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Yukon Legislative Assembly
Whitehorse, Yukon
Monday, November 4, 2013 — 1:00 p.m.<=
/b>
Speaker: I will n=
ow
call the House to order. We will proceed at this time with prayers.
Prayers
Introduction of Table officers
Speaker: On behal=
f of
the House, I would like to welcome Ms. Allison Lloyd to the Legislative
Assembly as the Assembly’s new Clerk of Committees. Ms. Lloyd, who will also
serve as a Clerk-at-the-Table, comes to us from the Senate of Canada where =
she
worked as a procedural clerk with the Committees Directorate. I ask all mem=
bers
to please give her a warm welcome.
Applause
Daily Routine
Speaker: We will
proceed at this time with the Order Paper.
Tribu=
tes.
Tributes
Hon. Mr. Dixon: =
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to pay tribute to Movem=
ber,
which is an annual month-long event involving the growing of moustaches dur=
ing
the month of November to raise awareness of prostate cancer and other male
cancer initiatives. I won’t go through the history of the event, as we’ve d=
one
that in previous tributes, but I will speak a little bit about the reason
behind it and some of the vision behind the Movember=
span>
movement.
The vision of Movember
is to have an everlasting impact on the face of men’s health by encouraging
men, known as Mo Bros, to get involved. Movember aims
to increase early cancer detection, diagnosis and effective treatments, and
ultimately reduce the number of preventable deaths. Besides getting an annu=
al
checkup, Movember encourages men to be aware of=
any
family history of cancer and to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
During November each year=
, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustach=
es on
thousands of men’s faces in Canada and around the world. These men raise vi=
tal
funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and men’s
health initiatives. Mo Bro has effectively become a walking, talking billbo=
ard
for the 30 days of November. Through their actions and words, they raise
awareness by prompting private and public conversation around the often ign=
ored
issue of men’s health.
The =
Movember
initiative also provides information and support for men and their families
affected by prostate cancer. This in turn helps them make informed decisions
and improves their quality of life and increases the understanding of the
health risks that men face and encourage men to act on that knowledge. We’ve
seen that prostate cancer is an issue that men typically do not speak about=
.
Through Movember and the power of the moustache, the hope is to reduce stigma, increase awareness, improve treatment, and expand the understanding of this cause. <= o:p>
It may look like at a tri=
ck of
the light or the shadows but, in fact, I am in the process of growing a
moustache currently, as is the Premier, who will also be participating as a=
Mo
Bro this Movember. The Premier and I have chose=
n to
participate in this year’s campaign to again further the cause of awareness
here in the territory. In a few more days, hopefully, you’ll be able to see
some evidence of that, even though some in our office have commented that it
looks like there is some dirt on my face. I will endeavour to grow as hard =
as I
can to help raise awareness for this important issue.
Mr. Speaker, I would also=
like to
give a bit of a shout-out to the fine folks at the Barbers II barbershop on
Main Street who gave the Premier and me a hot shave on November 1 to launch=
Movember with us. So I would like to thank Melanie an=
d Kaitlyn and the other staff at the Barbers II barbers=
hop on
Main Street for that.
If anyone is interested in
assisting with our collective effort to raise money and awareness, they can
certainly visit our website, ww=
w.moteam.co/team-Yukon.
Whether or not people cho=
ose to contribute
financially to ours or any other Movember campa=
ign,
or to become a Mo Bro themselves, I would encourage all Yukoners to do their
part in raising awareness for men’s health.
Thank you.
Ms. White: I rise on
behalf of the Official Opposition to pay tribute to Mo=
vember
— that month where men become walking billboards to raise awareness about m=
en’s
health.
From its grassroots begin=
nings in
Melbourne, Australia, the Movember movement has
become an official global charity with a vision to have an everlasting impa=
ct
quite literally on the face of men’s health. November sees millions of
moustaches appear on the upper lips of men worldwide as they face the chall=
enge
of fundraising money and, more importantly, awareness of prostate and
testicular cancer and men’s mental health challenges.
Men face a unique set of
challenges when it comes to managing their mental well-being with the
associated stigma of shame and embarrassment, often preventing them from
seeking help and taking action. Men aren’t always good about discussing the=
ir
feelings, especially when it comes to sadness, depression or stress. Men
instead often act out with more work, drinking and risk-taking to numb or a=
void
the real problems they face. To many men, being manly means not admitting t=
o any
vulnerabilities or expressing emotions. It is these same qualities that pre=
vent
so many men from seeking help for their depression. Men, if you think you a=
re
alone in this, you aren’t. Men’s
depression is currently ranked third in terms of disease burden in high inc=
ome
countries such as ours. Depression affects 840,000 men every year in Canada.
One in five men will experience a mental health issue this year. Twenty-eig=
ht
hundred Canadian men commit suicide each year. Four out of five suicides am=
ong
young people in Canada are committed by men, despite men’s lower reported r=
ates
of depression.
According to the Canadian=
Cancer
Society, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in Canadian men, and is =
the
third leading cause of male cancer deaths in Canada. The risk of prostate
cancer increases as men grow older. Prostate cancer is not very common in m=
en
under 50 years of age. The chance of having prostate cancer increases after=
50
and is diagnosed most often in men over the age of 65. One in seven men will
develop prostate cancer during his lifetime and one in 28 will die from it.=
In
2013 alone it is expected that nearly 24,000 new cases of the disease will =
be
diagnosed and 3,900 men will die of prostate cancer. That means that today,
statistically, 65 Canadian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 11
men will be dying from it. The number of men who die of prostate cancer eve=
ry
year exceeds the number of women who die from breast cancer annually.
Despite these figures, th=
e level
of awareness, understanding and support for prostate cancer lags significan=
tly
behind that of women’s health causes. Even facing these overwhelming odds, =
hope
is not lost. When prostate cancer is detected and treated early, the chance=
s of
successful treatment are better. Recognizing symptoms and getting regular
checkups are the best ways to detect prostate cancer early. The sooner the
symptoms are reported, the sooner a doctor can diagnose and treat the cance=
r.
Cancer risks for men don’=
t end
with prostate cancer. Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in young =
men
aged between 15 and 29 years old. The incidence is lowest before puberty,
increases significantly after age 14, peaks around age 30 and then declines
again by age 60. It is expected that 940 new cases of testicular cancer wil=
l be
diagnosed in Canada in 2013. The good news is that testicular cancer is a
highly treatable cancer and can be effectively treated and potentially cure=
d if
diagnosed and treated early. Even advanced testicular cancer can also be cu=
red
with treatment. If you are diagnosed, the most important step is to talk at
length with your doctor about your treatment choices. You are a major playe=
r in
your health and when choosing a treatment plan, factors such as your overall
health, the type and stage of cancer should be considered.
While Movember
may seem lighthearted on the outside, with moustaches appearing like magic =
on
upper lips everywhere, on the inside, the organization works hard to support
men and men’s health. To all of you growing moustaches, may your moustache =
grow
quick and full, and for all of those on the sidelines, we can offer our sup=
port
by making a donation at ca.movember.com. Our donations will support world-c=
lass
health programs that combat prostate and testicular cancer and mental health
challenges. These programs directed by the Movember
foundation are focused on awareness and education, living with and beyond
cancer, staying mentally healthy, living with and beyond mental illness, an=
d on
research to achieve their vision of everlasting impact on the face of men’s
health.
Mr. Silver: Mr. Speake=
r, I
rise today on behalf of the Liberal caucus to also pay tribute to Movember 2013. Movember i=
s a
month-long fundraising campaign, as mentioned earlier by the other parties,
where men start November with a clean-shaven face and then grow a stylish
moustache throughout the month. Movember is
responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces in
Canada and around the world.
This moustache-growing ch=
arity
event and the men with their mo’ will raise vit=
al
funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and male
mental health initiatives. This year I am pleased once again to be part of =
the
Dawson Dusters. The team includes the Dawson City CAO Jeff Renaud, Mayor of=
Moosehide Ronald Johnson, myself, Deputy Chief of
We also have a great new =
addition
to the team this year, Mr. Speaker: Elder Victor Henry. That, Mr. Speaker, =
is a
big deal. For many listening today, it’s likely that Victor’s moustache is
older than you are, by a long shot. He has had that moustache since he was =
17
years old, shaved this weekend for the cause. Mahsi’ cho
to Victor Henry. I am very, very pleased to have been part of the Da=
wson
Dusters’ Movember team for five years now and w=
e’ve
been able to raise over $5,000 in support. The
moustache is designed to start conversations and raise awareness about pros=
tate
cancer and I hope everyone will support this worthy cause.
Speaker: I’d like=
one
of the pages to hand this $20 over to the Premier toward Movember.
I’ve only got one $20 bill, sorry. I will get you another one later in the =
name
of my father, who did have prostate cancer — George La=
xton
— although it was colon cancer that finally took him.
Are there any other tribu=
tes?
Intro=
duction of
visitors.
Introduction of Visitors
Hon. Mr. Pasloski: I rise to acknowledge Linda Hillier, a friend of many of us=
in
the Legislative Assembly and a constituent of Mount Lorne and Southern Lake=
s. I
encourage everybody to welcome her.
Applause
Speaker’s Statement
Speaker: Prior to
tabling returns and documents, the Chair would like to remind members once
again — and it’s early on, so I’m giving you a heads-up here — of the proper
procedure regarding this item on the Daily Routine.
As the Chair has previous=
ly
informed the House, when members table documents, they are to restrict
themselves to informing the House of the title of the document and, if
applicable, the authority under which the document is being tabled. If the
document has no title, the member may offer a brief, non-political descript=
ion
of its contents.
Members are restricted fr=
om
making other comments about documents they are tabling because there is no
opportunity for other members to respond at that time.
I thank the members for t=
heir
attention.
Tabling Returns and Documents
Speaker: Having s=
aid
that, under Tabling Returns and Documents, the Chair has for tabling the Yukon Child and Youth Advocate Office =
2013
Annual Report.
Are there any other retur=
ns or
documents for tabling?
Are there any reports of
committees?
Are there any petitions? =
Are there any bills to be
introduced?
Introdu=
ction
of Bills
Hon.
Mr. Kent: I move that=
Bill
No. 64, entitled Act to Amend the
Territorial Lands (Yukon) Act be now introduced and read a first time. =
Speaker: It has b=
een
moved by the Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources that Bill No. 64, enti=
tled
Act to Amend the Territorial Lands
(Yukon) Act, be now introduced and read a first time.
Motion for introduction and first reading of Bill No. 64 agreed to =
Bill No. 63: Court and Regulatory Statutes Amendment Act — Introduction and First Reading<= o:p>
Hon. Mr. Nixon: =
I move that Bill No. 63, en=
titled
Court and Regulatory Statutes Amend=
ment
Act, be now introduced and read a first time.
Speaker: It has b=
een
moved by the Minister of Justice that Bill No. 63, entitled Court and Regulatory Statutes Amendmen=
t Act,
be now introduced and read a first time.
Motion for introduction and first reading of Bill No. 63 agreed to =
Speaker: Are ther=
e any
further bills to be introduced?
Are there any notices of =
motion?
Notices of Motion
Ms.
McLeod: I rise to =
give
notice of the following motion:
THAT this House urges the
Government of Yukon to ensure that Yukon has a competitive business tax
structure and competitive business tax rates.
Ms. White: I rise to=
give
notice of the following motion:
THAT this House urges the
Government of Canada to respect the service and sacrifices of our veterans =
by
reversing its decision to shut down nine Veterans Affairs offices across the
country.
Ms. Hanson: I rise to gi=
ve
notice of the following motion:
THAT =
this House
urges the Government of Yukon to work with other Canadian jurisdictions wit=
hin
the established constitutional framework to abolish the unelected and
democratically unaccountable Senate of Canada.
I further give notice of =
the
following motion:
THAT this House urges the=
Yukon
government to build an inclusive, diversified and strong economy with good =
jobs
and opportunities for all by:
(1) Prioritizing the comp=
letion
of regional land use planning necessary to create economic certainty;
(2) Partnering with First=
Nation
governments on economic development by fully respecting and honouring our f=
inal
agreements;
(3) Stimulating green job=
s and
building a renewable energy future;
(4) Supporting tourism and
avoiding decisions that tarnish the Yukon’s tourism brand;
(5) Lessening dependence =
on
extractive industries to drive economic growth;
(6) Generating more value=
from
extractive industries by lessening reliance on fly-in/fly-out labour and
contractors;
(7) Recognizing the impor=
tance of
a vibrant arts community for our economy;
(8) Implementing policies=
to
improve access, speed and pricing of telecommunications, including informat=
ion
technology;
(9) Improving management =
of
capital projects so key infrastructure is built on-time, on-budget and
maximizes benefits to the local economy;
(10) Increasing small and=
local
business access to capital and government contracts;
(11) Targeting job creati=
on
measures for rural Yukon; and
(12) Creating more skills
training within our educational system and including incentives for employe=
rs
to hire apprentices.
Mr. Silver: I give no=
tice
of the following motion for the production of papers:
THAT this House do order =
the
return of any and all budget estimates for the new F.H. Collins school desi=
gn.
Speaker: Is there=
a
statement by a minister?
This then brings us to Qu=
estion
Period.
Question Period
Ms. Hanson: On Thursday,=
the
Premier stuck to his statement that the low bid on the F.H. Collins project=
was
$10 million over the two estimates he had. Then in a Friday radio interview,
the Premier started changing his tune. He now says he had a third estimate =
that
was never considered by Management Board. He said this estimate put the pro=
ject
cost at $41.6 million. He now says the low bid was $9 million overbudget, not $10 million.
Can the Premier explain w=
hy, for
months and months, he and the Yukon Party team have denied the existence of=
a
third estimate?
Hon. Mr. Pasloski: As I did articulate over the weekend, it’s quite simple.
Management Board approved a construction budget for F.H. Collins of $38.6
million in May. Subsequent to that, we received two estimates. These were
independent estimates from professional estimators, who both came in with
estimates that were lower than the price that we had approved in our budget,
really reaffirming and confirming our budget was accurate. We then issued t=
he
tender on November 7 for this project. Forty-one days later, on December 18=
, we
received a third estimate on this project — 41 days after going out to tend=
er.
The bottom line is that w=
hen the
bids were opened, the lowest bid was almost $10 million more than what we h=
ad
budgeted.
Ms. Hanson: Mr. Speaker=
, as a
result of previous bad decisions and public pressure, the Yukon Party agree=
d to
add a temporary gym and put geothermal heating back into the F.H. Collins
project. These added to the cost of the project and the BTY estimate reflec=
ted
these added costs with an estimate of $43.7 million, not $41.6 million as t=
he
Premier now says in the media.
But the government decide=
d to
stick to its original estimate, which did not include these additions. The
government added new costs to the project but said the project should cost =
the
same. This is mismanagement, clear and simple.
If the government found a
legitimate reason for why it didn’t like the project, it could have told the
public its reasons. Instead, it disallowed the bids on dubious grounds.
Mr. Speaker, will the Pre=
mier
take responsibility for this mess, be accountable, apologize to the public =
and
finally commit to full disclosure?
Hon. Mr. Pasloski: Mr. Speaker, as I articulated on the weekend as well, if the
bids had come in after we opened the bids and were in the range slightly ab=
ove
what Management Board had approved, I’m pretty confident the Minister of
Education at the time probably would have brought that back to Management B=
oard
to entertain that. But the reality is that the minimum bid — the lowest bid=
—
came in almost $10 million overbudget.
Mr. Speaker, the Leader o=
f the
NDP talks about financial management and that’s exactly what we’re talking
about — financial management. Our responsibility is to spend taxpayers’ mon=
ey
wisely. That’s why we did not go forward with that project and now we see t=
hat
the tender is being issued again and we look forward to the construction of=
a
beautiful new F.H. Collins School.
Ms. Hanson: Mr. Speaker=
, we
have had the Premier give us lots of analogies here, so let’s look at a sim=
ple
one. Let’s take the example, as he does, of a family who wants to build a
house. They get an estimate that says it will cost $500,000. If they are
responsible and care about the house actually being built, they are not goi=
ng
to put out a tender with a budget of $400,000. That’s exactly what this
government did. Even worse, they then threw out the design they had paid fo=
r,
covered up the facts from the Yukon public, and are now putting out a new
tender that prevents local contractors from being the general contractor. T=
he
bungling of the F.H. Collins project has hit a new low and Yukoners simply
don’t trust this government any more.
Will the Premier level wi=
th the
public and admit that their plan was and is to award the F.H. Collins contr=
act
to an Alberta builder?
Hon. Mr. Pasloski: In May of 2012, Management Board approved a construction bu=
dget
of $38.6 million. After that, our number was confirmed by two professional
independent estimators, who both came in with a number that was lower than =
we
had actually budgeted through Management Board. A tender was issued on Nove=
mber
7, and it was 41 days later, after the tender was issued, on December 18, t=
hat
the third estimate was presented to the department.
In the end, the answer is=
simple
to Yukoners. We are responsible for spending their money wisely. This proje=
ct,
before putting a shovel in the ground, was almost $10 million over the budg=
et.
We are talking about financial management, and that’s why we went back. Tha=
t’s
why we are now out to tender again and we are looking forward to building t=
hat
beautiful school at F.H. Collins. We will continue to remain vigilant when =
it
comes to spending Yukoners’ money.
Question re: =
span>Medical
incident reporting
Ms. Stick: In 2004=
, the Canadian Adverse Events Study reve=
aled
that in Canada one out of 13 adult patients admitted to a Canadian hospital
encounter an adverse event — in other words, harm from treatment. One out of
nine adults will potentially be given the wrong medication or wrong dosage =
of a
medication, and 24 percent of preventable, adverse events are related to
medication errors. This study was the first to measure harm from unsafe
medication practices.
Across the country, gover=
nments
are taking steps to prevent these critical incidents. The first step is to =
know
when they occur. Can the minister responsible for Health and Social Services
tell Yukoners how and when he learns about critical incidents like Teresa <=
span
class=3DSpellE>Scheunert’s death of mixed-drug toxicity in the Watso=
n Lake
hospital?
Hon. Mr. Graham: I =
learn
of these deaths in due course from the independent Yukon Hospital Corporati=
on,
which we have set up in this territory — which an NDP government set up in =
this
territory — to operate the hospitals within our boundaries.
Under the legislation, the
hospital has a responsibility to report back on incidents that occur within=
the
hospital. They also initiate independent reviews under the auspices of the
Yukon Evidence Act — section 13=
, to
be more precise — to provide an opportunity for identification of any gaps =
and
what improvement activities should be undertaken by the Hospital Corporatio=
n.
They also provide that advice to me.
Ms. Stick: Medicat=
ion
error is preventable and it is essential to learn from past mistakes. Ontar=
io
committed to a mandatory reporting of critical incidents, and in the first =
year
hospitals disclosed that 36 patients had suffered severe adverse events — 10
fatal, and mostly because of medication errors. Incident reporting is
indicative of a culture committed to safety. In fact, reporting is the key
because you can’t fix something when you don’t know what is happening.
Will the minister respons=
ible for
Health and Social Services and for the Hospital Corporation order the
corporation to begin mandatory reporting of critical incidents involving
medications and make those available?
Hon. Mr. Graham: I =
have
not yet discussed with the Hospital Corporation, or even with my own
department, mandatory reporting of incidents that happen within the hospita=
ls
in the territory. But the Yukon Hospital Corporation does take health care
delivery very seriously within our territory and they investigate not only
incidents that prove fatal, but they instigate investigations of any errors
within the hospital system that may lead to adverse effects for patients un=
der
their control.
I will undertake the conv=
ersation
with the Hospital Corporation. I’m not promising anything, Mr. Speaker, but=
I
will undertake the conversation with both my department and the Hospital
Corporation in due course.
Ms. Stick: Mr. Spe=
aker,
I’m not sure what “due course” is, but it seems to me that this is something
that should be happening sooner rather than later. Yukoners want evidence t=
hat
the minister understands the systemic failure that resulted in the death in=
the
Watson Lake hospital and they want to hear a commitment to fixing it.
The minister reminds this=
House
that the Yukon Hospital Corporation is independent, or at arm’s length, but
safe medication practices should not be handled at arm’s length or
independently. The coroner recommends the Yukon Hospital Corporation work w=
ith
the Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada, which sets standards for
these safe medication practices.
Is the minister following=
the
coroner’s recommendations and will he commit to implementing a system for a=
ll
stakeholders to report medication incidents?
Hon. Mr. Graham: As=
a
result of a letter that I wrote to the Hospital Corporation on August 28
regarding recent reports from the chief coroner looking into the deaths of =
two
patients at the Watson Lake hospital, the Hospital Corporation undertook ac=
tion
to improve communication and alerts. They have received the coroner’s report
and the recommendations. They will provide a formal response to the coroner=
and
they will include me in that report. The Hospital Corporation has worked wi=
th
the coroner and will continue to do so, not only with respect to this file,=
but
in anything that occurs within the Yukon Hospital Corporation. They are try=
ing
to improve communication.
They agree that they shou=
ld
contact the coroner in a timely fashion, and they have the director of qual=
ity
improvement and risk management at the hospital being notified when there i=
s a
death that has occurred within the hospital system, and a quality review wi=
thin
the Hospital Corporation itself would take place immediately.
Question re: =
span>F.H.
Collins Secondary School reconstruction
Mr. Silver: I have a
question for the Premier about this government’s financial mismanagement of=
the
F.H. Collins project.
In March 2013, the Premie=
r told
Yukoners the government had two estimates that told them that the schools c=
ould
be built for $38.6 million. In fact, the government had two estimates that =
told
them the opposite. It even had an estimate that told them that it would cost
$43.7 million. Despite knowing this, the government instructed public serva=
nts
to disregard the higher numbers and kept the budget from contractors biddin=
g on
the new school at $38.6 million. One company alone spent $500,000 preparing=
a
bid on the project the government knew was going to come in overbudget.
