Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Minister Ramsay. Item 11, Transportation, interim appropriation, 2012-2013, operational expenditures, appropriation authority required, $29.848 million.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. [Statement delivered in French and then in English.]

I would like to dedicate my Member’s statement today showcasing a not-for-profit group that has celebrated some very significant milestones. From its humble beginnings in the fall of 1991 as a steering committee, now 20 years later Yellowknife Community Foundation has become the pinnacle of excellence and a true gem for the community of Yellowknife and territory.

The Yellowknife Community Foundation, also referred to as the YCF, provides individual organizations with the means to support projects in our community and...

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Any comments from Minister Miltenberger?

I appreciate the Minister’s response on that. To dig a little further here, Mr. Speaker, and to the Minister, did the proponents in this case approach the GNWT, or did the GNWT approach the proponents for this project?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I alluded to in my Member’s statement today, I will be asking the Minister of Transportation questions today on sole sourcing and the methodologies or process management policies he and his department will be using for projects such as the Giant Mine bypass and projects for the coming years.

Bottom line, I have a bit of trouble understanding the rationale when the government decides in its best interest of public funds to sole source contracts and when not to. My first question to the Minister today is: Under what circumstances can the Department of Transportation...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks for clarifying that, Mr. Minister. My fear on the subject is now that we’re waiting for the Cabinet and Minister to rule on whether to have what’s in everyone’s mind an open and transparent process, and because the House will not reconvene until May 23rd of this year, which is well into the spring construction season, can we expect to have the Department of Transportation or the Minister confirm their decision to open this public project to public tendering before the end of this next week’s sitting?

So in the case of Highway No. 4 Giant Mine Bypass Road Project, I won’t use the word fast-tracked but I’ll say perceived rush to have started on the pathway of a negotiated contract and then later removed for consideration by Cabinet Ministers. Can the Minister explain that process?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will attest that this will not be the last time that I will be discussing this topic during my term in office. This topic is how this government has and is dealing with its procurement guidelines, negotiated contracts and sole-sourcing arrangements. What makes this so bitterly sweet is that my questions later today are for the very Minister whom not that long ago was the MLA champion of such nonsense, but we’ll come back to that in a couple of minutes.

It’s come to my attention via some very concerned businesses in my riding and the riding of Kam Lake that the...