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Yukon Legislative Assembly
Whitehorse, Yukon
Thursday, April 16=
, 2015
— 1:00 p.m.
Speaker: I w= ill now call the House to order. We will proceed at this time with prayers.<= /p>
Prayers
Withdrawal of motions
Speaker: To = start, the Chair wishes to inform the House of a change that has been made to the Order Paper.
Motion= No. 886, standing in the name of the Minister of Justice, has been removed from the Order Paper at the request of the minister.
The Ch= air also wishes to inform the House that Motion No. 925, notice of which was given yesterday by the Member for Watson Lake, was not placed on today’s No= tice Paper as it is the same as Motion No. 898, which is already on the Order Pa= per.
Daily
Routine
Speaker: We will proceed at this time with the Order Paper.
Tributes.
TRIBUTES
In recognition of Yukon Schools’ Athletic Association annual wrestling tournament
Hon. Mr. Graham: It is indeed a great pleasure for me today to rise in the Hous= e on behalf of all members to pay tribute to the Yukon Schools’ Athletic Association annual wrestling tournament, which took place yesterday on Apri= l 15 at the Canada Games Centre. For my colleagues in the Legislature who didn’t have the chance to witness more than 550 students come togethe= r in friendly, but often serious, competition, let me paint you a little picture= .
Compet= itors came from 16 schools across Yukon to test their skills on the mat. This year the tournament just continues to grow, as students from St. Elias Community Sch= ool in Haines Junction were also welcomed to the competition. Eighteen mats wer= e in action to accommodate about 1,400 wrestling bouts in one day. The Canada Ga= mes Centre was filled with crowds cheering on their classmates, friends, siblin= gs and children. When the last wrestler was pinned, participants received meda= ls in about 85 weight classes.
The ov= erall team banner for total score was awarded to Christ the King Elementary, and the b= est performing team, with the highest points per wrestler, went to Ghùch Tlâ Co= mmunity School of Carcross.
Fresh = from competition, I would like all members to join me in welcoming here today several competitors: Gage Albertini, Bryn Studney-Amos, Brandon Nadeau, Miles Telfry, Zared Netro, Zakayla Netro, Paris Legault, Payton Mason, Eugenie C= hamperval, Paige Stockley, Joshua Rafter and Konrad Simpso= n. Welcome, all of you, to the Legislature.
Applause
Hon. Mr. Graham:= The competitors I have just named are accompanied by Te= d Hupé and his staff from Holy Family who have accompanied the students here today. Thank you, student athletes, for your = good sportsmanship, for your hours of training for the competition, and for givi= ng it your all. I know everyone, even those who didn’t get a medal, was a winner yesterday.
My tha= nks also to the volunteer referees who kept the young wrestlers safe. It’s encouraging to me, as a referee myself, to see former elementary school wrestlers and coaches return to help out.
Thank = you to the Yukon Schools’ Athletic Association and the team at Holy Family Eleme= ntary School, working with coordinator Ted Hupé, for undertaking this logistical feat to provide Yukon students with an opportun= ity to engage in an inclusive and rewarding sport.
Wrestl= ing is an easy sport to understand and everyone can do it. No one is too big or, as y= ou can see from some of the competitors, too little to compete.
Olympi= c wrestler Dan Gable said, “More enduringly than any other sport, wrestling teac= hes self-control and pride. Some have wrestled without great skill – none have wrestled without pride.” Students develop a strong physical base, self-confidence, discipline, perseverance and respect for their opponents. These qualities transfer from the mat to their lives.
The wr= estling tournament illustrates how Yukon school sports programs provide excellent experiential learning opportunities to all of our students. Physical activi= ties like wrestling help students develop important skills and keep them engaged= and energized. Students don’t just grapple with their opponents; they gra= pple with winning and losing, goal-setting and problem-solving. The skills they learn in sport and in friendly competition are truly skills for life.
Yukon = schools demonstrated what can be achieved when we work together by bringing togethe= r so many students from across the territory for this wrestling tournament. Congratulations to all of the students who competed, representing their sch= ools and communities and showing the true spirit of sport.
I woul= d just like to take the opportunity, as I have mentioned a couple of times, about = the difficulty that Ross River students are experiencing in their day-to-day sc= hool because of the problems with their building. I would like everyone here to = know that there were four students, I believe, from Ross River School who trained throughout the spring break with their instructor on almost a daily basis so that they could stay in condition to come to this wrestling competition. I think it is an absolutely wonderful example of, first of all, a teacher sho= wing that kind of dedication and the students showing the dedication to their sp= ort as well.
Again,= thank you to all the coaches for training, encouraging and supporting these students,= to the staff who organized this great event, to the families who have cheered = on our students at home and in the stands, and to the volunteers — not o= nly the referees, but the on-site coordinators. Mr. Speaker, I’m alr= eady looking forward to next year’s competition, so thank you very much.= span>
In
recognition of Law Day
Hon. Mr. Cathers: Today it gives me pleasure to rise in recognition of Law Day, = which celebrates the 33rd anniversary of the signing of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom= s. Law Day recognizes the anniversary of the proclamation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom= s, which was signed on April 17, 1982.
In hon= our of this milestone, the Canadian Bar Association introduced Law Day in 1983 as a way to commemorate the Canadian Cha= rter of Rights of Freedoms, which built on the foundation of the Canadian Bill of Rights brought fo= rth by Prime Minister John Diefenbaker in 1960.
Prime = Minister Diefenbaker stated that a bill of rights was needed to take a forthright st= and against discrimination based on colour, creed or racial origin. The Canadian Bill of Rights protects numerous rights, including the right to life, liberty and security of perso= n, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, equality rights, rights to fundamen= tal justice and rights to counsel. Those rights are reflected in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom= s, which we are celebrating here today.
I woul= d be remiss if I did not note the flaw in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which is the failure to include an important pa= rt from the Diefenbaker bill of rights, that being the right to own property a= nd to have that protected in a constitution, which was also supported in the Legislative Assembly through a motion passed on November 24, 1982, moved by Andrew A. Philipsen, after whom our Law Centre is named.
That m= otion read: “that the Legislative Assembly of Yukon support the resolution passed unanimously by the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia on Tuesd= ay, September 21, 1982, respecting an amendment to Section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom= s so that it would read as follows: ‘7. Everyone has the right to life, liberty, security of the person and enjoyment of property, and the right no= t to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice’, and urge the legislative assemblies of all other jurisdicti= ons and the Senate and the House of Commons of Canada to adopt similar resolutions.”
I will= also quote briefly from Mr. Philipsen of that day in recognition of his commitment and of the importance of this matter. Mr. Philipsen noted t= hat it is of paramount importance that the Assembly express support for the inclusion of property rights in the Canadian Constitution and that section = 7 of the present Canadian Charter of Rig= hts and Freedoms is seriously deficient in not including within its provisi= ons the right to the enjoyment of property.
It is = also important to note and acknowledge that the Canadian Bill of Rights and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms were not the foundation of the principle= s of legal rights within our Canadian democracy. They owe their existence and th= eir roots to other important and revolutionary legal documents, notably the Magna Carta, which celebrates its = 800th anniversary this year, having been created in 1215.
The Magna Carta and its companion docu= ment, The Charter of the Forest, set the= very groundwork for many concepts that continue to define democratic life today.= As symbols of justice, they also act as powerful reminders that those who gove= rn do so only by the consent of the people.
The Magna Carta is widely viewed as on= e of the most important legal documents in the history of democracy as there are many enduring principles of liberty that still resonate with and inspire pe= ople today. Some examples of the principles that never lose their relevance are = key concepts of the Magna Carta, wh= ich include: nobody is above the law of the land; the right of habeas corpus, b= eing the freedom from unlawful detention without cause or evidence and the right= of trial by jury. Early women’s rights were acknowledged within the Magna Carta, although have been wi= sely expanded significantly since that time. The reference in the Magna Carta included that a widow = could not be forced to marry and give up her property.
The co= mpanion document to the Magna Carta, The Charter of the Forest, which w= as originally issued in 1217, held up the values of universal human rights, wh= ich set out protections for the common man and the protection of the commons, w= hich set clear limits to the privatization and importance of stewardship for sha= red resources.
I shou= ld note that the Magna Carta actually b= egan its life as a peace treaty — a treaty that has motivated countries, people, whole movements and effected change. This document holds a place in our collective hearts as a first in a series of instruments that are recognized as having special constitutional sta= tus. I should note that even democracies such as the United States use the Magna Carta as an important part a= nd building block of the American constitution.
This y= ear on June 12, 2015, the Magna Carta = will be coming to Canada and will remain here in various locations until December 29, 2015. The document will be in Ottawa-Gatineau from June 12 to July 26. = It will be in Winnipeg from August 15 to September 18, in Toronto from October= 4 to November 7, and in Edmonton from November 23 until December 29.= p>
Today = we also celebrate educating the public about the legal system, the legal profession= , as well as the legal institutions that form the cornerstones of Canadian democracy. Law Day empowers the public at large through a variety of celebrations and activities that bring awareness to the importance of our evolving law, the history of our law and the administration of justice.
This y= ear, Law Day celebrates the 30th anniversary of section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom= s coming into force. That section guarantees that the rights of individuals a= re equal before and under the law and that individuals have the rights to equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age, or mental or physical disability. All Canadians play an important part in upholding the charter, and I would thank some of those who play an important role in this in the Yukon, including: Yukon Fir= st Nations, for providing responsive programs and services to support citizens= and families who are engaged in the justice system; Yukon Legal Services Societ= y, which is Yukon’s legal aid provider, for ensuring that low-income, vu= lnerable and disadvantaged Yukoners have access to justice by providing quality legal services for matters mandated under the charter and by providing advice and representation in areas such as employment insurance, social assistance benefits, and landlord and tenant issues through its Neighbourhood Law Cent= re; the Yukon Human Rights Commission, for their dedication to addressing human rights and promoting equality and diversity through research, education and enforcement of the Yukon Human Righ= ts Act; members of other boards and committees for hearing and reviewing justice-related matters; and the many organizations like the Yukon Public L= egal Education Association, the Law Society of Yukon, transition homes, and women’s shelters — and the list goes on — who provide leg= al information and services, facilitate increased access to the justice system= and advocate for the legal rights of Yukoners.
In add= ition to the people I have mentioned, those who protect the rights under the charter also include the RCMP for their work in preventing and investigating crime, maintaining peace and order in enforcing laws, and Department of Justice st= aff who play a very important role in making sure that Yukon’s justice sy= stem is accessible, administered well — and their work in continuing to enhance and improve programs and services for individuals navigating the justice system.
One of= the most recent examples of this includes the partnership of the Department of Justi= ce and the Women’s Directorate through our recent announcement of funding for a new women’s legal advocate position that will help meet the nee= ds of women navigating the legal system and ensure that they are made better a= ware of the supports available to them as well as their rights within the system. The women’s legal advocate position is intended to provide timely sup= port and legal information to help women understand their legal options, their rights, the implications of certain choices and justice system processes. T= his initiative will also provide legal system training for service providers working with women to help victims of crime get access to initiate legal consultation and increase collaboration between agencies.
Naviga= ting the justice system can be difficult, especially when trying to address matters = that may require consideration of criminal, family, child protection, poverty, mental health and human rights law. We are optimistic that this new position — I should note and acknowledge the work done by the Yukon Advisory Council on Women’s Issues in developing the proposal for that positio= n, which flowed out of the recommendations from Sharing Common Ground — will be an important complement to the supports available for women and will help those navigating the justice system to better understand and be in a better position to address matters = that may require consideration of criminal, family, child protection, poverty, mental health and human rights law. We look forward to working in the next steps of this initiative.
I shou= ld also note that on May 1, the Yukon branch of the Canadian Bar Association will h= ost and celebrate the 25th annual Law Day Charity Fun Run and Walk in Whitehorse. Co-founded by Justice’s very own Deputy Minister Tom = ;Ullyett and local lawyer Dan Shier, this run continue= s to not only bring the community together to celebrate Law Day, but also provid= es a charitable donation to local organizations that are helping to make the Yuk= on a better place.
This year’s event’s proceeds will benefit the Yukon Association for Community Living. For more than 50 years, the Yukon Association for Communi= ty Living has been advocating for individuals with intellectual disabilities a= nd their families. The Yukon Association for Community Living works hard to en= sure that people with intellectual disabilities have the right and ability to li= ve in our communities as respected and responsible citizens. I encourage Yukon= ers to run or walk in support of this worthy organization and in honour of Law = Day. The run and walk this year will start at noon from the visitor information = centre and follow the Millennium Trail along the Yukon River. Registration is available at Sport Yukon until April 29 and on race day at the visitor information centre.
Sincer= e thanks to the Canadian Bar Association for planning this annual event and thank you for the opportunity to pay tribute to Law Day. In closing, let me express my personal thanks to the many people, throughout the 800 years since the Magna Carta’s inception, who have contributed to the principles that we all benefit from here today and the protection of the rights within Canadian society that too often we take for granted.
Mr. Silver: It is with great pleasure that I rise today on behalf o= f the Liberal Party and the Official Opposition to pay tribute to Law Day and the anniversary of the Canadian Charter= of Rights and Freedoms.
Law Da= y was created by the Canadian Bar Association as a national day to mark the one-y= ear anniversary of the signing of the C= anadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It also provides an opportunity for tho= se in the legal profession to educate the general public on Canada’s leg= al system. It was 33 years ago that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was signed into effect, enacting one of = the strongest and most far-reaching pieces of our constitution. It was also on = this day that patriating the Canadian Constitution formally took place, another landmark moment.
Canadi= ans pride themselves on our diversity, multiculturalism and far-reaching rights that = we have given to all our citizens. Prior to the enactment of the charter, unfa= ir laws could have been enacted by a legislature with no formal complaint proc= ess. The charter ensured that individuals would be protected regardless of the values of the government of the day and still sees many existing laws get challenged in the Supreme Court. The charter puts our individual freedoms i= nto the Constitution.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom= s has become the hallmark of what a modern bill of rights should look like and has been used by many other countries as a basis for their own charters. Th= is piece of legislation would not have been possible if it were not for the efforts of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and his then Justice Minister, Jean Chrétien.
Mr.&nb= sp;Speaker, it is an absolute privilege to stand before you today and to pay tribute to= the Canadian Charter of Rights and Free= doms and to thank those who made it possible.
In
recognition of World Hemophilia Day
Hon. Mr. Nixon: On behalf all members, tomorrow is World Hemophilia Day and I = would like to take this opportunity to ask my colleagues in the House to stop for= a minute on Friday and think of all those individuals who live with inherited bleeding disorders.
The Wo= rld Federation of Hemophilia reports that 6.9 million people have a bleeding disorder and 75 percent of them don’t know it. How many of those 6.9 million might live here in the Yukon? Yukon is not exempt from this disorder and there are citizens living here with hemophilia.
Hemoph= ilia is a bleeding problem. People with hemophilia do not bleed any faster than norma= l, but they can bleed for a longer time because their blood doesn’t have enough clotting factor, the protein in the blood that controls bleeding. Th= ey can also experience spontaneous bleeding in joints, muscles or other parts = of their body. There are various types of bleeding disorders.
Hemoph= ilia is quite rare, affecting one in every 10,000 people, and the most severe forms affect almost only males. Women can be affected if conditions are right: a father with hemophilia and a mother who is a carrier. A person born with hemophilia will usually have it for life. Typically it is not something that can develop later in life if a person is not born with the disorder.=
The th= eme for this year’s annual recognition day is “Building a family of support”. Work internationally is aimed at building that family for individuals living with bleeding disorders. Families come in many shapes and sizes, but they all share the ability to support and advocate. World Hemoph= ilia Day provides us an opportunity to talk with extended family and friends, colleagues and caregivers to raise awareness and increase supports for those living with an inherited bleeding disorder.
Tomorr= ow in 122 countries individuals and groups will rise to raise awareness of hemophilia= and other inherited blood disorders. This is all part of a critical process to ensure better diagnosis and access to care. Ultimately it is about improving people’s lives. I hope we all pause tomorrow. Thank you.
In recognition
of International Day for Monuments and Sites
Hon. Ms. Taylor: I rise today to pay tribute to the International Day for Monum= ents and Sites, sometimes referred to as World Heritage Day.
In 198= 2, it was suggested that a day be established to celebrate the diversity of heritage throughout the globe. This project was approved by the International Counci= l on Monuments and Sites at their symposium in Tunisia. This international counc= il is made up of a network of experts, including architects, historians, archaeologists, art historians, geographers, anthropologists, engineers and town planners. It has over 9,000 members in 144 countries, including Canada= .
This y= ear also marks the 50th anniversary of the council. Canada is an active member of the International Council on Monuments and Sites. In fact, two Yukoners sit on that Canadian board, including our own manager of Historic Sites in the Department of Tourism and Culture.
The pu= rpose of this international day is to raise awareness of the world’s diversity= of cultural heritage and the efforts to try to preserve it for current and fut= ure generations. There are many proclaimed days across the = world that pay homage to culturally significant sites. Here in the Yukon, = we pride ourselves on making cultural heritage a regular part of our lives and= , of course, there are many sites of significance to celebrate here at home.
The Yu= kon government has designated nine Yukon historic sites over the years that are considered to have heritage significance at a territorial level. The most recent historic site designation was the Old Log Church and Rectory, which = has merited designation at both the territorial and municipal levels. The herit= age aspects of this site will be managed through a cooperative arrangement betw= een the Yukon government and the City of Whitehorse.
From b= uilt heritage, such as the Sign Post Forest in Watson Lake and the Old Log Churc= h, to historically significant sites, such as Herschel Island Territorial Park, Fort Selkirk and the Dawson historical complex, to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kluane National Park and Reserve and Tatshensh= ini-Alsek Park, Yukon is home to a diverse range of heritage sites that Yukoners can experience and enjoy each and every day.
Our hi= storic sites are designated at the municipal, territorial or federal level.
Mr.&nb= sp;Speaker, an important initiative that is currently underway is that of the applicati= on for a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation for TrR= 17;ondëk-Klondike. This project is being led by a community-based advisory committee, chaired = by the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in heritage director, and includes representatives from local residents, including a Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in citizen, the Klondike Visitors Association, Chamber of Commerce, Dawson City Museum, City of Dawson City, Government of Yukon and Parks Canada.
The Yu= kon government is very pleased to support the continued work of the advisory committee and the important work being undertaken, as we speak, by the vari= ous stakeholders to evaluate and consider the economic, social, cultural and financial impacts associated with gaining status for this very important and culturally rich area.
I am v= ery pleased to report that, due to the great work of many individuals throughout the years, this project is on track. An economic impact study and a cultural study have been completed with other contracts and thematic studies to supp= ort the nomination also underway.
As I m= entioned before, we are pleased to support this important work and congratulate the = work of the committee thus far and the many stakeholders engaged in these import= ant discussions.