Why did the Premier instr=
uct
officials to use a lower number, a number it already knew was unrealistic? =
Hon. Mr. Pasloski: I have articulated the answer to this question twice alread=
y.
Perhaps the Member for Klondike wasn’t listening. In May of 2012, Management
Board did approve a construction budget for F.H. Collins of $38.6 million. =
We
then received two independent estimates that confirmed our number was right=
. In
fact, both of those estimates came in below the amount that we budgeted for
that project.
On November 7 the tender =
was
issued for the construction, and 41 days later, on December 18, a third
estimate was received. That estimate was not reviewed by Management Board. =
The
tenders were opened at the deadline — at the closure of the tender period —=
and
at that point we found out that the lowest bid was almost $10 million above=
our
budget, Mr. Speaker. As I have said many times, this government is responsi=
ble
for the taxpayers’ money and we wisely made the decision to relook at this
project. This project has now gone out to tender again and we’re looking
forward to the construction of a beautiful new high school in this community
for the students, for the parents, for the teachers and for the administrat=
ors.
Mr. Silver: I guess t=
he
Premier has been asked this question many a time, but he offers nothing but
briefing notes. It wasn’t that long ago that the Premier was out in front of
F.H. Collins with his golden shovel in hand and now he doesn’t want to talk
about it anymore.
The government knew that =
this
project was going to cost more than $38.6 million before the tender closed.
Unfortunately, it didn’t let contractors know about this inside information=
. It
also instructed officials to judge the bids against the low-balled number.
There are many words to describe what the government did in this case, and
being fiscally responsible is not among them. Many of these words are also =
unparliamentary, Mr. Speaker.
Companies that put in mon=
ey, time
and effort to prepare the bids did so in good faith. Unfortunately the
government already knew that it was going to reject these bids.
What does the Premier hav=
e to say
to the companies that wasted their time and money preparing a tender that t=
he
government had no intention of awarding?
Hon. Mr. Pasloski: In May of 2012, Management Board approved the construction
budget for F.H. Collins school of $38.6 million.
Subsequent to that, we received estimates done independently by professional
estimators, who both came in with estimates below our construction budget
approved by the Management Board.
We then issued the tender=
in
November. Forty-one days after the tender had been issued, we received a th=
ird
estimate. When the tender was closed — the deadline — and we opened up all =
the
tenders, we found that the low bid was almost $10 million more than what we=
had
budgeted.
I also said that if it ha=
d come
mildly above our budget with the addition of the geothermal and with the
addition of the temporary gym, I’m sure that the Minister of Education would
have considered bringing it back to Management Board. The bottom line is th=
at
this project came in almost $10 million overbudget
before we even turned a spade.
We will build a school, w=
e will
build it with financial prudence and we will build something that will be t=
he
pride of all Yukoners.
Mr. Silver: Let’s rec=
ap
what we know about this government’s fiscally responsible approach to the
building of F.H. Collins: (1) Before the last election, the Premier had a
ground-breaking ceremony and promised a new school that would be completed =
in
August of 2013; (2) $5.5 million was spent on a design and site work that w=
ill
now have to be redone — that money is lost; (3) the former Minister of
Education told Yukoners that the new design was free and then turned around=
and
handed a $900,000 contract without competition to a company from Alberta to
redesign the school; and (4) the government withheld from the public and
contractors estimates that told them that the school could not be built for=
$38.6
million.
Why did the government wi=
thhold
the true cost of the building estimates from the contractors? Why didn’t th=
ey
at least negotiate with the low bidder, who did come within 10 percent of t=
he
government’s best estimate?
Hon. Mr. Pasloski: I guess the only way we can answer that question is that the
member is wrong, the member is wrong, the member is wrong. As I have
articulated and repeated many times just today, we had an approved construc=
tion
budget in May 2012 that was confirmed by two independent professional
estimators, who came in with budget numbers — or with estimates — that were
lower than our construction budget. We went to tender after that, and 41 da=
ys
later we received a third estimate that was higher because of the acknowled=
gement
of the geotechnical work and the temporary gym.
I guess what we’re hearin=
g from
the Member for Klondike really fits in with what he told us in this House
almost a year ago to the day. I will quote: “There are many different parts=
of
the truth. I’m merely presenting my version of what Kl=
ondikers
and Yukoners believe to be the truth ...”
Question re: =
span>Legal
aid funding
Ms.
Moorcroft: Yukon Legal=
Aid
recently had to cut some services it provides to vulnerable Yukoners because
its core funding ran out. The suspended program offers important poverty law
services, such as helping clients with employment insurance benefits, landl=
ord
and tenant disputes and refugee claims. This government recently announced
$200,000 in additional one-time funding, but the government should have seen
this coming because Legal Aid notified the department of the need last April
when it saw that its 2013-14 fiscal year budget would be inadequate.
Why did this government w=
ait
until the much-needed legal aid services had to be suspended to finally
announce the last-minute additional funds?
Hon. Mr. Nixon: Mr. Speak=
er, we
enjoy a good relationship with Legal Aid services and continued funding for
them.
In 2012-13, Yukon provide=
d Legal
Aid with core funding of approximately $1.6 million, along with almost $200=
,000
in additional funding to deal with high-cost criminal cases. This has been a
pattern over the last few years and we see that. Moving forward, we are goi=
ng
to sit down with Legal Aid to review their financials and their budgetary
constraints and see what the issues are and how we can mitigate their
shortcomings in the coming years.
Ms. Moorcroft: Mr.
Speaker, the minister has acknowledged that Yukon Legal Aid is efficient and
well-run, but despite an excellent track record, Legal Aid’s core budget for
2013-14 is much less than the budget for Legal Aid in the other two northern
territories and, as the minister said, Yukon government had to provide budg=
et
increases to Legal Aid in 2012-13 and 2011-12. We know that Legal Aid servi=
ces
are particularly important for Aboriginal women and children, who will then
suffer the consequences of the suspension of some Legal Aid services until
2014.
My question is about fair=
ness and
access to justice. Does the minister understand that the inability to obtain
Legal Aid services even for a few months is a serious matter for people who
need legal aid?
Hon. Mr. Nixon: =
Mr.
Speaker, in comparing Yukon legal aid to Northwest Territories and Nunavut,
we’re comparing apples to oranges. There are no comparisons. The cost of
providing legal aid in the other two territories is quite a bit higher than
Yukon and that has to do with a lot of the fly-in/fly-out communities and
providing access to justice within those territories. We can’t compare Yuko=
n to
Northwest Territories and Nunavut when we’re talking about legal aid.
We will continue to build=
upon
the relationship that we have with Legal Aid within the Department of Justi=
ce.
We will sit down with them and review their financials and their budgetary
constraints moving forward. We’ve confirmed with them that we will do that =
and
then we’ll have to find out kind of what information we are getting back fr=
om
those reviews and how we move forward with legal aid in the territory.
Question re: =
span>Ross
River suspension bridge
Mr.
Barr: Since 2009, engineering
studies have called for urgent repairs to the 70-year-old heritage Ross Riv=
er bridge. Last spring I urged the government to get on w=
ith
the repairs to this important part of Yukon’s heritage and the Ross River c=
ommunity.
After announcing that the bridge could be fixed last June, now the governme=
nt
tells the public the only solution is to tear the bridge down.
Why did the government wa=
it so
long and why weren’t urgent repairs done to the bridge when they were broug=
ht
up over the past four years?
Hon. Mr. Cathers: First of all, the member is mistaken. In fact, the reports=
of
the deterioration of the Ross River bridge go ba=
ck,
based on the information that I have in front of me from officials, to the
first time that an engineer reported the bridge was nearing the end of its
life, which was in 1984 — almost 30 years ago.
In fact, what should be
recognized is that the $1.1 million that was budgeted for repairs to the Ro=
ss
River suspension bridge. That work was about to commence and it was in fact=
the
engineer and the contractor who were doing a final inspection on the bridge=
.
They came back with an as=
sessment
of the structural condition of the bridge, including — and I’ll quote from =
the
engineer’s report, which was given to us September 30: “In consideration of=
the
critical condition of the north tower head beam and the poor overall condit=
ion
of the bridge structure, we believe that it is no longer practical from a
structural and construction safety perspective to repair and salvage the
bridge. As a result, we recommend the bridge be demolished as soon as possi=
ble
for safety reasons.”
What we’re doing right no=
w is
arranging for an independent engineering peer review of that engineer’s
recommendation. We will be considering options, because we do recognize the
historical appreciation for this bridge and its value to the people of Ross
River.
Mr. Barr: I’m glad =
to
hear they’re looking at options. There was an option already before the
government. The 2012 report on repair options offered a solution within bud=
get
to enable the bridge to remain open for pedestrian access. Just this summer=
the
government put out a tender to, and I quote: “restore safe pedestrian acces=
s to
the north side of the Pelly River and retain the historic value of the Ross
River suspension bridge structure”.
If the government had fol=
lowed
through with this work, it would have been completed October 31. It was an
important historic bridge to this government just a few months ago and I wo=
uld
really urge the government to consider this report. A structural engineering
consultant who has worked on several bridge restorations has said there are
options to make the repairs.
Will the minister commit =
to
putting all options on the table and commit to the salvaging of this bridge=
?
Hon. Mr. Cathers: First of all, what needs to be recognized is that the memb=
er
should understand that in fact up until we received the engineering report =
in
September of this year, we expected that the bridge could be repaired within
the $1.1 million that had been budgeted. It was not until we received that
September 30 report based on the site inspection done by David Nairne and Associates engineering firm as well as a w=
elding
contractor that we had this information that the bridge was in worse shape =
than
we had previously believed.
As I noted, we are arrang=
ing for
peer review. A couple of things I should note is in fact that David Nairne and Associates — the engineering company won t=
his
RFP that was put out in the summer of 2013, and in fact, the recommendation
that they came back with upon inspection included — I’ll read another excer=
pt:
“The north tower head beam is in critical condition and is at the point of
failure and can collapse at any time without warning. The collapse of the h=
ead
beam will result in the collapse of the bridge decks and possibly the colla=
pse
of the north and south towers. The north tower head beam is structurally un=
safe
in its present condition and we recommend that no further inspection or any
repairs to the head beam be carried out.”
Mr. Speaker, again as I n=
oted, we
are arranging for a peer review, but we do have to also take seriously the =
very
serious recommendations that came within that —
Speaker: Order pl=
ease.
The member’s time has elapsed.
Mr. Barr: Mr. Speak=
er, if
the Yukon Party demolishes this bridge, it will forever be a textbook examp=
le
of the gross mismanagement of Yukon’s heritage by this government. The Ross
River suspension bridge is a vital piece of community infrastructure that
connects people living across the Pelly River and provides a link to the No=
rth Canol for hunters and other users. It is also a signa=
ture
tourist attraction.
I have talked to the Chie=
f of the
Ross River Dena Council, and he said this: “We absolutely want to see this
important historic site repaired and saved.” Will the minister listen to the
chief, the people of Ross River and the structural engineer who says it can=
be
saved, and commit in good faith to re-evaluate whether tearing down this
heritage bridge is the only option?
Hon. Mr. Cathers: First of all, I think there are a couple of things that the
member is conveniently failing to note because it would be out of step and
interfere with his narrative here.
In fact, the engineering =
company
that did the assessment did come up with significant concerns. I have
personally met with the Chief of the Ross River Dena Council — in part beca=
use
of the request made by him, and in part because of the concerns of my
colleague, the Member for Pelly-Nisutlin,
representing his constituents. We are undertaking this additional engineeri=
ng
peer review to assess the recommendations received from David Nairne and Associates.
What the member is not
acknowledging is that engineering condition assessments conducted in 1984,
2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 all expressed concern that the bridge is approach=
ing
the end of its life. Maintenance and repairs to the bridge were undertaken =
in
1979, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1990, 2005, 2007 and 2011. If the member wishes to
speak to why greater investments weren’t made earlier and question whether =
or
not, if investments had been made 20 years ago, it would have made a differ=
ence
in the condition of the bridge here today — we can look at the past, but I
remind the member that three NDP governments and his leader as Regional
Director General for the federal government and Indian and Northern Affairs=
had
the opportunity to put more money into the bridge and they did not.
Speaker: The time =
for
Question Period has now elapsed. We’ll now proceed with Orders of the Day. =
Orders of the=
Day
Government Bills
Clerk: Second reading, Bill No. 11, standing i=
n the
name of the Hon. Mr. Pasloski.
Hon. Mr. Pasloski: I move that Bill No. 11, entitle=
d Second Appropriation Act, 2013-14,=
be
now read a second time.
Speaker: It has b=
een
moved by the Hon. Premier that Bill No. 11, entitled Second Appropriation Act, 2013-14, be now read a second time.
Hon. Mr. Pasloski: I rise today on behalf of my constituents of the riding of =
Mountainview. I would again like to acknowledge and t=
hank
them for their support. It surely and truly is an honour and a privilege to=
be
able to represent the people of the riding of Mountain=
view
here in this Legislative Assembly.
I tabled two important fi=
nancial
documents on October 31: the 2012-13 Public Accounts, representing the final
accounting for the 2012-13 fiscal year; and the first supplementary estimat=
es
for 2013-14, providing both an opportunity for the Legislature to consider
revisions to the 2013-14 budget and an update on=
the
financial position of the government.
To re-emphasize, the first
supplementary estimates of the fiscal year provide us with two opportunitie=
s:
first, incorporating the results from the 2012-13 fiscal year as reported i=
n the
Public Accounts — it provides us the opportunity to present to the Legislat=
ure
and to the general public an update on the financial position of the
government.
It is important for us as
legislators to understand the issue of timing. I am confident that the memb=
ers
can appreciate that at the time the 2013-14 budget was prepared and tabled,=
the
audited results for the 2012-13 fiscal year were not finalized and, therefo=
re,
the summary projections for 2012-13 may have been subject to change. This is
the case in every fiscal year. As a result, and now that the results for the
2012-13 have been finalized, Supple=
mentary
Estimates No. 1 represents the first
opportunity to provide the Assembly a financial update for 2013-14,
inclusive of the 2012-13 final results.
I pause here as the timing seems apropos=
to
make the following observation and acknowledgments. Members of the Assembly=
may
note that we are not tabling a final appropriation bill and final supplemen=
tary
estimates for 2012-13. All departments, again, managed within their approved
appropriations.
I know that departments f=
ace many
challenges. My hat is off and my appreciation goes out for all of their eff=
orts
in managing and merging priorities and budget pressures within their approv=
ed
financial parameters. I know this frequently involves making difficult and
unpopular choices. Again, thank you to all the ministers and all the offici=
als
who take on this responsibility. And thank you, Mr. Speaker, for allowing me
this opportunity to acknowledge these ongoing efforts.
Second, and more to the p=
oint of
seeking required spending authorities, the first supplementary estimates de=
tail
the proposed expenditure changes that require legislative appropriation
authority in addition to the spending authorities previously granted by the
Legislature when the main estimates were approved.
Before I move on to some =
specific
comments and observations about this first supplementary, allow me the
opportunity to review our government’s financial record. We continue to tar=
get
balanced budgets in 2013-14, projecting an annual surplus. We continue to
maintain a very healthy net financial asset position and avoid net debt. In=
an
environment where many other Canadian jurisdictions are working toward
achieving balanced budgets and reducing net debt, Yukon is there.
As we are but one of two
jurisdictions that are not in a net debt position, we may even consider Yuk=
on
to be a leader in this regard. Having managed the government’s finances ove=
r a
multi-year horizon since 2003-04, in fact — a period of 11 years now — our
government has delivered effective, responsible and disciplined spending
initiatives and investments on behalf of Yukoners. Midway through our curre=
nt
five-year mandate, we remain committed to pursuing planned, disciplined and
affordable expenditure initiatives on behalf of Yukoners. Our financial
position provides us with a capacity to be responsive to Yukoners’ needs, t=
o be
responsive to emerging pressures without breaking the bank as we continue
through our mandate. Our successive budgets have built financial capacity a=
nd
we continue to build on that capacity with our forward-looking financial pl=
an.
Before I delve into some =
of the
expenditure elements of the Second
Appropriation Act, 2013-14 and the accompanying Supplementary Estimates No. 1, allow me to comment on our summa=
ry
financials reported here on Thursday, October 31.
After incorporating the 2=
012-13
final audited results and the expenditure and revenue changes identified
through the first supplementary estimates for 2013-14, our government conti=
nues
to be in a very healthy financial position. Supplementary
Estimates No. 1 presents a forecast annual surplus of $45.363 million,
resulting in an estimated accumulated surplus for March 31, 2014, of $1.274
billion. Continuing to avoid net debt, our year-end net financial position =
is
projected at $137.388 million. I wish to emphasize for all members the
significance of having net financial resources as opposed to net debt.
This is a very significant
indicator of our financial health and it means the government is not relyin=
g on
future revenues to provide for current services. This is an enviable positi=
on
for Yukon, as only Alberta is also in this position. My colleagues and I are
very proud of this accomplishment.
The 2013-14 mains were ta=
bled
back on March 21 with budgeted gross expenditures of $1.23 billion, of which
$977 million was allocated to the operation and maintenance and just under =
$253
million was allocated to capital.
The Yukon government brok=
e the
$1-billion expenditure threshold five years ago. Just think about it: Yukon=
’s
annual budget is now greater than $1 billion. That is a significant annual
investment in Yukon. This billion-dollar spending threshold speaks volumes =
to
the programs, the services and the infrastructure delivered by our governme=
nt
on behalf of all Yukoners. Further, it highlights with emphasis the financi=
al
demands facing our government on an ongoing basis.
Building on our 2013-14 m=
ain
estimates, this second appropriation act and accompanying first supplementa=
ry
estimates for 2013-14 provides for increased spending totalling $93.084
million. Of this total, $71.178 million represents an increase to the gross
O&M expenditures and $21.906 million represents an increase to the gross
capital expenditures.
As I just noted, this
supplementary budget provides for increased O&M and capital expenditure=
s of
just over $93 million. These increases result in total government expenditu=
res
of almost $1.323 billion. Of this, just under $275 million is allocated to
capital for infrastructure improvements throughout Yukon and $1.048 billion=
is
allocated to O&M in support of the many ongoing programs and services
provided to Yukoners.
Individual ministers will=
be
pleased to provide members of the Legislature with the complete details of
their respective portfolios when we reconvene to discuss the Second Appropriation Act, 2013-14, in
general debate. However, at this time, I wish to comment on some of the sum=
mary
expenditure elements identified within the Second
Appropriation Act, 2013-14, and the accompanying Supplementary Estimates No. 1 for 2013-14.
Allow me to pause here fo=
r a
moment to comment on planning and budgeting as it pertains to how our
government proactively manages to ensure and follow for appropriate legisla=
tive
consideration our proposed expenditure initiatives. I have provided similar
observations previously, but it is such an important principle that it bears
repeating. In its basic form, planning and budgeting is about decision-maki=
ng.
It is all about identifying priorities, then considering developing, resour=
cing
and implementing appropriate actions to provide the best services possible =
to
Yukoners.
At its core, Mr. Speaker,
planning and budgeting requires decision-makers to make choices. The budget=
process
supports us as decision-makers to consider all issues and identify appropri=
ate
solutions. In this regard, the development of a budget serves us both as a
planning tool and as a control tool. Decision-making is an ongoing, frequen=
tly
evolving process. Decision-making is not an isolated event. It remains the
prerogative, more so the obligation, of our government to consider emerging
issues and priorities and to recommend effective and appropriately resourced
solutions and actions to the Legislative Assembly.
This has resulted in the =
adopted
practice of the Yukon government to have in-year adjustments tabling as
supplementary estimates for the Assembly’s consideration to the original bu=
dget
plan. This approach has served the Yukon well, offering significant opportu=
nity
within the context of the multi-year fiscal framework to consider resource
requirements for competing priorities and make sound recommendations for
scrutiny, debate and approval by the Legislative Assembly.
I apologize for taking us=
on this
tangent, but my colleagues and I take very seriously and respect the import=
ance
of a strong and effective basis of process and procedure in supporting our
decision-making responsibilities. I believe it is important for me to once
again confirm with all members of the Legislature our commitment to prudent,
responsible and ultimately accountable decision-making. Thank you for your
indulgence.
This supplementary budget=
does
recognize our obligation and commitment to our most valuable resource, our
employees. As a matter of principle, our government is committed to the due
process of collective bargaining negotiations. Therefore, as a matter of
practice, this government does not make specific provisions in formal budget
documents for potential collective agreement settlements. To do this has the
potential to bias the negotiations. Our government continues to allow
negotiations to conclude and agreements to be ratified prior to the inclusi=
on
in the budget as necessary and appropriate.
At the time the 2013-14 m=
ain
estimates were tabled, negotiations were underway with the Yukon Employees
Union and a final agreement was outstanding. Therefore, in our estimation, =
the
2013-14 budget appropriately did not include any
related costing provisions. An agreement between the government and YEU was
reached and ratified in July 2013. With the ratification of a renewed
negotiated agreement, appropriate costing and budgetary adjustments are
reflected in the supplementary estimates tabled today.
Mr. Speaker, as I have sa=
id, our
government is committed to allowing the due process of collective agreement
negotiations to run their course. I am confident that members of the
Legislative Assembly, and Yukoners at large, will appreciate the value of
allowing these negotiations to proceed without potential bias.
