Bob Bromley

Mr. Chair, those comments Mrs. Groenewegen put forward were essentially what I was going to say. The spiritual program area…. I was getting a little confused there and finally realized that we're really talking about an area, not a program.

I think programming does deal with issues of the heart and healing and so on. So that's where I'd sooner see the resources put. If we want to build something, it would probably be healing for our inmates to do the building and save some there.

Yes, I also am having strong second thoughts on this one.

Mr. Chair, this is obviously a very big project, and with the seven-bed dementia facility we’re talking, you know, $25 million. I certainly recognize the need for those facilities. I, again, would like to know sort of where this fits in the plan. Is there a regional centre? Is Hay River — not having a history here — intended to be the regional centre, or is Fort Smith meant to be the regional centre? Perspectives on that would help me on this decision. Thank you.

I just note that we are spending $4 million to $5 million here — possibly more — on establishing and maintaining and replacing tank farms. This is a very costly procedure; the petroleum stored there is toxic and so on, so there are stringent regulations for how we store fuel. It’s a very costly process. I believe this is handled by the petroleum products division of Public Works. I think there’s a real opportunity here for savings if we can switch to non-toxic forms of fuel, which also have other benefits. I think in particular it’s been demonstrated in the North.

We heard discussion from the...

It’s for capital.

I certainly want to start by endorsing the comments of Mrs. Groenewegen earlier in the report from the committee. I’m in full agreement with many of the issues raised there. I think I also see many opportunities to achieve cost reductions and so on through energy efficiency and local production of energy that creates revenue and so on.

Improving capital planning. I think that’s been discussed. It’s well known now that we need a tune-up there, and I heard the government is going to work on that.

I also hear from constituents who are employees and contractors with the government that there’s a lot...

Mr. Speaker, that was exactly the answer I was looking for. I’m sure the people will be pleased. When can we expect this meeting to take place?

I would like to ask that the Minister use his influence here to make this a priority for these people who have waited so patiently for so long. Will the Minister make it a priority? I will have one follow-up at least after that.

I appreciate that offer, and I hope that’s actually a standing offer to all people of the Northwest Territories, all communities. I’m looking for a little extra attention here, Mr. Speaker. We’re only talking 11 kilometres. This is something that’s long overdue. The last piece of work, like I say, lasted weeks or months, and I’m hoping the Minister will commit to meeting — himself with the leaders of Dettah — and getting this road a priority for this government.

Mr. Speaker, the people of Dettah have resided here since time immemorial. They form a community which has seen much change, and they have tolerated much deterioration of their environment: the water, the air quality, the health of their nearby food resources like fish and waterfowl. They are holders of a unique and valuable way of seeing our world. Yet despite this and despite their proximity to the capital, the 11-kilometre gravel road to their community remains as unsafe or worse as the road to Behchoko was before the recent resurfacing of that highway.

The road to Dettah was last...

Mr. Chairman, I also wanted to emphasize that point. I know that certainly a lot of our electronic equipment contributes quite significantly to our landfills throughout the North. It represents toxic waste in a lot of cases. Hopefully that might be addressed in some of the ongoing work through ENR. The degree to which we can reduce unnecessarily replacing electronic equipment will be a benefit to us all in many ways. I for one have never really met the capacity of any computer I’ve ever used, for example, and I seem to hear that a lot from my colleagues. Maybe there are some departments at...