We are= very privileged in Yukon to be surrounded by rich heritage legacies and to have = the ability to enjoy these sites year-round and to share them with visitors to = our territory. I encourage all Yukoners to explore some of these significant si= tes in Yukon that contribute so much to our quality of life.
Mr. Barr: I rise on behalf of the Yukon NDP Official Opposition to pay tribute to World Heritage Day, which will be held on Saturday, April 18.
On Wor= ld Heritage Day, we celebrate the diversity of human culture and commit to preserve and protect the shared wealth of humankind. World Heritage Day originated with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, which passed a resolution at its 22nd sess= ion in November 1983 recommending that member states examine the possibility of declaring the 18 of April each year International Day for Monuments and Sit= es.
The wo= rld is watching in horror as significant artifacts of human history are at risk. T= he remnants of ancient Mesopotamia have been under siege for over a decade with the U.S. invasion of Iraq and later by militants driven by ideology. One of= the consequences of the haze of war is the destruction and plunder of cultural treasures. Where there is war and conflict, there is a great risk that the = past will be obliterated along with the human carnage.
There = are 1,007 properties on the list of world heritage sites. These include the Great Bar= rier Reef in Australia, the Tiwanaku spiritual and political centre of the Tiwanaku culture in Bol= ivia, L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site of Viking settlements in western Newfoundland, the Great Wall of China, the great training and educa= tion centres in Timbuktu, Mali — I might add that I was going to go there = when I was in Mali. It was recommended that you don’t travel at that time = as there was a changeover in government and people were losing their lives goi= ng to Timbuktu. So I chose to stay and I’m here today because of that de= cision.
Auschw= itz and Buchenwald — Nazi concentration and extermination camps — these sites tell amazing human stories; the relationship to the land and the environment; of great feats of determination and engineering; and of the hu= man propensity for good and for evil.
It is = an opportunity that, on April 18, along with colleagues from both sides of the Legislature Assembly, I will be attending in Dawson City the Tourism Indust= ry Association of the Yukon convention. The City of Dawson and the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation a= re working on a plan to nominate the Klondike as a world heritage site. The wo= rld heritage site would include the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in fishing camp, the Chilkoot = Trail, the Klondike goldfields and the historic Dawson region. The designation awa= rded by UNESCO would mean Klondike sites would benefit from millions of dollars = in annual grant money, as well as draw more tourists to the area.
World = heritage means more than preserving historic sites. The world’s languages are = our heritage and many languages — indigenous languages — are at ris= k of being lost forever. With that, it is a loss of a people’s voice and a= way of being.
Mr.&nb= sp;Speaker, I want to end with some words from Wade Davis, the world-renowned ethnobota= nist who lives in northern B.C. He has been a defender of the Sacred Headwaters = of the Skeena, Nass and Stikine and has been the National Geographic explorer-in-residence.
Mr.&nb= sp;Davis says, “Just as there is a biological web of life, there is also a cultural and spiritual web of life — what we at the National Geograph= ic have taken to calling the ‘ethnosphere.= 8217; It's really the sum total of all the thoughts, beliefs, myths, and institut= ions brought into being by the human imagination. It is humanity's greatest lega= cy, embodying everything we have produced as a curious and amazingly adaptive species. The ethnosphere is as vital to our collective well-being as the biosphere. And just as the biosphere is being eroded, so is the ethnosphere — if anythi= ng, at a far greater rate.
“= ;Some people say: ‘What does it matter if these cultures fade away.’ = The answer is simple. When asked the meaning of being human, all the diverse cultures of the world respond with 10,000 different voices. Distinct cultur= es represent unique visions of life itself, morally inspired and inherently ri= ght. And those different voices become part of the overall repertoire of humanity for coping with challenges confronting us in the future. As we drift toward= a blandly amorphous, generic world, as cultures disappear and life becomes mo= re uniform, we as a people and a species, and Earth itself, will be deeply impoverished.” Thank you.
Mr. Silver: I rise on behalf of the Liberal caucus to also pay tribute to World Heritage = Day. April 18 marks World Heritage Day, a day to celebrate significant cultural = and historical places around the world. Here in the Yukon, we are fortunate eno= ugh to have some incredible treasures.
Whether it’s the natural beauty of our mountains or some of the historic reli= cs that sit along our rivers and valleys, Yukon’s heritage is constantly around us. Yukon is fortunate to have a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Kluane National Park. Of course, the Klondike region is on the consideration list.=
Speaki= ng of the Klondike, I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t mention all of t= he amazing institutions that tell the story of our special corner of the world. Whether it be the story of Dawson and the gold rush found at the Dawson City Museum or the traditions that pre-date the stampeders at the Dänojà Zho Cu= ltural Centre or the many tours of historic sites maintained by Parks Canada, Daws= on, Klondike and Tr’ondëk — major pillars of Yukon heritage. <= /span>
Speaker: Int= roduction of visitors.
Introduction
of Visitors
Ms. Moorcroft: I would like welcome Chase Blodgett, who is one of many transgender Yukoners. Chase is a transgender man, meaning he was assigned female at birth, but identifies and lives as male.
Chase = has chosen to come today by himself to represent the isolation that transgender people encounter on a daily basis due to systemic discrimination. Because of their gender identity, transgendered people can be denied access to health care, housing and employment.
Many l= ose friends and families. Many fear for their safety. PFLAG, the Parents, Famil= ies and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, reports a high risk of suicide for transgender people. As our understanding of the full range of human sexuali= ty and gender identity increases, Yukon should follow other jurisdictions in Canada by adding gender identity and expression as protected grounds in our= Human Rights Act, as recommended t= o this Assembly’s Select Committee on Human Rights by the Yukon Human Rights= Commission.
Acknow= ledging the anniversary of the Canadian Cha= rter of Rights and Freedoms, as the Minister of Justice did a few moments ag= o, gives us pause to consider that, as our knowledge of discrimination and hum= an rights grows, so does our commitment to respecting human rights and to improving human rights law. While Chase is standing alone in the public gallery, many Yukoners have indicated their support for recognizing trans rights in our Human Rights Act, as evidenced by the 130 signatures in the petition I will t= able today.
Finall= y, Mr. Speaker, Chase asked me to acknowledge the 100-player league of the Whitehorse Women’s Hockey Association, which passed the first policy of its kind= in all of Canada, formally welcoming male-to-female and female-to-male transge= nder players into their league. It is time for us as policy makers to follow community leaders and make the Yukon a safe place for transgender and gender-non-conforming individuals.
I ask = all members to join me in welcoming Chase Blodgett.
Applause
Tabling
Returns and Documents
Speaker: The= Chair has for tabling a report from the Chief Electoral Office of Yukon, entitled= Annual Contributions to Political Part= ies in the 2014 Calendar Year. This document is tabled in accordance with sect= ion 398 of the Elections Act.
Ms. Hanson: I have for tabling excerpts from the meeting minutes of the Standing Committe= e on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, Monday, March 30, 2015.=
Speaker: Are there any other returns or documents for tabling?=
span>
Reports of committees.
Are th= ere any petitions to be presented?
PETITIONS
Petition No. 20
Ms. Moorcroft: I have for presentation the following petition to the Yukon Legislative Assem= bly:
This p= etition of the undersigned shows
THAT t= he undersigned ask the Yukon Legislative Assembly to urge the Yukon government= to advance equal rights for transsexual, transgender, and gender-variant people by:
(1) introducing to the Legislative Assembly amendments to
Yukon’s Human Rights Act =
to
explicitly include gender identity and gender expression under section 7 of=
the
act as prohibited grounds for discrimination;
(2) supporting full equality and respect for trans people
accessing Yukon government jobs, programs and services; and
(3) using public education to fight intolerance, discrimin=
ation
and violence against trans people.
Mr.&nb= sp;Speaker, there are 130 signatures on the petition for tabling.
Speaker: Are= there any other petitions to be presented?
Are th= ere any bills to be introduced?
Are th= ere any notices of motions?
Notices
of Motions
Mr. Elias: I rise to give notice of the following motion:
THAT t= his House urges the Government of Yukon to use the community development fund to supp= ort the Whitehorse Curling Club to install an energy upgrade of outdated, inefficient surface lights and install a separate meter for the ice plant.<= /span>
Ms. McLeod: I rise to give notice of the following motion:
THAT t= his House urges the Government of Yukon to use the community development fund to supp= ort the Copper Ridge Neighbourhood Association to develop a four-season, multi-= use park on Winze Lane in Whitehorse.
Ms. Stick: I rise to give notice of the following motion:
THAT t= his House urges the Government of Yukon to follow the recommendations of the current = and previous Information and Privacy Commissioner and the example of other Cana= dian jurisdictions by amending the Acces= s to Information and Protection of Privacy Act to include a provision that w= ould require a public body to disclose information that is determined to be clea= rly in the public interest.
Mr. Silver: I rise to give notice of the following motion:
THAT this House urges the Government of Yukon to release an up-to-date accounting of the outside legal costs for the Peel land use plan court case.
Speaker: Is = there a statement by a minister?
This t= hen brings us to Question Period.
QUESTION PERIOD
Question re: Hydraulic fracturing
Ms. Hanson: This week the Premier attended the Quebec Summit on Climate Change and signed th= e Declaration of the Premiers of Canada= . This declaration recognizes the scientific consensus calling for a signific= ant reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions. It also recognizes that north= ern regions are particularly vulnerable to and disproportionately affected by climate change. The document commits the Premier to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and yet, Mr. Speaker, this government has ju= st announced its intention to allow fracking in the Yukon.
Does t= he Premier not see how contradictory it is for him to sign a declaration to take actio= n to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Yukon while launching fracking in the Yukon, which will significantly increase Yukon’s emissions?
Hon. Mr. Pasloski: I have in fact just returned from the climate change summit in Quebec City where we had the opportunity as three northern premiers representing 40 percent of Canada to talk about the fact that the north is a very low emitter of greenhouse gases. In fact, Yukon is probably around a h= alf of one percent of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, Y= ukon is, I’m told, the third lowest emitter per capita in this country, bu= t, in fact, truly we are feeling the effects of climate change here and around= the territory.
This g= overnment continues to invest in emission reductions. We continue to invest in renewa= ble energy and we continue to invest in technology and innovation. We know that carbon fuel is not a luxury. It is a necessity in this territory and truly across the north. This government will not support any action that will increase the costs to Yukoners because we all live in an area right now whe= re it already is very expensive.
WeR= 17;re certainly willing to talk with other jurisdictions about mitigation and abo= ut adaptation, but we’re not prepared to increase the cost of living for= all Yukoners.
Ms. Hanson: Right, let somebody else do it. Earlier this month, the Yukon Party government fin= ally came clean on its pro-fracking agenda. This agenda is anything but clean.= span>
Analys= is of life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions for fracked gas has shown them to be as dirty as coal. Fracking wells also leak 40 to 60 percent more methane into = our atmosphere than conventional natural gas wells. These fugitive emissions are potent greenhouse gases.
The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that continued emissions of greenhouse gases will accelerate global warming, climate change and threaten sustainable development, and it cautions two-thirds of known and proven resources should stay in the ground, including Yukon.
Why is= the Premier taking the irresponsible road to opening Yukon to fracking, when it runs contrary to the scientific consensus that fracking contributes to —
Speaker: Ord= er please. The member’s time has elapsed. Hon. Premier.
Hon. Mr. Pasloski: I have to say that the government, through the Minister of Ene= rgy, Mines and Resources, has been very articulate in what this government’s plan is. We are accepting all the recommendations of the select committee, and we are opening up the opportunity for applications for potential hydraulic fracturing, but that would only be with the support of the affected First Nations.
WeR= 17;re talking about the southeast corner of Yukon, in the Liard Basin, where we’ve had an oil and gas industry for almost half a century, from whi= ch there have been royalties of $45 million, which have been shared — approximately $10 million of that has gone to First Nations.
This g= overnment supports responsible development; this government supports the ability to h= ave Yukoners come home and be involved in a responsible oil and gas economy. Th= is government will continue to focus on ensuring that there is prosperity and growth for all Yukoners.
Ms. Hanson: Fracking is not responsible development, and this Yukon Party government has been pursuing a pro-fracking agenda from the very start. They appear to believe = that aggressively extracting fossil fuels from under the Earth will make Yukon a= net contributor to Canada. Let me be clear: If we open the Yukon to fracking, t= he only net contribution that Yukon will make to Canada will be to increase our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. It is time for this government to = get serious about climate change.
In 200= 9, they took a small step in their climate change action plan by committing to Yukon-wide emissions targets by 2011, but they later abandoned that commitm= ent, all the while checking it off as a completed action in their 2012 annual report. Why has the Premier abandoned Yukon-wide emissions standards target= s? When will this government get serious about tackling climate change?=
Hon. Mr. Kent: As the Premier mentioned, we are accepting and addressing all 21 of the select committee report recommendations and moving forward with actions on each on= e of them. We are open to applications for potential hydraulic fracturing in only one area of the Yukon, the Liard Basin, and that would occur only with the support of affected First Nations.
This g= overnment has been clear with respect to reducing greenhouse gas emissions over the years, and we’re taking action. Just yesterday we announced a commerc= ial energy-efficiency program with respect to multi-unit residential buildings = as well as commercial lighting. That’s on top of a residential energy-efficiency program that we announced last year.
There = are several initiatives being undertaken by the Department of Environment. The = Department of Highways and Public Works will be reskinning this building in this curre= nt fiscal year so that we can make our own buildings more energy efficient, an= d of course the work on the new F.H. Collins — it is being built to a LEED silver standard, I believe.
The new buildings that we’re developing are being built to high energy-effici= ency standards. The existing buildings we’re retrofitting to higher energy-efficiency standards and we’re working on climate change across all departments in the government.
Question
re: Corrections programming
Ms. Moorcroft: Last Tuesday, the Minister of Justice responded to the Auditor General’s report by standing and saying — and I quote: “The focus it shou= ld be noted is about rehabilitation.” The Auditor General found that Yuk= on is missing opportunities to rehabilitate offenders and it is not adequately preparing them for successful reintegration into the community. The Auditor General report found that more than half of the offenders in his study samp= le had not been offered all of the core programs. Effective corrections core programs can help people change their behaviour, reduce the chances of re-offending and in turn help make Yukon safer.
How ca= n the minister claim his government is focused on rehabilitation when more than h= alf of the offenders sampled in the Auditor General’s study did not get t= he programming they needed?
Hon. Mr. Cathers: It’s really unfortunate to hear the way that the = Member for Copperbelt South is choosing to characterize the situation. As I noted = in responding to her previous questions about the Auditor General’s repo= rt, these reports are very helpful and useful to help identify where there is r= oom for improvement.
As was= noted by the department in response to the Auditor General’s points, it also should be recognized that the period of time when the review was conducted = was a period when they were transitioning to the new correctional facility. That was a very challenging time for the department in terms of the work that th= ey were doing in making that transition, but again, as I noted to the member, = some of the issues identified by the Auditor General have already been acted on,= as they were previously identified through internal quality review mechanisms.=
Those = other areas that need further work we are committed to working on. I have confide= nce in the department and the work that they are doing to address those matters= . I will support the department in doing that good work and we are committed to continuing to improve Yukon’s rehabilitative systems and programs, but the member should recognize in fact what a dramatic improvement has been ma= de since the days she was Minister of Justice.
Ms. Moorcroft: It’s one thing to find a report helpful and it’s another thing to actually= do something. I’m asking the minister to make a commitment here. Buildin= g a new facility is not an excuse for not offering programs.
Part o= f the Department of Justice’s responsibilities is ensuring that when people= are convicted of sexual assault or domestic violence they undergo a risk assess= ment before they are released into the community. The Auditor General found that only one in four offenders convicted of sexual assault and only one in thre= e of the offenders convicted of domestic violence had the necessary risk assessm= ents completed before their release. One missed risk assessment is too many. The fact that the majority of sex offenders in the study did not undergo additi= onal risk assessments before their release is unacceptable.
What i= s the minister doing to ensure that no more sexual violence and domestic violence risk assessments will be missed?
Hon. Mr. Cathers: Again, as I noted previously in responding to the member oppos= ite, there have been significant improvements made in the work that is done by Y= ukon Corrections and Yukon Justice since the days when the member was Minister of Justice, for example. Through the correctional reform process and through Sharing Common Ground, the bar has= been raised further. In some of those areas where the new standard was set ̵= 2; clearly during that period of time, in files reviewed by the Auditor Genera= l in 2012, there were issues where we were not meeting the new standards that had been set out.
Again,= as I noted to the member, some of these issues have already been identified thro= ugh internal quality review processes and are being acted upon. Those remaining ones that are outstanding will see further work on them. I should remind the member that significant work has been done — and positive work in are= as such as the Community Wellness Court and the domestic violence treatment option, which are new and recent innovations in correctional reform in the Yukon — and truly the staff and all who were involved in those proces= ses deserve a pat on the back for the excellent work they’re doing and the success they’re achieving, and the fact that — not only in other Canadian jurisdictions, but internationally — people have taken a loo= k at the good work that’s done through the successful Community Wellness Court. It’s truly a testament to all those involved for their success= .
Ms. Moorcroft: The minister can talk all he wants about his government’s focus on safety, but the numbers are clear. Three out of four sexual assault and two out of three domestic violence offenders did not get the risk assessment needed be= fore going back into the community. The government is not doing what it needs to= do to protect victims and communities.
The mi= nister has just acknowledged, as the Auditor General reported, that the government is = not meeting the standards of the Correc= tions Act, 2009. Will the government commit to ensuring that, from now on, all those convicted of sexual assault and domestic violence will be given the necessary risk assessments, without exception?
Hon. Mr. Cathers: Again, Mr. Speaker, I would point out to the member and r= emind her of the fact, as she acknowledged, that the Corrections Act, 2009 set out a new standard. In the time since then, we have raised the bar in the level of what is expected within the Yu= kon correctional system, a significant improvement since the member’s tim= e as Minister of Justice.
I woul= d again congratulate staff, particularly those for some of the programs, such as the Community Wellness Court, domestic violence treatment option, and through t= he expanded victims services that are available within the Department of Justi= ce. I should acknowledge the work of my predecessor in expanding those services. There has been a significant increase in the services that are offered with= in the Yukon’s corrections system and I would like to acknowledge the wo= rk of all involved in doing that.
I do r= ecognize that, in the 2012 report done by the Auditor General, there were areas wher= e we were not meeting the new standard that we had set out and, again in those areas, as I noted, staff are working on them and will have my support in ensuring that those issues, which have not already been addressed, will be focused on and we will take appropriate steps to continue to raise the bar = in the standard of rehabilitative programs and services that are offered.