As I have stated in previ=
ous
comments before the Legislature, and I have repeated here today, my colleag=
ues
and I take very seriously and respect the importance of the effective proce=
ss
and procedures in support of our decision-making responsibilities. We prepa=
re
and table budgets based on the best and most current information at that ti=
me,
notwithstanding the best-laid plans are subject to change, Mr. Speaker. Cha=
nges
to the budget plan through supplementary estimates allow us to be responsiv=
e to
emerging pressures and priorities of importance to Yukoners. And, Mr. Speak=
er,
changes to the budget plan through supplementary estimates maintains
accountability to the Legislative Assembly and to all Yukoners.
Mr. Speaker, that brings =
us up to
my next point. Members will recall that a special warrant was issued on Jul=
y 12
in which a number of expenditure initiatives were identified. Mr. Speaker, =
in
accordance with the Financial
Administration Act, items previously authorized through a special warra=
nt
are to be included in an appropriation bill during the next sitting of the
Legislative Assembly. Mr. Speaker, the Second
Appropriation Act, 2013-14 and the first
Supplementary Estimates No. 1 are prepared
inclusive of the amounts identified previously through special warrant. This
meets the requirement of the FAA and brings the opportunity for scrutiny,
debate and approval of the Legislature.
The special warrant provi=
ded for
$8.95 million, the majority of which — $5 million — was authorized to the
Department of Community Services, related to its fire suppression efforts. =
The
remaining balance of approximately $3.9 million was allocated to a number of
important initiatives advanced by our government addressing flood mitigatio=
n as
well as upgrades and maintenance of Yukon’s highways and rural and resource
access roads.
Our government continues =
to be
responsive in support of investing and improving Yukon’s infrastructure.
Speaking of our investment in Yukon’s infrastructure, we segue nicely into =
my
next comments.
The Yukon government cont=
inues to
follow its tried and true practice of revoting =
funds
to ensure that capital projects continue to move forward as appropriate.
Approximately $38.7 million has been identified in this first supplementary=
for
revote. The departments are seeking capital and O&M revote authority of=
the
Legislative Assembly for lapses of the previous year. Much of this represen=
ts
funding required to continue our investment in infrastructure projects. As I
mentioned earlier, individual ministers will be pleased to speak to the det=
ails
during general debate.
Along the themes of revotes, members will no doubt note that the Departme=
nt of
Community Services has identified a number of changes to specific projects
detailed in the supplementary estimates. Allow me to take this opportunity =
to
thank the Department of Community Services officials for their ongoing effo=
rts
in managing the wide range of municipal projects funded through its capital
budget. Departmental officials are continually reviewing and adjusting proj=
ect
implementation plans as better information becomes available.
Community Services has
determined, for a variety of reasons, that adjustments to the work plans, a=
nd
therefore cash flows and the budget, should be considered.
Accordingly, for a number=
of
projects, the department has adjusted its project implementation timelines.=
The
results for 2013-14 are reflected in Supplementary
Estimates No. 1. I, for one, appreciate the excellent work undertaken by
Community Services officials in managing this complex portfolio of
infrastructure projects delivered on behalf of all Yukoners.
A final general observati=
on about
revotes, if I may: the ability to revote funds
provides an important tool for government to manage appropriately and
practically, not artificially within confines imposed by appropriation time
frames. It allows us to be consistent with our overall prudent, responsive =
and
accountable approach to the management of Yukon’s financial resources.
As I wrap up, I advise th=
e Legislature
once again that individual ministers will be pleased to provide members of =
the
Legislative Assembly with the complete details of their respective portfoli=
os
when we reconvene to discuss the Se=
cond
Appropriation Act, 2013-14 in general debate.
Members will have observe=
d that
my focus here has been on our commitment to solid planning, decision-making=
and
budgeting and the strength of our fiscal framework. Our government is in a =
very
strong financial position. We continue to target balanced budgets, with 201=
3-14
projecting an annual surplus, and we continue to maintain a very healthy net
financial asset position and avoid net debt. The strength of our financial
position and our government’s ongoing commitment to fiscal discipline allow=
s us
to continue to make resource allocation decisions, such as those identified=
in Supplementary Estimates No. 1, on =
behalf
of all Yukoners. These are significant expenditures made of the benefit of =
all
Yukoners.
We continue to provide
significant investments and expenditure initiatives on behalf of Yukoners w=
hile
maintaining our commitment to fiscal discipline. We do this through a prude=
nt
and practical approach to planning, decision-making, and budgeting. We have=
a
very solid fiscal plan that continues to serve Yukoners well. Yukon is
experiencing economic growth — in 2012, a very strong 3.4 percent, which was
the third highest in Canada, only behind Nunavut and Alberta.
Yukon’s unemployment rate
continues to be below the national average. This is the ninth consecutive y=
ear
that Yukon’s rate is below Canada’s. Employed workers in Yukon: just over 85
percent — 85.2 percent, I believe — are full-tim=
e. In
comparison, Canada — the national average — comes in at 81.2 percent. Mr.
Speaker, our government is contributing to a healthy, vibrant Yukon economy=
. I
am proud of the programs, services and infrastructure investments that we
provide for the benefit of all Yukoners. I am doubly proud that we maintain=
a
strong fiscal position allowing for our government to be responsive to emer=
ging
issues and priorities on behalf of Yukoners. I look forward to discussing t=
his
supplementary budget in further detail when we reconvene to discuss it in
general debate.
In closing, I would like =
to just
put a special acknowledgement to the Executive Council Office for their hard
work for me every day and also to the Department of Finance as well for the
great work that they do in not only putting together the financial mains in
collaboration with the people across all departments, but also the work the=
y do
in collaboration with everybody else to put together this appropriation as
well.
Ms. Hanson: It’s my hon=
our to
stand here as the member of the Legislative Assembly for Whitehorse Centre =
and
also in my role as the Leader of the Official Opposition. In our parliament=
ary
democracy, the Official Opposition is charged with the responsibility of
holding the government to account and we take that role very seriously.
I will be keeping my rema=
rks
relatively short as time spent on this supplementary budget, in our view, w=
ould
be better spent in Committee of the Whole where we can ask direct questions=
and
hopefully get answers about this government’s spending habits and prioritie=
s.
I have a couple of commen=
ts that
I would like to make. The Premier at the outset was making reference to the
Public Accounts and I do agree with him that the Public Accounts are an
important document in terms of the final accounting after the fact. I will =
come
back to that later. It would normally be the process in terms of the
revitalizing of the Public Accounts Committee that the Public Accounts woul=
d be
dealt with in some depth there. I’m hopeful that the Public Accounts Commit=
tee
will be maturing to the point where we will actually do that.
The Premier spoke about h=
ow
impressed he was with the fact of the annual surplus that exists within the
budget. I note, however, that there is a decrease of $27,515,000. That will
raise some questions.
I do agree with the Premi=
er that
the importance of prudence, probity, effective, accountable decision-making=
is
what government is about. I do also agree that the territorial government h=
as a
very skilled, professional public service. It must be a challenge for that
public service dealing with a government that changes=
span>
its mind as often as this one does with respect to what are the priorities,
what are the directions, and what decisions are being made.
One of the responsibiliti=
es, as I
said at the outset, for the Official Opposition is to hold the government to
account for the decisions that it said it has made and for the fiscal decis=
ions
that are being made with respect to the overall management of the tax dolla=
rs
that flow within this territory, whether they come directly from each of us=
as
individual taxpayers or they come from Canada via the formula financing
arrangements — the citizens of Canada — to support us here.
I remind the members here, and the Premier most directly, that it was he wh=
o said
in the lead-up to the last election that he was open and embraced the notio=
n of
a cooperative and collaborative working relationship. I would suggest, Mr. =
Speaker, that would and should extend to the conduct of
business with respect to how this Legislative Assembly looks at both the ma=
in
estimates and the supplementary estimates. If we’re going to be serious abo=
ut
that then we should ensure — or he should ensure as the Premier, as the
Minister of Finance — that his House Leader conveys to the departments when
they’re up for briefings. To have briefings scheduled but not tell the
officials is unacceptable. It’s unacceptable to the Official Opposition and=
it
also puts an undue pressure on our very professional public service,
who expect to be able to perform, to be able to represent the intere=
st
of their minister and their department to the best of their ability.
I would really recommend =
that as
we go forward — dealing both with the supplementary budget and, in the spri=
ng,
with the main estimates — that we get some sort of system here in place tha=
t we
can actually do some briefing before we’re talking. That would be very help=
ful.
I know that the Minister of Justice finds this tedious but that is our job =
here
— to make sure that we are prepared to debate the matters at hand — and not
having the information provided makes that very difficult.
I would advise the Minist=
er of
Finance that one of the dangers of not providing briefings before we get in=
to a
debate on this important issue of the supplementary budget is that, on firs=
t glance, there are some very dramatic figures in the
supplementary budget. We will be wanting to know=
from
the ministers opposite what comprises them.
So it’s one thing to sugg=
est that
there are changes that occur over time and that you have to make choices —
absolutely. But when I see increases in budget areas from last March until =
now,
November — 13.7 percent, 15 percent, 21.6 percent, 300 percent — I’m talking
there about Yukon Development Corporation — and when I see capital increase=
s of
47.8 percent, 26.6 percent, and 74 percent in the case of Justice, there ar=
e a
number of questions that come to mind. Those don’t speak to probity. Those
speak to, What were we thinking when it was Marc=
h last
year and the budget was being put forward in terms of main estimates?
That’s why I say that I h=
ave
great empathy for our very diligent public servants who must be saying, “holy cow”. This must be very difficult to manage with a
political leadership that changes its story constantly. “What’s a priority?”
would be the question one would ask the Yukon Party. What are their priorit=
ies
and how do they know that they’re their priorities?
So it’s easy enough to sa=
y, as
the Premier has, that we’re talking overall and that there’s not a huge
increase. The overall is because we have some very large departments. When
you’re talking about a $1.2-billion budget, overall, the fiscal increase is
about eight percent, but there are hidden within there some gems.
We will want to hear abou=
t the
decisions and how those decisions were taken to warrant the kinds of increa=
ses
that are there, because so far we haven’t had any of the briefings that wou=
ld
allow us to address this, other than just saying that there are some serious
issues with ministerial accountability and responsibility on the opposite s=
ide.
Some departments clearly =
got very
large increases. Take the $14-million increase in operation and maintenance=
for
Oil and Gas Resources and Mining. What’s this for? Is it for more resources=
to
prepare the Yukon for oil and gas — something that we haven’t agreed to in =
this
Legislative Assembly, that is still the subject =
of
study by this Legislative Assembly? Is it to implement the Yukon Party’s pl=
an
to have water management of mining projects done by Energy, Mines and
Resources, the department that permits mining projects? The Official Opposi=
tion
doesn’t know what this expenditure is for because we haven’t been briefed, =
so
we can only ask the question. It is a major part of every MLA’s job, not ju=
st
the Official Opposition’s. Every MLA has been elected to ensure that the
public’s money is spent in a responsible and accountable fashion.
It’s my experience that t=
his
government wants to stymie participation in the budget debate process. Last
sitting, the Official Opposition put forward a proposal to give legislators=
—
that’s all of us in this Assembly — a greater role in scrutinizing capital
projects. The government said no. I would suggest that the ongoing F.H. Col=
lins
scandal demonstrates that the public needs more eyes keeping tabs on how th=
is
government spends their money.
I’ve given the Premier
suggestions in writing, borrowed from the Parliamentary Budget Officer in
Ottawa, about how we could increase transparency and illuminate the debate
about the territory’s finances. He didn’t want to engage in this conversati=
on.
We have raised the issue =
of
departments not being thoroughly debated and I will admit and say that there
have been some slight improvements in this 33rd Legislative sess=
ion.
Over times past with the government, this same Yukon Party government would
really deliberately and utterly waste time. I can recall the former Ministe=
r of
Energy, Mines and Resources reading the entire drivers handbook into the
legislative record, so there have been improvements. It’s modest, but we
haven’t had that happen recently. Pretty close, but not quite. Still, there=
are
departments that haven’t been debated for years.
The Premier mentioned, an=
d I
think he’s absolutely correct when he speaks about the importance of respec=
ting
the collective agreement and the fact that there are increases that one wou=
ld
anticipate, but not knowing the exact amounts with respect to what the
collective agreements will mean with respect to the bottom line for the
government. I would note, however, that the Public Service Commission has s=
till
to be debated in this legislative session. That’s a critical department with
respect to some very, very key demographic chang=
es
that are occurring in the public service and some key issues that we need as
legislators to be addressing.
We have no idea what the
cumulative impact of the collective agreement is with respect to the
supplementary budget and the additional funds that are being sought — the
approval that is being sought by the government. I would hazard a guess they
are not $93 million.
One of the things we have
suggested in the past, and we will continue to suggest to the government — =
to
the Finance minister, to the House Leader — is that because there have been
some departments that haven’t been debated for years — and the consequence =
of
that is that this legislative sitting ends without those departments having
been properly scrutinized, which means that we, as members of the Legislati=
ve
Assembly, have not done our job.
We can do some process
improvements, Mr. Speaker. We could change it up a bit, rather than telling=
the
Opposition in the morning what will be debated in the afternoon. If the
government was serious about productive debate, they would give a little
notice. We can do better than the status quo or what has become the status =
quo
in this Legislative Assembly, and we can increase financial oversight to the
way we spend the public money.
Unfortunately, it appears=
that so
far the government has shown no interest in any of our proposals to increase
the probity, prudence, responsibility and accountability, the oversight that
all of us are charged with as Members of the Legislative Assembly.
As I said, we do want to =
move
forward with general debate, but as I said, not having had the opportunity =
to
be briefed, the Official Opposition finds itself just looking at these numb=
ers
and saying, yet again — in every budget, in every supplementary — there are=
a
thousand stories represented by that number. This supplementary looks like =
it
has some big stories in it.
For example, take the Dep=
artment
of Education capital budget. In the spring, when the Yukon Party tabled the
2013-14 main estimates, they told MLAs and the public that they planned on
spending $27 million for the F.H. Collins replacement project. Now, the
supplementary reflects that that’s not the case anymore. We can make decisi=
ons
but I guess we can change them — like a flip-flop — quite quickly.
It was during the spring =
sitting
that the Premier and the Minister of Education announced that they were
throwing out the Stantec plans they had spent
taxpayers’ money on. In news releases and in the House, they repeatedly — t=
he
Premier and the minister — said how the low bid is $10 million over the two
estimates the government got. As we’ve heard, access to information — as
difficult and as flawed as that process is and as redacted as it is — revea=
ls something
very different from the assertions of the Premier and the minister. It shows
the estimate the government paid for the projected F.H. Collins replacement
project, with the temporary gym built and geothermal heating added back into
the project — because this House will recall that the geothermal heating has
been in, out, in, and now it’s out again — was nearly $44 million, only $4
million off the low bid.
You know, the difference =
between
$4 million and $10 million is significant, but $4 million means the governm=
ent
would be obliged to enter into a contract with the low bidder, and it must =
be
said that the government could negotiate some cost-savings. There were a nu=
mber
of easily achieved cost-savings, some of which have been implemented after =
the
tender was kiboshed.
So, Mr. Speaker, at $10 <=
span
class=3DSpellE>overbudget, the government was able to use the price
difference to disqualify the bids, buy the Alberta plans, sole-source the
contract to Barr Ryder and retender. You know, the project was cancelled. T=
his
was a weak construction season and tradespeople don’t have the work that wo=
uld
see them buying homes, purchasing goods and spen=
ding
their wages in the local economy. Mr. Speaker, these are real situations for
real people.
This weekend I talked to
tradespeople who are facing the challenge — and I have heard the Premier and
the Minister of Finance stand there and repeatedly talk about the number of
people leaving this territory. Well, I can tell you tha=
t’s
happening right now, Mr. Speaker. Skilled tradespeople are being forced to
leave the territory because there are no jobs because this government has n=
ot
been able to follow through with a decision on the capital project for F.H.
Collins. We hope that during budget debate we will get more answers than in
Question Period to what has been going on around the F.H. Collins project. =
This
supplementary sees the Yukon Development Corporation receiving an additional
loan of $18 million, taking the load given to Yukon Development Corporation=
to
$24 million in the 2013-14 year. That’s a significant increase from
$5,975,000 to $18 million. Questions will be asked; we will be asking them.=
Is
this for the LNG replacement generators? We haven’t received the briefing. I
would imagine this is what this loan is about.
We’ve heard throughout the
territory that the Yukon public is still apprehensive. There is no indicati=
on
that they have provided social licence for this replacement, which was at o=
ne
point, if you’ll recall, sold as a transitional energy source until the then
Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources reframed it as replacement. There a=
re
serious concerns that global LNG prices will rise. That is what the market =
is
hoping for.
Without domestic price
protection, what is the government opposite getting us into? One of the thi=
ngs
that has been suggested by members opposite is t=
hat
the Yukon Energy Corporation will have to look closer to home for resources=
for
LNG to access Yukon’s sources of natural gas. To do so,=
given
our geology, would require fracking. Som=
e have
suggested that the huge cost of replacing diesel generators with LNG genera=
tors
necessitates fracking in the Yukon. That could be worrisome, given that the
select committee hasn’t completed its work. Tabling this without doing
briefings raises these kinds of questions. We look forward to engaging in
debate, to hearing from the ministers opposite what in fact the $18 million=
is
for.
The Official Opposition looks forward to debate on the supplementary
estimates and the opportunity to scrutinize this government’s choices — how
they have chosen to utilize the public purse because, again, this is the pu=
blic
purse. This is not in the purview of individual ministers to make a decision
and say, “Well, that’s a good idea. I just want to increase it here or ther=
e.”
This comes from you and I, and we have an obligation and a responsibility to
ensure that when we make those decisions, we’re doing it with the best
interests of all citizens of the Yukon.
So, Mr. Speaker, you can expect — and the ministers opposite can expe=
ct —
us to be curious about the increases in each of those departments. We’re ve=
ry
curious as to where in the supplementary estimates — with the 26-percent
increase there in Highways and Public Works — the renovations to this build=
ing
factor in there. How much is it? Who is it being contracted to? When
will it commence — other than the jackhammering at the front of the buildin=
g in
early fall? Progress has been made but when will=
it be
completed and what’s the cost? When will the iconic aluminum siding be remo=
ved?
Surely it won’t be in the middle of the winter but then, given this
government’s track record of capital projects, that could happen.
We’d be interested to kno=
w about
the capital increases — the projected increase of another 47 percent for He=
alth
and Social Services in capital projects, that $5,941,000 — what will that be
spent on? And how was the decision made?
The Official Opposition b=
elieves
that the increases coming with the supplementary budget, net of $93 million=
, is
a significant increase and it warrants a full briefing by each of the
departments and their very competent public servants to provide that briefi=
ng.
We would urge the House Leader to ensure that those officials are notified =
of
briefing times, that there is adequate notice given so that the briefing can
occur before the budget for that department is called for debate. Then we w=
ill
get down to business and move on with it, get it done and move on to the ot=
her
business — the legislative business that the government intends to bring
forward.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I=
’ll
conclude my remarks.
Hon. Mr. Nixon: =
Just
to clear the air, this morning Justice officials=
were
delayed for the opposition supplementary budget briefing, so it’s unfortuna=
te
that the Leader of the Official Opposition made an issue of that delay. The
briefing was completed this morning. I thank the officials for their good w=
ork.
This supplementary budget=
is part
of —
Some Hon. Member: (Inaudible)
Hon. Mr. Nixon: =
—
pardon? Maybe the member opposite wants the floor again? I don’t know.
This supplementary budget=
is part
of a larger package that delivers on our commitments to Yukoners. My plan f=
or
today is to start by updating this House on what we have accomplished with =
our
previous budgets for both Tourism and Culture and for Justice. I would then
like to talk about what’s in this year’s supplementary and then conclude by
reflecting on where we’re headed as a territory as we move forward together=
.
This budget, like the one=
s before
it, is an important building block in our territory’s development. We know =
that
one of the areas of growth for our economy is the cultural economy. In 2012,
the arts fund contributed a total of just over a half million dollars to 45
recipients, representing a wide variety of activities and disciplines. This
fund offers support to artist collectives, non-profit societies, communities
and First Nations for group projects that foster developing arts in Yukon. I
know the arts fund is very important to several of my constituents in Porter
Creek South, and I am pleased to see this Yukon Party government continue to
support it.
In May 2012, the arts ope=
rating
fund provided $665,990 to support Yukon’s music, theatre, dance, visual art=
and
film sectors, as well as community festival productions. Since November 201=
1,
22 literary and performing artists were awarded a total of just over $75,000
through Yukon’s Advanced Artist Award to further their personal artistic
development and create new work.
The Touring Artist Fund c=
reated
in 2007 continues to provide support for professional Yukon artists to trav=
el
and present their work outside of Yukon. In 2012, 23 artists shared just ov=
er
$120,000 in funding. Clearly this is an important sector in the economy. In
2012 Yukon Archives celebrated its 40th anniversary with the
publication of a commemorative book, For
the Record, as well as the =
launch
of a new book, Herschel Island/Qikiqtaryuk, which coincided with the opening of a
Herschel Island exhibit at MacBride Museum. I have found these books to be
very, very popular.
The third and largest
international glacial archeology symposium, “Frozen Pasts”, was held in Whitehorse in June. Internati=
onal
researchers from over 10 countries gathered to share expertise and knowledg=
e in
the field of ice patch research. The symposium was hosted by the Yukon
government and Kwanlin Dun First Nation and hel=
d in
the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre. Yukon has been=
at
the forefront of glacial archeology research and some of the oldest and the
best preserved organic artifacts in North America have been found in the
receding ice patches in the Southern Lakes region.
The Government of Yukon r=
eceived
recognition for its publication, The
Frozen Past, an outstanding contribution in communications. The Frozen Past reflects on 15 yea=
rs of
research conducted in 24 ice patches located in the Southern Lakes region a=
nd
the traditional territory of six Yukon First Nations: Champagne and Aishihik, Carcross-Tagish=
, Kwanlin Dun, Kluane, Ta’an Kwäch’än and Teslin Tlingit Council.
