Inuvik Boot Lake

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 43)

This project has been delayed since the events that happened with the Perry Building facility. There are limited amounts of space in the community, whether it’s one office or two offices, but not enough to properly run the departments, as we have been through — for example, the situation with the Perry Building. As well, we have a number of older assets in the community that are being used right now, and we’re either going to have to invest in fixing up the older properties we own or go into a newer facility to replace the space we lost with the closure of two floors in the Perry Building.

Agai...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 42)

The process we’re involved with is when the joint committee works with Priorities and Planning and awaits their response. If it was an internal committee of Cabinet, we could undertake our own work. Between now and then I’m prepared to sit down with the Members, unofficially, to discuss concerns that are out there for Members. For the actual process of coming up with membership on the committee, we’re awaiting, again, the response of Priorities and Planning.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 42)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The small communities committee the Member is speaking about…. We did have correspondence with the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning, and we’re awaiting their response to the proposal that was put in front of them.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 41)

Mr. Speaker, we will do that as we do with any policy work. If we’re to change it, we’ll work with the appropriate committee to have input and give us feedback. So we will be doing that, yes.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 41)

Mr. Speaker, we do have a policy. It is a very old policy. We recognize that. We’re looking at other jurisdictions for policies they’ve put in place, and that’s why the review is going forward. We will have deputies meeting again on this later on this month. As I’ve stated, I’ve also invited a firm that has much experience in this area to sit down with us to look at development in this area.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 41)

Mr. Speaker, we’re trying to, as I stated earlier, go through this initial process. Any policy work we would do we would bring to committee for review and testing if, in fact, we’re heading in the right direction. We’re hoping we’ll be able to bring something forward during this winter. I don’t know if we’d call it the winter session, but at that point, we’ll try to bring something forward to Members for review.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 41)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We place in a high priority area, as the Member has pointed out, the fact that we have to look at other avenues of dealing with some of the larger initiatives that we are looking at within the Northwest Territories. I committed to having the P3 policy review put in place. Deputies met a number of months ago. In fact, I’ve had meetings as well and invited a firm to come up North to sit down with us to begin looking at a P3 process.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 40)

Mr. Speaker, there are a number of ways of doing that. Internally, the Member is quite familiar with the process of business plans and how we get initiatives on the table and move forward. There are many competing interests, and we don’t have the resources to deal with all of them.

On the federal side, depending on the initiative, if it’s an initiative with ITI or ENR on different funds or policies that the federal government may be working on, we work with committees; for example, the devolution and resource revenue file. Members are aware that we already had a starting point when this...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 40)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I and Members on this side of the House follow the process of the House. At times, yes, we may stray, and that’s when Members call us into line. We respect the roles of Regular Members, of Cabinet of how we do our work. Some Members have been in this Assembly for a multiple number of terms. Mrs. Groenewegen is one of them. She is very adept at presenting a case and leading a line of questioning, as I’ve come to know her work in this Assembly.

But most important to the process, as we do our work as Members of the Legislative Assembly, a number of times we fill different...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 40)

The Member is speaking about the devolution and resource revenue sharing file, and that’s being handled through the Department of Executive and myself, working with Cabinet. I’ve gone forward and presented a proposal that has been put on the table. We know we’re working from a framework that was already in the system for quite a number of years. I’ve also spoken to the Member and informed him that there are a number of initiatives, if we get a proposal put forward, that we can build on as Members of the Legislative Assembly. That’s the process we’re involved with.

As for a commitment from...