Question
re: Mining sector development
Mr. Silver: Under the watch of this government, the Keno mine closed in 2013 and we had the second-lowest GDP of any place in Canada. In 2014, spending on mineral exploration dropped 22 percent. Across the border in the Northwest Territor= ies, we saw a 32-percent increase in spending that same year. We began 2015 with news of Wolverine mine being closed, leaving many Yukon companies owed more than $4 million in unpaid bills. After insisting = that we were a mineral hot spot in Canada, the Yukon Party has changed its tune = and now blames low mineral prices for the downturn that we are currently experiencing. As we head into an election cycle, the Yukon Party has sprung into action, announcing that by 2016, a mineral development strategy will b= e in place.
Why di= d the government wait until three-and-a-half years into its mandate to begin work= ing on this plan?
Hon. Mr. Kent: I’m proud of the work that we have embarked upon when it comes to the mineral development strategy. This is on top of a number of initiatives that we sta= rted throughout our mandate. Of course the member didn’t reference the Cen= tre for Northern Innovation in Mining, which has been established to train Yuko= ners for job opportunities in the mineral sector. Whether it is placer mining or hard rock mining opportunities, there are a number of different opportuniti= es that Yukoners are being trained for right now — not only Yukoners in Whitehorse, but Yukoners in the communities through the mobile trades’ trailer. The member opposite didn’t reference all of the significant investments that we have been making in infrastructure — such as highways, airports and telecommunications, as well as energy infrastructure — including our plans for our next generation hydro, as well as plans= to upgrade the power line from Stewart Crossing to Keno City to ensure that th= ere is enough power capacity for that important industrial corridor, including = the mine that the member opposite referenced.
There = are some incredible success stories that have been built out of the latest explorati= on boom. Again, through the work of the mine licensing improvement initiative = and the mineral development strategy, we want to emerge from this current downt= urn in the world metal markets in better shape than we went in and, once again, claim our spot as one of the top mining jurisdictions in the world.<= /p>
Mr. Silver: The facts remain the same — that we are not turning exploration projects = into actual mines. Exploration has dropped off ever since this government came i= nto office, in actual fact. Two mines have closed and the one that the governme= nt kept insisting was going to boost our GDP, never ever opened. Another probl= em the government was well aware of when it came into office was the overlap b= etween the Water Board and other regulatory agencies. Finally, after years of inaction, the government has started a mine licensing improvement initiative and is trying to address this problem.
Why di= d this government sit on the sidelines until 18 months before an election to try to fix this particular problem?
Hon. Mr. Kent: Again, what the Member for Klondike is not telling Yukoners with his question is w= hat we have done with respect to licence improvements. There have been improvem= ents made to the Yukon Waters Act. T= here have been timelines instituted for the adequacy phase with respect to type = A licences for quartz projects. Through the work of th= e mine licensing improvement initiative, we will continue to address some of those overlaps that exist between the licensing and permitting issues. We are doi= ng so in partnership with First Nations, moving forward to ensure that we can = come up with a licensing and permitting system that is responsive to the needs of industry, but of course protects the environment in the long run, which is = one of the utmost purposes that we are looking for.
The me= mber opposite mentioned exploration projects — I think that coming out of = the last exploration rush we have seen projects like the Coffee gold project th= at is owned by Kaminak Gold Corp. — Wellgreen platinum has moved forward with their activ= ities. In fact, Mr. Speaker, early estimates for exploration this year are in= the $100-million range, which is up from $80 million in 2014. Again, these are estimates that are put together based on announcements by companies at this point, but we see those numbers trending in the right direction and we are proud of the work that we do to support the mining industry.
Mr. Silver: The fact remains that the government came into office after a summer of record mineral exploration in 2011 and not a single mine has opened up in three an= d a half years since. In fact, two mines that it inherited have closed under its watch. Exploration has declined every year that this government been in off= ice. One thing that is on the rise under this government is court action. The government’s legal battles between First Nations have seen 13 percent= of the Yukon removed from staking until at least 2017. Another legal battle wi= th Yukon First Nation governments is on the way unless this government backs d= own on its changes to Bill S‑6.
So I w= ill ask this question: What involvement will First Nation governments have in the development of these two new initiatives that are finally underway?<= /p>
Hon. Mr. Pasloski: One thing is for certain in three and a half years, which is t= hat in three and a half years, this Liberal leader and the Liberal Party has oppos= ed and voted against every initiative that this government has put forward and fundamental industries within this Yukon economy. What we know for certain = is that he has flip-flopped on a number of issues through three and a half yea= rs. What we know for certain is that he has no position on anything and he has = no plans for anything.
Question
re: Renewable energy strategy
Ms. White: The timing is more than a little ironic in that the Yukon Party government made their bold push for fracking on the eve of climate change talks initiated by the premiers of Ontario and Quebec that the Premier attended.
Yukon = citizens, Yukon businesses and Yukon First Nations are showing real, concrete leaders= hip in investing in exciting renewable energy projects. The Kluane First Nation= has a geothermal well and is actively pursuing district heating in a year-round greenhouse. They are working to install three wind turbines to offset their reliance on fossil fuel for power generation, and every single year they install solar panels on more of their government buildings.
If ren= ewable energy investment was a race, Kluane First Nation would be crossing the fin= ish line before the Yukon Party even left the block. When will the Yukon govern= ment show the same leadership as Kluane First Nation when it comes to investing = in diverse sources of renewable energy?
Hon. Mr. Kent:= span> Of course we are looking at renewable energy options wi= thin the Yukon government — not only the work of the Yukon Energy Corporation’s studying wind at Tehcho near Stewart Crossing as well as Mount Sumanik here in Whitehorse. That work is underway on wind. We are engaged on next-generation hydro talks. There are transmission line opportunities that will expand not only the distribution = of electricity throughout the territory, but the options for bringing on additional renewable sources throughout the territory. I find it ironic that perhaps the Member for Takhini-Kopper King miss= ed the debate with respect to the supplementary budget, but actually the Yukon government has provided a $1-million investment to the Kluane First Nation = to assist them in their renewable energy project. Unfortunately, she missed th= at during the debate earlier this week, but again we are partnering with Kluan= e on these renewable energy options and we are excited to be partners with that = very progressive First Nation.
Ms. White: It is fantastic that this Yukon Party government is able to ride on the coatta= ils of the leadership of the Kluane First Nation. Other jurisdictions have put = lots of incentives in place to encourage homeowners to become energy producers a= nd sell back to the grid. Yukon citizens are showing real leadership in invest= ing in solar on their homes despite the limitations in the microgeneration poli= cy. I understand that there are 11 people who are connected and selling back to= the grid.
The in= centives that are in place are clearly too low. These 11 people have tied into the g= rid and haven’t made the change because of the financial incentives. They weren’t that compelling. They did it because of their personal convictions to combat climate change.
Will t= his government commit to review the microgeneration policy incentives to empower more Yukoners to produce renewable energy and possibly sell it back to the grid?
Hon. Mr. Kent: Unfortunately the member opposite has not checked with our residential energy incentive program that provides up to $5,000 for individuals who are accessing the microgeneration program. I know a number of individuals who have taken advantage of that as well.
WeR= 17;re excited with the work that we’re doing to assist Yukoners. One of my neighbours around the corner is reskinning her house, putting in new windows and a new roof based on accessing that program, the residential energy efficiency program. Part of that was to assist those individuals who want to add microgeneration capabilities to what they’re doing. We’re c= oming out with an independent power producers policy p= rogram sometime this year, after consultations last year. I would encourage the me= mber opposite to do a little bit more research before she brings questions to the floor of this House.
Ms. White: I will take that for what it’s worth.
There = are innovative approaches on renewable energy that Yukon businesses are getting behind. Northwestel, in partnership with the Cold Climate Innovation Centre= saw solar panels installed on one of their towers as a pilot project. With a pr= ojected four-a-half-year return on investment, the project was a great success. Northwestel now has five towers across the north with solar panels and it p= lans to extend it to six more towers shortly.
The Yu= kon government’s big idea is a megadam with c= onnection to B.C. at a cost of billions of dollars to be built anywhere between 15 an= d 30 years from now if — and there is a big if to this Mr. Speaker — the public can agree on which river valley should be flooded. So we need action now. That’s what I’m looking for — action from this government.
Why is= this government shooting for far off megaprojects to fulfill our renewable energy needs and neglecting investments in projects that can meet our needs here today?
Hon. Mr. Pasloski: I think we need a little bit of a context here. In the Yukon, = if we look at all of the electricity consumed — and that includes all of th= ose communities that are not on the grid and get all of their power from diesel — 95 percent of the electricity consumed in this territory comes from renewables. If you look at on-grid, over 99 percent of all electricity cons= umed is from renewables. We will put that up against anywhere in this entire country. This government, over the years, with vision has expanded with May= o B, has expanded with another wheel at Aishihik Lake, and we are now moving for= ward with a vision to ensure the prosperity of Yukoners for generations to come = with our next generation hydro project.
That i= s the difference between this government and the opposition: vision.
Question
re: Rural infrastructure projects
Mr. Barr: One can’t help but wonder how this government goes about setting prioriti= es for recreational investment in Yukon. It seems like election photo opportunities always end up coming before the actual needs of Yukon’s communities. While Whitehorse gets an artificial soccer field in Whistle Be= nd with no real needs analysis, the winter has come and gone and the Carmacks arena remained closed for most of the season.
Why is= the government failing to support the infrastructure needs of Yukoners in the communities?
Hon. Mr. Dixon: I have to take umbrage with the question put forward by the me= mber opposite. We have made investments in each and every community throughout t= his territory when it comes to recreational infrastructure as well recreational programs.
I woul= d suggest that, if you look at our recreational infrastructure that we have available= to us in the Yukon, I would put us right at the top in terms of the country. We have access to an incredible array of recreational infrastructure throughout the Yukon.
I know= the member opposite referenced the specific case of Carmacks. Obviously there’s an unfortunate situation in that community where they’ve had some failing infrastructure. We’re working very closely with the = municipality to address those needs. I’ve written a letter to both the Member for Mayo-Tatchun and the Member for Mount Lorne-Sou= thern Lakes to explain what is going on with that. I encourage them to talk to the town council in Carmacks and ask how Yukon government has been working hand= in hand with that community to address their needs. We’ve been providing resources, we’ve been providing expertise and we’ve been discus= sing what their vision for the future is in that particular community.
I have= to just fundamentally disagree with the member opposite in his preamble. We’ve invested significant amounts of money in all recreational infrastructure throughout this territory, and we’re very proud of that record.
Mr. Barr: We have talked.
Carmac= ks isn’t the only Yukon community that’s falling short on infrastructure support. The government is scrambling to finish projects this year, as our initial Building Canada funding expires. Not only is the Yukon Party government failing to prioritize community needs, this government is having trouble directing the completion of multi-year projects on time.
These = are projects like water, sewer and road upgrades in communities like Haines Junction, Mayo, Pelly Crossing and Teslin that have been long anticipated. = Why has the Yukon Party government let so many projects drag on to the point th= at their federal funding may expire before finally making a sustained attempt = at project completions?
Hon. Mr. Dixon: Again, I’m surprised at the line of questioning here. I = should note that each and every one of those investments that we’ve made = 212; each and every one of those important infrastructure investments we’ve made in Yukon communities — the member opposite voted against. He cho= se to take his partisan angle and vote no to those investments, instead of supporting the remarkable infrastructure investments we have made, whether = they be in drinking water or —
Some Hon. Member: (Inaudible)
Hon. Mr. Dixon: So, Mr. Speaker, I expect that the member opposite will continue to vote against these investments. I know that they find it very humorous, the types of investments that they voted against. I know they take great pleasure in voting against those investments in Yukon communities. = span>
We tak= e them seriously and we take this job seriously. We try to ensure that Yukon’= ;s infrastructure needs are addressed, whether they be in the communities, whether they be in Whitehorse or whether they be in roads = that connect us all together.
WeR= 17;ll continue to do what we’ve been doing, which is to ensure that Yukoner= s’ infrastructure requirements are met, whether they be drinking water, whether they be waste water or whether they be recreatio= nal infrastructure. I encourage them to vote for the budget and, of course, all= the significant investments that are made therein.
Speaker: The= time for Question Period has now elapsed. We will now proceed to Orders of the D= ay.
Orders of
the Day
Government
Bills
Bill No. 17: Interim Supply Appropriation Act, 2015‑16 — Second Reading
Clerk: Second reading, Bill No. 17, standing in the name of the Hon. Mr. Pasloski.= span>
Hon. Mr. Pasloski: I move that Bill No. 17, entitled Interim Supply Appropriation Act, 2015= -16, be now read a second time.
Speaker: It = has been moved by the Hon. Premier that Bill No. 17, entitled Interim Supply Appropriation Act, 2015-16, be now read a second time.
Hon. Mr. Pasloski: I have to say something that I have repeated myself many times= in this Legislature, and that is that Yukon is in a very enviable financial position. It is a position that I and my colleagues are very proud of.
I have= spoken previously and at some length at our government’s approach to plannin= g, budgeting and decision-making about how our government proactively manages = to ensure and to allow for appropriate legislative consideration for our propo= sed expenditure initiatives.
Indulg= e me once again, as I cannot emphasize enough the importance of strong planning, budgeting and decision-making processes. In its basic form, planning and budgeting is about decision-making. It is all about identifying priorities = and then considering, developing, resourcing and implementing appropriate actio= ns to provide —
Some Hon. Member: (Inaudible)
Introduction
of Visitors
Ms. White: I would like to take this opportunity to invite two people into the gallery today. We have Stu Neatby and Siân Madoc-Jones. They are joining us today. Thank y= ou so much for coming.
Applause
Hon. Mr. Pasloski: In its basic form, planning and budgeting is all about decision-making. It is all about identifying priorities and considering, developing, resourcing and implementing appropriate actions to provide the = best services possible to Yukoners. At its core, planning and budgeting requires decision-makers to make choices. The budget process supports us as decision-makers to consider all issues and identify appropriate solutions. = In this regard, the development of a budget serves as both a planning tool and= a control tool. Decision-making is an ongoing and evolving process. It remains not only the prerogative, but the obligation, for our government to consider emerging issues and priorities and to recommend effective and appropriately resourced solutions and actions to the Legislative Assembly.
I will= speak at some length about this in my Committee speech for Bill No. 18, which is the= First Appropriation Act, 2015-16, = but is seems apropos to pause here for a moment and reflec= t on observations in the Standard & Poor’s report in September of 2014= . Standard & Poor’s has once again confirmed Yukon’s double-A rating a= nd, in doing so, made a number of observations that reflect our government̵= 7;s commitment to strong financial management. Standard & Poor’s recognizes our government’s commitment to strong budgetary processes.= If I may, in its report, Standard & Poor’s confirms Yukon’s double-A rating, noting that our rating reflects — and I quote —= ; a couple or three quotes I have: “…the territory’s very low debt burden, exceptional liquidity, strong budgetary performance…” a= nd “…the territory demonstrates strong financial management…” and the expectation “ …that Yukon will continue to produce strong budgetary results…”
Despit= e the frequent criticism heaped on our government regarding our budgetary track record, it is fair to say that Standard & Poor’s gets it. Our rec= ord has been strong and will continue to be strong as we support Yukoners throu= gh our current 2015-16 budget as well as future budgets.
This L= egislature will have the opportunity to consider our 2015-16 budge= t in full as we debate Bill No. 18. Of course, this will take some time as the members opposite conduct their diligence in their review and critique of our 2015-16 budget. In the meantime, I am pleased to introduce Bill No. 17, Interim Supp= ly Appropriation Act, 2015-16.
This a= ct provides for spending authority through to June 4, 2015 and will allow this Legislature to ensure the continued, uninterrupted operations of government while Bill No. 18 is under consideration. In addition, this act ensures appropriate authority is granted to departments, so that they can make some very significant payments and commitments, including: $18.3 million for the comprehensive municipal grant; $15.8 million representing the first quarter= ly payment for the Yukon Hospital Corporation; and $25.5 million for our annual contribution to Yukon College.
This a= ct is not focused solely on operation and maintenance requirements. As Yukoners are w= ell aware, we do have a shorter construction season than is experienced in sout= hern jurisdictions. It is important for our contractors to get out there at the = very first possible opportunity. This act provides for capital spending on a num= ber of fronts, including: $9.281 million to continue implementation of a number= of projects initiated under Building Canada; $10.4 million as the construction= on the F.H. Collins replacement project progresses; and $1.518 million to adva= nce the Salvation Army redevelopment project.
I am s= ure that the members opposite appreciate how important it is for our contracting community to be at work, delivering these projects.
As I s= tated earlier, the Legislature will have a full opportunity to debate our entire 2015-16 budget when we convene for consideration of Bill No. 18. In the interim, this act ensures the continued and uninterrupted operations of government.
In sum= mary, Mr. Speaker, this act requests spending authority, which in total is not to exceed $353,979,000. The purpose of this spending authority is to defray the vario= us charges and expenses of public services of Yukon for the period April 1, 20= 15 through June 4, 2015. Of this total amount, $257,358,000 is provided for operations and maintenance and $96,621,000 is provided for capital. The full details of these expenditures are included in the main estimates and will be fully discussed and debated during general and departmental debate on the 2015-16 main estimates.
I woul= d also again like to acknowledge and thank all of the officials who worked on putt= ing together this interim supply bill and of course, special recognition to all= of those people within the Department of Finance.
Ms. Hanson: I rise to speak to Bill No. 17, entitled Interim Supply Appropriation Act, 2015-16. I would just like to make a couple of comments with respect to the interim supply. It is a mechanism for the government to ensure ongoing operations, pending legislative — legislative — approval, Mr. Speaker — of the budget.
I have= to make a comment, Mr. Speaker. I find it quite saddening that the Finance minis= ter, the Premier, has dismissed the notion of the parliamentary process and parliamentary democracy, and that in fact, in his comments, the references = are simply that the Yukon Party with the majority are the decision-makers. In f= act, in a parliamentary democracy, all members of the Legislative Assembly ̵= 2;
Some Hon. Member: (Inaudible)
Point of order
Speaker: Gov= ernment House Leader, on a point of order.
Mr. Elias: The Leader of the Official Opposition is suggesting that the Hon. Premier is dismissing parliamentary process. That’s clearly a contravention to t= he Standing Orders.
Speaker: Opp= osition House Leader, on the point of order.
Ms. Stick: Mr. Speaker, I did not hear the member opposite refer to any section of our Standing Ord= ers of the Yukon Legislative Assembly when he made the point of order, and what= I heard was my colleague responding to a budget speech or a speech on this interim supply bill. I believe this is just a dispute among members.=
Speaker’s
ruling
Speaker: The= Leader of the Official Opposition stated that, in her belief, the government was portraying themselves as the sole approvers and pointed out that it is in f= act the entire membership of the Legislature. In her assertion, she said it was= her belief, so she may believe that. It may be true; it may not be true. I don’t know.
ItR= 17;s a dispute between members.