Our friends in the touris=
m sector
have shared with me many times that our culture is an important reason why
tourists visit Yukon. Art and craft work by Yukon artists was highlighted at
the Haines Junction visitor information centre in the =
Dä
Ku Cultural Centre, where Doug Smarch Jr.’s mon=
umental
“Ice and Flowers” was unveiled for the facility’s opening. The work of 40 o=
ther
artists was also acquired for the visitor information centre for permanent =
and
rotating displays.
The Yukon Party government
continues to encourage Yukoners to buy locally and support the territory’s
cultural industries through the “created in the Yukon” program. The program
includes a snowflake logo printed on the price tags as well as shopping bags
and stickers to promote authentic Yukon-made items.
The Yukon government prov=
ided
$150,000 through a cooperative marketing agreement with Fulda to support me=
dia
relations and other activities to promote the Fulda Extreme Arctic Challenge
winter adventure event and Yukon as a destination for Europeans. I’ve spoken
before to the economic impact that this challenge has to our economy.
Yukon government has also
announced a two-year comprehensive study to learn more about visitors to the
territory. Visitors are being asked questions on areas including spending,
activities, modes of transportation, accommodation, demographics and
decision-making — all part of the Yukon visitor tracking program.
The $585,000 study is bei=
ng
funded with $262,500 from the Tourism and Culture department, $30,000 from
Economic Development, along with $292,500 from the Canadian Northern Econom=
ic
Development Agency’s strategic investments in northern economic development
program.
As a result of the work o=
f Yukon
government and industry, Yukon benefited from a dramatic increase in the nu=
mber
of Japanese travellers visiting the territory in the winter of 2011 and 201=
2 to
experience the aurora borealis. Efforts by the Tourism and Culture departme=
nt
to target Japanese tour operators, combined with increased investment by Yu=
kon
tourism suppliers and improved air connections with Japan, has resulted in
double-digit growth of Japanese visitors to Yukon. This had a positive impa=
ct
on Yukon’s economy through increased revenues for our Yukon businesses.
There are so many example=
s of how
this Yukon Party government supports tourism in Yukon,<=
/span>
I could literally speak for hours and hours about our accomplishments. Anot=
her
fine example would be the more than 140 travel media and 150 delegates from
around the world who came to Whitehorse to take part in the Canadian Tourism
Commission’s annual GoMedia Canada Marketplace,=
the
first time the event had been held north of 60. The high-profile three-day
marketing event was hosted by the Yukon government and its tourism industry
partners. As well as attending the event, travel media and delegates learned
about Whitehorse and Yukon and had opportunities to network with local tour=
ism
operators.
Mr. Speaker, as you know,=
I led a
delegation of Yukon government officials to Germany and Switzerland at the =
end
of August 2012, where the group discussed strategic tourism initiatives with
partners in the territory’s largest and most significant overseas tourism
market. The tour included meeting with a number of tourism wholesalers,
meetings with Condor Airlines, the Fulda tire company, organizers of the Fu=
lda
Extreme Arctic winter adventure, and visiting the Hanover Zoo’s Yukon Bay f=
or
Gold Rush Days celebrations where an unveiling of a Keith Smarch
carving took place. We would build on that trip with a Premier-led trade
mission to Germany and the United Kingdom this fall. I think it was an
outstanding success, in large part due to the strong work done by private
sector participants and by government officials prior to us going. I unders=
tand
that one of the members opposite expressed frustration that we did our home=
work
before getting on the plane. We make no apologies for our planning and
preparation.
Following media familiari=
zation
trips led by the department, both R=
eader’s
Digest and Outside magazine=
have
highlighted Yukon as a must-visit Canadian destination for 2013, highlighti=
ng
some of the exciting new visitor experiences Yukon has to offer. The depart=
ment
entered into a three-year marketing project with Holland America Line for
$50,000 per year, supporting joint efforts to promote cruise tour product t=
hat
provides significant revenues and benefits to Yukon’s tourism industry. The
relationship that we have with Holland America is one that we will continue=
to
pay close attention to.
This list of accomplishme=
nts goes
on and on and on. Another fine example of the good work being done in the
Department of Tourism and Culture is the $345,000 we provided to the Northe=
rn
Cultural Expressions Society to support its carving programs that help emer=
ging
artists develop the artistic, social and business skills required for perso=
nal
success.
Moving forward to the Dep=
artment
of Justice — the land titles modernization project completed phase 1 in 201=
2.
The project is now in phase 2 development, including new legislation,
identifying options for an appropriate computer platform, and Land Titles
Office business processes. Drafting of an updated Condominium Act is also underway.
Mr. Speaker, 31 students
completed the Child Welfare Institute’s 12-day FASD certificate training
program offered in February to May 2013. In September, the students
participated in a follow-up course, and an evaluation of data from the stud=
ents
was conducted by the Child Welfare Institute to analyze what was learned and
their experiences applying the knowledge in work settings. The methodology =
for
FASD and the Yukon corrections population has been completed. The goals are=
to
measure the prevalence of FASD and other neurocognitive disorders in the ad=
ult
correctional population, identifying mental health and substance abuse
problems, test adult screening tools and ensure the work can be adapted in
other Canadian jurisdictions.
The study will take place=
over 18
months, and it will assess approximately 150 offenders. We committed $643,0=
00
to this study. Justice is collaborating with Health and Social Services and
other partners to implement the three-year study. I thank the Minister of
Health and Social Services at this time for his work on this file.
A prevalent partners
board is guiding the project through representation from the Yukon governme=
nt,
Justice Canada, Correctional Services Canada, the Canadian Centre on Substa=
nce
Abuse, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Society Yukon, Yukon College, and the First
Nations Health and Social Development Commission.
The Victim Services and C=
ommunity
Justice branch are developing the justice access
community knowledge database to consolidate independent and collective inpu=
ts
and outputs from staff travelling to Yukon communities. The database will
consolidate the information collected by staff from interactions with partn=
ers,
stakeholders and allied professionals working in Yukon communities to deliv=
er
effective public service support.
In fall of 2013, the new =
Yukon
Police Council sought public input into their recommendations on policing
priorities. The council also hosted a session where First Nations, stakehol=
ders
and service providers were invited to provide their insights and
recommendations on policing priorities. The priorities are: reducing the
victimization of children and youth; improving the response to sexualized
assault and family violence; addressing community safety issues; building
relationships with First Nations; and improving the response to vulnerable
populations. I am very pleased with the work that the Police Council has do=
ne
to date and look forward to working with them over this next year.
The Department of Justice=
has
also partnered with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection to sponsor the
Cybertip.ca campaign. During the two-month Cybertip
advertising campaign, more than 2,000 Yukoners visited the website,
representing a 1,200-percent increase in average monthly visitation from Yu=
kon.
The new Whitehorse Correc=
tional
Centre opened in Whitehorse in March 2012. WCC represents a new philosophy =
of
corrections that emphasizes the protection of public, holds offenders
accountable and provides appropriate opportunities for rehabilitation. Mr.
Speaker, I visit the Correctional Centre a few times a year and I have to s=
ay
how pleased I am with the entire team there. The staff work extremely hard =
and
are incredibly professional in their approach with the inmates. I am sincer=
ely
grateful for their hard work and their dedication at WCC.
My colleagues will know t=
hat a
new community safety award was created in July 2012 to recognize citizens w=
ho
make significant contributions to community safety in the territory. The
creation of the award was the recommendation of the 2010 Sharing Common Ground report. I’m looking forward to the next
awards ceremony to be held later this year.
Mr. Speaker, the Safer Co=
mmunities
and Neighbourhoods unit of the Department of Justice took action in June 20=
13
to stop illegal activity in Whitehorse. Having received complaints, the SCAN
unit conducted extensive investigations on two properties — one in Riverdale
and one in downtown Whitehorse. Evidence from both investigations establish=
ed a
reasonable belief that illicit drugs were being transferred from the proper=
ties
and the tenants were evicted from both of the properties.
The Crime Prevention and =
Victim
Services Trust Fund is awarding more than $237,000 to support 11 projects a=
imed
at crime prevention and victims’ services in three Yukon communities.
I am proud to report that=
on
August 7, 2013, I had the honour of appointing Peter Chisholm as a new Judg=
e of
the Territorial Court. Mr. Chisholm has extensive experience with the Public
Prosecution Service of Canada as a defence counsel and has strong knowledge=
of
the legal system in Yukon and a history of volunteerism in the territory.
In closing, Mr. Speaker, =
I am so
proud to represent the constituents of Porter Creek South here in the Yukon
Legislative Assembly. I know a strong economy is important to the good peop=
le
in my riding. This summer I noted the number of constituents in my riding of
Porter Creek South doing home renovations or building additions onto their
homes. I noted the
number of constituents purchasing new vehicles and recreation=
al
vehicles from local dealerships, and I noted the number of young Yukoners
moving back into Porter Creek South.
Mr. Speaker, it’s great t=
o see
children playing road hockey, playing in the local park, door-knocking to r=
aise
money for local school trips and so on. These examples speak to the great j=
ob
that our Yukon Party is doing to create a stable economy in Yukon for all
Yukoners to benefit from as we move Yukon forward.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, to =
the
Department of Tourism and Culture and to the Department of Justice, I would
like to thank all of the staff and management for their support, their
expertise, their professionalism, their legal advice from Justice and the
strategic approach to marketing in Tourism and Culture. They do an incredib=
le
job and I am very grateful for their work.
Ms. McLeod:
It’s my pleasure to rise today to speak to Bill No. 11, the Second Appropriation Act, 2013-14.
I want to thank the Minister of Finance and all of the ministers for th=
eir
thoughtful consideration in the management of Yukon’s financial resources. =
It’s this careful conside=
ration
that ensures we maintain a sound financial base and retain our excellent cr=
edit
rating. The economy has seen a bit of a slowdown. However, Yukoners have
weathered this before and will continue to do so. Just the other day, I was
speaking to a contractor from southeast Yukon, and it was his opinion that =
even
though things were a bit slower, it was still a pretty good season.
In southeast Yukon, we sa=
w three
major works finish up: the bridge upgrades at Upper Liard, the new hospital=
and
the water and sewer upgrades within the municipality. We saw 11 kilometres =
of
paving on the Alaska Highway through Watson Lake and it’s a dream to drive =
on.
The Robert Campbell Highway saw some much-needed work this summer as well. =
All
of these projects were, and are, sound investments in needed infrastructure=
.
Watson Lake still needs a=
lot of upgrades
in the supply and management of drinking water, and I look forward to worki=
ng
with the Minister of Community Services to ensure that the financial resour=
ces
are made available.
I particularly like that =
the
government continues to make strategic investments that help to keep our pe=
ople
working. I’m referring now to the program to see affordable housing provide=
d by
the private sector. This investment by government should see new housing
options at an affordable rate for Yukoners in the near future.
Being from rural Yukon, I
appreciate that this option is open and available to all Yukoners who may w=
ish
to participate so that several communities can benefit from affordable hous=
ing
options. I’m very proud of the fiscal track record of this government.
Mr. Elias: It’s a
pleasure to rise today on behalf of my constituents in the Vuntut
Gwitchin riding and speak to the supplementary =
budget
today. There are many excellent expenditures in this 2013-14 supplementary
budget, and I will touch on some of them, but firstly I want to thank the
Premier and my new colleagues for the opportunity to serve Yukoners as my n=
ew
role as a government MLA. I also want to thank my past colleagues as well,
because I’ve learned from many of them and I’m going to use all the skills =
and
abilities I’ve learned over the years as I’ve worked as the MLA for Vuntut Gwitchin in the Ho=
use.
Firstly, to the people of=
Old
Crow, my constituents in the Vuntut Gwitchin riding, mahsi’ <=
span
class=3DSpellE>cho for your remarkable and steadfast support, becaus=
e I am
so proud to be your Member of the Legislative Assembly, for it is with your
direction and your guidance and your vision that make our community in North
Yukon so successful. We’re reaffirming our commitment to moving forward
together in the greatness of our territory. We understand that greatness is
never given; it must be earned. Our journey to maintain greatness has never
been one of shortcuts or settling for less.
In the third year of our =
mandate
our government is doing just that — whether it’s receiving a double-A rating
from Standard & Poor’s for the fourth year in a row demonstrating good
financial management and achieving a record of strong economic performance =
and
continued growth with low debit levels, strong budgetary performance and go=
od financial
management, or a Brownie Award from the Canadian Urban Institute that recognizes excellence in project
management for the investment on the Whitehorse Waterfront from Shipyards P=
ark
to Rotary Park.
When there is a demonstra=
ted need
for new schools or hospitals in our territory, we ensure they are built. Wh=
en
there is a need for additional and complementary water governance to address
the increasing water complexities in our territory, we act. We maintain a
strong economy and create jobs in our territory via partnerships and through
all government departments. We have put $500,000 toward climate change proj=
ects
in our territory. When there was a need for additional international invest=
ment
in our territory, we go get it. When opportunities arise to partner in tour=
ism
and culture and to collaborate with First Nation governments, we seize that
opportunity. When new policies, regulations and legislation are required in=
the
best interests of our citizens to ensure environmental stewardship or
independent power production, or including an initiative to help save lives=
by
making smoke and carbon monoxide detectors mandatory for homes with fuel
burning appliances or attached garages — when that happens, we debate them =
on
the floor of this House. When new infrastructure is required to provide
supportive and secure housing facilities for women and their children fleei=
ng
abuse, we seek partnerships and build them.
We are addressing one of =
the
fastest growing demographics in the Yukon
— which is seniors over the age of 65 — and providing new seniors
housing in Watson Lake, Teslin, Dawson City, Ma=
yo,
Faro, Haines Junction and Whitehorse. You guessed it, Mr. Speaker: we provide for the necessary housing.
When land claim agreements
require us to transform, remediate and revitalize our capital city’s
waterfront, there were in excess of 43 million reasons why we get it done. =
We
also accept the awards afterward.
When decisions have to be=
made
about the little things in our territory that help to improve the social and
economic well-being of Yukoners, we gladly make decisions about them too. L=
ike
if a church’s roof needs to be upgraded, or a recycling campaign needs
assistance, or the construction of bird-viewing platforms is required, or
supporting a conference that promotes best practices and sharing ideas on
nutritious food programs in our territory, or to help the decommissioning of
dangerous buildings, or FireSmart programs in C=
opper
Ridge and other communities, we are there to assist and be a community part=
ner
and help ensure we continue to have rural equity and strength. Our governme=
nt
is able to make these decisions because of prudent fiscal management.
As always, I stand here to
recognize my constituents and our partners in our community and their hard
work. No matter what the issues or concerns are, those in the North Yukon,
especially my constituents, are always there participating, solving problems
and getting the job done. My dearest constituents, it was great to see ever=
yone
having a plentiful fall harvesting season.
As I enter the fall 2013
legislative sitting with my new government caucus colleagues, I think about
your unwavering support during my years as your MLA. We understand that the=
re
is no easy road to ensuring our dreams and aspirations become a reality. I =
want
you to know that I will always work to increase the quality of life for our
families. In the days, weeks and months ahead, our community will be workin=
g on
ensuring we maximize the benefits from the winter road construction — or the
implementation of plan B, if there’s not enough snow again this year —
accomplishing the critical infrastructure required for a new fuel tank farm=
for
our community, maintaining the momentum for a new community complex, and a
multitude of environmental, health and educational issues.
It was a pleasure for me =
to
witness the riverbank stabilization project become a reality and I was prou=
d to
make the announcement of the water monitoring programs on the Porcupine, Ea=
gle
and Peel river tributaries that were advocated for. The successful completi=
on
of the chum salmon sonar tagging project was also very interesting for me to
witness this past fall.
The Porcupine caribou hea=
lth
testing program was also initiated again this year in our community. Thank =
you
so much to everyone who participated in that. Building of the new Yukon
Electrical foundation for the gen-set that will have a heat exchange system
attached is very important for new infrastructure in maximizing the energy =
that
comes off the Yukon Electrical generation compound — and the new boards on =
the
hockey rink will provide an exciting winter season for the children this ye=
ar.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the upcoming 2014 International Gwich’in Gathering that will be hosted by my communit=
y of
Old Crow and is going to be happening in July. I invite everybody to come a=
nd
witness the celebration.
Another important project=
that is
ongoing in our community right now is the building of a new Arctic Co-op
grocery store that will be owned, maintained and managed by the community
members of our community of Old Crow.
On behalf of my constitue=
nts, I
want to thank and congratulate all the governments, businesses, corporations
and individuals for keeping our community working and on track toward long-=
term
prosperity. Communication has always been a priority for me. It is very
important, because I don’t want to guess what needs to be done in North Yuk=
on;
I want to know from the people what needs to be done. Sometimes priorities =
are
given to us; they’re not chosen. We must respond in kind to that challenge.=
In North Yukon there have=
been
tens of thousands of years of traditional occupation and use. We choose to =
lead
as a collective. We choose to work and live in a healthy community and seek=
the
same goods and services that the rest of our Yukon communities enjoy, by
working with all levels of government to progress and to move forward. It’s
called [Member spoke in Gwich’in. Text unavailable.] in our language.
Communication is the key =
to that
success. Many times good, honest feedback is necessary to maintain a fruitf=
ul,
productive relationship. Our community has learned to do more with less. We=
’ve
learned to be a team player with others to deal with the challenges we face=
in
a good way and not to just sit back and simply complain.
We are becoming much bett=
er at
what we do in our community of Old Crow. We are finding good solutions to t=
he
challenges we face and we do it out of necessity. That’s one of the things I
love most about the people I represent — when it comes time to make a decis=
ion,
we make it. In doing so, that is what I believe is a catalyst for being
recognized as a safe partner in the Yukon and abroad.
I want to conclude by say=
ing that
I believe our community’s priorities are fair and reasonable, and when they
become reality, it will assist us in maintaining a sustainable and healthy
community that provides a safe, supportive environment in which to live and
work for future generations to come.
I look forward to working=
with my
new government colleagues in the last three years of our mandate to make th=
is
territory a better place.
Mr. Hassard:
It’s a pleasure to rise today to speak on behalf of this
2013-14 supplementary budget. A strong economy is vital to the growth
and stability of the Yukon. I’m happy to see that, through this, the Yukon
Party government continues to work diligently on keeping a strong economy h=
ere
in the Yukon.
As the MLA for the great =
riding
of Pelly-Nisutlin, I’m happy to see that work
continues in all three of the communities in my riding. Ross River has rece=
ntly
seen the opening of their new water treatment facility. Hopefully the new a=
rena
should be open any day now. With the temperatures falling the way they are,=
it
would be nice to see the people of Ross River tearing up the ice in no time=
.
Mr. Speaker, the Yukon’s =
best
kept secret — which you should know is the Town of Faro — is in the process=
of
seeing their new water pump house under construction. This follows the summ=
er’s
water and sewer line upgrades.
We could throw out
a few kudos to the Faro Golf Club and the Town of Faro for another
amazing golf tournament this past July. Unfortunately, Mother Nature was not
all that cooperative, but that didn’t seem to dampen the enthusiasm of all =
who
took part. As a matter of fact, in true Yukon fashion, many participants ha=
d to
go the extra mile to make sure that they were able to get to Faro to enjoy =
the
tournament. I mean that quite literally because some people actually had to=
go
from Whitehorse down to Johnson’s Crossing and up the South Canol
Highway because of the forest fire near Little Salmon. The trip up the Sout=
h Canol is probably one of the nicest drives in the Yuk=
on,
but it’s definitely not the quickest or the smoothest.
In my hometown of Teslin, I’m proud to see the recent completion of a n=
ew
subdivision on Sawmill Road and this was a joint project with the Teslin Tlingit Council and the Village of Teslin. I believe that in the very near future we sho=
uld
see some lots available for sale and for lease from the TTC site and hopefu=
lly
that will be in the next month or so.
I’m also happy to see tha=
t the
water truck is now filling up at the new water treatment facility. I won’t =
say
they are getting the last bugs out of the system because that might not sou=
nd
so good, but they are nearing final completion.
We had a roads and draina=
ge
contract that was finished up this fall and it will be nice to see the town
sporting some shiny new chipseal next spring.
The Village of Teslin also received approximately $350,000 through t=
he
community development fund, as well as money from the gas tax, to do energy
upgrades on the recreation centre. They will be able to get waste heat from=
the
artificial ice plant in the arena to help heat the buildings. That will be =
nice
and save a little extra money for the town.
As far as the Yukon in ge=
neral, I
am happy to see that during this time of global downturn, the Yukon economy
continues to grow. Yes, we would always like to see it bigger and better, b=
ut
we have to remember that moving forward is definitely better than backward =
at
least.
While the mining sector w=
as down
this year, it was good to see that tourism was up. The trade mission this f=
all
saw the minister responsible for Tourism and Culture, along with the Premie=
r,
travel to Germany and England to promote tourism here in the Yukon. This tr=
ip
seemed to be a great success. As well, the department has entered into a
three-year marketing project with Holland America Line for $50,000 a year to
support joint efforts to promote cruise tour products. This will provide si=
gnificant
revenues and benefits to the Yukon tourism industry.
Mr. Speaker, I’m also hap=
py to
see that the Yukon Energy Corporation continues to look for ways to produce
more affordable energy to both service the average Yuk=
oner
as well as ensure that there is power available to service any industries t=
hat
may want to hook up and help contribute to a vibrant and healthy economy. I=
t’s
also nice to see that the Department of Environment has now moved into the
YESAB stage with regard to the proposed new campground on Atlin
Lake.
Education — I recently ha=
d a tour
of the Teslin school=
with
the minister responsible for Education and it was interesting. It’s always
interesting to interact with the children, talk to the teachers and get the=
ir
stories first-hand on their issues — and great stories have come out of the
schools as well.
