Legislative Assembly briefs
MLA asks for civics lesson
Randi Beers
Northern News Services
Published Friday, October 31, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Hay River North MLA Robert Bouchard tried a different angle at the legislative assembly Monday to address the ongoing struggle between regular MLAs and cabinet around junior kindergarten.
He asked Premier Bob McLeod for a civics lesson.
"How does consensus government deal with this issue, one issue that keeps repeating itself with no results," he asked.
McLeod sidestepped Bouchard's concern over implementation of the program, explaining instead how the program came to be following a review of the education system.
"The program review office pointed out to us that we were not adhering to our own legislation - we were over-funding education by over $17 million a year," explained McLeod.
"It was pointed out that we should invest more in early childhood development, and that's what this government has done. We have invested in junior kindergarten."
Bouchard pointed out his concern is not the existence of junior kindergarten, but its implementation, saying MLAs have repeatedly brought to their attention community leaders' concerns that it will interfere with existing early childhood programs, such as Aboriginal Head Start.
"How do we deal with that in consensus government?" he asked.
McLeod's answer did not address how assembly deals with controversies such as those. Instead, McLeod addressed the perception that junior kindergarten is a threat to other programs.
"We're working it out so they can co-exist," he answered.
Bouchard reiterated his question regarding how cabinet is handling this issue as part of a consensus government.
McLeod re-committed cabinet to the same commitment its made since the beginning of this sitting - cabinet will be reviewing the program as early as next session in 2015.
Members question power
Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley called out cabinet on its surprise announcement last month of a $20 million Northwest Territories Power Corporation subsidy to avoid an energy rate hike.
"Regular members of this house, of course, were caught by surprise by the announcement ... learning about it the way most citizens of the NWT did, through the media," he said, directing his question to Premier Bob McLeod.
"Were any members of responsible committees meaningfully consulted or consulted at all?"
McLeod answered that assembly followed protocol in making the decision.
Bromley then cited a principle of consensus government that states regular members of the legislative assembly should have the opportunity to discuss cabinet initiatives before they are released to the public.
McLeod answered that members were made aware of this initiative at least a week before the media was.
Bromley didn't back and suggested McLeod "reread that principle for himself in some nice quiet time when he can fully comprehend it."
Range Lake MLA Darryl Dolynny brought up next week's energy conference, questioning its mandate as well as the fate of the energy action plan that came from the previous conference held last year.
The territorial government hosted one in 2012, but abandoned a keystone of its action plan - the Talston hydro expansion project - because a recent feasibility study determined it would cost almost double what the government estimated.
Bisaro asks oil and gas regulator - what's in a name?
Frame Lake MLA Wendy Bisaro expressed confusion Wednesday over how Industry, Investment and Tourism (ITI) Minister David Ramsay can reference himself as the regulator of oil and gas operations in the territory and, at the same time, say he's delegated that authority to others.
After devolution on April 1, Ramsay was legislated the duty of oil and gas regulator and his department opened an office for regulatory activities earlier this year.
"(Ramsay) says he's delegated his authority as regulator and also references himself as 'regulator.' How does the minister call himself the regulator and delegate his authority to somebody else?" asked Bisaro.
Ramsay answered that he is the regulator based on the Oil and Gas Operations Act and that he has, as regulator, delegated the authority of regulator to the executive director of the office of the oil and gas regulator.
"I'm still not that clear, but I think it's a matter of language," said Bisaro.
She then asked whether the minister, as regulator, can accept input about the oil and gas regulator from regular members.
"We inherited the regulator responsibility from the federal government and there are processes in place," replied Ramsay.
"And we have to respect the processes and not fetter the regulator and not fetter the process in place through the legislation we inherited through the federal government."
Once again, Bisaro said she didn't hear an answer to her question, and moved on, asking how and when ITI plans to evaluate how it is managing its new regulator role.
Ramsay told Bisaro the department is looking forward to evaluating its oil and gas regulator office after a year. In the past, Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley has criticized the move to have Ramsay be the minister of ITI in addition to the position of oil and gas regulator, calling the move a "clear
conflict of interest."
