David Ramsay

Why is it, then, that there is so much concern out there amongst the small to midsized construction companies who indicate they are not getting the work or benefit of this spending?

We need to ensure as a government that we are spending as much of our capital dollars fairly and that there is a balance between large, medium and smaller capital projects around our territory to benefit our economy the most and the companies that depend upon it.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Premier and the Finance Minister do not like to miss any opportunity to talk about the $450 million spent on capital projects here in the Northwest Territories over the past few years. Yes, this spending is unprecedented capital dollars that are being spent in our communities when our economy needed it the most.

I’d like to again thank the federal government in Ottawa for all the millions of dollars that have flowed North through the various infrastructure stimulus programs that they have offered our program.

As a government we have always seemed to have an issue...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and again I thank the Minister for that. I’d like to ask the Minister when the Department of Health and Social Services began planning for the requirement for summer students where they fit inside the department, when did that planning start?

Thank you. I’d like to ask the Minister, the Department of Health and Social Services hired 10 summer students last summer. I’d like to ask the Minister, is the department committed to again hiring 10 summer students this summer. Thank you.

I thank the Minister for that and look forward to receiving that information from him.

The second question I’d have is: inside the Department of Health and Social Services, last summer it looks like they hired 10 summer students and this year, again, the numbers don’t seem to be what they were last year. It’s already almost the third week in May. I’d like to ask the Minister how many summer students have been hired within the Department of Health and Social Services. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Now, the Department of Health and Social Services has made a significant commitment in the past to employ northern nursing and other allied health professional students every summer. To this end, they have implemented a Related Experience Program to help the authorities hire these students. Last year the authorities across the Northwest Territories employed 45 students who fell into this category: two in the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority; 13 in Yellowknife Health and Social...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned in my Member’s statement, the concern out there is there is not enough work for the small to medium-sized construction companies in the Northwest Territories today, and I think it would be incumbent upon the government to discuss this situation with the Northwest Territories Construction Association. I’d like to ask the Minister what value Public Works and Services puts on the opinion of the Northwest Territories Construction Association. Thank you.

I thank the Minister for that. I guess the next question I’d have is: last year the Northwest Territories Construction Association indicates that they never were consulted on the projects that were coming forward in the capital plan. So I’d like to ask the Minister what communication actually takes place between the government, Public Works and Services and an association like the Construction Association of the Northwest Territories in trying to determine what projects are coming up. Thank you.

The Minister’s right; on a percentage basis the carry-overs have come down from 33 percent, I think, to this year’s 26 percent, but it’s the dollar amount that’s alarming at $130 million and $72 million, like I said, contained in the Department of Transportation. I’d like to ask the Minister of Public Works and Services what effort is made in the capital planning process to ensure a balance between small, medium and large-scale capital projects. Thank you.