Ms. Hanson: All members of this Legislative Assembly, not just members of a majority government, are elected to represent the citizens of this territory. All members of this Legislative Assembly have a right and obligation to speak to the assertions that are put forward by the government and, in particular, we have an obligation as the Official Opposition, as the opposition, to hold t= he government to account for the decisions they do make and as those decisions= are manifested, as we shall see, in the main estimates.
It is parliamentary tradition that the entire budget is tabled in a timely way so that the members of the opposition — all elected members — can = do their due diligence.
If the= Minister of Finance seriously believed in the legitimate role of all elected members= of this Legislative Assembly, he would table this budget in February. He would= not table it in April, after the beginning of the fiscal year, because what he’s doing is he’s setting it up on the assumption that a quart= er of the expenditures that this government anticipates making is fait accompl= i.
The op= position is placed in a situation where it has no choice but to support the supply b= ill because it’s necessary for the interim operations. But I want to put = the Minister of Finance on notice: This does not imply that we support the cont= ents of the main estimates, the operation and maintenance and capital estimates,= for 2015-16. We will hold the government to account; we will hold the Minister = of Finance to account throughout the course of debate.
ItR= 17;s ironic for the Minister of Finance to talk about — that he believes, = in his words, in strong budgeting and planning. If he believed in strong plann= ing, he would deliver on that and he would have tabled this budget before the beginning of the fiscal year — at least have had the appearance of respecting the parliamentary process.
As I s= aid, my comments would be brief. Our support for the Interim Supply Appropriation Act, 2015-16, Bill No. 17, does not signify support for Bill No. 18, but it is done on sufferance.
Mr. Silver: It gives me pleasure to rise on Bill No. 17, Interim Supply Appropriation Act, 2015-16. = p>
Mr.&nb= sp;Speaker, it is interesting to note that we are already well into the 2015-16 fiscal = year as we begin debate on the interim supply bill. The normal course of events = is to begin the session in late March and to allow time to pass the interim su= pply bill before the fiscal year actually begins. That, of course, didn’t happen this year for several reasons: the Yukon Party lost their newly mint= ed chief of staff quite suddenly; we saw a major shuffle of Cabinet. It is interesting to note, on that shuffle, that the new minister responsible for housing — in the 2015-16 main budget, fina= lly we see the remainder of the northern housing trust fund finally getting spent, with some of that money actually on affordable housing too. I want to congratulate the new minister on accomplishing something in his first 100 d= ays on the job that the previous Yukon Party minister failed to do since 2006.<= /span>
Speaki= ng about that shuffle — and also combined with the musical chair routine with respect to the Premier’s chief of staff position and the unexpected departure of the Deputy Minister of Finance — it is the main reason w= hy we are starting so late and beginning second reading on an interim supply b= ill halfway through the first month of the new fiscal year.
It is interesting to see the Premier’s explanation for the late start ̵= 2; somehow being related to March break, spring break. In a news release in Ma= rch, the Premier stated that the Spring Sitting would start later than usual = 212; April 2 — and I quote: “…to accommodate families who may = be spending time together during the school spring break period of March 16 to 27.̶= 1;
It is interesting that that was not a concern last spring when the Legislature started on March 25, right in the middle of spring break. I would suggest t= hat the real reason the session is late this year, of course, is that the government simply was not prepared. Between Cabinet shuffles, deputy changes and the departure of a hand-picked chief of staff from Ottawa, the governme= nt simply wasn’t ready to table a budget on time.
It was= easier to blame it on spring break than it was to admit that.
With r= egard to the content of the bill — the interim supply bill itself — it is merely housekeeping to allow the government to spend money until the main budget passes the House at the end of May.
Hon. Mr. Nixon: I speak with my constituents often about issues that are impor= tant to them — issues such as a healthy economy, including resource extractio= n, tourism, private sector businesses, the knowledge sector and trades. Constituents of Porter Creek South speak to me about issues like health care and how they recognize that Yukon’s health care is arguably —= span>
Some Hon. Member: (Inaudible)
Introduction
of Visitors
Speaker: Lea= der of the Third Party, on a point of order.
Mr. Silver: I’m sorry to interrupt, but I would like to ask the rest of the House to help m= e in welcoming a constituent of mine, Tracey Caley.
Applause
Speaker: Min= ister of Health and Social Services, please.
Hon. Mr. Nixon: Welcome, Tracey, to the gallery.
The co= nstituents of Porter Creek South speak to me about issues like health care and how they recognize that Yukon’s health care is arguably one of the best in Can= ada.
Now, I= ’ve commented before in this Assembly with regard to spending more of my time learning about health care on a global scale. I consider myself very fortun= ate to live in a place where the level of care is truly second to none. We are fortunate to have that, but we are not entitled to have that.
I reco= gnize — just for one example — how fortunate seniors are in Yukon. Ov= er the last 10 years, your Yukon Party government has increased the budget for home care across the territory, because we on this side of the House believ= e it is important to keep seniors in their homes and in their communities as lon= g as possible.
Now, I= know the members opposite have a difficult time believing this or perhaps understand= ing this. I’ve read their entertaining rhetoric in the paper and on-line. What’s even more amusing is their inability to follow and have a true appreciation for a budget.
Some Hon. Member: (Inaudible)
Point of order
Speaker: Lea= der of the Third Party, on a point of order.
Mr. Silver: I’m sorry to interrupt again, but I believe the word “rhetoric” has been eschewed as unparliamentarily in the past, and I would ask the member opposite to refrain from using it.
Speaker: Gov= ernment House Leader, on the point of order.
Mr. Elias: On the point of order, I have heard the word “rhetoric” used many, many times during this Sitting alone, and I’ve been here for how many years now? Nine years — and it has been used quite regularly in members’ use of language. I think this is a dispute among members. = span>
Unparliamentary
language
Speaker: Some interesting arguments. The use of the word “rhetoric” directed = at an individual and their comments within statements in this House is out of order. Right now, my memory is not 100-percent clear as to how the minister phrased it formally. I will say that there is a point of order and ask the minister to please rephrase that statement without using that word and we w= ill carry on. If I check the Blues tomorrow and find out that it was directed i= n a broader sense, then I may change the ruling.
Hon. Mr. Nixon:<= /span> I’ll rephrase that word from “rhetoric̶= 1; to “comments” in general.
Based = on the comments and debate from the members opposite, Yukoners know that in a Yukon governed by the NDP-Liberals, we would see no support for the increase in t= he budget for home care; we would see no increase in budgets for mental health services and services to people with disabilities. In fact, the Member for Riverdale South indicated that she doesn’t see the correlation between —
Some Hon. Member: (Inaudible)
Speaker’s
statement
Speaker: Ord= er please. While the heckling is not necessarily unparliamentary, it is gettin= g to a volume where I am finding it difficult to hear the person who is presenti= ng, so I would ask you to bring it down a notch, so that I may hear what the pe= rson is saying. Minister, carry on please.
Hon. Mr. Nixon: I was just saying that, in fact, the Member for Riverdale South indicated that she doesn’t see the correlation between people with disabilities and mental health issues and I find that very odd. We clearly wouldn’t see a healthy economy from the members opposite. Both parties have proven that in the past and history would repeat itself.
The me= mbers opposite have voted against investments in the resource sector; they have v= oted against investments in our tourism economy; they have voted against investm= ents in the knowledge sector and the trades; they have voted against expanded services to people with disabilities; and they voted against expanded servi= ces for people with mental health issues.
The me= mbers opposite in fact have voted against the need for safe travel, through investments in road and airport infrastructure. They have voted against the need for predictability and stability in environmental stewardship, despite their cries for protection of lands. In fact, we have seen them vote against the need for economic stability and diversity throughout the entire territo= ry. We have seen them vote against our party’s confidence in the private sector to provide services to Yukoners and to visitors at places like Dredge No. 4 and the SS Klondike, at o= ur museums and cultural centres, as well as health care initiatives.
The ND= P-Liberals have even gone on record in this Legislative Assembly speaking out about th= eir lack of confidence in government staff and the services that those good wom= en and men provide on a daily basis. The NDP-Liberals seem to have no confiden= ce in government staff; they seem to have no confidence in the private sector tourism companies; they seem to have no confidence in construction and mini= ng companies — yet the NDP-Liberals want to govern this territory. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that makes no sense at all. In fact, I know that scares a lot of Yukoners.
Our go= vernment has confidence in the staff and services that are delivered by that staff. I have talked at great length before on how the economic situation was dire in 2002, when we took office. It was indeed the good women and men of Yukon — those working in government, those working in the tourism sector, t= hose working in construction and exploration and mining and other private sector jobs — who had the confidence in this Yukon Party government to govern the territory and bring it back on track.=
Yukone= rs knew that this Yukon Party government, through hard work and deliberate strategic investments, would be able to restore confidence and investment to our territory. This Yukon Party government did just that. We delivered on our promise of a better Yukon to Yukoners and, by working together, we were abl= e to deliver on programs and services to Yukoners, like no other government has = been able to do.
It was= the Yukon Party that committed to building Yukon’s future, and we have delivere= d. Since 2002, the Yukon Party government has increased budgets in mental heal= th services and services to people, especially children, who have disabilities, but we have particularly increased the home care budget by over 350 percent= , so seniors can stay in their homes and in their communities longer. That is action. That is an investment in Yukoners. We committed to Yukoners on this very thing and, like our other commitments to Yukoners, we have delivered.<= /span>
The in= terim supply bill before us speaks to a healthy economy. Our budget speaks to investments in the resource sector. It speaks to investments in tourism economy; it speaks to investments in the knowledge sector and trades. Simply put, this Yukon Party government budget speaks to putting Yukoners to work.=
We tru= ly have it all. We have resources beneath the ground that can support us for generatio= ns to come. We have a solid tourism product that the world wants to see. We ha= ve infrastructure that supports travel, trades, IT and other knowledge-based sectors. We have a private sector that is motivated and is very eager for growth and we have a Yukon Party government that can commit and deliver to Yukoners.
Recent= ly I had a conversation with a couple of large local businesses. They reported to me t= hat they appreciate the economic diversity that their Yukon Party government has created. They went on to say how clear it was to them that, although the resource sector is not quite as strong as it has been in the past, these lo= cal businesses still saw increased revenues for 2014 over 2013. That tells me t= hat we’re on the right track.
I̵= 7;ve said before that this budget isn’t about dollars and cents. This budget is about confidence; the confidence Yukoners have in this Yukon Party governme= nt to maintain a solid economy — the confidence Yukoners have in this Yu= kon Party government to keep them working; the confidence Yukoners have in this Yukon Party government to invest in health care, tourism, resource extracti= on and education, environmental stewardship and so much more.
Our te= rritory managed to grow even through a difficult global economic crisis that affect= ed millions around the world. Despite that we managed to continue to grow. Tha= t is a testament to solid leadership.
My poi= nt is this that we recognize that strong leadership has very tangible, very important = consequences. Our government has made a point of working to rebuild Yukon. Yukoners trust this government to manage finances in the good times and the lean times, something the other parties simply cannot report.
As the= Minister of Health and Social Services, I’m reminded on a daily basis of the demands government has to provide services and programs to Yukoners. If we’re ever going to have any realistic hope of providing these kinds = of services that so many of us look forward to, then we’re going to need= a steady, reliable own-source revenue stream to fund those programs. <= /p>
As the= Minister of Health and Social Services, I see first-hand how much money we spend on health care and I often find myself thinking there must be a better way whe= n it comes to health care. When it comes to lifestyle choices — whether it= is smoking, excessive drinking or sedentary lifestyle — I firmly believe that we need to do more than say to people, “That’s a bad choice.” I think we have role to play in providing healthy, positive = alternatives. It is because I believe that we need healthier, positive options for people that I support our government’s efforts to build a new sports complex= . We announced this project a year ago and we’re continuing to work on it.=
Just t= oday we announced a new tobacco prevention resource called Kic= kin’ Ash. It has been developed by the Yukon government to help prevent youth fr= om picking up the smoking habit. Now it has been eight years since I quit smok= ing. I’m so glad to see this resource being offered.
Yukon = has the third highest rate of smoking in Canada, surpassed only by Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Ninety percent of smokers report lighting their fi= rst cigarette or being addicted before the age of 18. Our goal is to help young people to resist the urge to start smoking so they can remain tobacco free = and healthier as adults. Kickin’ Ash was desi= gned to help community organizations and schools address the issue of tobacco us= e by young people by giving youth, aged 10 and older, tools and knowledge aimed = at preventing smoking.
This r= esource will be given a pilot run this summer by as many as 10 interested organizations. Feedback from these participants will then be incorporated, making it a community-driven resource. Grants of up to $500 will be availab= le to groups interested in participating.
Fundin= g for the development of the Kickin’ Ash resource w= as provided by the Yukon northern wellness project through the Public Health Agency of Canada. Information sessions on how to most effectively engage wi= th youth using this program resource will be held in Whitehorse next month. Se= ssions may also be held in some communities, depending on the interest. Organizati= ons interested in piloting the resource should contact the Health Promotion uni= t at 667-3507 or kickinash@gov.yk.ca.= The deadline to apply to this is April 29.
My con= stituents appreciate having jobs and businesses, and I applaud this government for investing over $312 million in our capital budget. As the Premier has said = on a number of occasions, government can provide the foundation of infrastructure that businesses and corporations need in order to grow the economy. As I lo= oked at this budget, I thought of people in my riding of Porter Creek South who would be working because of items like the $13.5 million for maintenance and upgrading of government buildings.
When I= was first elected, as I have mentioned in this House on many occasions, a number of families affected by disabilities connected with me. One family in particul= ar who had more than one child with a number of complex medical needs reached = out to me. As I listened to them share their story, I realized that addressing = the needs of just one child could overwhelm the family’s finances and, as= I said, they had more than one child with multiple disabilities. I often contemplate how a family would cope if they didn’t live in a country = like Canada or a territory like Yukon. How would they manage if they had to raise those funds themselves? Now I know first-hand the money to provide the specialists, the support workers and the special medications and the necess= ary equipment can be extremely expensive. That money has to come from somewhere, but it seems like the members opposite think that money just falls from the sky. I don’t know if they have figured out that governments get money= either by collecting it from taxpayers or by borrowing it. For me, a budget that focuses on putting Yukoners to work, a budget based on confidence, is a bud= get that continues to enable government to help families who have children R= 12; or adult children — with special needs.
I woul= d like to reiterate the information I shared with members last week regarding the MRI that this government invested in. Not only did it open on time and on budge= t, but since the program started to provide patient care less than three month= s ago, it has operated as planned and conducted close to 400 MRI scans. This has improved access to care, ensured quicker diagnoses, reduced medical travel = and any related costs and patient stress.
We als= o know that some patients have received an MRI exam in Yukon up to seven months ah= ead of scheduled appointments down south. Thank you= to the Hospital Corporation. Thank you to the Hospital Foundation and those individuals and businesses that donated their time and money and the men and women who work at the hospital each and every day.
The bu= dget has almost $9 million from the new territorial investment fund that will resour= ce chronic disease management, mental wellness, e-mental health supports and Y= ukon telepsychiatry programs.
This b= udget continues to provide funds for long-term care, including converting the old Oblate house into a small continuing care facility as an interim solution. = It includes $26 million for the new continuing care facility at Whistle Bend. = We have $7.8 million for the 15-bed McDonald Lodge continuing care facility in Dawson City. This budget has money to help shelter and house people with me= ntal health needs. We have invested over $10 million for the new Salvation Army centre and over $650,000 in O&M funding for the transitional housing for persons with mental health conditions. We have $21 million for the new Sarah Steele Building.
The Me= mber for Klondike talks a good game about mental health. We are doing more than talk= ing about it. We are investing in services for people with mental health challe= nges — shelter, housing, treatment, wellness. We are fulfilling our commitments to Yukoners.
In con= clusion, not only do I look forward to my duties each and every day in serving the public, but I look forward to working with an incredible Yukon Party team — the premier, my caucus colleagues and our amazing staff who can del= iver on its commitments to Yukoners time and time again.
Hon. Mr. Istchenko: It is a privilege to get up and speak today about the Interim Supply Appropriation Act, 2015= -16. I do rise today to talk a little bit about some of the Department of Environment’s ongoing work and plans for the fiscal year.
First,= however I do want to note my appreciation and the good work undertaken by the departm= ent staff. Day in and day out, they do a great job. Whether you are out hunting= or enjoying a relaxing weekend in a government campground, or marvelling over = some of the Yukon’s great environment, the Department of Environment staff have a role in making these safe, welcoming activities. Of course, this role is often done in collaboration with the Fi= rst Nations, our renewable resource councils — I will speak about them a little bit — and with the land claims organizations such as the Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board.
It is = important that the department build and maintain strong and trusted partnerships, and= we have done that because we recognize that stewardship of the department is improved through strong, effective partnerships.
I just= want to talk a little bit about some of the work we are doing right now when it com= es to climate change. In 2012, the Yuk= on Government Climate Change Action Plan Progress Report — we established additional greenhouse gas reduction targets and supporting acti= ons for those key Yukon sectors that are collectively responsible for the major= ity of territorial emissions: transportation, building and energy efficiency, industrial and electrical sectors. We have heard some of this in the House earlier today.
The Yu= kon government supports made-in-Yukon innovations, including development and commercialization of the cold climate technologies — Yukon Research Centre — energy efficiency, energy conservation and renewable energy incentives programs — Energy Solutions Centre, Yukon Housing Corporat= ion — and expansion of renewable energy infrastructure for the Yukon R= 12; Energy Solutions Centre, the Yukon Development Corporation and Yukon Energy Corporation. Yukon government fosters collaborative opportunities for effec= tive partnerships and sharing responsibilities, including Yukon’s climate change committee partnership between the Yukon government Climate Change Secretariat, the Council of Yukon First Nations, the Yukon Research Centre’s Northern Climate Exchange, and the Arctic Athabaskan Council plus the pan-territorial adaptation partnership — partnerships between Nunavut, Northwest Territories and us here in the Yukon.
Yukon government’s Climate Change A= ction Plan outlines four climate goals, including: lead Yukon action in respo= nse to climate change; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; adapt to climate change; and to enhance knowledge and understanding of climate change. So the depart= ment is working on, and this government is committed to, reducing greenhouse gas emissions for Yukon and is working across government and sectors to achieve= the targets in supporting the actions set out in the 2009 Climate Change Action Plan and the 2012 Climate Change Action Plan Progress Report.
The Yu= kon Development Corporation is conducting research and planning for hydroelectr= ic energy generation in the Yukon to meet the expected growth and demand for electrical power. Programs include: the microgeneration production incentiv= es program introduced by the Yukon to enable local renewable energy to supplem= ent electrical generation in the Yukon by allowing customers who produce energy from renewable energy sources to be compensated annually for feeding surplus power back into the grid; the good energy residential incentives program introduced by the government supporting Yukoners in building or renovating homes to achieve energy savings; the commercial energy incentive program introduced by the Yukon government to assist Yukon apartment and condominium owners in retrofitting their buildings to improve energy performance and re= duce energy consumption. I can tell you Mr. Speaker, my constituents are qu= ite happy with these programs. I have received a lot of feedback and they like = the direction this government is going.
