David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With all due respect to the Premier and the work of Cabinet, I’d be embarrassed to be associated with a Strategic Initiatives committee that’s done absolutely nothing, Mr. Speaker, in two and a half years. I’d like to ask the Premier if he would even consider, given the high cost of living here and the fact that people are upset, they’re leaving the Territory, I’d like to ask the Premier if he would consider a special committee with Cabinet Ministers and Regular Members to look at the high cost of living. I’m talking about things that are deliverable in the next year...

Mr. Speaker, it’s been two and a half years since this government was elected and I find it hard to believe that they haven’t had any discussion with the federal government on the area of taxation, specifically on the application of the GST north of 60, on a possible tax credit for interest paid on mortgages and for removal of GST on essential goods and services. I’d like to ask the Premier why is it that these discussions haven’t taken place, when people continue to suffer in all of our communities with the high cost of living? Thank you.

Like I said, we can’t afford to wait any longer. I think the time has come. We can’t wait for a Cabinet committee to deliver on this. I think the time has come for this government to form a joint committee with Regular Members of this House, to finally get a cost of living special committee off the ground and try to find a way and means in which we can help people out here in this Territory and this city.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The committee would like to continue with Tabled Document 62-16(4), NWT Main Estimates, and specifically Education, Culture and Employment. If that is concluded, to also get into the NWT Housing Corporation.

Mr. Speaker, I guess one of the fears I have is the government will get so far into negotiations and discussing partnership opportunities or arrangements with any company. I just want some assurances that before any decision is made on a partnership or venturing too far down that road, Cabinet and the Premier will come back to the Legislative Assembly and we can at least have a good debate and discussion on the merits of any such partnerships.

Mr. Speaker, I would be the first to say, again, no stone should be left unturned. We need to be looking at everything. We need to put everything on the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Keeping on the same theme, I guess, it is so important that we leave no stone unturned when it comes to looking at power rates in the Northwest Territories and the future of those rates. I wanted to maybe shift gears a little bit and ask the Premier some questions as it relates to discussions with ATCO. I am of the understanding that while the Premier and the Finance Minister were in Copenhagen, some discussions took place with Nancy Southern of ATCO. They were lengthy discussions. I am sure they weren’t just talking about the weather, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask the...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just wanted to ask a question on the active position summary. Looking at last year at 184 and then this year there’s 191, that’s an increase of seven. Obviously, or the total actually is an increase of nine positions. Given the fact that ECE is transferring their responsibility for social housing back to the Housing Corporation -- and I’ve said this before -- I think there has to obviously be some sensitivity to the staff that were hired four years ago. I believe it was 11 or 12 staff and it might have gotten even up to 14 staff that were hired to deliver that Social...

I hope the Minister can understand the frustration of this individual when having been in the corrections field for 17 years. He watches individuals who are new to the position, who’ve been there for less than a year, who are non-priority, non-aboriginal get direct appointed into positions. I’d like to ask the Minister if he would be willing to share -- and he talked about it a little bit -- the Succession Planning Initiative at North Slave Correctional Centre. I know we have 36 percent aboriginal employees on the floor at that facility, but what is the percentage in senior management?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’ve got questions today for the Minister of Justice and I guess I’ll give the Minister of Human Resources a heads up too. We are here for another four weeks, so I’ll have ample opportunity to ask him some questions on advancement of aboriginal people in senior management positions in this government. For today, I’m going to ask the question to Minister Lafferty. It gets back to my Member’s statement. I would like to ask the Minister if he could explain to me how a 17-year tenured aboriginal employee with corrections, with good performance appraisals, is...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That’s fair enough. I appreciate the response from the Minister and look forward to seeing that information when it comes available. Thank you.