This government understan=
ds the
importance of our young people and the importance of education. I think with
the upcoming replacement of F.H. Collins, this is just one more example of
understanding the importance.
I believe all departments=
in this
government continue to work hard to improve the lives of Yukoners. For that=
, I
am thankful.
As the MLA for the riding=
that
quite possibly has more millionaires per capita than any other — no thanks =
to
Lotto Max — I’d like to thank all of my constituents for their support and
input. I look forward to continuing to work hard to serve your needs.
Hon. Mr. Kent: =
b>
It’s my pleasure to respond today to the supplementary budget.
First of all, I would lik=
e to
thank my constituents in Riverdale North for their ongoing support and
providing me with their thoughts and ideas at events, such as my constituen=
cy
barbecue. Over 250 individuals showed up for the barbecue that I had this p=
ast
summer. It was a great opportunity to catch up with many people and thank
colleagues from the government side who also participated in that event to
bring different perspectives and help address some of the concerns that
constituents from Riverdale North had with respect to a variety of topics. =
I’d also like to thank the
Premier for entrusting me with these new duties — Energy, Mines and Resourc=
es,
as well as responsibility for the Yukon Development Corporation and the Yuk=
on
Energy Corporation. It has been about three months since the reassignment w=
as
made. It has been a very steep learning curve, but enjoyable for me. As many
people in the House know, I spent some time working for a variety of mining
NGOs, doing some work for them on a variety of issues. It’s that experience=
and
those contacts that I made during that time that have certainly been very
helpful for me in working as the new Minister of Energy, Mines and Resource=
s.
Of course, mining isn’t t=
he only
aspect to the portfolio. There is oil and gas, forestry and agriculture and
lands, to name a few. So having attended the agriculture banquet this past
weekend and stopping in on a little bit of the conference, it certainly
provides me with a good overview of some of the exciting things that are
happening in that industry as well.
I’ll get into specifics w=
ith
respect to what is happening in the department in a little bit, and I’ll to=
uch
on some of the highlights for both the departments that are contained in the
supplementary estimates.
First of all, I would lik=
e to take
the opportunity to thank the officials and the individuals who were involve=
d in
my previous portfolios of Education and the Yukon Housing Corporation, Liqu=
or
Corporation and Lotteries Yukon. I am very thankful to all those who were
involved — the teachers, the parents, the students, the school councils and=
all
of the officials over at the Department of Education for all of their hard =
work
over the two years that I spent as minister responsible for Education. It
certainly was an exciting experience for me and I think we accomplished a
number of things. I know the new Minister of Education is building on those
accomplishments and moving the department forward in even bigger and better
ways than I was able to achieve during my short time there — things like the
land reserve expansion for Yukon College, the work to establish the Centre =
for
Northern Innovation in Mining, and some of the work on the rural action pla=
n. I
understand that the event that took place with high school students from No=
rth
Yukon in Dawson City in late September was a tremendous success, among a nu=
mber
of other things that are happening at Education.
Again, I wish the new min=
ister
well, and I know there are at least two strong voices at the Cabinet table =
and
the caucus table for Education. It is something that touches almost everyon=
e in
the Yukon, no matter where they are in life — almost as much as the Departm=
ent
of Health and Social Services. It’s one of those departments that affects so
many and it’s such an important department for all of our citizens in what =
it
delivers.
Thanks to the folks at the
Housing Corporation, the Liquor Corporation and Lotteries Yukon, as well. I
know there are a number of things that the new minister responsible for that
portfolio is going to see through — transitional projects like the Alexander
Street residence here in Whitehorse. Anyone who has had the opportunity to
drive by will see that that project is out of the ground and we expect
completion on it next year. A local contractor is working on that and we’re
very excited that Narrow Gauge Contracting is continuing to do that work and
provide quality, affordable rentals for our senior citizens who need that t=
ype
of housing.
Again, the Betty’s Haven =
project
was completed and the Options for Independence is nearing
completion as well. The request for qualifications that was put out as part=
of
the northern housing trust is also something that I think is generating qui=
te a
lot of excitement. I understand that over 50 packages have been picked up by
various private sector and NGO people across the Yukon, and I think it’s a =
very
exciting opportunity to take that northern housing trust money and at least
double that investment by working to leverage opportunities with others and
provide affordable rentals, which is something that was identified as a key
need in the strategic plan of the Housing Corporation.
I guess the other aspect =
that the
minister responsible for housing will be leading is the development of the
housing action plan. I think it’s important that we continue to make
investments in housing — as I mentioned, the Alexander Street project, Opti=
ons
for Independence, Betty’s Haven , planning for the Mayo seniors residence as
well as the northern housing trust money. But while we’re doing that, we can
certainly continue to develop the housing action plan. I’m pleased that as
minister responsible for Energy, Mines and Resources — in the lands portfol=
io —
that I continue to work with the current minister and the Minister of Health
and Social Services on developing the plan — with of course, the input from
many Yukoners along the way. So it’s an exciting time for education and hou=
sing
and, of course, for liquor and lotteries and all of the things that they are
doing. They are doing very important work and I wish the new ministers well=
in
their new portfolios.
Turning to Energy, Mines =
and
Resources, perhaps I could touch on some of the aspects that are contained
within this supplementary budget as well as some of the achievements and
accomplishments of EMR.
First, I know that the
supplementary budget itself has a number of different aspects to it. The
operation and maintenance vote is $13,858,000 and the capital vote is $514,=
000.
Touching on what a few of those aspects are with respect to operation and
maintenance — a lot of corporate services is collective agreement increases=
and
managers’ increases. It’s the same with sustainable resources. However, the=
re
are some revotes with respect to land managemen=
t,
land planning and forest management initiatives.
Under the energy corporat=
e policy
and communications, the collective agreement in managers’ salary increases =
are
reflected in there, as well as one-year funding to support the Habitat
Stewardship Program for Species at Risk, the draba
plant policy — that’s 100-percent recoverable from Canada. In oil and gas
mineral resources there are a number of revotes=
—
again, collective increases taking the majority of them. There is some reso=
urce
planning in the Ross River traditional territory that’s being undertaken. T=
his
is where the largest expenditure under EMR in this supplementary budget com=
es
in, and that’s with respect to assessment and abandoned mines. It reflects the amended t=
ype 2
mine sites agreement with Canada. For Faro, there is an increase of
$12,288,000; for the Ketza mine, there is a red=
uction
of $25,000; and for United Keno Hill there is a reduction of $75,000 — all =
of
which are 100-percent recoverable from Canada. That does reflect the largest
increase to the O&M budget for Energy, Mines and Resources. There is also reflected i=
n here
an increase to the Yukon mining incentives program of $400,000. I talked to=
a
number of individuals in the junior mining sector and prospectors who were =
very
pleased with that decision made this summer to increase that program. Many =
of
them were able to take advantage of that and extend their season, so it was
something that was very well received by many in the mining industry. With respect to the capit=
al side
of things for Energy, Mines and Resources, there are a few small items —
internal transfers and revotes and some aspects=
with
forest engineering. I know that we’ll get into greater detail on those
expenditures when it comes to departmental debate inside the supplementary
vote. Hopefully I was able to provide members of the House with a snapshot =
of
where some of the bigger expenditures are with respect to the supplementary
budget in Energy, Mines and Resources. I should quickly turn as =
well to
the Yukon Development Corporation supplementary vote. The 2013-14 supplemen=
tary
budget contains vote authority for the Yukon
Development Corporation to invest up to $18 million in its subsidiary, the
Yukon Energy Corporation, for their diesel to natural gas conversion projec=
t. The purpose of these fund=
s is to
avoid commercial borrowing to finance and construct the LNG project. The Yu=
kon
Development Corporation Board of Directors, following consultation with YEC,
will determine the terms and conditions under which this funding will be
provided. If the LNG project does not proceed, the funding will not be need=
ed,
but this is part of project planning that we need to undertake. For those who don’t know,=
there
is a business case for a staged LNG development by Yukon Energy, with stage=
1
being the replacement of the old diesel generators with 8.8 megawatts of
natural gas generators, along with the requisite LNG truck off-loading stor=
age
and other facilities at a total cost of $34.4 million. The Premier and I, along =
with a
number of individuals from the Cabinet and caucus office had the opportunit=
y to
tour the Whitehorse Rapids facility a couple of weeks ago, and we saw the
45-year-old diesels that need to be replaced. Certainly, that age is at or =
near
the age of many of the individuals that reside in this Chamber, so of course
it’s something that needs to be done. It’s aging infrastructure that needs =
to
be replaced. The project itself still =
has to
undergo a YESAB assessment — Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessm=
ent
Board assessment. I believe that it hasn’t been accepted for adequacy yet, =
but
we anticipate that occurring soon and that process to begin where there are
opportunities for public input into the project. We also have made a commi=
tment
that this project will be designated as an energy project pursuant to Part =
3 of
the Public Utilities Act and th=
at
there will be a Yukon Utilities Board hearing required prior to the issuanc=
e of
energy certificates. That’s really where all o=
f the
dollars that are identified in the supplementary for the Yukon Development
Corporation will be going and of course, as I mentioned, the board of direc=
tors
of the Yukon Development Corporation will determine the terms and conditions
under which this funding will be provided. I’d like to perhaps touch=
on a
few of the accomplishments of Energy, Mines and Resources and also highlight
our clean power plans that I was able to identify in a motion that I tabled=
in
the Legislature on the opening day of the sitting. The Department of Energy,
Mines and Resources has undertaken a number of t=
hings
to reflect what our government priorities are with respect to addressing the
better quality of life. There was an open house at the Gunnar Nilsson and
Mickey Lammers Research Forest with a new
forestry-themed playground that increases family and community engagement w=
ith
the research forest. I know the former Minister of Energy, Mines and Resour=
ces
was in attendance. Mr. Speaker, I see you ha=
ve given
me the five-minute warning sign, so perhaps what I can do is get into a num=
ber
of these other highlights when we are in departmental debates with Energy,
Mines and Resources. I think I have hopefully touched for members on some of
the highlights that are contained in the supplementary estimates. There are a couple of thi=
ngs
again that I would like to conclude on — first and foremost, a news release
that was issued today by the Government of Yukon that speaks to oil and gas
exploration being advanced in North Yukon. We were able to announce today t=
hat
the Yukon government has issued an oil and gas exploration licence and sign=
ed a
benefits agreement with Northern Cross (Yukon) for work in Eagle Plains. Th=
ere
will be approximately $17 million to $20 million spent on this project
employing up to 75 people and should conclude by late winter or early spring
2014. The work that Northern Cross is going to be undertaking is a 3-D seis=
mic
program to explore for oil and gas, enabling the company to assess the geol=
ogy
in a 450 square kilometre area for oil and gas potential. The company has started t=
heir
work and I know many members of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation and the First Nation of Na Cho =
Nyäk Dun will benefit. Those two First Nations are
signatories to this benefits agreement. I know that this is an important is=
sue
for the Member for Vuntut =
Gwitchin,
and he is also quoted in the news release that went out this afternoon. I guess to conclude, one =
of the
priorities that I’m very excited about — there are a number moving forward =
in
Energy, Mines and Resources — is the clean power future that we’re looking =
at
developing. The motion that I tabled in the House last week spoke to not on=
ly
exploring opportunities in wind and biomass, building on the micro-generati=
on
program that we released last week, looking forward to the IPP policy that =
will
be out for public discussion and looking to hopefully implement that in 201=
4,
but also the research and planning that the Yukon Development Corporation w=
ill
look at with the development of a new hydro-electricity dam — something that
has significant economic impacts. Of course, there is an aw=
ful lot
of work that needs to take place in the meantime. The Premier and I met with
First Nation leadership to inform them of our plans to initiate the research
and planning on this project. We were excited to listen to their questions =
and
listen to their concerns, and many of them will emerge as the planning proc=
ess
unfolds. It’s indeed an exciting time for Energy, Mines and Resources, whet=
her
it’s mineral resources, oil and gas development, forestry, investments in
agriculture or many of the opportunities to provide land for Yukoners in a
number of different varieties. I’m looking forward to my=
time as
minister, building on the good work of the previous minister and again,
delivering economic opportunities, being mindful to the environmental impac=
ts
of these projects and the importance of them for the Yukon Territory. Mr. Silver: I rise to=
day to
respond to Bill No. 11, this year’s supplementary budget. Before I get into my repl=
y, I
would just like to take this opportunity to thank my constituency of the
Klondike for the privilege of representing them here in the Assembly. When =
the
people of Dawson chose me to represent them, I took this challenge to heart.
They were looking for someone who would bring Dawson issues to the governme=
nt.
They trusted me to bring their concerns and priorities to the table. They
wanted a representative who would fight for them and who would make sure th=
at
their government planned for their future. So, on behalf of my constituents,
and of all Yukoners, I will be calling attention to the shortcomings of this
budget and offer concrete solutions on how the government can better address
these needs. I will be fairly brief to=
day
because I’d like to spend some more time in the individual departments;
however, there are a few things that I can put on the record here at this
second reading. $22,206,000 on page 4-4 o=
f the
budget is one of the biggest numbers in the document before us and it goes a
long way toward understanding why I will be voting against it. $22.2 millio=
n is
the amount the budget for the new F.H. Collins Secondary School has been
reduced for this year because of the government’s mismanagement of this
project. Earlier this week, the government unveiled a new tender and pushed
construction back to next year, so the money is no longer needed in this fi=
scal
year. It is just the latest in a series of mistakes the government has made=
on
this project — mistakes that have cost the taxpayers at least $5.5 million =
for
a design that has been thrown out the window — an underground infrastructure
that was installed for the old design and now will not be used. It has been disheartening=
to
watch the Premier try to defend this bungling by referring to a recent repo=
rt
from Standard & Poor’s credit agency. The government has been trying to
mislead Yukoners that a high rating from this company is a confirmation tha=
t it
is doing a good job managing the capital projects. Some Hon. Member: (Inau=
dible)
Point of order Deputy Speaker (Ms. McLeod): =
Member
for Lake Laberge, on a point of order. Hon. Mr. Cathers: I believe that the Member for Klondike just contravened
Standing Order 19(h), which prohibits a member from charging another member
with uttering a deliberate falsehood. The member, in accusing the governmen=
t of
misleading Yukoners or attempting to mislead, certainly appears to me to be
contravening this and I would like to bring that to your attention. Deputy Speaker: =
Member
for Klondike, on the point of order. Mr. Silver: I believe=
this
is just a dispute amongst members and I would appreciate the ability to
continue on. Deputy
Speaker’s ruling Deputy Speaker: =
I believe that there is a p=
oint
of order. It is not in order for a member to use the word or to infer
“misleading”, so I would just remind the members to be mindful of their
terminology. Mr. Silver: I will con=
tinue
by saying that it’s bewildering to me as to how the government takes a high
rating from this company as a confirmation that it is doing a good job mana=
ging
capital projects on all money matters. In fact — Some Hon. Member: (Inau=
dible)
Mr. Silver: If I did =
say
something that was unparliamentary, then I will
apologize for it. Is that okay? Some Hon. Member: (Inau=
dible)
Mr. Silver: In fact, =
all
that this credit rating means is that the Government of Yukon is a good bet=
to
pay back their investors who buy bonds that the government backs, like the =
one
used to finance the Mayo B project. Why wouldn’t Yukon be a good bet to pay=
it
back? It receives more than 85 percent of its funding from the Government of
Canada, so of course it can pay up. The S&P report doesn’t look at thin=
gs
like F.H. Collins, the overbudget and behind-sc=
hedule
Watson Lake hospital, the overbudget and
behind-schedule Dawson City hospital, the cancelled Beaver Creek fire hall —
and the list goes on and on. The main thing that the rating is based on is =
that
the government can cover bonds that it issues and, because Ottawa still sen=
ds
us hundreds of millions of dollars a year, the answer is, yes, we can cover
this. The other territories have the same rating because they too receive a
stable cash flow from Ottawa. Red herrings like these ones are what the
government has relied on to try to defend its mishandling of capital projec=
ts
like F.H. Collins. Instead of being open and accountable and admitting that=
it
has made mistakes, the government goes on the attack and criticizes anyone =
who
dares ask a question. We witnessed this in Ques=
tion
Period just a few hours ago — no answers, just criticisms of important
questions being asked by all Yukoners. Now let’s look at some of=
the
projects. Yukoners are understandably nervous when they hear the government
talking about a $50-million expansion of the Whitehorse General Hospital. G=
iven
the track record of this government, who knows what this project will actua=
lly
cost? Of course, it probably wouldn’t even be necessary if the Yukon govern=
ment
of the 1990s hadn’t cut the size of the hospital so dramatically when it was
first built. This spring, Yukoners were
assured by the government that the corporation was capable of building and
financing the hospitals in Dawson City and in Watson Lake, and that has pro=
ven
not to be the case. The proof is in the $27-million, out-of-the-blue bailout
that is the centrepiece of the entire budget this year. It is a good symbol of th=
is
budget because it highlights the poor planning and fiscal mismanagement that
this government is now synonymous with. The Auditor General was clear on the
need for better planning. The Premier, like his predecessor, thumbed his no=
se
at the Auditor General in his main budget speech this spring. He mocked the
findings that questioned whether the two hospitals were needed. We all know
now, thanks to the hearings on the Auditor General’s report, that the direc=
tion
to build the hospitals was a verbal one from the former Premier, with no ne=
eds
assessment or budget done. What about Whistle Bend? =
Some Hon. Member: (Inau=
dible)
Point of order Deputy Speaker: =
Government House Leader, on=
a
point of order. Hon. Mr. Cathers: It would appear to me that the Leader of the Liberal Party=
is
again contravening our Standing Orders — I believe it may be a contraventio=
n of
Standing Order 19(g) — and it also would appear to be out of keeping with t=
he
practices of this Assembly to accuse another member of thumbing his nose at=
an
officer of the federal Parliament. That certainly is not som=
ething
that any member on this side has done and that would appear to be a
contravention of Standing Order 19(g), and I think that he should retract t=
hat
statement and apologize. Deputy Speaker: =
Member for Klondike, on the=
point
of order. Mr. Silver: I believe =
this
is a dispute among members. Deputy Speaker’s ruling Deputy Speaker: =
Thank
you. I am going to say that this is a dispute among members. I would remind=
the
member again — and as all members have been reminded in the past — that as =
you
sow, so shall you reap. Mr. Silver: Let’s mov=
e on
to Whistle Bend — millions spent, more lawsuits with contractors, more
confidential court settlements, the infrastructure still being owned by the
Yukon government because the city won’t sign off on it, and, to top it all =
off,
lots that were way too expensive for people to buy. It sits almost empty —
unfortunately another project mismanaged by this government. Another example of poor p=
lanning
is the overbudget Dawson waste-water treatment
facility. When this project was tendered, the government managed to disqual=
ify
a local company and instead chose unproven technology from an outside compa=
ny.
The system has yet to work properly and not enough training has been provid=
ed
to the local operators. The city refused to take over the facility in August
with all of the problems occurring, and who could blame them? What about the final inst=
allment
of the northern housing trust? Yukoners were told in May a housing strategy=
was
being developed. Before that strategy has been completed, the government has
decided it wants to spend the final $13 million of the trust on affordable
housing. No plan in place, just a decision to spend — another example of po=
or
planning. Let’s hope it works out better than the failed attempt at Lot 262=
. Unfortunately, mismanagem=
ent goes
well beyond capital projects. When the president of the Yukon Energy
Corporation was in this Chamber in May, he confirmed that we have reached o=
ur
capacity to generate power with hydro. A lack of planning has left us no ch=
oice
but to meet new demands with fossil fuels. Instead of planning to expand our
hydro capacity, the Yukon Party spent most of its last mandate trying to fi=
nd a
way to sell off our publicly owned utility. As a result, we’re paying higher
and higher bills. We’re at the edge of an energy cliff. This summer the Pre=
mier
finally announced the government was going to take a serious look at expand=
ing
our hydro capabilities and capacities by building a new dam. Some Hon. Member: (Inau=
dible)
Introduction
of Visitors Mr. Barr: I’d=
like
to introduce my son, Jona Barr, and Corey Isenor and Al from Halifax. They are heading out on a
cross-Canada tour to promote their CDs Old
Cabin and Corey Isenor.
Please welcome them to the House. Applause Mr. Silver: That=
’s an
interruption I can appreciate, Mr. Speaker. This summer the
Premier finally announced the government is going to take a serious look at
expanding their hydro capacities by building a new dam. That’s probably new=
s to
the former Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources. I asked him that very
question in the spring and he couldn’t name a single project that the
government was seriously considering. How it was being financed=
, where
the location was or how large it was going to be all remained unanswered at
this point. If it is managed anything=
like
F.H. Collins, Yukoners shouldn’t be holding their breath as we wait for it =
to
begin to be built. We have poorly managed capital projects and a mismanaged
energy picture, and that brings us to our economy. This year, our economy wi=
ll lead
only New Brunswick and Northwest Territories in GDP growth. We are 11th of =
13
in Canada. The Yukon Party government has focussed almost exclusively on mining,
According to the governme=
nt’s own
statistics, private sector employment was down by 1,100, or 8.7 percent, fr=
om
September 2012, yet we continue to hear the government’s “all’s well within=
the
private sector company” line. Again, the government’s own stats don’t back =
it
up.
Even with the unprecedent=
ed
interest in Yukon, Brewery Creek was still not able to get off the ground d=
ue
to regulatory problems. Only one Yukon mine is currently in full production.
New mines on the horizon are all facing significant hurdles before they can
even begin production.
Building stats are down; =
housing
prices are down. There was a lottery for lots in Whistle Bend and no bidder=
s.