The Yu= kon government recognizes that the impacts of climate change are having an immediate and significant impact on the Yukon and across the north. As a result, we’re focused on effective adaptation efforts as well as clim= ate change mitigation.
Yukon = government efforts to address significant impacts of climate change in the Yukon inclu= de: researching our ecosystem changes; predicting the impacts of the mountain p= ine beetle, which is slowly coming from the south; mapping landscape hazards; flood-risk mapping; examining the impact of thawing permafrost on agricultu= re, our north Alaska highway — near and dear to my heart; and the Yukon water, of course. We can’t forget water. It’s important.
The Yu= kon government has co-led the creation of the Arctic adaptation exchange, an on-line information portal that enables the sharing of adaptation informati= on across the Arctic. When I was briefed on this, I was very impressed with the department’s hard work and this is something that globally will be so= ught after by many jurisdictions in many countries, I’m sure, as we move forward.
We als= o foster collaborative opportunities for effective partnerships, cooperation and sha= ring of responsibility, including partnerships in the pan-territorial adaptation partnership that I spoke about, adaptation and mitigation groups, and the adaptation national platform run by NRCan.
The Yu= kon government’s Climate Change A= ction Plan demonstrates key initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and responds to the changes in our climate that we’re already seeing.
The Yu= kon supports work at the local, regional, national, and subnational levels and addresses climate change and simultaneously continues to ensure that econom= ic opportunities are created for our residents through balanced sustainable development.
The Yu= kon government currently measures and verifies and reports on emissions from the Yukon government on the internal operations to help manage government greenhouse gas emissions. We also work closely with Environment Canada to i= mprove reporting systems for calculating Yukon-wide greenhouse gas emissions. To enable this effort, we have conducted work to better understand the Yukon’s broad emissions and where they come from and are able to communicate this information back to Environment Canada.
Yukon = looks forward to continuing these collaborations between the jurisdictions. It is going to better able us to enhance our ability to capture our emissions dat= a.
We als= o work hard to develop infrastructure that is both resilient to the changes in permafrost underlay and in reducing energy consumption through how much we = have to spend on heating.
Govern= ment-funded new residential construction meets a made-in-Yukon standard for energy efficiency called SuperGreen homes. These super-insulated homes allow for greater energy efficiency and comfort during the long winter months. Over the last three years, the Yukon power system, which services most of the Yukon’s population, was powered just about= 100 percent by clean energy hydro.
We con= tinue to work on ways to further develop our clean energy portfolio across the Yukon: the expansion of the hydroelectricity and transmission capacity at the Aish= ihik and Mayo plants; the linking of the existing electricity grid in order to increase the utilization of renewable electricity; implementation of the microgeneration policy, which was announced in 2013; and providing the opportunity for residential and commercial electricity customers to generate electricity through renewable energy sources and sell the surplus back R= 12; I spoke of that earlier. Earlier today, the Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources spoke a little bit about the independent power producers policy.
The Yu= kon government’s Climate Change A= ction Plan does outline goals; it outlines changes and this is stuff that the Yukon government brings. Also, one thing that we are really proud of is the Yukon climate change youth ambassador to the United Nations international climate change negotiations event. This year it is going to be held in Pari= s. This program recognizes the importance of youth involvement in climate chan= ge issues. This innovative program enhances climate change knowledge and skills within Yukon youth.
That i= s a little bit of an update for you with the ongoing work that the department is doing= and a lot of funds within our budget go toward this.
I want= to talk a little bit about some of the other stuff in Fish and Wildlife. Right now, we are just winding up the bison hunting season so the bison management —= ; we are looking forward. I think we have just got the finals out on the status = and activities. I don’t want to go into that too much.
We als= o have the bison health monitoring project where we have the largest disease-free herd= , I believe, in the world, or at least in North America. It is important that we monitor —
Some Hon. Member: (Inaudible)
Point of order
Speaker: Opp= osition House Leader, on a point of order.
Ms. Stick: I would point to 19(b)(i). We are discussing the Interim Supply A= ppropriation Act, 2015-16, and I would have thought it was this government’s intention to pass it sooner rather than later. The member opposite does not seem to be addressing this particular bill.
Speaker: Gov= ernment House Leader, on the point of order.
Mr. Elias: It has been historical practice in the Assembly that when we are talking about budget bills in second reading or in general debate, the speaker is allowed= a great deal of latitude within the discussion as budgetary line items throug= hout a budget are quite broad.
Speaker’s
ruling
Speaker: The= problem with this point of order is that it is impossible to totally separate a sin= gle appropriation bill from the government’s finances as a whole.<= /p>
In sec= ond reading, there was a lot of —
Some Hon. Member: (Inaudible)
I̵= 7;ll choose the words; I don’t need any help from the gallery. During seco= nd reading, any appropriation bill can always be cast broadly — and I me= an that very broadly. That will change when you get into Committee of the Whol= e, when you are focusing on line-by-line reading. Although it is very difficul= t, or impossible, for the Speaker to know where the presenter is going and how they are going to tie it together, I have to say there is no point of order= at this time.
Minister of Environment, please.
Hon. Mr. Istchenko: I just want to highlight a few more things and I won’t t= ake up too much more time.
I was = talking about bison. I also want to talk a little bit about the ongoing work with o= ur proposed wildlife regulation changes. I want to talk about this government’s commitment and how committed we are to the renewable resource councils and the fishing management board. These are set out throu= gh the Umbrella Final Agreement and chapter 16 and it is key that we work with them,= and we sure do appreciate them and their hard work. We really thank those volunteers — those people who put their name forward to sit on these boards to look at everything from wildlife change proposals to environmental issues. I think you do a great job.
Right = now the department, through this budget, has been working on the chinook salmon run. We have the salmon subcommittee and some Alaska and Yukon reps here, so we have our people out there working. Work has been ongoing in the department with the animal protection program transferred to Environment fr= om Community Services.
We hav= e heard the issue — and we have listened to the Member for Mount Lorne-Southe= rn Lakes talking about recycling regulations. That is key<= /span> in this department — working with that. We have a lot of remediation programs going out and ongoing. As always, they are busy with the Conrad campground and with the management of — being that the campgrounds are now parks — the territorial parks and all our other parks. I think th= ey are working on implementation now of our extended season — the earlie= r opening of the campgrounds and recreational sites — and looking at the status= of the habitat protection area that we have been doing.
I spok= e a little bit about climate change and there is a lot that is involved in that and I = do want to just pick up a little bit on our water strategy implementation that= has been going on. We had a water forum earlier and we were analyzing and looki= ng at the results from our water forum. I think we look forward to having an annual one, if not a bi-annual one, and getting all the municipalities, and First Nations and key stakeholders in water together to share results and t= alk about water.
I don&= #8217;t have much more to say on this. I just want to add a couple more points. I t= hink it is important — one thing that makes a difference to literally thousands of people is the work to make possible the purchase of our anglin= g or our annual campground permits.
I just= want to pick up that I think that’s a key thing. Yukoners love our campgrounds and they love fishing — whether they’re getting a hunting licen= ce and a fishing licence. I just want to commend the department for the hard w= ork that they put forward on this budget and I look forward to getting into gen= eral debate.
Hon. Mr. Dixon: It’s a pleasure to rise today and speak to the second re= ading of Bill No. 17, Interim Supply Appropriation Act, 2015-16. This is a part o= f our broader budget, which we had begun second reading on last week and completed last week.
The De= partment of Community Services has a number of appropriations in this bill and I look forward to discussing them with members, but let me provide a little bit of= the context within which these appropriations are made and discuss some of the items that are held within this particular budget bill. As I said, this bei= ng the interim supply, it relates to our more broad= main estimate bill that we discussed previously.
As I= 8217;ve noted previously, the Department of Community Services makes important investments in programs, services and activities that support healthy and sustainable communities. This budget and our previous budgets have prioriti= zed investments for Yukoners and Yukon communities that will bring long-term benefits to the territory.
Ultima= tely the investments that I will highlight today support our government’s appr= oach to making Yukon a great place to live for Yukoners. The breadth of these programs, services and support offered by Community Services is impressive.= I would like to walk through, if I could, some of the various branches of the department that provide these great services.
In my = second reading speech to the main estimates, I covered off a number of the branches but I didn’t get to all of them and I wanted to ensure that each bran= ch of Community Services is referenced specifically. I won’t return agai= n to Protective Services, although obviously that work done in the Protective Services branch is very important. It includes EMS, Wildland Fire Managemen= t, the Emergency Measures Organization, and the Fire Marshal’s Office. I= did cover off many of those last week so I don’t want to speak too much a= bout those.
Let me= jump ahead to the building safety and standards branch. The building safety and standards branch is responsible for helping to keep Yukoners safe in their homes and the buildings they use for work, recreation and daily business. T= he branch accomplishes this through developing, interpreting, administering and enforcing building plumbing, electrical and mechanical standards in unincorporated communities, rural municipalities and rural areas of Yukon. = In certain municipalities a lot of these functions are conducted by the municipality and so there is a lot of work that is done between and among t= he various orders of government.
Buildi= ng safety and standards issues permits for and conducts inspections of building construction, plumbing, electrical, gas- and boiler-related work on buildin= gs and facilities in rural municipalities, unincorporated communities and rural areas. This year, there is a significant amount of funding identified to support the branch operations of the building safety and standards branch.<= /span>
With t= he Community Development Division of the Department of Community Services, the Community Affairs section exists. This budget bill reflects the significant investments that we at Community Services are making to support and build t= he capacity of local governments. The programs and services we offer help make Yukon communities great places to live, work, play and raise families.
Commun= ity Services supports the establishment and operation of effective local governments and works to foster effective working relationships between communities and the Yukon government. Communities rely on Community Affairs staff for their integrity and professionalism, which is evident in the successful partnership with the Association of Yukon Communities and work t= hat has been accomplished with municipal governments and local advisory council= s.
The go= vernment recognizes that municipalities make a major contribution to improving Yukoners’ quality of life, and we are providing over $25 million in t= he main estimates to directly support local governments in 2015-16. There is m= oney as well in the budget item before us to this end. This includes, of course, money identified for the comprehensive municipal grants. We also provide significant funding for local advisory councils. We value their contributio= n to local governance.
Signif= icant funds are also made through grants in lieu of taxes, also payable to Yukon’s eight municipal governments. There is a significant appropria= tion in this budget identified as contribution to the operations of the Associat= ion of Yukon Communities.
Yukon&= #8217;s Community Services promotes good governance and sustainable and healthy communities, and we believe in supporting Yukon’s municipalities.
The department’s support for Sport and Recreation Yukon includes support = for our athletes and ambassadors to major games and at local levels for building our sport and recreation facilities so our athletes and citizens have place= s to train, have great places to play, and ultimately live happier and healthier= lives.
We have committed significant funding in this budget to repair and upgrade existing recreational facilities in our 12 unincorporated communities.
In 201= 4, I should note, the then Minister of Community Services announced support for = the development of a new outdoor sports complex in Whitehorse. This facility is envisioned to include two artificial turf fields, an eight-lane rubberized track and bleachers. Community Services has formalized an agreement with the Yukon Outdoor Sports Complex Association so that we can move forward togeth= er on the work required to develop this important piece of sport and recreation infrastructure. We have awarded the design contract and are working with the City of Whitehorse on finalizing the location and working with the City of Whitehorse to achieve the necessary zoning requirements. This facility will provide opportunities for enhanced training and development for Yukon athle= tes. It will offer a new space for the territory’s recreational community = to host events during the summer months. Facilities like this provide sport development as well as social development and economic benefits to the community as a whole.
Yukon = government will also invest considerably in the coming year to support the Yukon’= ;s participation in the 2016 Arctic Winter Games in Nuuk, Greenland. As we recently announced, we’ll be providing $100,000 to support the Arctic= X Games, an alternate event that will be hosted in Yukon to provide a competi= tive opportunity for participants in sports that will not be reflected at the Ar= ctic Winter Games in 2016. Yukon’s leadership on the Arctic X Games has not gone unnoticed by our partner jurisdictions across the Arctic or by the athletes who will be able to compete at the highest level in both Greenland= and Whitehorse in 2016.
I shou= ld note that the work to organize that event is well underway, with sport governing bodies meeting on a fairly frequent basis to ensure that their individual s= port that will be hosted in the Arctic X Games are ready to go for the event next year. Obviously, we’re hopeful that this event will be a resounding success, not only for Yukon athletes, but for Yukon volunteers, coaches, parents and others who participate in these types of activities.
This b= udget also includes a significant investment to support the 2015 Western Canada Summer Games, where I’m confident that, again, our Yukon athletes will be ambassadors for our territory and for their sports.
During= my response to the budget a few weeks ago, I had the chance to highlight some = of those wonderful examples of Yukon athletes succeeding and representing Yuko= n in a number of national and international forums, and I would like to commend = all athletes who do so.
We als= o recently announced a $400,000 increase in the community recreation assistance grant funding for unincorporated Yukon communities. This funding increase begins = in this 2015-16 year and helps our communities fund recreation, wellness and active living opportunities.
As I= 8217;m sure all members can appreciate, our investments in sport and recreation th= is year contribute significantly to making Yukon a great place to live and pla= y.
I also= wanted to talk a little bit about a branch of the Department of Community Services th= at doesn’t often get perhaps as much attention as it deserves, but it is nonetheless a very important branch and one that often represent the heart = of a neighbourhood or a community — especially in rural communities. That = is the Yukon Public Libraries branch of Community Services. There are signific= ant investments that are made in this budget to provide public library services= in Yukon communities. These include funding to operate the Whitehorse Public Library here in Whitehorse on the waterfront and to support staff in our community libraries.
Circul= ation of physical materials remains at the heart of libraries and their use continue= s to expand. In Whitehorse, we estimate that over 150,000 items were borrowed in 2014-15 and that in the communities over 34,000 items were borrowed. Loans = of physical materials are now complemented by the use of electronic resources = such as the e-library, which continues to rise in popularity. An estimated 5,000-plus publications were borrowed electronically in 2014-15. The e-library is very successful, with some 2,000 e-books and audio books available for downloading. New titles in both English and in French a= re added to the collection each year. Since its launch in 2011, over 1,100 individual users have borrowed items from the collection more than 15,000 times.
Librar= ies play an important social role in our communities, as I mentioned earlier, and fo= ster connections between people. Programs for all ages, public meeting rooms and Internet access are just some of the services offered by libraries. Our libraries provide a safe, welcoming and comfortable environment to relax, study, read or play. They are also a key pillar in making Yukon a great pla= ce to live.
There = is a significant amount of funding noted in this budget bill for operation and maintenance funding allocated for our communities operations branch to mana= ge public drinking water facilities, solid waste, waste-water disposal and oth= er services that benefit unincorporated Yukon communities. This includes our recently announced increase to support recycling diversion credits, along w= ith a significant increase to support solid-waste management.
I shou= ld note that my understanding is that, as a result of the enhanced diversion credit= s we provided, Raven Recycling will be reopening its public drop-off as a result= of their board’s decision earlier this week. I had a conversation with t= he board’s president yesterday and I understand from CBC’s Twitter that was an announcement that was made earlier today as well. If Twitter has misled me, I apologize, but that’s my understanding as of a few hours ago.
Also, Thursday’s Whitehorse Star indicates that Raven is to restore full services as well. I thank the former Minister of Community Services, the current Minister of Justice, for sharing that copy of the newspaper with me.
Our O&= amp;M investment and operations also includes an increase to support community groundwater monitoring. In 2015-16, Yukon government is committed significa= nt funds toward a new water delivery truck in Ross River, an important resource that serves the community.
Infras= tructure development continues to be a priority of the department in 2015-16. Our department delivers infrastructure projects through our Infrastructure Development branch, along with our Community Affairs and community operatio= ns branches. One can find highlights of significant amounts in gas tax funded projects in this budget, including funding for the construction of a new la= goon for the community of Ross River, support for the Ross River solid-waste facility and upgrades to the Burwash sewage lagoon.
A new = gas tax administrative agreement was signed on July 24, 2014, which provides up to = $163 million in funding from 2014 to 2024 for public infrastructure projects in Yukon communities. Eligible categories have been expanded and remaining mon= ey from the previous fund has been rolled into the new agreement. To date, over $73 million in funding has been approved for 185 gas tax projects in various municipalities and First Nation initiatives through the gas tax fund. These initiatives are critical to our communities.
This b= udget includes comprehensive support for Building Canada projects across the territory. Some of the projects continue work that has been started in prev= ious years and all the projects make a difference to our communities. Since 2007, federal, territorial and municipal governments have committed over $265 mil= lion to core infrastructure needs in Yukon under the original Building Canada fu= nd. The new Building Canada fund will provide approximately $342 million to sup= port Yukon infrastructure over the next 10 years.
We exp= ect to see over $29 million invested in Building Canada projects in 2015-16 in the Yuk= on. This funding, along with the gas tax, helps us to address our ongoing infrastructure needs, create jobs and improve the quality of life for all Yukoners. We are currently developing a new Yukon infrastructure plan and a= re engaging with key stakeholders across the territory. The staff from this branch have been in a number of Yukon communities already, with the remaining communities yet to have meetings scheduled. We have rece= ived significant input from municipalities, LACs, First Nations and a number of other stakeholders throughout the territory to develop the next set of plans for infrastructure for the territory.
Specif= ic Building Canada fund highlights that will come in the coming year include: funding to support upgrades to the Carmacks waste-water plant; upgrades to = the Dawson water system, which includes funding for their force main — something that was identified as a priority by their mayor — Mayo wat= er, sewer and road upgrades that will accommodate existing and future urban lot development; and water well upgrades in Mayo that will include a new well, water treatment and distribution of local drinking water.
Roads = will be upgraded in both Pelly Crossing and Teslin. There is funding to support the replacement of three lift stations in Teslin as a part of upgrades to their water system. The Tagish Taku subdivision supply pumphouse and fill point will be constructed with funding support in this budget. There will be significant funding to support the construction of a = new water treatment plant and pumphouse in Watson Lake — I believe the bi= ds for that project have closed, although I am not sure if it has been awarded yet. There is significant funding to go to support the design and construct= ion of a water treatment plant to serve the communities of Deep Creek, Horse Cr= eek and Grizzly Creek. There is support for upgrades to the community water sup= ply in Mendenhall, including well upgrades, storage tanks, filter and treatment systems and an addition to the facility to house new equipment.
There = is significant money identified to support our efforts in building on our solid-waste action strategy to make infrastructure improvements to our territory-wide solid-waste management system. This will include upgrades to make our facilities more efficient.
