David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My Member’s statement today is going to centre around the creation of the new Business Development Investment Corporation or BDIC. What I find very interesting is at the end of the life of the last government, this initiative had some life. It had some real energy. Six months into the life of this 15th Legislative Assembly, the government has been eerily silent on this subject. It is important to give our residents an opportunity to have the one-window, one-stop-shopping avenue for business matters and concerns. It is also important to me, as a Member, to know what is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I find it hard to believe that we're even considering potential locations for the new entity of BDIC. I think it belongs in one place, and that's in the city of Yellowknife. I'm just wondering --and I know my colleague, Mr. Braden, was speaking to this earlier in terms of getting information from the BCC and the current legislation making it impossible for an MLA to find out where the funds are being invested -- who is getting what money, under what terms and conditions. I'm wondering if the Minister believes that we can get some movement or a shift from this...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, also the Minister responsible for the BCC and the Dev Corp. During the life of the last government, the issue and initiative concerning the amalgamation of these two arms of this government was front and centre. In the last six months, much talk took place in the House with regard to the development and the BDIC initiative. I'm just wondering, Mr. Speaker, why there has been a delay in the department giving this legislature an update on where this initiative is at. In the last...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There seems to be a tactic employed by management at the centre. That tactic is to put a person in acting capacity until they have enough experience to compete for the position. This completely shuts out a fair and competitive job competition because management has hand-picked the candidate already. Is the Minister aware of this tactic being employed at YCC and does it concern him? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some more questions, in terms of the staff morale at YCC, for the Minister of Justice. This goes back to a few months ago when I asked similar questions about staff morale. Maybe he can help me out. I wonder why it is aboriginal employees in particular at YCC are being overlooked for advancement. Some of these aboriginal employees at YCC have over 15 years of experience and they are continually being denied advancement. I just wonder if he has a comment on that.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What are the impacts of the ongoing issues at the Yellowknife Correctional Centre in the health services unit? What kind of impact is it having on Stanton Territorial Hospital? I know inmates have to go to Stanton for procedures that could and should be done at the facility, and I have also been made aware that casual nurses are actually being taken from the hospital and sent over to the facility. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will be using my Member’s statement today to allow this House and the public to become aware of some ongoing concerns that I have with the Department of Justice and the Yellowknife Correctional Centre.

The Minister is well aware of my concerns, but I feel I have to bring this to the attention of the Assembly to get some action on it. In February, I received a petition signed by over 100 inmates incarcerated at the Yellowknife Correctional Centre. They cited some serious deficiencies with the delivery of health services at the centre. Upon receipt of this petition...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Minister is well aware of my stand on tax initiatives. Being a new Member and only being here for six months, I don’t think I have been given the opportunity, and I mentioned it during committee, that going through the draft main estimates, for all intents and purposes, was a waste of time. I don’t think this government in six moths has made any clear indication to me that it’s intent on cutting spending. I think that’s the crux of our problem, Mr. Chairman, is our spending habits. I certainly am looking forward to the business planning process and going through...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was wondering when the last operational review was done at the Yellowknife Correctional Centre. Given the trouble with the health services unit and indications of many other concerns and issues with the centre, I wonder if the Minister will commit to a full operational review of this facility. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s fine and good to say that the department has a good track record in terms of aboriginal employees, but given the fact that the YCC has an inmate population of about 90 percent aboriginal -- and that’s unfortunate in and of itself, Mr. Speaker -- it would make sense that we try to advance aboriginal employees into management positions. How many aboriginal employees are currently in permanent supervisory roles at the Yellowknife Correctional Centre? Thank you.