The signs of a slowdown are all around us. The Yukon Party coasted on high
mineral processes and prices for several years and took credit for good
economic times. As things slow down, we now see letters to the editor from
government ministers blaming global economic forces.
Let me quote from former =
Yukon
Party ministers who have had this to say about the Yukon’s economy — 2007, =
and
I quote: “…I will take credit for becoming the hotspot in Canada…”; 2010: “…
we, the Yukon Party, made the Yukon an attractive place to live.”; 2011: “…=
it
has everything to do with us — this government …”
It is now 2013 and our GD=
P growth
for this year is almost the lowest in Canada and suddenly it has nothing to=
do
with government; it’s global economic forces. This government won’t take any
responsibility or accountability for this poor showing. Watching Mr. Harper
speaking this week in the federal Conservative convention — refusing to take
any responsibility for the problems with senators he appointed — you don’t =
need
to look very far to see where this government takes its lead from.
As mining realities start=
ed to
slow down this summer, the government suddenly realized that we have a tour=
ism
industry and decided it needed to take steps to closer associate itself with
it. It included a trip to Germany where no new funding was announced — none.
There was also some very interesting numbers from the Canadian Tourism
Commission that said quite the opposite of what this government is saying —
namely that international visitors have dropped and not increased.
To a large degree, our ec=
onomic
future depends on the territorial government’s ability to get along with Fi=
rst
Nation governments. Yukoners remember the Premier’s refusal to meet with the
CYFN leadership during the election campaign — a decision that set the tone=
for
this government’s acrimonious relationship with First Nation governments. In
two years, the Yukon Forum has met only once. I spoke to a chief last week =
who
said the government alone wants to set the agenda at the forum and still wo=
n’t
allow First Nations to bring forward their priorities. It was Grand Chief
Massie who said recently the government only wants to meet to celebrate, but
not to do the hard work required to get to that point. How are poor
relationships affecting our economy? Let’s start in the Southeast Yukon.
The government’s non-exis=
tent
relationship with the Kaska has led to several
lawsuits and stalled development of the richest oil and gas area in the
territory. The Yukon Party has been unable to cooperate with the Kaska on signing the Umbrella
Final Agreement or negotiating another interim measure. It has instead
largely tried to ignore the Kaska. The result i=
s a
stalemate that benefits no one. The former Minister of Energy, Mines and
Resources has complained that he spent $2 million and could not get an
agreement on oil and gas. What is the price of no exploration for 11 years?=
How
much has been lost in jobs, royalties, income taxes, et cetera? Far more than $2 million.
Later in this sitting, the
government will be forced into bringing forward amendments to the territory=
’s
mining laws because of yet another loss in the courts. To make matters wors=
e,
the government has once again not even bothered to consult with First Natio=
ns
about the amendments. It is my understanding that neither the Kaska nor the miners have even seen a draft of this b=
ill.
Let’s move on to the othe=
r end of
the territory — White River, another unsigned First Nation the government h=
as
tried to ignore with the same disastrous results. What impact does the rece=
nt
battle over Tarsis Resources exploration have o=
n our
economy? The company had permission to explore and then that right was taken
away by the courts because this government didn’t meet its obligation to wo=
rk
with White River. What do we lose at the end of the day? Certainty — an item
that is always on the top of the list of the mining industry folks. It hurts
our investment climate and leaves the miners looking for other places to
explore.
Another example of where =
this
government has poisoned the well with First Nations and negatively impacted=
our
economy is in the Peel watershed. For several years now, the entire area has
been off limits because, once again, this government cannot get along with
First Nations who have a voice in the planning process. Even a potentially =
good
news story, the signing of a new resource royalty agreement with First Nati=
ons,
has come off the rails under this government. First the Premier said no, he
wasn’t interested in giving the First Nations a bigger piece of the pie, and
then he changed his mind and said okay. He announced last fall a deal that =
was
in place and then had to backtrack and admit that the deal wasn’t done after
all. The big priority was taking credit for a deal, not actually doing the =
work
to ensure that this deal was completed. The government can’t get even the
winners past the goal line.
The command-and-control,
divide-and-conquer approach that this government brings to the table is just
not working. Their relationships with First Nation governments are the most
important relationships that this government has and they are being badly
mismanaged. It is taking a toll on our economy and there is a human cost as
well. At the end of the day, we all live here and it is a better place when=
we
are all trying to get along.
We have passed the two-ye=
ar mark
of this government. The same old Yukon Party is bringing us a spirited defe=
nce
of the status quo, a commitment to sit back and relax and to hope that the
commodities will rebound while a generous federal government does its work.=
For
all Yukoners, the Liberal Party will continue to represent an alternative
vision — a vision where our government plans for our future, a vision where=
we
harness our natural advantages and where we overcome our natural challenges.
Yukoners are calling for this vision — a vision where their input is truly
valued, a vision where they are supported in achieving their goals and
surviving the downtimes. In order to help achieve this vision, we need to h=
elp
our current government identify how it can do better, how it can listen bet=
ter,
and how it can plan better because the evidence is clearly that they must. =
A government that plans b=
etter
will not leave our territory vulnerable to the whims of the federal governm=
ent
and to the prices of gold and silver. We need a budget that reduces our
dependence on Ottawa. After 10 years in power, this government has doubled =
its
dependency on federal money. When the government came to power, approximate=
ly
80 percent of the expenses were paid by federal transfers. Now, Mr. Speaker=
, almost
87 percent of the expenses are paid with federal money. On behalf of Yukone=
rs,
I am calling on this government to plan to achieve a more dependable, less
dependent source of revenue. While the government thinks they are good fisc=
al
managers, the fact remains that Yukon gets more of our budget as a percenta=
ge
from Ottawa than we did 10 years ago.
While we must leverage our
natural resources, we also must endeavour to support our incredibly strong
tourism industry. We need a budget that recognizes this industry as the Yuk=
on’s
best chance at diversification. A Liberal government would not — as this
government has done — flat-line tourism spending. This marketing budget rem=
ains
almost unchanged from when the government took office a decade ago. Tourism=
numbers
in 2012 are lower than they were in 2006. Near silence was not the right an=
swer
when this government’s friends in Ottawa chose to cut Parks Canada, to appl=
y a
duct-tape solution in response to public protest. There is no planning to d=
eal
with the downloading of the Government of Canada.
So while this government =
claims
to be pro-business, this government does little to recognize and to support=
one
of the main pillars of our economy, which is tourism. Yukoners need a
well-thought-out budget that will allow us to focus on families and their h=
ard
work. They do not need a budget that will haunt them in the papers for mont=
hs
to come. Unfortunately, this budget update will do exactly that. Yukoners do
not deserve more stories about overbudget schoo=
ls.
What they deserve are headlines about the diversification of the economy and
long-term plans on issues that impact everyday lives.
In order to develop thoug=
htful
plans and to address these issues, this government needs to start listening=
. By
listening, I don’t mean holding consultations that are overruled by backroom
deals. I mean actually listening — listening to First Nations, listening to=
our
parents and to our teachers, listening to our patients and our health care
professionals, listening to our small business owners and our mining and
tourism industry and, like it or not, listening to our NGOs and conservation
groups.
With regard to my communi=
ty,
there remain issues with housing, the defective waste-water treatment facil=
ity,
the planned McDonald Lodge, our new hospital, the Dawson land use plan that
just recently lost its senior planner, municipal water and sewer infrastruc=
ture
and Klondike Valley fire hall. We need leadership that empowers First Nation
governments and we need to consult openly and fairly.
I’ve outlined my objectio=
ns to
the direction of this government and this budget in particular, and therefo=
re I
will not be supporting Bill No. 11.
In closing, I would like =
to thank
this government for all the work that they did in preparing this budget, bu=
t on
behalf of Yukoners, I would like to challenge this government to do better.
Yukoners deserve better planning. They work too hard for their money to be
wasted. Yukoners deserve better listening and they are too important to hav=
e to
fight to be heard.
Hon. Mr. Dixon: =
It’s
very interesting to see the interim Leader of the Liberal Party work himself
into a bit of a lather there as he read his prepared speech that he clearly=
put
a lot of time and effort into over the summer. I want to respond to so many=
of
the things that I heard, but time just does not permit. There are a number =
of
things that I want to speak about that I’ll have to put above the list — or=
put
higher on the list — than responding to some of the drivel we just heard, b=
ut I
will forego that and start by thanking my constituents of Copperbelt
North for their continued support. I thank them as well for giving me the
privilege to stand here in the Legislature and represent them.
It’s a pleasure for me to= rise today and speak to the Supplementary Estimates No. 1 for 2013-14, which is the first budget document we will= get to speak to in this sitting. It’s a little bit different from when we left = in the spring because, of course, there are some changes that have occurred bo= th in our government in the structure of Cabinet, as well as our caucus. I’d l= ike to mention some of those issues as well, but first I wanted to take the opportunity — I know that this is a document that the opposition parties do= n’t like to review, but as some have referenced in this House already, Standard & Poor’s had the opportunity to review our public finances and our econ= omy recently and reaffirmed their AA rating of the territory’s credit rating. <= o:p>
I’d like to quote from the
document that they published on October 15, 2013. It’s available from www.standardandpoors=
.com/ratingsdirect.
“We are affirming our ‘AA’ long-term iss=
uer
credit rating on the Territory of Yukon. We also affirming our ‘AA’ issue-l=
evel
rating on Yukon Development Corp.’s C$100 million senior unsecured debt. In
part, the ratings reflect our assessment of extremely low debt, healthy
economic performance compared with that of similarly rated domestic and
international peers, very positive liquidity, and significant grants from t=
he
Canadian government. The stable outlook reflects our expectations that, in =
the
next two years, Yukon will continue to have strong budgetary performance, w=
ith
stable operating surpluses that exceed five percent of consolidated operati=
ng
revenues and near-balanced after-capital results; and a debt burden that pe=
aks
at about 20 percent of consolidated operating revenue.”
In their rationale for is=
suing
that rating they say: “The ratings on Yukon reflect Standard & Poor’s o=
pinion
of the territory’s relatively low debt burden, very positive liquidity
position, and healthy economy that is concentrated somewhat within the mini=
ng
sector. The ratings also reflect our view of the ‘predictable and
well-balanced’ institutional framework for Canadian territories, our assess=
ment
of the positive impact that Yukon’s financial management has on its credit
profile, and the lack of material contingent liabilities. In our opinion, t=
he
territory’s limited budgetary flexibility and average-but-improving budgeta=
ry
performance mitigate these strengths somewhat. Based on our conservative
base-case forecast, in the next two years, we expect that Yukon’s tax-suppo=
rted
debt will increase modestly and remain about 20 percent of the consolidated
operating revenues, and less than 10 percent of nominal GDP. We believe that
the territory’s tax-supported debt burden remains exceptionally low compared
with those of its international and Canadian peers.”
While we’ve been saying t=
his for
a number of years in this House, speaking about Yukon’s strong fiscal
management and responsible decision-making processes, it is nice from time =
to
time to receive some external validation from internationally recognized
institutions like Standard & Poor’s, which provide these assessments to=
the
end of a rating.
Further to that, it was a
pleasure for me to join my colleagues in hosting a few months ago the
Conference Board of Canada’s Centre for the North meeting here in Whitehors=
e.
It was a great opportunity for us to touch base with the Centre for the Nor=
th
which is, of course, the only other institution in Canada that reviews and
provides a forecast for the territorial economies in Yukon as well as in the
Northwest Territories and Nunavut. It was nice to receive a little bit of e=
xternal
validation for the forecast that we have of the economy going forward.
I’d like to quote from th=
e news
media, a CBC interview on Wednesday October 16, 2013, where we were having a
discussion with Mr. Glen Hodgson, who is the VP and chief economist at the
Conference Board of Canada — a very well-educated, well-experienced and
altogether a very sound mind when it comes to economic forecasting. Hodgson
says, “The Yukon benefits from a comparatively diverse economy. Yukon, to m=
e,
looks like a very southern economy, in fact — a strong services base which
sustains you through hard times but also with a resource economy layered on=
top
of that.”
Again, it’s nice to recei=
ve some
validation for what we’ve been saying — that, while others are pessimistic =
about
our economic outlooks, both our own internal forecasts in the Government of
Yukon, as well as the Conference Board of Canada’s forecasts, are actually
quite optimistic about the territory’s economic performance in the years to
come.
This budget document cont=
ains a
number of things, but among them is the budget allocation for the Departmen=
t of
Economic Development. Within that is one particular project I would like to
highlight. It’s a rather simple community development fund project but it’s
very important to me as the MLA for Copperbelt =
North
and I wanted to take the opportunity to speak to it briefly.
The Copper Ridge Neighbou=
rhood
Association received a relatively small amount of money, but it was a big d=
eal
to that association. It was funding provided to them for the provision of
services related to planning for what we refer to in our neighbourhood as
“Winze Park.” It’s an empty, city-owned lot on Winze Lane in my riding. In =
that
funding, the Copper Ridge Neighbourhood Association had the opportunity to =
hire
a consultant to host a consultation where we heard from residents in my
neighbourhood as to what their vision and hopes were for that particular pi=
ece
of land and that particular park.
I had the pleasure of joi=
ning the
Copper Ridge Neighbourhood Association in hosting a barbeque in September,
where they hosted this consultation. They had a number of billboards up that
had different potential ideas that the Copper Ridge Neighbourhood Associati=
on —
in consultation with that consultant — thought would be some good starting
point ideas. They received a significant amount of input. I believe it was =
over
100 people who provided comments on the planning documents that they had
proposed.
Since then, the neighbour=
hood
association has gone back, taken all that input, compiled it and made a
decision about what the most common features of a park were that residents
identified and will now be drawing up plans for constructing some of the
activities, buildings and facilities on that park land that they heard from
residents were needed.
The next steps for that p=
roject
are to develop those options, meet with the City of Whitehorse and determine
their level of support and interest in some of the activities they’re plann=
ing
and then, of course, to come back to funding grant bodies, such as the
community development fund, for the development and construction of the park
itself.
So I’d like to commend th=
e Copper
Ridge Neighbourhood Association for the work that they have done. The Copper
Ridge Neighbourhood Association is one that I have the pleasure of sharing =
with
the Member for Whitehorse West — of course, the Copper Ridge Neighbourhood
Association is broader than just my riding. It includes hers, as well. It’s=
one
we have the pleasure of sharing.
I did want to note some o=
f the
individuals who were recently re-elected to their board, because they’ve do=
ne
some fantastic work to date and I’m very optimistic about the work that the=
y’re
going to be doing in the future. Josh Clark was re-elected as their preside=
nt,
Ryan Kinney is the vice-president, Lila Cornell is the secretary, Yesh Sharma is the treasurer, Damien Burns is the
Mr. Speaker, with regards=
to the
budget and the Department of Economic Development, I also wanted to take the
opportunity to congratulate and welcome aboard our new deputy minister, Mur=
ray
Arsenault, who was hired earlier this year as the Deputy Minister of Econom=
ic
Development. Mr. Arsenault has a diverse background and his input is certai=
nly
welcome in this government. I think he’ll be an excellent contribution to o=
ur
team of deputy ministers, which provides our government with the support and
advice that we need to make decisions about governing this territory. Mr.
Arsenault has a career that includes extensive experience managing a variet=
y of
business ventures in northern Canada. Most recently, Mr. Arsenault held the
position of general manager of the Dakwakada
Development Corporation, which is a private equity firm based in Whitehorse
with investments in construction, manufacturing, retail and communications.=
It
is the development corporation of the Champagne and Ai=
shihik
First Nations. Prior to that, he worked in economic development in both the
public and private sectors in the Northwest Territories, and he holds a mas=
ter
of business administration from Cape Breton University.
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Arsenaul=
t is
actually out of the country right now. He is in Europe, either in London or
Zurich — I can’t remember what the schedule suggests. But he is filling in =
for
me in an investment attraction tour to Europe with some companies from Yuko=
n.
Originally, I was scheduled to attend that and join in that investment
attraction effort, but duties in the Legislature called and I’m here today.=
So,
with the deputy minister in Europe, that meant that the trip to China neede=
d to
be filled and our assistant deputy minister, Mr. Terry Hayden, is filling in
for Mr. Arsenault in China. So we have two concurrent investment attraction
events going on — one in Asia, and one in Europe.
I returned from the Unite=
d States
a few weeks ago where I did similar activities.
What I’m getting at with =
this is
that we know that in this investment market with relatively soft mineral pr=
ices
and a very challenging environment to raise investment capital. We know that
it’s our job to really enhance what we are doing to attract investment to t=
his
territory. Investment to the territory is critical for economic projects to=
go
forward. We know that and we’ve addressed it in this House many times befor=
e,
but I wanted to take the opportunity to highlight just some of the activiti=
es
that we have underway right now, which include our target investment attrac=
tion
markets of Europe, Asia and North America.
Another interesting chang=
e for
the group on this side of the House was, of course, the addition of a new
member to caucus, the Member for Vuntut Gwitchin. I wanted to take the opportunity to thank h=
im for
his input in the past few months since he has joined our team, and really
highlight some of the meaningful ways he has contributed to some of the
decisions that we’ve made on this side of the House.
Earlier this year I, as t=
he
Minister of Environment, announced that we would be enhancing the water
monitoring program in North Yukon to improve its overall understanding of w=
ater
distribution, movement and quality in an area with increasing potential for
development. This was an investment that we had made in part because of what
we’d heard throughout the consultation period related to the development of=
our
water strategy, but it was heavily influenced as well by the input from the
Member for Vuntut Gwitchin=
,
who really made it very clear to government that his constituents had a
remarkably high value on the water in their area and that they needed to be
assured that Yukon government was doing all it could do to understand the w=
ater
resources in the area and encouraged government to make increased investmen=
ts
to the water monitoring in that area.
That announcement was one=
I was
very proud to make, but I have to give credit where credit is due, and that=
is
significantly with the Member for Vuntut Gwitchin.
Another similar investmen=
t that I
was able to make as Minister of Economic Development related to an issue th=
at
the Member for Vuntut Gwit=
chin
had lobbied me about a number of times from across the way, but now, with h=
im
as a colleague, it was easy to take the next step on it — this was related =
to
trapping. In the Department of Economic Development, we recently provided
two-year funding to the trappers’ organization, which came out of work done
with the Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board and the Yukon Trappers
Association. That was a pilot project to find ways to increase opportunities
for trapping in the territory. That was yet another example of an issue that
was of keen interest to the member, and one that he raised with me a number=
of
times from across the way and was able to make a difference in advocating on
behalf of that issue as a colleague of mine.
The next few items I want=
ed to
mention, Mr. Speaker — I know that you have signalled I have only a few min=
utes
left, so I’ll have to truncate my comments a little bit. I did want to spea=
k a
little bit about my new role. Yet another thing that has changed since our
previous sitting is that, while the main headlines were focussed on some of=
my
other colleagues who changed portfolios in the Cabinet shuffle we had earli=
er
this year, in that shuffle, I received the added responsibility of being the
minister responsible for the Public Service Commission. So that’s something=
I’m
very proud of.
I very much appreciate the
patience of that department in providing me with briefings and getting me u=
p to
speed on the issues related to the Public Service Commission. It’s something
that, to be perfectly honest with you, I haven’t had a tremendous amount of
experience with previously, but I know that the folks in that department are
very professional and very well-qualified and are able to provide me with t=
he
guidance needed to be successful. I’d like to thank the Public Service
Commission and, in particular, the Public Service Commissioner, Ms. Cathari=
ne
Read, for their patience and their support so far.
Let me conclude my remark=
s by
saying that this budget document is the first budget document we’ve had for
this sitting, so it will be a topic of a great deal of discussion in the co=
ming
weeks. I look forward to getting into the specific departments that I’m
responsible for, including Economic Development, Environment, and the Public
Service Commission. Some of the issues and funding lines that you see in th=
ese
departments are, I know, of great interest to members on both sides of the
House, so I’m sure we’ll have some robust discussions around this budget
document and the specifics related to those departments.
Having expired my time, M=
r.
Speaker, I’ll just conclude by saying that I look forward to debating this
budget document and working with my colleagues who have new roles, my
colleagues who maintain their roles, and folks who are new to the caucus
altogether.
Hon. Mr. Graham: As=
I was
saying, I am pleased to speak to some of the highlights in this supplementa=
ry
budget for Health and Social Services and to update the Legislature on some=
of
the important priorities identified in the budget.
However, before I do that=
, I
would just like to follow in the footsteps of my colleague, the Member for
Riverdale North, and thank the Premier for not giving me any additional
responsibilities during the recent Cabinet shuffle. I think he recognizes t=
he
limits of my abilities and left me right where I am — where I am beginning =
to
learn something about the Department of Health and Social Services.
During the year, a number=
of revotes were included in this supplementary budget in=
order
to proceed with some of the priority initiatives that we had identified
previously. In addition, there are a few new funding initiatives that I wou=
ld
like to point out to members here. I was also quite surprised by the commen=
t of
the Leader of the Official Opposition about the lack of information in the
budget with respect to the capital budget. I looked in my budget book and f=
ound
that not only was the detail quite good for the additional $5,941,000, it k=
ind
of goes through and explains what every dollar is for.
I’ll be happy to expand o=
n those
during Committee of the Whole, but it’s quite obvious, at least in this cap=
ital
budget, what the priorities are.
I have mentioned before o=
ne of my
priorities — the priority I place on ensuring our Alcohol and Drug Services=
are
able to respond to the many needs of individuals with addictions in this
territory. Project phases 2 and 3, which include the conceptual and schemat=
ic
design work for the new Sarah Steele Building replacement, are underway. We=
are
pleased that the site selected for the new building is confirmed by the city
and we really appreciate the work done by the city in ensuring that property
has now been transferred to us. It was also, with the studies done there,
clearly evident that there were no graves on the property that we would lik=
e to
use for the new Sarah Steele Building. So we really appreciate the cooperat=
ion
with the city and with the Department of Highways and Public Works for all =
of
the work done in that area.
