Bill Braden

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to speak on behalf of constituents who are connected with Northstar Counselling and Psychological Services, a local northern Yellowknife business, Mr. Speaker, which, until the first of April of this year, were the providers of the GNWT Employee and Family Assistance Program. They successfully provided this essential service to us for the past seven years with very high employee satisfaction. However, they were unsuccessful when the contract was re-bid earlier this year and lost out to a large multi-national southern contractor Shepell-fgi. I became aware...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will support the bill. It is a good piece of housekeeping and I think, Mr. Chairman, in virtually any field of endeavour of employment you will find that under almost any circumstances, even those that are less than ideal, that employers or workers will have some remuneration based on length or term of service on which they and their family can rely if and when they decide or it's necessary for them to leave. MLAs are without this right now; of course, in the circumstance that they should decide to, or be forced to, resign. I don't think that is a realistic or a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is interesting. I kind of contrast that investment with the decision by the Department of Human Resources to actually reduce investment in counselling services in mental health support to our own employees. Because of the decision by the Department of Human Resources to choose a southern-based contractor for our Employee Assistance Program, does it concern the Minister that we are subsequently going to be losing resident professionals who could be part of the mental health regime here in the NWT, Mr. Speaker?

Mr. Speaker, given the irregularities in the way the contract was administered and awarded, the principals of Northstar have requested that the RFP be re-bid, re-assessed and a new award considered under an objective and impartial process. I support that request. Will the Minister take this and indeed reopen this RFP, Mr. Speaker?

Mr. Speaker, does the successful bidder, Shepell-fgi, have an office here in the NWT and resident full-time staff? Is it fully compliant with the conditions of the business incentive policy that is in place to, in fact, enable northern businesses to be sustained here?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Based on these circumstances, Northstar has requested in writing to the Minister responsible for Human Resources that the matter be independently reviewed and the RFP be reissued. I agree with the owners of Northstar, and my constituents who have been adversely impacted, that this RFP should be reopened and re-bid. The Minister needs to ensure the process is fair and transparent and that this highly valued and effective service will continue for our employees, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

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Thank you. I certainly appreciate the need for them. If there's a way of augmenting the equipment down there and getting the bridge open sooner and making it safe, that's great. But let's perhaps look at the bright side of things, Mr. Chairman. In two or three or maybe four years we're going to have a bridge. We're not going to need lite track vehicles or ice spray pumps. Instead of spending $625,000 for what would then be obsolete or unneeded equipment, would the department look at renting or leasing or getting the private sector to supply these services? Why do we have to invest this...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to know exactly what are we assisting or who are we assisting, what is this money actually performing or producing? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Madam Chair, the context of this is this is an absolutely essential initiative. In fact, we had a motion just yesterday that discussed items very much related to this. So here we are, it’s reflected to at least some degree, if not a very large degree, in this supp. There is $150,000 earmarked for a review of electricity regulation rates and subsidy programs. Madam Chair, by and large, our assessment in committee is this is an initiative that deals with very high level policy, very likely legislation and some fairly significant financial commitments over time. We felt that it would be far more...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The total bill for this will be under the first of a three-year program, so the total cost for this work on these two tank farms is $1.3 million over three years for decommissioning and environmental remediation. Could the Minister give us a bit of an idea how much to actually do the tear down and then how much for remediation out of that $1.3 million allocation, Mr. Chair?