In the= coming year, Yukon will also invest significantly in flood- and erosion-control projects throughout the territory, including projects in Carcross, Mayo, and Liard River.
I real= ize my time is elapsing rapidly so I will conclude, but I did want to note that th= ere are significant projects underway throughout the territory on community infrastructure. Just a few of those active projects that are underway currently: in Burwash there is a wellhead protection project underway; in Carmacks we are undertaking Carmacks waste-water collection systems improvements; upgrading roads and resurfacing and improving waste-water upgrades.
In the= period of 2008 to 2016, the period that is of the previous Building Canada fund ̵= 2; I should note that it’s often indicated by some members that Whitehorse= is perhaps getting all of the attention and that communities are being ignored= . Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, between 2008 and 2016, communities other than Whitehorse received by far the bulk of the Building Canada funding in that previous Building Canada fund.
Speaker: Are= you prepared for the question?
Some Hon. Members: Division.
Division
Speaker: Div= ision has been called.
Bells
Speaker: Mr.= Clerk, please poll the House.
Hon. Mr. Pasloski: Agree.
Mr. Elias: Agree.
Hon. Ms. Taylor: Agree.
Hon. Mr. Graham: Agree.
Hon. Mr. Kent: Agree.
Hon. Mr. Istchenko: Agree.
Hon. Mr. Dixon: Agree.
Hon. Mr. Hassard: Agree.
Hon. Mr. Cathers: Agree.
Hon. Mr. Nixon: Agree.
Ms. McLeod: Agree.
Ms. Stick: Agree.
Ms. Moorcroft: Agree.
Ms. White: Agree.
Mr. Tredger: Agree.
Mr. Silver: Agree.
Clerk: Mr.&n= bsp;Speaker, the results are 16 yea, nil nay.
Speaker: The= yeas have it. I declare the motion carried.
Motion for second reading of Bill No. 17 agreed = to
Mr. Elias: I move that the Speaker do now leave the Chair and that the House resolve into Committee of the Whole.
Speaker: It = has been moved by the Government House Leader that the Speaker do now leave the Chair and that the House resolve into Committee of the Whole.
Motion agreed to
Speaker leaves the Chair
Committee
of the Whole
Chair (Ms. McLeod): Order. Committee of the Whole will now come to order. The matt= er before the Committee is general debate on Bill No. 17, entitled Interim Supply Appropriation Act, 2015= -16.
Do mem= bers wish to take a brief recess?
All Hon. Members: Agreed.
Chair: Commi= ttee of the Whole will recess for 15 minutes.
Recess
Chair: Committee of the Whole will now come to order. <= /p>
Bill No.
17: Interim Supply Appropriation Ac=
t,
2015‑16
Chair: The matter before the Committee is general debate on Bi= ll No. 17, entitled Interim Supply Appropr= iation Act, 2015-16.
Hon. Mr. Pasloski: I am pleased to be able to provide the Committee of the Whole = with some introductory comments on Bill No. 17, Interim Supply Appropriation Act, 2015-16. = p>
I thou= ght I would just briefly begin by responding to comments made by the Leader of the Liberal Party in his second reading debate regarding the former Deputy Mini= ster of Finance. I thought what I would do for the record is just clarify the message of congratulations I provided to Stephen = LeClair soon after his departure. I said: “I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations to Stephen LeClair on his appoi= ntment to an important new position. Until recently, Stephen served as Yukon’= ;s Deputy Minister of Finance. He has left the territory to take up responsibilities as Ontario’s first Financial Accountability Officer.=
“= ;Though I’m disappointed to see a person of his calibre leave the Yukon government, I wish Stephen all the best in Ontario and thank him for his service here.
“= ;Stephen’s new position makes him the first provincial parliamentary budget officer in Canada. As Financial Accountability Officer, he is responsible for providing independent analysis to the legislative assembly on the state of the province’s finances.
“= ;He was appointed Yukon’s deputy minister of Finance in August 2014. Prior to that, he served as assistant deputy minister of the Economics and Fiscal Po= licy division with the Alberta Treasury Board and Finance ministry. He also serv= ed in a number of senior roles with the N.W.T. and federal governments.=
“= ;Stephen provided this message as he was leaving for his new position in Ontario: = span>
“= ;‘My short time in the territory has been wonderful and working for the Governme= nt of Yukon was all that I expected. I was privileged to work with people who = take pride in the work they do. Their dedication made me proud to be a part of Y= ukon government. My early departure from my position came only because I was off= ered a unique opportunity.’”
Madam = Chair, obviously the conjecture that was provided by the Liberal leader is nothing more than really grasping at straws. I took it more as really elementary schoolyard gossip and it was absolutely wrong.
This appropriation act will allow the public service to continue to make certain expenditures while the main estimates for 2015-16 are considered by the Legislative Assembly during this Sitting.
The in= terim funding requested is for the period of April 1, 2015 until June 4, 2015. The total amount for which approval is sought is $353,979,000 and is made up of capital expenditure appropriations totalling $96,621,000 and operation and maintenance expenditures appropriations totalling $257,358,000.
The am= ounts required for this period have been derived by canvassing Yukon government departments to determine their expenditure requirements. The amounts are significant, largely owing to the fact that a large portion of commitments = and expenditures are made during this period.
I look= forward to debating this interim supply appropriation bill in this Legislature and = for its quick passage so that the operations of Yukon government can continue.<= /span>
Ms. Moorcroft: As the recorded vote at second reading on Bill No. 17, Interim Supply Appropriation Act, 2015-16 is put on the public record, the NDP Official Opposition supports the interim supply bill allowi= ng for operation and maintenance and capital funds to be released for governme= nt operations during the period from April 1 to June 4, 2015.
Chair: Does = any other member wish to speak in general debate?
We are= going to move on to clause-by-clause debate.
On Clause 1
Clause 1 agreed to
On Clause 2
Clause 2 agreed to
On Schedule A
Schedule A agreed to
On Schedule B
Schedule B agreed to
On Schedule C
Schedule C agreed to
On Title
Title agreed to
Hon. Mr. Pasloski: Madam Chair, I move that Bill No. 17, entitled Interim Supply Appropriation Act, 2015= -16, be reported without amendment.
Chair: It has been moved by Mr. Pasloski that Bill No.&nb= sp;17, entitled Interim Supply Appropriati= on Act, 2015-16, be reported without amendment.
Motion agreed to
Mr. Elias: I move that the Speaker do now resume the Chair.
Chair: It ha= s been moved by Mr. Elias that the Speaker do now resume the Chair.
Motion agreed to
Speaker resumes the Chair
Speaker: I w= ill now call the House to order.
May th= e House have a report from the Chair of Committee of the Whole?
Chair’s
report
Ms. McLeod: Mr. Speaker, Committee of the Whole has considered Bill No. 17, entitled Interim Supply Appropriation Act, 2015= -16, and directed me to report the bill without amendment.
Speaker: You= have heard the report from the Chair of Committee of the Whole. Are you agreed?<= /span>
Some Hon. Members: Agreed.
Speaker: I d= eclare the report carried.
Government
Bills
Bill No. 84: An Act to Amend the Public Lotteries Act and Related Enactments =
212;
Second Reading
Clerk: Second reading, Bill No. 84, standing in the name of the Hon. Mr. Dixon.
Hon. Mr. Dixon: I move that Bill No. 84, entitled An Act to Amend the Public Lotteries Act and Related Enactments, be now read a second time.
Speaker: It = has been moved by the Minister of Community Services that Bill No. 84, entitled An Act to Amend the Public Lotteries A= ct and Related Enactments, be now = read a second time.
Hon. Mr. Dixon: It’s a pleasure to rise today at second reading of Bill = No. 84, amendments to the Public Lotter= ies Act and related enactments.
The pu= rpose of this bill is to ensure that regulation of gaming in Yukon is in full statut= ory compliance with the Criminal Code <= /i>of Canada. The Public Lotteries Act currently authorizes the Government of Yukon to conduct and manage interjurisdictional lotteries, such as Lotto 649. Other lottery activities = and the Yukon’s only gambling hall, Diamond Tooth Gerties, are currently regulated by the Lottery Licensing = Act.
As you= and members may recall, our government recently assisted Diamond Tooth Gerties = with the purchase of new slot machines. There was announcement made in July of 2= 014 that we would be doing so. On July 15, 2014, the announcement was made that Yukon government was providing a one-time $1.1 million contribution to the Klondike Visitors Association in Dawson City to replace aging slot machines= at Diamond Tooth Gerties gambling hall.
As the= minister of the day said, “Through this investment we are helping ensure that Diamond Tooth Gerties continues to be a key tourism asset for Dawson City, = as well as a significant source of revenue supporting tourism promotion by the Klondike Visitors Association” and that “Revenue from slot mach= ines at Diamond Tooth Gerties is also a major source of funding for the crime prevention and victim services trust fund.” That was the then minister responsible and now Minister of Justice.
As was= noted on July 15 of last year under Yukon’s Lottery Licensing Act, which limits licensed gambling to charitable organizatio= ns, the Yukon government receives 25 percent of the KVA’s slot machine revenue, which it directs to the crime prevention and victim services trust= fund. This fund provides support to Yukon community gr= oups for projects aimed at preventing crime and supporting victims, which I̵= 7;ll explain more about soon.
Associ= ated with that assistance was a review of the legislative framework under which Diamo= nd Tooth Gerties operates. In that process, it has come to our attention that legislative changes are required and that Diamond Tooth Gerties cannot cont= inue to be licensed through the Lottery Licensing Act, Yukon’s charitable gaming legislation.
Under = the proposed amendments contained in this bill, Diamond Tooth Gerties’ ga= ming operations, including slot machines, will be conducted by the Klondike Visi= tors Association as an agent of the Yukon government, but Diamond Tooth Gerties’ day-to-day operations will continue just as they do at prese= nt. By moving legislative oversight of Gerties from the Lottery Licensing Act to the Public Lotteries Act, as this bill does, we will ensure that their gaming operations are fully compliant with the Criminal Code.
I woul= d be remiss if I didn’t take the opportunity to recognize the excellent wo= rk done by the Klondike Visitors Association, or KVA. This not-for-profit destination-marketing organization promotes tourism to Dawson City and contributes to economic growth in the community and the territory. In addit= ion to its first-class operation of Diamond Tooth Gerties, the Klondike Visitors Association also operates other important historic venues in Dawson City, including the Jack London Museum and Free Claim #6. It also hosts annual ic= onic events such as Thaw di Gras spring carnival, the Yukon Gold Panning Championships and the Yukon international outhouse race, which attracts thousands of visitors each year to the area and creates hundreds of jobs.= span>
The KV= A’s mandate includes: destination marketing, operation of attractions, and presentation of special events that increase visitation and add to the qual= ity of life in the community of Dawson City. The Klondike Visitors Association’s owned-and-operated attractions include those I listed, = as well as a few others. A few examples of the events that they host are the o= nes I just mentioned.
Bill N= o. 84, the one before us today, supports this government’s priority of promoting diversification in other sectors of Yukon’s economy, including touris= m. For clarity, these changes affect only the structural legislative framework= for the existing casino managed by the KVA. The functional operation of Gerties will remain unchanged.
I also= wanted to mention that both the KVA and the Yukon Lottery Commission have been fully briefed on this bill and understand the need to make this regulatory change= .
Lastly= , Mr. Speaker, I can confirm that the Yukon government’s share of the net proceeds f= rom the slot machines will continue to flow into the crime prevention and victim services trust fund, which has been supporting Yukon community groups since 1998. The crime prevention and victim services trust fund awards funding tw= ice each year for eligible projects that are intended to reduce crime, prevent violence against women and children, address the root causes of crime, prov= ide services and information to victims of crime, and provide information about crime prevention and victimization.
Most r= ecently, in January 2015, the crime prevention and victim services trust fund awarded funding to the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations for their winter communications and outdoor skills training program and to the Carcross-Tagi= sh First Nation for their building skills for life project. The crime preventi= on and victim services trust fund also provided support to the Town of Faro for its dinner nights and training, to the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Society of Yu= kon, FASSY, for their community lunch program, and to the Y= nklude Arts Society for its heart w= ill speak program. The crime prevention and victim services trust fund is coordinated by a board of trustees. The board members include community mem= bers and representatives from the Yukon government, First Nations, women’s organizations and the RCMP.
I woul= d like to thank the various department officials from Community Services for their wo= rk in preparing this new legislation, which will ensure success of Community Services’ vision of a vibrant, healthy and sustainable Yukon communit= y.
That c= oncludes my second reading comments for this particular bill. As I indicated previou= sly, I believe it is relatively straightforward and will ensure that we bring ourselves into line with the Crimin= al Code of Canada, which of course is important, but also will do so in a manner that doesn’t disrupt the operations of the Gerties gambling ha= ll in Dawson City, which is managed by the KVA and which will continue to be managed on a day-to-day basis in a very similar fashion as it is today.
Ms. Moorcroft: I would like to thank the Community Services and the Justice officials who wo= rked on this bill and who provided a briefing on the bill to the opposition.
The Public Lotteries Act amendment is designed to resolve the discovery of a conflict with the Canadian Criminal Code regarding the Klondi= ke Visitors Association’s ongoing operation of Diamond Tooth Gerties cas= ino in Dawson City. It’s good that this conflict was caught by a review of the legislative framework for gaming and that it is now being resolved.
The Yu= kon NDP is a steadfast supporter of Yukon institutions, like Gerties, that contribute = to Dawson City’s status as a key tourism attraction. These process amendments are necessary to allow the Klondike Visitors Association to cont= inue operating under its current gambling licence.
The Yu= kon NDP will support this bill. I do have some questions for the minister that I’ll put on the record now so that he can respond either in his closi= ng remarks or in Committee of the Whole.
The mi= nister referred to the fact that the Klondike Visitors Association had been briefe= d on the bill. I would like to know whether the Yukon government consulted with = the Klondike Visitors Association in drafting the amendments, and what was the outcome of that consultation if it did occur.
Do the amendments change the relationship between the Yukon government and the Klondike Visitors Association? Does it create any additional burdens?
The qu= estion of casinos in the Yukon is, as I’m sure everyone knows, a controversial issue, so I would like the minister to make it clear and to put it on the record: Do the amendments open the door to the issuing of permits for more casinos besides Diamond Tooth Gerties?
Finall= y, I was pleased to hear the minister speaking about the revenues that flow to the c= rime prevention and victim services trust fund, which was enacted in 1998 when I served as Minister of Justice. I would like the minister to tell us what the Yukon government’s share of net proceeds that flow into the crime prevention and victim services trust fund has been for the last couple of years.
Mr. Silver: I’m happy to stand to speak on Bill No. 84, the amendments to the Public Lotteries Act and related enactments — legislation. I would like to begin by thanking the Minis= ter of Community Services for coming to speak to me personally on this piece of legislation, seeing as Diamond Tooth Gerties is in my constituency of Klond= ike. I would like to also thank the officials from his department for the briefi= ng on the bill itself.
Of cou= rse, as mentioned, the primary focus of the bill is to fix a legislative oversight = that may have caused the closure of a beloved Dawson and Yukon institution ̵= 2; Canada’s first casino, Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Hall. = p>
I appr= eciate the haste with which the department officials were able to make the changes to = the legislation and, of course, I will be in support of this bill. I think it’s necessary to say as well how important the KVA is for tourism, n= ot just in Dawson but in all of the Yukon. I would like to thank the staff at = the KVA for not only just running the gambling hall itself, but also other even= ts on a yearly basis around our community.
With t= hat being said too, I’d just like to give a personal shout-out to the quality of entertainment at Diamond Tooth Gerties. Terri Terrai= span> and her troupe need to be commended for the level of professionalism for Diamond Tooth Gerties and the singing and dancing. This is a professional troupe of musicians and artisans. Amy Salloway,= as Diamond Tooth Gertie, is absolutely fantastic, not only as a performer but = as an individual. Stephan Gallant, who does the musical production as well, is= a comparable musician — world-class.
ItR= 17;s interesting that, when they leave Dawson, they’re international. They= go all over the world playing music. I know that every year they quite enjoy coming back to the Klondike, and it is quite a procession. The amount of wo= rk that goes into providing a show at Diamond Tooth Gerties is unbelievable. T= he dancers and Terri will show up and start working pretty soon here — probably within a week or so — and the amount of attention given to t= he show is unbelievable.
You ca= n imagine how much it would take just to do the three shows per night, but as the sea= son comes to an end, it is so important for them to be part of the community an= d to give back to the community. They personalize the very last show of the year, and in that personalization they involve members of the community. They come together and they have gags and the whole night is unbelievable. I don̵= 7;t think there is a person in town who doesn’= t show up to the final night at Gerties. If you can imagine how much work it takes= to put together a show for the season, for the tourists and for the tourism industry, it is just as much work to then change all of those individual ac= ts and add gags to them and special guests. It is just an amazing opportunity = for folks in the community, including me — I am a regular special guest in the final show — and it is a wonderful treat to be able to work with = such professionals.
On tha= t note, Amy Salloway is our Gertie, but we also have a = male performer, Jesse Cooke. He is what we call our “= Mertie”, our male Gertie. He is not the professional regular weekly male lead, but he does fill in on those off-days. The reason why I am bringing it up is that = this is the opportunity for local musicians and artists to learn their own craft= and to develop their craft and be able to share the stage with some of the best entertainers that Canada has to offer, and to learn and to grow their own talents as well. I didn’t want to spend too much time talking about t= hat, but I thought it was worth mentioning how important it is to have the KVA, = how important Diamond Tooth Gerties is to our community. I would like to end by thanking the minister for his quick work on changes to this legislation, an= d I will be supporting the bill.
Hon. Mr. Cathers: I would like to thank the Minister of Community Services for t= abling this legislation. I would also like to acknowledge and thank staff of Commu= nity Services in the policy area for their work on this. As other members have acknowledged, this legislation was developed fairly quickly in response to = an issue that was identified. I would also like to thank the staff of the Department of Justice that was involved in that work as well. This is an is= sue of — as the minister noted — addressing a non-compliance issue = that goes back a few decades in terms of when it first started. Once the issue w= as identified, it was determined by government that we should move forward and address it in a timely manner because of the importance of being in complia= nce with the specific wording in the Cr= iminal Code.
It was identified, as the Minister of Community Services noted, as a result of the investment that the Yukon government made last year in support of the Klond= ike Visitors Association. It was just shy of a year ago when I was up on Dawson= for the Association of Yukon Communities conference that staff and members of t= he Board of Klondike Visitors Association, which runs Diamond Tooth Gerties, provided a tour to me and to department staff of the facility. They showed = us and explained in great detail the issues with their aging slot machines and showed us with each machine.