In this budget, we have a=
lso
included supplementary funding to proceed with the Yukon addiction services
system — the standards and evaluation project — which is 100-percent
recoverable from Canada. The funding will allow us to continue with the pro=
ject
that is underway on the development of program standards, performance measu=
rement
and evaluation. We are also continuing with implementing our medically
supported detox program. Nursing staff, including a quality assurance
registered nurse, are in place, as well as a detox social worker.
I know once again the Mem=
ber for
Riverdale South, the critic for Health and Social Servi=
ces,
would have us believe that absolutely nothing is happening with respect to =
the
implementation of collaborative care practices here in Yukon. However this =
is
only one of a number of initiatives that have been started by this governme=
nt
with respect to collaborative care. This one was a high priority with me an=
d so
it was one of the collaborative care practices or initiatives that we began=
and
have now put in place for the Sarah Steele Building.
A common diagnostic tool =
is now
used by both detox and the emergency room at the Whitehorse General Hospita=
l.
Protocols between agencies such as the Salvation Army and Health and Social
Services are also in place. We are also continuing with cross-cultural
awareness and other staff training and have included r=
evoted
funds in this budget to continue on this very important initiative.
Planning for the future n=
eeds of
our seniors and elders population as well as those others among our populat=
ion
who require long-term care is another priority of this government. We are
moving forward with phase 2 of the design/build request for proposals for t=
he
McDonald Lodge replacement project in Dawson City and we have requested a
revote of funds for this budget. We are all aware that the demand for
additional long-term beds in Whitehorse will increase with our aging
population, so we’ve included funding in this budget for the next step, whi=
ch
is business-case planning for a new continuing care facility to ensure that=
we
are prepared for the increased aging population in the territory.
The Yukon Hospital Corpor=
ation is
now in a position to move forward with the planning for renovations at the
Whitehorse General Hospital for an MRI suite and the expansion of the emerg=
ency
department. This budget includes a $2-million contribution toward the MRI
purchase, which was promised by this government during the election, and
$1.4-million for project initiation for the hospital expansion project.
Additional capital funding will be required in future budgets for construct=
ion
and I will be very happy to share this with the House once we have completed
details and estimates.
I’m pleased to report bac=
k to the
Legislature that the collaboration between the department and the Yukon
Hospital Corporation for the purpose of health care delivery planning for Y=
ukon
communities is well-underway. We are nearing completion of the community ne=
eds
assessment that I promised for both Watson Lake and Dawson City and during =
this
session I am hoping to share with you the details of those assessments and =
our
plans to move forward with ensuring the programs in those facilities are ba=
sed
on a collaborative care model partnership between Health and Social Services
and the Yukon Hospital Corporation.
The Auditor General’s rep=
ort
wasn’t favourable in many areas. It gave the government and the Yukon Hospi=
tal
Corporation the opportunity to work on a comprehensive plan. Health and Soc=
ial
Services announced at the time it would develop an integrated health facili=
ty
program and services model in those two communities, which will enable the
design of health and social programs and services to
creatively and effectively meet community-specific needs.
In a recent meeting with =
the
Hospital Corporation president and CEO, it was agreed by both of us that su=
ch a
plan was a welcome addition to these communities, and we both look forward =
to
presenting both a high-level plan in the near future and allowing the
department and the Hospital Corporation to work out details in the coming
months or years.
We also continue to suppo=
rt the
NGOs that provide valuable services to our community. I’m pleased to indica=
te
that my department will be providing increased operation and maintenance
funding to support the recently opened Betty’s Haven second-stage transitio=
nal
apartments. We’ll also be supporting the operations — although the money is=
not
in this supplementary budget, it will be in the next — to support the
operations of the new Options for Independence complex that will hopefully =
be
opening in the next little while.
With all of our NGOs, we’=
re
working to ensure they are aligned with the strategic directions of the
department and that we have good accountability processes in place. Recentl=
y,
in the spring of this year, we provided a training session to NGOs in order=
to
ensure that they had the ability and the required documents to provide the
department with the accounting that we require in order to be able to report
back, not only to the Auditor General, but to this Legislature on the milli=
ons
of dollars that we provide in funding to a number of NGOs throughout the
territory. The training sessions provided the NGOs with documents and the
ability to provide the information necessary to ensure that accountability =
for
those funds is not a problem in the future.
That brings me then, Mr. =
Speaker,
to addressing prevention and supports related to FASD. This is a priority of
this government and this supplementary budget contains funding for the final
year of the integrated case management and adult diagnostic team development
project. As well, this budget contains funding for a tri-territorial FASD
prevention initiative, which is 100-percent fundable and recoverable from
Canada.
Planning for and managing=
our
health human resources is foundational to our he=
alth
care system operations. We continue to focus numerous efforts at the
recruitment and retention of health professionals. Included in this are
physicians, nurses and other health professionals. I am pleased to report t=
hat
our recent progress in this area, based on the collaborative efforts of the
department and the professional associations, was quite good.
Health and Social Services
launched the website www.yukonmd.ca to
provide information on career opportunities, benefits, hospitals, physicians
and communities. As well, the department hired a physician recruitment and
retention officer this year. Since that time, seven new physicians have beg=
un
working in Yukon, including a second psychiatrist. Our work is attracting t=
he
attention of local physicians we hope will consider the Yukon as their futu=
re
home base.
Once again, contrary to w=
hat is
being said by the opposition critic in this area, our working relationship =
with
the Yukon Medical Association and, in addition, the Canadian Medical
Association, is very good. We will continue working with them to provide he=
alth
professionals to this territory. In fact, I just recently had an e-mail pas=
sed
along to me from the new president of the Canadian Medical Association in w=
hich
he expressed his great desire to come to the territory to work with the loc=
al
physicians, as well as our department, to better work on a health care syst=
em
that would be unique in Canada. We’re looking forward to further discussion=
s in
that area and seeing great results as these discussions continue.
The budget also contains =
specific
funding to increase our capacity and support for internationally educated
health professionals in order to integrate them into our health care system.
Support to individuals who have been trained as health professionals in oth=
er
countries can take many forms. This includes supporting their pathway to
licensure or supporting them in an alternate health care career choice. Thi=
s is
the first year of a new three-year agreement with the federal government and
funding for this initiative is included in this supplementary budget. Plann=
ing
for the future quality and sustainability of a constantly evolving Health a=
nd
Social Services system is definitely a challenge for all, Mr. Speaker.
As governments, we are no
exception to this rule. During this session we will also be debating two
important bills aimed at the fundamentals of our health care system — that’s
the management of our personal health care information and clarifying for a=
ll
Yukoners the eligibility requirements for being entitled to publicly funded
physician and hospital services, along with Yukon‑specific benefits s=
uch
as medical travel and our drug problems.
Speaking of our drug or a=
ddiction
problems in the territory, I know there has been a lot of talk about the ne=
ed
for a drug information system in the Yukon that would help with abuse and
misuse of prescription drugs. We know anecdotally that there are problems
throughout Canada, as well as in this territory, and elsewhere in the world
with resale of prescription drugs. We have probably all heard the stories a=
bout
people who go to various physicians, get prescriptions, and will go physici=
an
shopping as well, to get prescriptions for this purpose.
A drug information system=
, while
a good tool, would not necessarily end the sale of prescription drugs. It
would, however, assist us in controlling the misuse and abuse of prescripti=
on
drugs within the territory. As well, it would give us the ability to track
adverse reactions so that all providers know medications of the individual =
as
required. It would also be very easy for physicians or other health care
providers who are able to prescribe medications to link into the system and=
see
if an individual has received the same prescription from someone else.
It sounds like a very eas=
y system
to implement, but it’s not. These systems are extremely complex and we need=
to
ensure patient confidentiality and that the system is available and operati=
onal
24 hours a day, seven days a week. Part of the work we have to do as govern=
ment
is to find a system that will work for everybody and therefore make it easy=
for
health care providers to use. A drug information system is a piece of the
electronic health record. Health privacy legislation needs to be in place to
ensure this type of information sharing and to ensure that records are secu=
re
and only accessed by health care providers, as required, to deliver good
patient care.
Those are some of the ini=
tiatives
that we’re working on and some of the things that we’re planning for the
future. These are only a few of the highlights from the Health and Social
Services department and I look forward to continuing this debate in Committ=
ee
and throughout the session.
Hon. Mr. Cathers: It’s a pleasure to rise here this afternoon in second readi=
ng
on the Second Appropriation Act, 20=
13-14
for this fiscal year. It has been a busy summer.
First of all, I’d like to=
begin
by thanking the staff of the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources for
their dedicated support and services during my time as minister and thank t=
he
staff of the Yukon Development Corporation and Yukon Energy Corporation for
their help and support. Having had the opportunity to take on responsibility
for Community Services, Yukon Housing, the Liquor Corporation and Lotteries
Yukon, I enjoy the opportunity to work with the dedicated staff there, as w=
ell,
on addressing the challenges and opportunities within those areas, and, of
course, working on completing the tasks identified within the mandate letter
that reflect our commitment to complete the platform commitments that we ma=
de
to Yukon citizens in 2011.
There are a few things I =
would
like to note as highlights from this year. I was pleased to have the
opportunity this summer to deliver on a specific 2011 election commitment m=
ade
to my constituents by officially opening the playground at the research for=
est,
which is located on the Hot Springs Road and the Mayo Road — or north Klond=
ike
Highway, as it is officially known outside the community. I would like to t=
hank
Amanda Barnsley and other members of the local parents’ group who brought t=
his
community project to my attention a couple of years ago for their work in
helping to make it happen and helping us design and develop this
forestry-themed playground that has provided what, so far, seems to be a ve=
ry
well-used opportunity for local parents both on the Hot Springs Road and Ma=
yo
Road areas and across the river in the Hidden Valley and MacPherson area.
A few other notable highl=
ights
from this year — investments within my riding — include the new fire truck =
for
the Hootalinqua fire hall that, along with the =
then
Minister of Community Services, the Member for Whitehorse West had the
opportunity this spring to see delivered — a new state-of-the-art pumper ta=
nker
fire truck. It is the third of this type in the territory, similar to the f=
irst
that was purchased for the Ibex Valley volunteer fire department last year,
which the Member for Whitehorse West and then Minister of Community Services
and I had delivered to them. There has also been one purchased for — I beli=
eve it’s Golden Horn — one of the volunteer fire departmen=
ts on
the south side of town.
These are state-of-the-ar=
t pumper
tankers including pumper turrets that allow firefighters to drive and spray
water at the same time, enhanced lighting capabilities and heaters to preve=
nt
water systems from freezing.
Although it’s not limited=
to
people in my riding, it is of interest to a number of my constituents, and I
thank the current Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources for the work in
finalizing a microgeneration policy that was re=
cently
approved by Cabinet and announced. It will allow my constituents and others,
particularly those who have previously had alternate energy systems, like s=
olar
and wind, to sell power back to the grid. Of course, it does provide the
ability for new users to come on as well, but I know I’ve heard from other
constituents who still have the solar and wind, plus battery systems that t=
hey
had prior to the recent extension of power in areas such as the south Fox L=
ake
area. I know that there are several of them interested in this opportunity =
to
once again produce power to reduce their own usage of power from the grid a=
nd,
at certain times, to have the opportunity to sell energy back to the grid a=
t a
21-cent-a-kilowatt-hour rate, which is a rate based on the number that has =
been
presented by the utilities to the Yukon Utilities Board and has been accept=
ed
as being considered the avoided cost of diesel usage.
I would note contextually=
that it
does cost more than that directly to have a purely diesel system, but that
number is based on some of the other costs and elements of it and we chose =
to
use the Yukon Utilities Board recognized number as a good place to start in
providing a higher incentive to those producing that power than would have =
been
provided with what had previously been envisioned as a net metering program,
which would only give one kilowatt hour credit for every kilowatt hour sold=
to
the grid.
My last announcement as M=
inister
of Energy, Mines and Resources in August was the commitment to the Fireweed
Community Market Society, to increase their annual funding, which was a
specific part of our 2011 election platform commitments related to agricult=
ure
and was also part of the mandate letter. That increase goes on top of other
investments that we’ve made in agriculture, including providing the Yukon
Agricultural Association with a 30-year lease for 65 hectares of land on the
Mayo Road. That is intended to allow the development of centralized
agricultural infrastructure and give them the ability to do some long-term
planning to address the future centralized infrastructure needs of the Yuko=
n’s
farming sector.
As well, we increased fun=
ding to
the Yukon Agricultural Association previously. The specific announcement to
which I referred for the Fireweed Community Market Society was an increase =
to
the funding to a total of $250,000 over a multi-year agreement.
That supports the continu=
ed
market operation and development and activities, including the summertime
outdoor market and the year-round Yukon-made store. It has also been a good
example. Through the work of dedicated vendors there it has really provided
Yukon citizens who were not necessarily aware of some of the variety of agr=
icultural
products available the opportunity to buy some in an accessible manner from
small producers and also make connections with those farmers that hopefully
lead to longer term relationships and a choice to purchase Yukon-grown prod=
ucts
from local farmers.
I’ve also had the opportu=
nity
since taking on the new role at the beginning of August to visit a number of
communities in my role as Minister of Community Services. I’ve had the
opportunity during that to meet a lot of people and renew connections with
others. I have met with all of the incorporated municipalities, as well as
several local advisory councils and First Nations, particularly those that
provide services such as water, waste, et cetera — although in both the lat=
ter
two cases of the local advisory councils and the First Nations, I simply ran
out of time before the House went in to travel out to the communities and m=
eet
with everyone. I look forward to continuing that after the House rises.
Another thing that was re=
ally a
pleasure for me today was the opportunity, along with the Premier and the
Member for Whitehorse West and another former Minister of Community Service=
s,
Archie Lang, to officially open the new emergency response centre at the to=
p of
Two Mile Hill. That capital project resulted from a commitment made in 2006=
in
that election to begin the planning of a new ambulance station at the top of
Two Mile Hill or in that vicinity. There was a significant amount of work t=
hat
went under the watch of both the previous ministers I mentioned into planni=
ng
and developing this facility. I also want to give recognition to the staff =
of
Community Services, as well as Health and Social Services and any other
departments that played a role in doing that development, for their good wo=
rk
in designing a facility that will be an important part of meeting Yukon’s
emergency response and emergency medical service needs for many years to co=
me.
It is a step to further i=
mprove
the ability for our ambulance service in particular to respond to areas of
Whitehorse and the surrounding rural areas, including my riding and my
constituents, in a more timely manner. Of course,
there are always limitations on how quickly that can occur, depending on wh=
at
other tasks and duties there are and what other calls have occurred, but
providing a more centralized location and now having two ambulance stations=
in
operation is certainly going to be something that will be very important to
someone’s life at some point in time. I think it’s fair to say that we don’t
know whose life it will save, but it stands to reason, based on the informa=
tion
that we have about health response times, that at some point in time putting
that facility in place will mean that someone’s life is saved as a result of
that. It’s a real pleasure to see that building completed and to see it
officially in operation as of today.
In the interest of time, =
there is
a wide range of issues that I could bring up and could discuss here this
afternoon. I will leave some of them for budget debate later on in Committe=
e of
the Whole. I also understand that most of the NDP members are not participa=
ting
in second reading in the interest that they have indicated, saying they hop=
e to
get on to Committee of the Whole debate in an expeditious manner. We certai=
nly
have no objection to that and I will shorten my remarks some in light of th=
at.
What I would also note, i=
n terms
of the needs of Yukon communities, is there has been unprecedented investme=
nt
in recent years through funding such as Building Canada funding — a tremend=
ous
amount of investment in capital projects, including water and sewer, many of
which were driven by the changes under the national standards related to
arsenic.
Total acceptable lifetime=
arsenic
consumption resulted in a significant decrease to the amount that was now
considered safe versus the amount that had previously been considered safe,=
and
that has been something that has been very expensive for municipalities and=
for
the Yukon as well. It’s really a challenge that we’re not unique in facing;=
it
is one that others in the country have also been challenged in trying to me=
et
those new standards that reflect an update as to what is understood to be a
safe level of consumption of arsenic over a lifetime.
Mr. Speaker, there are a =
couple
of other things I would just note. One of the issues that was
brought up by a member of the opposition today with regard to the Ross River
suspension bridge is an area that is part of community tours. I travelled t=
here
with the Deputy Minister of Community Services as well as the MLA for Pelly=
-Nisutlin. We sat down with Chief Ladue of Ross River =
First
Nation to talk about matters, including that.
One thing I want to note =
is that
we do very much appreciate the connection that some residents of the area,
including some of my own constituents, have to the historic value of the
bridge, but one thing that I would hope is that if members of the opposition
are choosing to raise this in the future, there will be a little more
recognition than we saw today and in some of the public comments recently t=
hat
public safety is the driving reason behind even considering demolishing the
bridge or tearing it down. It’s not a choice that we want to be considering=
. It
is only as a result of that recommendation by the engineer that that option=
is
even being considered at all. As I noted in Question Period today, that is =
not
an option where we have simply taken one engineer’s report and ended it the=
re,
but it is the case that the Member for Mount Lorne-Southern Lakes from the =
NDP
appears to have preservation heritage as the only priority on his mind. On =
the
government side, both ministers and departments also need to keep in mind t=
heir
obligation to protect public safety.
Some Hon. Member: (Inau=
dible)
Point of order
Speaker: Member f=
or
Mount Lorne-Southern Lakes, on a point of order.
Mr. Barr: The member
opposite seems to be thinking that I only have one thing on my mind and tha=
t’s
preservation, and that’s simply not true.
Speaker’s ruling
Speaker: Order pl=
ease.
This is a dispute between members.
Hon. Mr. Cathers: If I may, without referring to your ruling, I would again =
just
wish to note that it appears to me that the focus of the questions was simp=
ly
related to heritage from members opposite and what I’m again wanting to con=
vey
is that the government very much does appreciate the value that people plac=
e on
the usage of this bridge and its heritage, which was originally a bridge pu=
t in
for oil in the first place. It was a North Canol
pipeline bridge. It was a result of development of that resource of the Nor=
th Canol.
There are a few things th=
at need
to be given very serious consideration in assessing that report — notably, =
the
strong concern of the engineer regarding the risk of the bridge potentially
collapsing, which he described as imminent, and what the potential conseque=
nces
of that would be. So, again, as I noted in Question Period, at the request =
of
the Member for Pelly-Nisutlin and at the reques=
t of
the Chief of the Ross River First Nation, we have allocated additional
resources toward having a peer review arranged and we look forward to having
that assessment of the engineer’s report and recommendation. I just wish to
reiterate to the members that, when it comes to a conflict between public <=
span
class=3DGramE>safety — particularly since it is immediately adjacent=
to a
ferry that is part of our highway system — and to the heritage values that =
are
in place, we do have to place a very high priority on public safety.
We recognize that if ther=
e are
options that can be done to safely address the structure then certainly we
should give consideration to those options rather than not giving due
consideration of the importance people place on them, and that’s exactly wh=
at
we’re doing.
Another thing I would not=
e in
closing on that subject is that, for members of the public who are interest=
ed
in this, video from the inspection done by engineers and the welding contra=
ctor
is up on the department’s website and it does provide a more detailed pictu=
re
of exactly how badly the structure is cracked.
Mr. Speaker, I appear to =
have lost
track of time here this afternoon. You’re signaling to me that my time is
running short in second reading, so thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Speaker: The memb=
er’s
time has elapsed.
Does any other member wis=
h to be
heard?
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
I
would like to first off thank my constituents of Whitehorse West for their
continued support over these past 11 years and to thank them for their ongo=
ing
input and suggestions and perspectives, which have helped shape what I have
worked on over the years and helped deliver to the table as well.
I want to thank the Minis=
ter of
Finance for tabling this bill we are speaking to today, which reflects anot=
her
healthy net financial resource — money in the bank. We are very fortunate t=
o be
one of two jurisdictions in the country to be able to say that. It’s not
something that we take for granted. It is something that we acknowledge and=
we
are very fortunate to be where we are today, despite the circumstances and =
what
we have seen in the global economy over the years.
Mr. Speaker, this budget =
not only
reflects a strong fiscal position, but it enables us as a government to be =
able
to proceed with initiatives — to continue on important initiatives as outli=
ned
within our platform and also as identified by Yukoners over the years. It h=
as
also enabled us to be able to carry forward on issues of specific importanc=
e as
they arise from day to day, and that is very important because not every
government is able to do just that.
Perhaps before I go on to=
speak
to my new portfolio of Education, I would first like to extend a great big thanks to the Department of Community Serv=
ices.
I held that ministerial portfolio for almost two years and I can say that i=
t is
a department that is by all means all-encompassing. It is, however, a
department that pretty much touches the lives of just about every single Yukoner, no matter where you live.
The work that these indiv=
iduals
do within the Department of Community Services is, in fact, very important.=
It
has been a complete honour to work alongside many of those individuals over=
the
years, to be able to advance numerous issues of importance to Yukoners and =
to
be able to work alongside our municipal governments, First Nation governmen=
ts
and many other stakeholders in our community, to work toward a more sustain=
able
economy and a more sustainable quality of life in our territory. I’m very p=
roud
of the work that we have been able to undertake.
I want to congratulate the
Department of Community Services on also having received a national award
recently on the work that was completed on the Whitehorse waterfront. That =
is
one initiative that has been underway for several years — likewise the
initiative in Carcross. I was in Carcross
with my son and my mother earlier this fall. It never ceases to amaze me ju=
st
what a transformation there has been in that community. To see the leveragi=
ng
of investments made by Carcross-Tagish First Na=
tion
and the individual businesses themselves is remarkable.
