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Legislative Assembly briefs
MLA asked to pay $1,477 for info
Laura Busch
Northern News Services
Published Friday, June 7, 2013
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A mini debate broke out during a statement by Range Lake MLA Daryl Dolynny on Wednesday over whether the government should be obligated to disclose the details of the new $30-million downtown office building under construction on 49 Street across from Centre Square Mall.
Dolynny came out firing, saying he was denied access to the contract, the building schedule and the costs by the office of Public Works and Services Minister Glen Abernethy.
"I thought I was an elected official of this government, and the people of Range Lake have elected me to be a steward of the public purse and watch out for accountability in our government spending," said Dolynny.
After filing an access-to-information request to the department, Dolynny's constituency assistant received a reply on May 29 stating it would cost him $1,477.75 to photocopy 1,992 pages of documents to accommodate the request.
"All I can say is this is nothing short of a document dump and a ridiculous charge to ward off a member of this government the right to get answers to simple questions and protect the public purse," said Dolynny.
Abernethy promptly rose on a point of order, arguing his department had not received the information request. This prompted Dolynny to hold up a copy of the document from across the room.
"I am concerned ... the member is suggesting that we are intentionally trying to keep information from him, which is not the case," said Abernethy.
He suggested people in his office weren't aware it was Dolynny's assistant making the request, to which the Range Lake MLA scoffed, "I think everyone in this house knows he is a constituency assistant."
Abernethy added that everyone has the right to request electronic copies of documents, which would waive the photocopying fee.
Both Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins and Nahendeh MLA Kevin Menicoche spoke in support of Dolynny.
"I don't know what's going on with our legislature but we should not be paying to get information from the cabinet side," said Menicoche.
Government House Leader Michael Miltenberger ended the debate by leaving the issue in the hands of Speaker Jackie Jacobson.
Giant Mine water to be treated to drinking standards
The Giant Mine Remediation Project Team no longer plans to use a diffuser to spew treated waste water into Back Bay and will instead use ion-exchange technology to treat all effluent to drinking water standards, which will then flow into Great Slave Lake, Environment and Natural Resources Minister Michael Miltenberger said on May 30.
"This option eliminates the need for a diffuser and the subsequent mixing zone in Great Slave Lake, thus addressing a number of concerns the project team has heard from the community," said Miltenberger. Miltenberger was following up on a question put to him on March 8 by Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley.
The decision to revisit waste-water treatment options was made by the Giant Mine team after the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board requested additional information on the different water treatment options for the clean-up project.
MLAs takes stand against cyber-bullying
Sharing inappropriate photos online should be illegal, members of the legislative assembly voted unanimously Monday.
Eighteen MLAs supported a motion brought forward by Frame Lake MLA Wendy Bisaro to support "the efforts of federal, provincial and territorial justice ministers to better protect children by combating cyber-bullying, including changes to the Criminal Code of Canada that would make it a specific criminal offence to share intimate images without consent."
This motion does not affect territorial legislation; it supports the federal government's intention to alter the Criminal Code.
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