They d= escribed the age of them and explained their challenges in getting parts for machines that in some cases were well past the point where they could receive parts = for it from the manufacturer, not to mention that they were using very outdated technology because, as we noted in making the announcement — I thank = the Member for Copperbelt South for acknowledging on behalf of the Official Opposition that funding from slot machine revenue is a very important sourc= e of funding for the crime prevention and victim services trust fund. Twenty-five percent of the KVA slot machine revenue is directed to the crime prevention= and victim services trust fund and that fund provides support to Yukon community groups for projects aimed at preventing crime and supporting victims.
Throug= h that one-time $1.1-million contribution to the Klondike Visitors Association to replace the slot machines, it should be noted that that the annual amounts = that come from that revenue are put into the crime prevention and victim services trust fund tend to be around $250,000 per year, so this will, though not directly, go into Yukon government. The money that is then being invested i= nto crime prevention and victim services will be certainly supported and enhanc= ed through this investment in the slot machines and ensuring that Diamond Tooth Gerties gambling hall continues to provide quality entertainment to Yukoners and tourists alike and to remain one of the iconic tourism sites in Dawson City.
For mo= re than 40 years, revenue from Gerties has gone toward preserving historic sites, producing local events and marketing the Klondike to the world and the new = slot machines were intended to provide an enjoyable visitor experience and of co= urse to continue to ensure that remains a strong source of revenue, not only for= the crime prevention and victim services trust fund, but in support of the other excellent work that Klondike Visitors Association does in marketing Dawson = City as a destination and being a very important part of the fabric of that community.
With t= hat, I will be supporting the legislation. I will thank the members opposite for t= heir supportive comments toward the bill. I thank the Minister of Community Serv= ices for his work on this and again acknowledge and thank the staff of Community Services and Justice who were involved both in the preparation of the investment agreement to replace those slot machines and those who were invo= lved in the development of this particular piece of legislation.
I woul= d also like to finally note and thank and congratulate the Klondike Visitors Association board members and their staff for the good work that they do in running not only Diamond Tooth Gerties but the other activities operated by KVA, which include the Jack London Museum and Claim #6 during the summer season, as well as supporting annual events including the Yukon Gold Pannin= g Championships, the Thaw di Gras spring carnival and the Great Klondike International Outho= use Race — all of which are an important part of attracting thousands of visitors each year to the Dawson City area.
With t= hat I commend the legislation to the House.
Speaker: If = the member now speaks, he will close debate. Does any other member wish to be heard?
Hon. Mr. Dixon: I would like to thank members for their comments so far with r= egard to this bill at second reading. I would like thank the Member for Copperbelt South for her comments with regard to the bill and for her questions. I wou= ld also like to thank the Member for Klondike for his comments on the bill and= his reflections on the value of the Diamond Tooth Gerties facility to the commu= nity of Dawson. I too enjoy very much the entertainment that is provided at Diam= ond Tooth Gerties as well as the experience that it provides not only to touris= ts and visitors, but Yukoners like me who make the trip to Dawson a few times a year to take in the bright lights and entertainment of the Klondike.=
I have= to admit that I wasn’t able to scribble down the questions that were asked in = their entirety with regard to this bill, so I will have to defer some of those questions to Committee of the Whole. That will certainly allow us to have a more informal discussion, as Committee does, about those questions. =
I did = want to note that the two major groups that were consulted in the development in th= is bill were the Yukon Lottery Commission and the Klondike Visitors Associatio= n. In reference to the first, the commission’s role in public lotteries = is established through the Yukon Public Lotteries Act and regulations. As a gaming activity, the sale of lottery tickets is also subject to the Crim= inal Code of Canada that permits gaming under certain circumstances. The law assigns to the Yukon Lottery Commission the responsibility for conducting a= nd managing public lotteries in Yukon. The commission conducts and manages pub= lic lotteries through an agreement with Western Canada Lottery Corporation.
In add= ition to its responsibilities for public lotteries, the commission also allocates the profits from the sale of lottery tickets. Profits support the operations of= the commission’s secretariat, Lotteries Yukon, with the remaining profits shared with the Yukon government and distributed by the commission to numer= ous non-profits, local authorities and municipalities for art, sport and recrea= tion in Yukon.
Whethe= r it is a local music festival, a soccer team travelling outside the territory to a tournament or upgrades to trails for a community association, profits from = the sale of lottery tickets have likely touched each of our communities in some way. I know that the commission is proud of those contributions that suppor= t, sustain and grow art, sport and recreation in Yukon communities.
The Yu= kon Lottery Commission obviously played a role in this and was consulted. We can get into the details of what was said and what the various thoughts are abo= ut the bill in Committee, but I will say that the input provided was valuable.= The Klondike Visitors Association was also consulted and provided fairly simple input in response, but which I would be happy to describe at greater length= in Committee.
There = was a question about the amount of funding that has gone through the crime preven= tion and victim services trust fund. I think the minister indicated some of that answer, but we can provide further information in Committee. I should note = that the fund provides support to eligible projects that include those that prom= ote and provide services intended to reduce crime, prevent violence against wom= en and children, address the root causes of crime, provide information about c= rime prevention and victimization or provide services and information to support victims. Non-profit organizations, municipal governments, First Nation governments and schools, councils or school boards are all eligible for fun= ding under that fund. The fund can be used for wages, honorariums, rental costs, utilities, printing, advertising and program supplies, equipment and materi= als. Some of those items have some funding limits or restrictions.
The bo= ard of trustees reviews proposals twice a year in the spring and in the fall. The approval process is that proposals are reviewed by the Crime Prevention and Victim Services Trust Board of Trustees. Board members include community members and representatives from the Government of Yukon, First Nation grou= ps, women’s organizations and the RCMP. Approval of funding can take up to six weeks. The crime prevention coordinator can inform applicants of the st= atus of their proposal upon request.
Last y= ear, there were a number of successful groups that received funding. I listed some of = them in my second reading response and I won’t list too many more. They are available on-line if members are interested in them. The overall numbers in terms of the financial value of the contributions can be discussed later in Committee.
So I t= hink I’ve at least touched on some of the questions and comments that have been raised by members, but will reserve the more detailed discussion for Committee in the near future and would, at this time, again thank members f= or their comments. This particular bill obviously isn’t one that factored into our legislative agenda at any time. It was one where, from time to tim= e, government is faced with these types of events or circumstances and have to= respond quickly and nimbly. I would commend the public service, the members of the Community Services branch, as well as the Justice department, which have provided significant input to this bill. They were able to draft it, bring = it together and have it ready for me to present to the Legislature in a very s= hort period of time and they deserve to be commended for that rapid response and good and hard work.
So Mr.= Speaker, with that, I would commend this bill to the House at second reading.=
Speaker: Are= you prepared for the question?
Some Hon. Members: Division.
Division
Speaker: Div= ision has been called.
Bells
Speaker: Mr.= Clerk, please poll the House.
Hon. Mr. Pasloski: Agree.
Mr. Elias: Agree.
Hon. Ms. Taylor: Agree.
Hon. Mr. Graham: Agree.
Hon. Mr. Kent: Agree.
Hon. Mr. Istchenko: Agree.
Hon. Mr. Dixon: Agree.
Hon. Mr. Hassard: Agree.
Hon. Mr. Cathers: Agree.
Hon. Mr. Nixon: Agree.
Ms. McLeod: Agree.
Ms. Stick: Agree.
Ms. Moorcroft: Agree.
Ms. White: Agree.
Mr. Tredger: Agree.
Mr. Silver: Agree.
Clerk: Mr.&n= bsp;Speaker, the results are 16 yea, nil nay.
Speaker: The= yeas have it. I declare the motion carried.
Motion for second reading of Bill No. 84 agreed = to
Mr. Elias: Mr. Speaker, I move that the Speaker do now leave the Chair and that the House resolve i= nto Committee of the Whole.
Speaker: It = has been moved by the Government House Leader that the Speaker do now leave the Chair and that the House resolve into Committee of the Whole.
Motion agreed to
Speaker leaves the Chair
Committee
of the Whole
Chair (Ms. McLeod): I will now call Committee of the W= hole to order.
Is it = the wish of members to take a brief recess?
All Hon. Members: Agreed.
Chair: Committee of the Whole will recess for 15 minutes.
Recess
Chair: I will now call Committee of the Whole to order.=
Bill No.
84, An Act to Amend the Public Lott=
eries
Act and Related Enactments
Chair: The matter before the Committee is general debate on Bi= ll No. 84, entitled An Act to Amend the Pu= blic Lotteries Act and Related Enactments.
Hon. Mr. Dixon: Thank you very much Madam Chair. It is a pleasure to rise toda=
y at
Committee of the Whole to discuss Bill No. 84, amendments to the Public Lotteries Act. I am joined =
today
by Charlene Beauchemin from the Department of
Community Services, who has become no stranger to this House, and Karen
Madam = Chair, I am pleased to rise to speak to this bill. It’s being introduced in or= der to bring the regulation of gaming in Yukon into full statutory compliance w= ith the Criminal Code of Canada. Th= is bill will amend the Public Lotterie= s Act so that the regulation of Yukon’s only gambling hall, Diamond Tooth Gerties in Dawson City, is placed under that act rather than the Lottery Licensing Act.
As you= will recall, the government has been advised that Diamond Tooth Gerties cannot continue to be licensed through the Lottery Licensing Act because that act covers only charitable gaming operations= and cannot be the tool to regulate slot machines. The government therefore is acting promptly to address this situation in ensuring that Diamond Tooth Gerties is regulated under the appropriate legislation.
Under = the proposed amendments contained in this bill, Diamond Tooth Gerties gaming operations, including slot machines, will be conducted by the Klondike Visi= tors Association — the KVA — as an agent of Yukon government. Howeve= r, these amendments will not affect Diamond Tooth Gerties day-to-day operation= s. The KVA will continue to conduct and manage Diamond Tooth Gerties’ op= erations as it currently does and the public will not perceive any change. = p>
Again,= the sole purpose of these amendments is to address a regulatory anomaly around the legislative framework that governs the operations of a non-charitable casino venue.
As I n= oted earlier, the Klondike Visitors Association and the Yukon Lottery Commission have been fully briefed on this bill and understand the need to make this regulatory change.
The go= vernment recognizes the excellent work done by the KVA in Dawson City in promoting tourism in the Klondike Valley and Yukon overall and contributing to econom= ic growth in Yukon. Under these proposed amendments, the government’s sh= are of the net proceeds from the slot machines will continue to flow into the c= rime prevention and victim services trust fund, which has been supporting Yukon community groups since 1998.
The cr= ime prevention and victim services trust fund awards funding twice each year for eligible projects that are intended to reduce crime, prevent violence again= st women and children, address the root causes of crime, provide services and information to victims of crime, and provide information about crime preven= tion and victimization.
I look= forward to getting into debate about the bill here in Committee and reviewing the questions that were put forward by the Member for Copperbelt South earlier,= and I look forward to answering them in turn and providing the information, as necessary, for members of the House.
Ms. Moorcroft: I believe the minister’s remarks have answered the first two questions = that I put on the record at second reading, but I’ll just ask him to confi= rm that the amendments don’t create any additional burdens for the Klond= ike Visitors Association in the nature of its relationship with the Yukon government.
Hon. Mr. Dixon: My understanding is that it will not impose any additional bur= den on the Klondike Visitors Association. The best way to understand it is that we’re simply picking up the current system and moving it under a different act. There’s no change from the perception of the KVA; it’s simply how we regulate them on the government side, under which = act and the legislative framework under which they’re regulated.= p>
I shou= ld note that I know the member commented that I answered partly her questions raise= d in second reading about the bill. One of them was whether or not the KVA was consulted on the draft amendments. I wanted to note that we did review the draft bill with the KVA’s executive director, Gary Parker, and there = were no concerns raised from his perspective. This was simply a housekeeping initiative. Obviously, from the perspective of the individuals who have to = do the work on that, it’s a little bit more than simply that but, from t= he perspective of the KVA, there will be no change.
The bi= ll also does not affect the relationship between Yukon government and the KVA or the Yukon Lottery Commission. The role of the Yukon Lottery Commission for interjurisdictional lotteries remains unchanged. KVA’s operation will also remain unchanged. Its regulation is simply being moved under the proper legislative tool.
I thin= k that covers off the questions asked by the member.
Ms. Moorcroft: The other issue I had raised at second reading was the question of casinos, whi= ch is known to be a controversial one in Yukon.
I want= to ask the minister to make it clear and put it on the record: Do the amendments open = the door to the issuing of permits for more casinos besides Diamond Tooth Gerti= es? I understand the matter was discussed at the briefing provided to opposition members, but I just wanted to ask the minister to clarify that on the public record.
Hon. Mr. Dixon: The simple answer is no. The legislation before us does not in= any way increase opportunities for gaming or change the type of gaming that will occur or can occur in Yukon. The legislative changes will address only the existing casino managed by the KVA.
I would acknowledge that gambling and the ongoing activities of gambling halls, like Diamond Tooth Gerties, can sometimes be controversial and, from time to tim= e, government is provided with input from various stakeholders in the community that they’d like to either see less or more activity in the territory= .
We ack= nowledge that those discussions are always ongoing at the community level — th= at folks are always expressing their opinions about whether they would like to= see additional gambling opportunities, perhaps in Whitehorse, or fewer or less opportunities throughout the territory. This bill doesn’t deal with t= hat ongoing discussion. This is simply a matter of us addressing a current issue based on a current suite of gambling that takes place at the Gerties gambli= ng hall in Dawson City.
ItR= 17;s a localized situation. It’s a targeted amendment to a targeted set of legislation to address those needs. Obviously, government will have to, in = the future, consider whether changes are merited to additional legislation to provide for either additional or less gambling opportunities for Yukoners, = but that’s not a decision that has been made by the government and that’s not reflected in this bill at all. It’s simply a matter = of dealing with Diamond Tooth Gerties and the Klondike Visitors Association.= span>
As I i= ndicated, Madam Chair, the way we’re doing that is by making them an agent of government, which is a relatively simple change in terms of the amendments.= The imperative here is that it brings us into compliance with the Criminal Code of Canada, which, as= we learned, had not been the case for the past several decades. So it’s simply a correction of the legislative oversight of this particular casino.=
Ms. Moorcroft: I thank the minister for that. Finally, on the crime prevention and victim services trust fund, I’m certainly aware that the trust fund publishes its annual audited statements and that they’re tabled in this Legisla= tive Assembly. The minister indicated that all of the government’s share from the Klondike Visitors Association̵= 7;s operation of Diamond Tooth Gerties is directly given to the crime prevention and victim services trust fund, and so I just wanted to confirm that there’s no cap on the revenues that can go to the crime prevention and victim services trust fund.
Hon. Mr. Dixon: The member is correct — there is no cap. The bill speaks= to a percentage of the amount.
I did = want to note that it’s not all of Gerties’ revenue. It’s only the revenue from the slot machines. Other table games — the roulette whee= l, the poker and other card games that are played in Gerties, blackjack, et ce= tera — are not subject to that framework. It is just the slot machines that provide the funding to the crime prevention and victim services trust fund.=
Over t= he past several years, as a result of Yukon government’s portion of slot mach= ine revenues in 2014, that amount was $269,222.42; in 2013 it was $277,841.80; = in 2012 it was $284,582.95; and in 2011 it was $291,101.76. As the member correctly pointed out, those figures are available on an annual basis from = the fund that publishes a report, which is tabled in the Legislature.
As wel= l as the overall amounts, the individual projects that are funded are listed in that report and they provide a helpful summary of what the projects are intended= to do. The projects tend to range anywhere from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars, but they depend on the type of project that is being applied for and they are based on an eligibility list that I have read in t= he House a few times, so I won’t read it again.
Ms. Moorcroft: I want to thank the minister for his response and I have no further questions= in general debate.
Clerk: Does = any other member wish to speak in general debate?
We are= going to move then to clause-by-clause debate.
On Clause 1
Clause 1 agreed to
On Clause 2
Hon. Mr. Dixon: I wanted to note that under section 2, the term “governm= ent gaming establishment” is used in a new section 17.01 and 17.03. The intent is that the definition will help to define YG’s relationship w= ith the KVA and will distinguish it from interjurisdictional lotteries, as per = the Yukon Lotteries Commission. The existing term “public lottery” = is replaced with the more descriptive “interjurisdictional lottery”= ;. The meaning of “interjurisdictional lottery” is the same as the existing public lottery and includes Lotto 649; however, this new definition will distinguish this type of lottery scheme from that of a gaming establishment.
The Kl= ondike Visitors Association is given a special role in relation to the government gaming establishment. This definition ensures that the new provisions of the act will continue to operate as intended if the KVA changes its name or is succeeded by a different organization.
The te= rm “licensed agent” is used in new section 17.01 to 17.03, amended section 18 and the consequential amendment to the Crime Prevention and Victim Services Trust Act. A licensed agen= t is the agent identified to the scheme on behalf of Yukon government and to “operate a lottery” will specifically mean the Klondike Visitors Association. A lottery scheme is already used in the act. This definition clarifies that its meaning is the one used in the relevant Criminal Code provision. Under 207.1(a) of the Criminal Code, only governments or agents of governments can operate slot machines and this must be done in accordance with legislation enacted in Yukon.
Under = no circumstances can slot machines be operated under a charitable gaming legislative framework, which cuts to the core of why the bill was necessary= . We had previously been permitting or licensing the activity of slot machines u= nder charitable gaming, which obviously was contrary to the Criminal Code. These definitions go a certain way toward provid= ing the clarity necessary to put us into compliance with the Criminal Code.
I shou= ld also note that I realize that there are further changes that others would like to see made in the future with regard to some of the definitions — in particular, the Yukon Lottery Commission made some submissions around this.= I just wanted to note that while we appreciated that input, we really wanted = to focus on the issue at hand, and that was bringing the regulation of Gerties= and the KVA into compliance with the Cr= iminal Code. That is what this addresses here.
Clause 2 agreed to
On Clause 3
Hon. Mr. Dixon: Just briefly, throughout the act “interjurisdictional lottery” replaces “public lotteries”; existing section 11 uses the term “public lottery schemes” instead. That too is replaced. This change does not impact the existing law. It simply describes these sections that apply to a special type of interjurisdictional lottery = that falls under the responsibility of the Yukon Lottery Commission, which inclu= des Lotto 649 and scratch-and-win types of tickets.
Clause 3 agreed to
On Clause 4
Hon. Mr. Dixon: This section outlines what a government gaming establishment c= an do. The Criminal Code states that o= nly a provincial/territorial government or its agent may operate certain lottery schemes and only under the authority of an act of that province or territor= y. This new section 17.01 provides the legislative authority required and allo= ws the Yukon government to carry on a government gaming operation defined as t= he “conduct and management … of lottery schemes in a particular place.” That place must be Dawson City and the government gaming operation must comply with the act and any applicable regulations. The restriction to a location in Dawson City and the latter section 17.02 will ensure the KVA will be licensed to operate Gerties under the appropriate le= gal framework and that no expansion of gaming will occur in Yukon. I reiterate = this because it was a question raised, but I wanted to point to the direct secti= on that clarifies my earlier comments.