The product was Yukoners =
all
over. I’ve never seen so many Yukoners on the boardwalks as I did in Carcross. It is, in fact, a great thing to see those
investments come to life and to really enhance vitality in communities.
Likewise, the Whitehorse
waterfront has been an unbelievable success. So again, congratulations to o=
ur many
partners and many different departments — not just Community Services, but
Tourism and Culture, the museum community, the business community, the Kwanlin Dun First Nation — for all of their individual
investments and the partnerships that those investments have enabled our
government to accomplish over the years. It is but one example, or a couple=
of
examples, of what can be achieved when we are able to work together on comm=
on
matters of mutual importance.
I also want to congratula=
te the
Department of Community Services on the recent opening of the emergency
response centre. As the MLA for Lake Laberge ju=
st
recently talked to, I was very honoured to be there at the ribbon-cutting
ceremony earlier today and that has been another initiative that has been in
the works for years. It will make a significant difference in the lives of
Yukoners. It will enhance the response times to communities such as those t=
hat
reside along the Hamilton Boulevard corridor. Likewise, it will serve the
residents of Porter Creek and the communities along the Alaska Highway. It
complements the service already provided at the Whitehorse General Hospital=
and
will only service to enhance those deliveries.
I want to also commend al=
l of our
EMS staff for their continued work day in and day out.
I actually had the opport=
unity to
do a ride-along with EMS earlier this summer. We actually had a number of l=
ive
calls, not knowing what to expect. It was a real eye-opener for me just to =
see
the skillsets required for each of these individuals — professionals, I mig=
ht
add — not only the physical skillsets required, but also the interpersonal
skills required of individuals to work alongside some very complicated and =
very
challenging situations.
Again, we are very blesse=
d to
have a very professional staff at EMS and all of our first responders. Whet=
her
they’re in the fire profession, in search and rescue or in wildland
fire, all of these individuals have to be congratulated for their ongoing w=
ork.
The other thing that I ju=
st
wanted to mention was that I wanted to congratulate Community Services on w=
hat
I would say is an exceptionally successful Operation N=
anook
that took place earlier this summer. It was an extreme collaboration. It was
the first time that Yukon had ever hosted Operation Na=
nook,
and it was the best ever — I think, perhaps, the best that Operation Nanook has ever been hosted north of 60.
It came together as a res=
ult of
the City of Whitehorse — it was a collaboration of First Nation governments=
, it
was collaboration of a multitude of several different departments throughout
the Government of Yukon coming together on a series of mock exercises. It
engaged citizens in ways that we haven’t engaged citizens — even when there=
was
a mock wildland fire approaching the City of
Whitehorse in the Southern Lakes region, they had the Canadian Armed Forces=
and
many of our volunteer search and rescue individuals going door to door,
knocking on doors in the Sima subdivision for e=
xample
— Whitehorse Copper.
For me, it was good. It w=
as a
great experience and it’s something that we do need to look to, to continue=
to
raise awareness about the importance of always being prepared in the territ=
ory.
I think it did just that. But more importantly, it showed us just what in f=
act
can be done. So in those extreme times of emergencies, who is it that you a=
re
able to call, what is that phone number and how do you trigger that respons=
e?
What are those protocols in place? It was exercised unbelievably at every
point. Even those exercises that perhaps could have been a stronger respons=
e —
those are opportunities for us to learn and to regroup and to debrief. That=
’s
in fact what is going on as we speak right now. We debrief and we come toge=
ther
as collectives throughout the territory. How can we make our territory more=
resilient
in times of emergency, whether it’s flooding or forest fires or some other =
mock
accident — real time and real life? I just want to congratulate that becaus=
e it
was an exercise — it was some 18 months in the making as well. I think it w=
as
executed superbly.
Recently I had the opport=
unity to
join a number of my ministerial counterparts and members of Habitat for
Humanity in the ribbon-cutting of the triplex at Ingram subdivision. This is
one of several new homes that have emerged over the years thanks to the
hundreds of volunteers associated with Habitat for Humanity. In all of that=
are
the great partnerships with organizations like the Yukon Women Trades and
Technology, partnerships with Yukon College, the extreme partnerships and
sponsorships with many of our businesses. There are so many that I am not g=
oing
to list any of them for fear that I would actually forget any of them.
Of course, there’s always=
a
unique partnership in which, through the Department of Community Services
offering and making the commitment of having a piece of property available =
in
Whistle Bend as the stages proceed within the Whistle Bend subdivision. Rig=
ht
now, of course, Habitat for Humanity is working together in collaboration w=
ith
Yukon Women Trades and Technology on the women’s first belt, and it’s again
another fantastic collaboration of women and men coming together. I had the
opportunity to spend the day on the work site when we had Global Village
volunteers from the Ottawa and Toronto area come in. The unbelievable and
heroic efforts of these volunteers who take of their time to come all that =
way
to work on that particular project for a week — the expertise that those
individuals bring and being able to leverage, again, the expertise that are
right here at home. Congratulations to the successful ongoing work at that
particular site in Whistle Bend. It’s going along very well and I just want=
to
congratulate all the leaders all of the facilitators and the many, many
volunteers over the past year on that particular project. Certainly, we look
forward to continued success on that initiative and also toward the next
project in Whistle Bend, as well.
I just wanted to again ma=
ke
reference to some of our investments in the fire service as well. Earlier t=
his
summer, there was delivery of the new mobile fire training unit, which the
Premier and I, for better or worse, survived — the mobile live fire training
unit — even though I was the first one in the can, I believe. So, again it =
was
another opportunity for me to experience first-hand the physical strength o=
f it
all — of being in the fire service and being called out day in and day out =
— no
matter which time of the day or night — and the strength required with all =
the
gear.
That particular day that =
the
actual unit was launched it was probably about 30 degrees out. It was a very
warm day but, you know, just another day in the fire service. When we tried=
it
out, it took a lot of strength — mental and physical — but I was able to go
into the facility and just took part in a very small part of the training
initiative — some external as well as internal exercises — again, the abili=
ty
of that mobile fire training unit.
We were in Watson Lake ju=
st
recently this fall and had the ability to see that facility on the ground
training up individuals, providing that enhanced experience at the Watson L=
ake
fire department. I was there with the MLA for Watson Lake and the ability t=
o be
able to proceed with that kind of training is immeasurable.
I wish I could have anoth=
er
couple of hours, and I know I will have a lot of time this coming sitting, =
but
I also wanted to say I am really thrilled. I am excited to be the Minister =
of
Education. I’m not a trained educator — that is not my background — but I a=
m a
parent. I am very passionate, just like every single one of us in this
legislative sitting, about the future of our kids.
The Department of Educati=
on is
all inclusive of K to 12 in the public school system, to adult education, to
training to support our labour market needs as we know it today. I can say =
that
all staff at our Department of Education are equ=
ally
as passionate about the delivery of quality and accessible education for the
territory. I can say that since back in the day when I was growing up in Wa=
tson
Lake and I went to school, it has changed considerably from that time to wh=
ere
we are now in the delivery and core curricula and how we are learning these
days with the enhancements in the IT sector and how we are learning with mo=
re
experiential, hands-on learning.
I can speak to a number of
initiatives that I have seen first-hand — the rural experiential model that
took place in Dawson City — a tremendous opportunity for students in severa=
l of
the rural communities to come together for the first time to experience
something that they feel passionate about for a week solid — and the confid=
ence
that has been instilled in those students to carry forward for the rest of =
the
year and the continuation of these models as we look to the spring and so
forth.
The expansion of the Lear=
ning
Together initiative is another opportunity for us to bring educators, famil=
ies
and caregivers alongside their children, early learners, to come together to
become more familiar with the school setting, to get them prepared for lear=
ning
when they arrive for kindergarten. It’s another exceptional program that we=
’re
very pleased to be able to expand to other schools this year alone.
Likewise, there is the ad=
vent of
the sports school, delivered as a pilot project at F.H. Collins. I could sp=
eak
to F.H. Collins and the experience that I have had in speaking with many
educators, some of the school council members and some of the students who =
are
engaged at F.H. Collins about the future of the school. It is exciting inde=
ed
and I think it’s going to be a huge opportunity for us to be able to advance
learning as we enter the 21st century.
It is unfortunate I don’t=
have
more time because I would love to speak to other initiatives in Education.
Other than that, I just look forward to working with all members of the
Assembly in this sitting and listening and speaking to some of the initiati=
ves
that we are working on — likewise in the Women’s Directorate and the French
Language Services Directorate. There are equally as many exciting initiativ=
es
underway for the benefit of all Yukoners.
Hon. Mr. Istchenko: I’d like to thank the Premier and my f=
ellow
ministers for the supplementary estimates.
I’d also like to thank my
constituents for the support for me on this learning curve in the last coup=
le
of years. I’d like to thank the department and my fellow colleagues for the
sound advice that I get, and also our staff.
The Premier spoke earlier=
to our
AA rating and we heard a little bit about the slowdown in construction in t=
he
Yukon. I know from many, many of my constituents who I’ve talked to that
they’re still waiting for contractors — they’re waiting for electricians,
plumbers and furnace repair guys to come. There is still a waiting list.
Everybody is still busy.
So before I speak about t=
he
department stuff, I’d like to talk a little bit about some of the success in
the vast riding of Kluane. I’m going to speak t=
o some
of the positive stuff. At lunchtime, I had myself a happy sandwich, not a d=
oom
and gloom sandwich like some members opposite. I had a happy sandwich.
Over the last few months, we’ve seen many
improvements and upgrades completed in the Kluane
riding. I committed to these and I spoke to these during our election campa=
ign.
I worked hard on behalf of my constituents. I’m really pleased with some of=
the
positive changes. I’ll speak to a few of the things.
I’ve heard nothing but po=
sitive
comments from every constituent and truck driver about all the new outhouses
that we’ve done and the brushing that we’ve done in the riding. For many, m=
any
years, as a wilderness guide, I heard about the canyon boat launch and I was
there. We could never use it. My esteemed colleague, the
Minister of Environment — due to him and the hard work of his department — =
that
is fixed now. It’s great. The constituents are happy.
I’m still working with the
Champagne and Aishihik First Nations on the
This summer the Premier s=
poke to
a special warrant. I just want to highlight a couple of things. One of the
things I heard during the campaign was that the Snag Road needed some work,=
so
I worked with the chief of the White River First Nation. With the special
warrant and extra monies put out there, they got the opportunity to upgrade=
the
Snag Road. It was fundamental to the First Nation getting back out on the l=
and
and I think that’s a wonderful thing. Our subdivision of Pine Lake also saw
some minor repairs and some upgrades done to it.
Recently, some wonderful =
things
happened and it’s about local contractors working for the members opposite.
There were some road upgrades that were done in Beaver Creek and some road
upgrades that were done in Kluane, in the commu=
nity
of Burwash Landing. All local contractors — I v=
isited
the job sites. They did a wonderful job — all local contractors working — l=
ots
of my constituents out there working. They had their equipment on. I was really, really happy to see that there were local
contractors out there.
I toured our Haines Junct=
ion
water reservoir a couple of times this year. That’s a multi-million-dollar
project in Community Services. They finished partially and it will be finis=
hed
next spring. I am looking forward to that being completed. I was also able =
to
coordinate a couple of very important meetings in Haines Junction, in
conjunction with a forestry open house that was held in October. I was able=
to
arrange a meeting with the foresters and the Minister of Energy, Mines and
Resources.
At this meeting, the fore=
sters
were able to speak directly to the minister responsible and describe fully =
what
they see as barriers to doing business in the forest industry. The next day=
I
also brought together the contractors and the Minister of Community Services
for a face-to-face meeting to discuss their concerns with the new requireme=
nts
in the National Building Code. Both of these meetings were productive and I=
see
some positive steps moving forward. I would like to thank the two ministers=
who
came out to rural Yukon. I am very impressed with my fellow colleagues. They
have no issues with coming out to rural Yukon to talk to rural Yukoners.
I wanted to highlight the=
Dä Ku building, which is our visitor reception centre=
. This
is the first year of it being open and running. There were quite a few even=
ts
there. There were a few potlatches I attended. It’s a beautiful building and
it’s worth seeing.
I am still working and lo=
ok
forward, after meeting with federal ministers in charge of Parks Canada, to
working on some of the ongoing issues. I’d like to see the Parks Canada sta=
ff
be there as long as the Yukon government staff every day throughout the sum=
mer,
and that’s a work in progress.
One of the things I would=
like to
speak to a little bit — we heard about fiscal responsibility and we talked a
little bit about it during Question Period with a question from the members
opposite. I want to talk about the Beaver Creek fire hall. We did not recei=
ve
any satisfactory bids. It is in my riding. We didn’t cancel it, but when the
construction went out to tender the lowest bid was 50-percent higher than t=
he
estimated cost. Our consultant will be reviewing the design for the building
and we will provide the community of Beaver Creek with a new fire hall. We =
just
want to make sure we do it fiscally responsibly and we do it right.
I spent a lot of time thi=
s summer
working on Shakwak, which is about permafrost. =
That
is with the Canadian and Yukon governments and the Alaska government.
We’ve been working with
legislators in Washington, D.C. Of course, high on my agenda is to make sure
that that road is successful for sovereignty and security, and also for the=
tourist
industry and economic development between the State of Alaska, southern Can=
ada
and the southern states.
So I’ve had meetings with=
Senator
Murkowski’s office. I’ve spoken to senators. I’ve spoken to the governor. I=
t’s
been on the agenda of the Prime Minister and the Canadian Ambassador. So th=
is
is something that my department, my fellow colleagues and I, at any opportu=
nity
bring forward. It’s about the link for national security, economic developm=
ent,
energy security and tourism.
Another thing I’d kind of=
like to
highlight is that this is the 10th anniversary of the
self-government of the Kluane First Nation. They
celebrated it. I wasn’t able to attend the ceremony in person. It was a very
special day filled with feasting, speeches and special presentations. I just
wanted to extend my sincere congratulations to Chief M=
ath’ieya
Alatini, the council, the elders and the member=
s of
the Kluane First Nation on reaching this moment=
ous
milestone.
A couple of other highlig=
hted
things within the village of Haines Junction — the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations Development Corporation recent=
ly
acquired Madley’s General Store and the whole p=
arking
lot. They tore it down. They’re going to open it up and put in some retail
space. I’m happy to say that one of the local entrepreneurs, Fas Gas, is
developing the big shop into a store, so we should see something before
Christmas.
I also wanted to highligh=
t the
fact that one of my constituents, the grandson of the late Grace Chambers,
applied to the Yukon Geographical Place Names Board. My colleague, the Mini=
ster
of Tourism, was instrumental in making this happen, and we’ve managed to ha=
ve
Grace Chambers Creek named when you go through Burwash=
.
Those are just a few high=
lights.
I understand that time is of the essence and the members would like to get =
to
things. During general debate on my department we’ll have the opportunity t=
o go
through on some of these issues. We’ll probably be talking about the Beaver
Creek fire hall and maybe a few other things.
Some of the things throug=
hout the
department that happened this summer include the opportunity I had to go to
Yellowknife last week to the conference, Developing a
Northern Transportation Strategy. The vision forward for the Department of
Highways and Public Works, for me and for my fellow colleagues — I believe =
in
finding solutions. We, as a multi-jurisdictional are across the north, have
transportation challenges and capitalize on the opportunities presented by
improved infrastructure. It is fundamental to the success of our nation and=
to
our territory. I know my colleagues across the north do share this sentimen=
t.
Canada was built around transportation networks.
The reason is simple beca=
use the
future of Canada lies in the north. The idea was outlined in the federal go=
vernment’s
most recent Speech from the Throne. He spoke about how we are a northern
country; we are a northern people. Canada’s greatest dreams are to be found=
in
our highest latitudes. There are the dreams of a north that is confident and
prosperous, a true north strong and free. Only the northernmost community in
our territory, Old Crow, is without road access, as we speak. My esteemed
colleague — I would like to welcome him to this side. He has a wealth of
knowledge and experience. I look forward to working with him, but I really =
look
forward to working on the Old Crow winter road. It’s snowing out there right
now and I’m hoping it keeps coming so we can get this done. It’s imperative=
for
the community of Old Crow.
The goal here is to devel=
op a
multimodal transportation system that connects communities in the Yukon, and
enables economic development and enhances our national sovereignty and
security, and creates corridors and gateways to national global markets. So=
me
of the key issues within my department, of course, include our road
infrastructure and how we leverage innovative ideas to build better roads, =
not
just more roads.
Some of the northern
jurisdictions face similar challenges when it comes to such things as
remoteness. Our small populations, a low tax base, short construction season
and permafrost are things we have to deal with.
I also had the opportunit=
y, Mr.
Speaker, to attend a Transportation Association of Canada trade show this f=
all
and was introduced to products used in other jurisdictions — new and innova=
tive
ideas.
I had the opportunity to =
meet
with the federal minister and discuss some of these issues that we have in =
the
north — with permafrost — with Shakwak, which I=
spoke
to earlier — and with looking at the Diefenbaker Road, which is the Dempster Highway, which goes all the way to Inuvik. My
fellow colleagues in the N.W.T. are working on the road all the way to Tuk, which will be to the Arctic Ocean. I look forwar=
d to
working with the federal government, and I look forward especially to worki=
ng
with our First Nations partners, our federal government, our Alaska
counterparts and Northwest Territories counterparts on seeing this road — t=
he
Diefenbaker Road — brought to a standard, where, for the future of our
children, maybe there will be an opportunity for a seaport and a route thro=
ugh
from the south to the north.
One of the things that was key to the centre of this was that the transportat=
ion
networks across the north deserve renewed attention and they are getting
renewed attention, as they will be fundamental to continue the success as we
grow and evolve as a territory. Whether that’s economic development, whether
that’s transportation infrastructure, this will be key to transforming that
potential into reality. But, in doing so, we will remain mindful that not o=
nly
must resource development be done responsibly, so too must the development =
of
our transportation infrastructure that supports that.
We need to work on the co=
sts
associated with developing and maintaining northern transportation
infrastructure. It cannot be accomplished by our territorial government alo=
ne.
I spoke to that earlier. We need to work together in this. By working toget=
her,
we can pool our resources and ensure that the right investments are made to
benefit the north and country as a whole.
I look forward to working=
on my
Department of Highways and Public Works and with all the other departments,=
and
to hearing what comes from across the floor on how we can build and grow the
Yukon’s economy and tourism, and how we can still keep this pristine and
beautiful place as it is. Through this, we can secure prosperity for Yukone=
rs
now, for our children, and for generations to come.
In closing, I would like =
to say
that I look forward to the opportunity to debate the budget in Highways and
Public Works and to answer some questions in detail. I also look forward to
this spring sitting. I do look forward to working with my fellow colleagues=
. I
would just like to thank my constituents again for their dedication to me a=
nd
dedication to the north Alaska Highway as our own little separate entity out
there.
Speaker: If the member now speaks, he will c=
lose
debate. Does any other member wish to be heard?
Hon. Mr. Pasloski: I will be brief. I think I did explain in my second reading
speech some of the reasons for the changes that have come about in terms of=
our
fiscal position. I know that as this bill moves through Committee, we’ll ha=
ve
the opportunity for individual ministers to talk specifically to the amounts
that are appropriated in detail by their departments.
There were some questions=
that
were raised and I unfortunately thought that I did answer that question. We=
did
talk about the fact that our budgets are based on the best information that=
we
have at the time and that budgets also can, and usually do, change over the
course of time. A couple of things did impact the difference between what o=
ur
projected surplus was and our budget mains, and what it is now as a result =
of
the supplementary budget — one being $8.9 million for the special warrant a=
nd
the other being the increased employee costs through the new collective
agreement and the managers increases, totalling approximately $12.3 million=
.
The good news is that we =
have a
government that has been fiscally responsible, and as a result of that, we =
have
the ability to make such investments at this time without really doing it on
the backs of future generations because we have the money now in place to be
able to move forward and make such an investment, both in programs and serv=
ices
and also capital investment as well.
On that, I will conclude =
my
statements for second reading and we will look forward to further debate in
detail by department.
Speaker: Are you
prepared for the question?
Some Hon. Members: =
Division.
DIVISION
Speaker: Division has been called.
Bells
Speaker: Mr. Cler=
k,
please poll the House.
Hon. Mr. Pasloski: Agree.
Hon. Mr. Cathers: Agree.
Hon. Ms. Taylor:
Agree.
Hon. Mr. Graham: Ag=
ree.
Hon. Mr. Kent: =
b>Agree.
Hon. Mr. Nixon: =
Agree.
Ms. McLeod:
Agree.
Hon. Mr. Istchenko: Agree.
Hon. Mr. Dixon:
Agree.
Mr. Hassard:
Agree.
Mr. Elias: Agree.
Ms. Hanson: Disagree.
Ms. Stick: Disagre=
e.
Ms. Moorcroft:
Disagree.
Ms. White: Disagree.=
Mr. Tredger: Disagree.
Mr. Barr: Disagree.=
Mr. Silver: Disagree.=
Clerk: Mr. Speaker, the results are 11 yea, 7 nay.
Speaker: The yeas=
have
it. I declare the motion carried.
Motion for second reading of Bill No. 11 agreed to
Hon. Mr. Cathers: Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.
Speaker: It has b=
een
moved by the Government House Leader that the House do now adjourn.
Motion agreed to
Speaker: This Hou=
se
stands adjourned until 1:00 p.m. tomorrow.
The House adjourned at 5:27 p.m.
The following sessional paper was tabled November 4, 2013:
33-1-92
Yukon Child and Youth Adv= ocate Office 2013 Annual Report (Speaker Laxton)
3044 =
Hansard =
November
4, 2013
November
4, 2013 =
Hansard =
3045