David Krutko

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to respond to comments in regard to water treatment contracts that are out there, because personally, I’ve been waiting two years to get a water treatment plant in Aklavik. We have health hazards in that community by way of high numbers of stomach cancer in that community. I think, as a government, we’re responsible to ensure the public health and well-being of our people are taken care of.

Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of MACA in regard to water treatment for Aklavik. It’s been well over two years. We were promised two years ago that we were going to get...

At this time I’d like to ask what is the wish of the committee?

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker, the 10th anniversary of the Chief Johnny Charlie Memorial Ski-doo Trek is coming up on March 26–31, 2008. The family of the late Johnny D. Charlie would like to invite everyone to participate in the final run of the ski-doo trip, which is now in its tenth year, from Fort McPherson to Old Crow in the Yukon, some 300 miles.

Throughout his life Johnny D. Charlie made this trip a priority, first by dog team in his early days and later with snowmobiles. After his death in 1998, his family decided to continue making the trip in memory of their father. His family feels that it’s important...

I would like to thank my colleagues for their comments in regard to the motion. I’d like to thank the Minister for making us aware of what is happening in regard to the Minister’s energy coordinating committee.

But I think we also have to realize that I read a decision that was made by the Public Utilities Board in 1995. It is 12 years later, and we are still talking about this issue. So I think it is important that we act now. By the Minister’s direction and the committee work on this motion, I believe it will get us to where we want to go. Hopefully, we will have it completed before our four...

Mr. Speaker:

WHEREAS electric power is an essential service;

AND WHEREAS power rates across the Northwest Territories are presently established on a community-by-community basis in accordance with Public Utilities Board direction set in the mid-1990s;

AND WHEREAS the current structure results in small communities that depend on diesel-generated power paying exorbitant and unstable rates;

AND WHEREAS power rates are one of the main drivers for the high cost of living in small communities, and discourage local economic development;

AND WHEREAS residents of these communities are doubly burdened...

Mr. Speaker, the department has had the full support of myself as the MLA, has full support from the hamlet of Aklavik and the people of Aklavik to get on with this. We’ve continued to support this project on the understanding of where this project is at, but if there is going to be any delay, or basically any innuendoes of cancelling this project or redoing the whole project, we’re not in support of that.

I’d like to, again, ask the Minister that every effort be made to fast-track this project, get that water treatment in place. The community needs this piece of infrastructure. We’ve been...

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister give me a breakdown on exactly what were the costs for this government and the Workers’ Compensation Board to advertise for those positions, and also the time it took in regard to staff time in regard to the applications that were filed and in reading and accepting those applications? What was the cost?

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister again: were there interviews done with the seven candidates that filed their names for that position? Were there screenings of those applications and interviews of any potential candidates?

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, February 21, 2008, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nunakput, that the Legislative Assembly strongly recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories make construction of an access road to gravel sources for communities of Aklavik and Tuktoyaktuk priority projects under the new Building Canada planning funds. And further, should the construction of those access roads not meet the protocol of the Building Canada planning funds, that the Government of the Northwest Territories...

Can we turn back to page 1 in regard to Bill 1, Interim Appropriation Act, 2008-2009? We’ll bypass the preamble and go to clause-by-clause.

Clauses 1 and 2 approved.