Budget address planned for Thursday
Kevin Wilson
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Feb 14/01) - The pomp and ceremony will be kept to the barest of minimums.
At 1:30 this afternoon, Sergeant-at-arms Nicole Latour-Theede will place the mace in its stand. According to parliamentary tradition, a legislature cannot function unless the symbol of its legitimacy is in its ordained spot.
After that, it's back to business as the Northwest Territories legislative assembly resumes sitting today.
Some of the items on the agenda for this session include the controversial hotel tax, changes to the way student financial assistance is handled, and Finance Minister Joe Handley's budget, which comes down tomorrow.
While Handley has been hinting at a good news budget, others feel he may be backed into a corner.
Frame Lake MLA Charles Dent, who chairs the accountability and oversight committee, has already said that Handley "doesn't have a lot of flexibility," in his ability to deliver many goodies to the territory.
For the most part, though, Dent doesn't expect anything "earth shattering" to emerge out of this session.
Dent's committee met with Handley on Monday. The session was described by Dent as "a free and frank exchange of views."
Bill 13, the hotel tax bill, currently before the standing committee on governance and economic development, is in for a rocky ride. The proposed five per cent tax on hotel rooms squeaked past first reading late last year and has since lost a key supporter.
Hay River South MLA Paul Delorey supported the bill on first reading, but is now opposed.
"I have basically told the government that I am opposed to the bill as it is written," he says.
Bill 13 passed first reading by a vote of 10 to eight. If a tie vote were to occur, the speaker would cast the deciding ballot.
Education Minister Jake Ootes expects few new issues to crop up for his department. "We've taken care of a number of issues," previously, and will now focus on implementation.
Bill 14, currently before the standing committee on social programs changes the appeals process for students appealing their financial assistance assessment.
Currently, the final avenue of appeal is the minister. Under the proposed legislation, Ootes will excuse himself from the process by appointing a student financial assistance centre that will be the final stop on the appeals road.
