledeh)

Mr. Daryl Dolynny

(Range Lake)

Mrs. Jane Groenewegen

(Hay River South)

Mr. Robert Hawkins

(Yellowknife Centre)

Hon. Jackson Lafferty

(Monfwi)

Deputy Premier

Minister of Education, Culture and

Employment

Minister responsible for the Workers

Safety and Compensation

Commission

Hon. Bob McLeod

(Yellowknife South)

Premier

Minister of Executive

Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and

Intergovernmental Relations

Minister responsible for Women

Hon. Robert C. McLeod

(Inuvik Twin Lakes)

Minister of Municipal and

Community Affairs

Minister of Lands

Minister responsible for the

NWT Housing Corporation

Minister responsible for Youth

Mr. Kevin Menicoche

(Nahendeh)

Hon. J. Michael Miltenberger

(Thebacha)

Government House Leader

Minister of Finance

Minister of Environment and Natural

Resources

Minister responsible for the

NWT Power Corporation

Mr. Alfred Moses

(Inuvik Boot Lake)

Mr. Michael Nadli

(Deh Cho)

Hon. David Ramsay

(Kam Lake)

Minister of Justice

Minister of Industry, Tourism

and Investment

Minister responsible for the

Public Utilities Board

Mr. Norman Yakeleya

(Sahtu)

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Officers

Clerk of the Legislative Assembly

Mr. Tim Mercer

Deputy ClerkPrincipal Clerk,Principal Clerk,Committee ClerkLaw Clerks

Committees andCorporate andTrainee

Public AffairsInterparliamentary Affairs

Mr. Doug SchauerteMr. Michael BallMs. Gail BennettMrs. Danielle MagerMs. Sheila MacPherson

Ms. Malinda Kellett

Mr. Glen Rutland

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Box 1320

Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

Tel: (867) 669-2200 Fax: (867) 920-4735 Toll-Free: 1-800-661-0784

http://www.assembly.gov.nt.ca

Published under the authority of the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PRAYER6559

MINISTERS' STATEMENTS6559

226-17(5) 2014-2015 Public Works and Services Energy Conservation Projects

Annual Report (Beaulieu)6559

227-17(5) Tourism Highlights (Ramsay)6560

MEMBERS' STATEMENTS6561

Impact of Fiscal Restraint on the Public Service (Hawkins)6561

Flexibility in the Delivery of Government of the Northwest Territories Programs (Groenewegen)6561

Shortage of Long-Term Care Facilities for Seniors (Bromley)6562

Mackenzie Delta Elders Care Facilities (Blake)6563

Great Slave Lake Fishery (Bouchard)6563

Establishing of NWT Ombudsman Office (Bisaro)6563

Sahtu Child Care Requirements (Yakeleya)6564

NWT Housing Corporation Repair and Renovation Programs (Menicoche)6564

GNWT Debt and Borrowing Capacity (Dolynny)6564

Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway Project (Moses)6565

Kakisa Community Hall Grand Opening (Nadli)6566

Tu Nedhe High School Graduates (Beaulieu)6566

Condolences to Tlicho Families on Recent Passing Tragedies (Lafferty)6566

RECOGNITION OF VISITORS IN THE GALLERY6567

ORAL QUESTIONS6567

REPORTS OF COMMITTEES ON THE REVIEW OF BILLS6578

TABLING OF DOCUMENTS6578

NOTICES OF MOTION6578

Motion 48-17(5) Northwest Territories Disabilities Services (Bromley)6578

FIRST READING OF BILLS6579

Bill 68 An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act, No. 26579

CONSIDERATION IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE OF BILLS AND OTHER MATTERS6579

REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE6619

ORDERS OF THE DAY6619

ii

YELLOWKNIFE, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Members Present

Hon. Glen Abernethy, Hon. Tom Beaulieu, Ms. Bisaro, Mr. Blake, Mr. Bouchard, Mr. Bromley, Mr. Dolynny, Mrs. Groenewegen, Mr. Hawkins, Hon. Jackie Jacobson, Hon. Jackson Lafferty, Hon. Bob McLeod, Hon. Robert McLeod, Mr. Menicoche, Hon. Michael Miltenberger, Mr. Moses, Mr. Nadli, Hon. David Ramsay, Mr. Yakeleya

October 1, 2015NORTHWEST TERRITORIES HANSARDPage 6621

The House met at 1:31 p.m.

Prayer

---Prayer

SPEAKER (Hon. Jackie Jacobson): Good afternoon, colleagues. Item 2, Ministers statements. Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Beaulieu.

Ministers StatementsMINISTER'S STATEMENT 226-17(5):2014-2015 PUBLIC WORKS AND SERVICESENERGY CONSERVATION PROJECTSANNUAL REPORT

HON. TOM BEAULIEU: The 2014-2015 Public Works and Services Energy Conservation Projects Annual Report published in June 2015 is both a retrospective of what the Government of the NWT has achieved since annual reporting first began and an overview of important changes we have made to support this work going forward.

During the life of the 17th Legislative Assembly, finding energy solutions and focusing on energy conservation and technology have become an integral part of how government operates. Since the first biomass project in 2007, we have worked to set targets, create guidelines and develop both outward and inward energy strategies. We are now entering into a new normal of how government operates.

In the five years since the Department of Public Works and Services first started reporting on its energy conservation activities, the GNWT has progressively improved its energy performance in a number of important areas, including:

generating cumulative operational savings of $8 million;

reducing GNWT energy usage in major assets such as schools by up to 15 percent and overall energy usage in government assets by 5 percent;

reducing our dependence on fossil fuel for heating buildings by 3.5 million litres annually, which is equivalent to 9,500 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions;

the installation of 18 large commercial biomass boiler systems, nine in the last year alone, increasing our wood pellet usage by 86 percent in a single year;

establishing the Capital Asset Retrofit Fund Program which now produces over $1.7 million in annual operational savings as the program is quickly becoming self-sufficient in funding future energy projects; and

incorporating opportunities for alternative and renewable energy as part of the planning for all new building projects coming forward for consideration in the GNWTs annual Infrastructure Acquisition Plan.

Operationally, this means a new set of practices, procedures and considerations which prioritize energy efficiency and conservation in the design, construction and operation of all new government buildings have become standardized over the course of this government.

The 17th Legislative Assembly has also taken steps to ensure the GNWT is positioned to build upon the successes of the past several years by bringing our energy programs together and creating a focal point for energy policy, initiatives and management within our government.

On April 1, 2015, the new energy activity of PWS was established, bringing together energy expertise from across government. Combining the project management, planning, fuel services and building operations expertise of PWS with those areas of government focused on policy development and promotion of renewable energy solutions means the GNWT is better positioned to respond to future opportunities in the planning and management of our energy needs.

Mr. Speaker, with a flat revenue outlook and a need to take a hard look at how we are spending our money in coming years, operating effectively and efficiently is more important than ever. Continuing energy conservation efforts will be an important part of that. At the same time, our newly consolidated energy activity can contribute to government work in addressing the high cost of living through continued public education and information sharing, identification of energy options and policy development.

Going forward, the 18th Legislative Assembly will be better positioned than ever to support energy conservation and efficiency efforts and to assist the public in benefitting from what we have learned as a government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister of Tourism, Mr. Ramsay.

MINISTER'S