I also= should note that the new section 17.02 allows the minister to license an agent = 212; the licensed agent — to conduct, manage and operate the government ga= ming establishment. This section sets out rules that govern the licences and who= may have them. The amendments contained in this section stipulate that there ca= n only be one government gaming establishment operated by KVA in Dawson City. Just= as there is only one government gaming establishment, there can only be one licensed agent at any time. The KVA would be that one licensed agent. The K= VA is specifically named in the act, but not the regulation, to provide certai= nty to YG and to the Klondike Visitors Association. If the KVA chooses not to be the licensed agent, it is unable to do so or it relinquishes it licence, the Commissioner in Executive Council can prescribe another person who can serv= e in that role. That can also be done if the KVA’s licence is revoked.
That= 8217;s important, because it provides the certainty that this is not expanding gam= ing at all, but provides the opportunity, should it occur, that gaming can cont= inue in Dawson City specifically.
Sectio= n 17.02 also provides some flexibility in the event that KVA can no longer carry out its responsibilities for any reason. A licence can include any terms and conditions the minister considers appropriate. Terms will be similar to the terms set out in the current slot machine agreement between Yukon government and the KVA, such as the number of slot machines, the distribution of reven= ue and other related issues.
The KV= A must run the government gaming establishment as set out in the act, the regulations = and its licence. We are not anticipating the need for any regulations, as we believe that the conditions can be addressed in a licence. However, a regulation-making power will provide the ability to establish regulations, = if required now or at a future date. Although we’re not contemplating regulations= at this time, we insert these kinds of comments or provisions into the legisla= tion to give us the flexibility, should something arise that we need to deal wit= h. It gives us the flexibility and ability to deal with issues as they arise. =
A lice= nce can be modified, suspended or revoked at any time and for any reason, including the failure or inability of the licensed agent to carry out its legal responsibilities. This clause will address unforeseen circumstances that may bring into question the continued licence of the agent. Any licensed agent = can, unless the regulation or its licence provides otherwise, relinquish its lic= ence at any time. Any funds that the licence allows the KVA to keep out of the revenue or profit of the government gaming establishment are not public mon= ey or public property for Financial Administration Act purposes. This is added to clarify that KVA’s operations and its own finances will not be affected by these amendments. <= /span>
Severa= l points are set out in subsection 10 of this section of the act, section 4. Those include that a licence is no longer valid once it expires or is revoked or relinquished. Being a licensed agent does not make the KVA or another licen= sed agent subject to the FAA and the Ac= cess to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, or the Public Interest Disclosure of Wrongdoing Act. An individual is = not a public servant just because they work for the KVA or another licensed age= nt.
There = is a new section as well — 17.03(1). That provides the Yukon government is not legally liable for the actions or omissions of agents, including licensed agents, where those actions or omissions relate to a government gaming establishment. In subsection 2(1), the limitation on liability extends to t= he government’s employees and agents, except that, as subsection 2 indicates, it does not protect agents from liability for their own actions = or omissions or those of their employees or agents. In short, YG is not liable= for the actions or its agent or employees of the agent.
There = are couple of important things in this section that I wanted to highlight and I feel t= hat I have just done so. The key one though, of course, is that all of this isn’t changed substantially from the arrangement that we’ve had with KVA up to date.
Even t= hough they are becoming an agent of government, the relationship between Yukon governm= ent and the KVA at a practical or on-the-ground basis isn’t changing, and= the way Gerties is operating won’t change as a result of these legislative changes, but it does allow the flexibility should the KVA, for some reason,= be unable to continue to operate — if the KVA’s board of directors= all quit or something like that — there is provision for us to deal with = the successor to the KVA, if necessary.
In any= event, Madam Chair, as I’ve explained, this is localized around Dawson City. It’s specifically mentioned that Dawson is the only place the gaming = can occur and under this particular licence through the agent for government. A= gain, we aren’t expanding gaming in the territory. In fact, we’re explicitly outlining that it can only be done in a very clear and singular = way.
Clause 4 agreed to
On Clause 5
Clause 5 agreed to
On Clause 6
Hon. Mr. Dixon: I just wanted to comment on this again because it came up earl= ier. The Crime Prevention and Victim Ser= vices Trust Act directs money that the government receives from the KVA’s operation and lottery schemes to that special-purpose trust. This amendment ensures that, if the KVA ceases to be= the licensed agent, any funds from a replacement licensed agent continue to be directed into the crime prevention and victim services trust fund.= p>
Again,= in the unlikely event — or hopefully unlikely event — that the KVA wer= e to somehow evaporate or cease to exist, any successor that we deal with — the arrangement with the fund will remain the same. I think that’s important for the trustees of the fund, who wanted that assurance to know t= hat, even if something unforeseen happens, their arrangement won’t change = in the event of the KVA dissipating for some reason or other.
Clause 6 agreed to
On Clause 7
Clause 7 agreed to
On Clause 8
Clause 8 agreed to
On Title
Title agreed to
Hon. Mr. Dixon: Madam Chair, I move that Bill No. 84,= entitled An Act to Amend the Public Lotteries Act and Related Enactments, be reported without amendment.
Chair: It ha= s been moved by Mr. Dixon that the Chair report Bill No. 84, entitled An Act to Amend the Public Lotteries A= ct and Related Enactments, be reported without amendment.
Motion agreed to
Mr. Elias: I move that the Speaker do now resume the Chair.
Chair: It ha= s been moved by Mr. Elias that the Speaker do now resume the Chair.
Motion agreed to
Speaker resumes the Chair
Speaker: I w= ill now call the House to order.
May th= e House have a report from the Chair of Committee of the Whole?
Chair’s
report
Ms. McLeod: Mr. Speaker, Committee of the Whole has considered Bill No. 84, entitled An Act to Amend the Public Lotteries A= ct and Related Enactments, and directed me to report the bill without amendmen= t.
Speaker: You= have heard the report from the Chair of Committee of the Whole. Are you agreed?<= /span>
Some Hon. Members: Agreed.
Speaker: I d= eclare the report carried.
Government
Motions
Motion No. 908
Clerk: Motio= n No. 908, standing in the name of the Hon. Mr. Cathers.
Speaker: It = is moved by the Minister of Justice:
THAT D= arius Elias, the Member for Vuntut Gwitchin, be appointed Deputy Chair of Committ= ee of the Whole.
Hon. Mr. Cathers: I will be very brief in my remarks. As members are probably familiar, this is a procedural motion and, due to the appointment of the previous Deputy Chair of Committee of the Whole as a minister, he cannot continue to serve in that function. The Member for Vuntut Gwitchin is, thro= ugh this motion, being appointed Deputy Chair of Committee of the Whole.=
Motion No. 908 agreed to
Government
Bills
Bill No. 87: Personal Property Security Registry (Electronic) Amendments Act=
Clerk:̳=
5;Second reading, Bill No. =
87,
standing in the name of the Hon. Mr. Dixon.
Hon. Mr.&nb=
sp;Dixon: I move that Bill No. 87, =
entitled
Personal Property Security Registry
(Electronic) Amendments Act, be now read a second time.
Speaker:=
195;It has been moved by the =
Minister
of Community Services that Bill No. 87, entitled Personal Property Security Registry (Electronic) Amendments Act=
, be
now read a second time.
Hon. Mr.&nb=
sp;Dixon: It is a pleasure to rise =
and
speak at second reading to Bill No. 87, entitled Personal Property Security Registry (Electronic) Amendments Act.
Hopefully today we can also get into Committee of the Whole on this bill.
I’m pleased to introduce this bi=
ll, Mr. Speaker.
It is an interesting piece of legislation that I think will provide a
significant benefit to commerce in the Yukon Territory. The purpose of this
bill is to implement a modern, computerized personal property registry to
replace our current computer system, which is outdated and placing stakehol=
ders
at significant risk.
If you’ll allow me, Mr. Spe=
aker,
I’ll take a moment to provide some background.
Yukon’s Personal Property Security Act and regulations, known as the PP= SA, are critical to consumer and commercial borrowing and lending.
This l= egislation enables borrowers to use personal property, which is property other than la= nd, to secure loans. While the average person may be unaware that the PPSA even exists, anyone who has ever borrowed money for anything other than a house = has benefitted from this legislation. It is what enables lenders to register th= eir interests in your personal property for money you want to borrow. For examp= le, if you are trying to purchase a new car or truck — when companies are looking at credit worthiness, the PPSA registry is one of the tools they us= e in their review.
With t= he amendments made in this bill, Yukon will join six other jurisdictions, including Nunavut and Northwest Territories, in utilizing the Atlantic Cana= da On-Line computerized registry, which is becoming the industry standard in Canada for digital PPSA registries.
This modernization of Yukon’s registry system will be a real boon for businesses that use it here in Yukon. This is because Yukon is the only jurisdiction in Canada relying completely on a paper-driven system, instead= of an electronic or direct-user entry registry system. As it works now, lenders must complete registry documents by hand, which are then submitted to the Y= ukon government, where the information is data-entered by Corporate Affairs staf= f. This process invites risk of error and increased risk of liability to the Y= ukon government and is — needless to say — a burdensome task when it comes to handling that much paper.
This labour-intensive, manual-entry system also considerably slows down response= s to any inquiries we might receive. Not infrequently, our registry will receive bundles of more than a thousand registrations at a time from a lender.
With t= he new on-line system, the process will be paperless and will eliminate the need f= or lenders to submit originally signed documents. Instead, once the ACOL syste= m is in place, lenders who have made the necessary contractual agreements with t= he Yukon government will be able to directly enter data into the new on-line web-based registry.
These = changes were previously planned to be included in a larger version of the Personal Property Security Act and regulations that were targeted for fall of this year. However, recent issues have given reason to address this antiquated computer system as soon as possible.
Malfun= ction of our system, when it occurs, means that lenders do not have timely access to= the information that they require to make lending decisions, and this can have significant negative effects on borrowers and on commerce generally. As a result, to respond to this urgent need, we have drafted the essential amendments to the act so that we can adopt the ACOL computerized registry as soon as possible. The larger, more comprehensive project, which will includ= e a complete overhaul of the act, will be undertaken at a later date. = p>
We are= currently working on the necessary updates to the regulations, which will be brought forward as soon as possible. I note that more than 60 percent of PPSA registrations are currently submitted by lenders outside of Yukon, such as national banks and vehicle financial lending institutions. These lenders are familiar with electronic registry systems. In fact, many are already users = of the ACOL system and are looking forward to seeing it implemented in Yukon. =
This n= ew web-based registry will reduce red tape significantly and provide businesses and financial institutions with a one-stop shop where both registry filings= and searches can be done on-line. When we roll out the new on-line registry, we will be communicating with local and Outside stakeholders to inform them and to introduce them to the new system.
This b= ill supports the government’s desire to utilize technology, to make more government services available on-line and to improve existing services. As I indicated, when we originally approached this piece of legislation, we had contemplated a more comprehensive overhaul of the system in general but, because of some significant challenges we faced with our current antiquated system that is tied directly to the act, we’re compelled to accelerate our initiative and make some targeted changes that are included in this bil= l. This is not to preclude any more comprehensive review at a later date. I th= ink indeed it may be warranted that, in future legislative sittings, we may wan= t to consider a more comprehensive overhaul of this system, but I think that the= se strategic, targeted amendments to this act to allow for the implementation = of a new electronic system, the ACOL system, will go a long way to addressing so= me of the more pressing issues faced by our system.
As I s= aid, I believe that this bill will significantly enhance opportunities for commerc= e in the territory. Anyone who lends or borrows money against chattels in the territory will most certainly benefit from this, as they won’t have to fill out the normal paperwork that they have up until this point, and it wi= ll shift that system to a completely web-based system. I think it’s an excellent step forward, not only because it will make those lenders and borrowers have an easier time, but it will also make government administrat= ion much easier and it would reduce the risk for those clients of the system.= span>
The di= scussions that I am sure we will have in Committee of the Whole will allow us to elaborate a little bit further, but I did want to note also that this is another example of the Department of Community Services policy staff steppi= ng up in a fairly big way to expedite the development of a piece of legislatio= n to meet a pressing demand and a need. I would like to thank the staff who have done this. This is a bill that we had initially planned to = look a little bit different and to include a bit of a more comprehensive overhau= l of our system but, because of the pressing challenges we have been having with= our system, required us to move expeditiously.
Those = staff really stepped up and provided the support and policy work that needed to be done to do this work. As well, I would be remiss if I didn’t also tha= nk the Department of Justice officials, who provided a significant degree of a= ssistance on this. Drafting legislation is never easy. It is usually an arduous task,= and the drafters in the Department of Justice have done a fantastic job on this bill. It can be a relatively complex issue, but they are, of course, able to deliver and provide us with a bill that I think will significantly improve Yukon’s administration and facilitation of commerce in the territory.=
I look= forward to hearing from members in the House about their thoughts on the bill and ultimately passing it during this Sitting of the Legislature.
With t= hat, I commend the bill to the House.
Ms. Stick: I rise on behalf of the NDP Official Opposition to speak to this bill. First,= I want to thank the officials for the briefings we did have on this bill, and= for the work that they’ve done on this. The minister, I thought, clearly outlined the speed and initiative that staff has taken on this, and I thank them for that.
The Yu= kon NDP were prepared, with one amendment, to support this bill, because we see it = as an important step forward for a way of streamlining and updating services to the public and to industry in the Community Services department. That’= ;s important, Mr. Speaker. When we hear the minister speak about the documents that have to be handwritten and then the data-entry and then gett= ing stacks of them, it just doesn’t seem reasonable that that’s sti= ll how we would go about doing business. There are better ways.
Speed = and streamlining should not impact our information privacy and protection. I th= ink, in this day and age, with so much of what we hear with regard to electronics and safe storage and security, this is something that we should be concerned about. Our amendment shares the concerns raised by the Yukon’s Information and Privacy Commissioner with regard to this act. I would just remind the members —
Speaker: Sor= ry; you said amendment. Are you proposing an amendment?
Ms. Stick: Not at this point, no, Mr. Speaker.
Speaker: No?= Okay, thank you.
Ms. Stick: I would just remind members of the purpose of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. It is in t= he very beginning. The purpose of the act is to make public bodies more accountable to the public and to protect personal privacy by: giving the pu= blic a right of access the records; giving individuals a right of access to, and= a right to request correction of, personal information about themselves; spec= ifying limited exceptions to the rights of access; preventing the unauthorized collection, use, or disclosure of personal information by public bodies; and providing for an independent review of decisions made under this act.
Those = are very important. It is about our privacy and our personal information being held safe. We know that the Privacy Commissioner, as she outlined in a letter da= ted April 14, was not consulted on these amendments to this act. That is an important fact because that is part of her job — not all of it, but it certainly is to look at amendments and to look at legislation with the view= of protecting people’s personal privacy and ensuring access to informati= on, where appropriate.
The ot= her tool that was available to the department is one that has been created called the “privacy impact assessment”, and this tool can be used by departments to look at amendments, to look at acts, to look at new legislat= ion or regulations and to evaluate the risks of non-compliance with the ATIPP a= ct for any new or modified collection, use and disclosure of personal informat= ion.
There = is a tool there that could have been used when looking at amendments to this act and,= I would suggest, should have been used. The Information and Privacy Commissio= ner can review this, can make suggestions and can ensure that her job of protec= ting privacy, private information and access to information is done. I think tha= t is an important part.
In the= hurry to get this done — and I understand the need for that — it was overlooked. I believe the Privacy Commissioner has raised legitimate concer= ns over this exclusion, and she goes on in great detail in her letter as to the impacts of that.
We hav= e seen a precedent to retain the ATIPP access to electronic personal property securi= ty registry. We have seen examples of that in Health and Social Services when looking at the Panorama program. We spent a great deal of time in the last Sitting, looking at the health information management — something act — I can’t remember what the P stands for — sorry, Mr.&nbs= p;Speaker. Health information management act — there’s a P in there somewh= ere. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. Everyone knows what I&= #8217;m understanding.
We spe= nt a lot of time on that, and it was really important legislation because, again, it= was taking care of personal information, protecting that, allowing other bodies= to manage it or store that, but protecting the personal privacy. It was a big = part of that legislation.
The te= st in this legislation is whether the information is under the custody or control of t= he government. What the Information and Privacy Commissioner is considering is that ATIPP should apply to this legislation. Even though the information is stored outside of Yukon, it’s still under government control. Nothing= has changed about the information or how it’s collected. The Yukon govern= ment can’t be held liable for any perjury or inaccuracy regarding informat= ion submitted to the registry, whether it’s paper or whether it’s a= web portal.
At the= end of the day, we want to support this legislation. It’s important; it̵= 7;s bringing us forward into the 21st century; it’s streamlini= ng; it’s helping everyone involved in it. It’s important.
So we = support it, but we cannot ignore the lack of due diligence when there was not a consultation with the Information and Privacy Commissioner. What I’d = like to see — in Committee of the Whole, we’ll discuss amending this= act before us to bring back the registry under the purview of ATIPP.
It wil= l not create more of a burden for the department. It’s not more work, but i= t is a protection. It’s a protection of our personal information and, to m= e, that is critical.
I than= k the staff for the work they’ve done on this. I thank the minister for bringing this forward.
I also=
thank the
Yukon Information and Privacy Commissioner for doing her job and for pointi=
ng
out where, unintentionally — I don’t know — something has
been missed, and that is the step of her being able to look over the=
Personal Property Security Registry (Electronic) Amendments Act.
She needs to be able to do her job, and we have to give her that opportunit=
y.
It will save us in the end from having to make amendments, from having to
correct things that perhaps people did not consider or think about.
Speaker:=
195;If the member now speaks,=
he will
close debate. Does any other member wish to be heard?
Hon. Mr.&nb=
sp;Dixon: It is a pleasure, again, =
to rise
at second reading of Bill No. 87, entitled Personal
Property Security Registry (Electronic) Amendments Act.
Of cou= rse, as I have indicated previously, this bill will go a long way toward improving commerce in the territory. As I’ve mentioned previously, the computer system that is part of Yukon’s outdated and paper-based personal prop= erty —
Speaker: Ord= er please. The time being 5:30 p.m., this House stands adjourned until 1:00 p.= m. on Monday.
Debate on second reading of Bill No. 87 accordin= gly adjourned
The House adjourned at 5:30 p.m.
The fol=
lowing sessional
paper was tabled April 16, 2015:
33-1-160
Annual Contributions to Political Parties in the= 2014 Calendar Year (Speaker Laxton)
The fol=
lowing written
question was tabled April 16, 2015:
33-1-8
Re: St= anding Committee on Rules, Elections and Privileges (Stick)
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