Floyd Roland

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I did receive the e-mail. We’ve had a look at it. In fact, I do believe it is something that we have to put some attention to as we go forward — whether it’s limited copies where we go, or if it is just sending out the disk, as we see that become more and more used. Wherever we attend, there always seems to be a backup along with the document. Maybe we can get to that point where we just do a summary and then have the full package on a disk. So that is something that…. We will go down that path and start to make it happen as the Government of the Northwest Territories.

…on the fact that as the Government of the Northwest Territories, when you look at our stats, at the community and regional levels, we have good numbers. Headquarters itself has suffered, for a number of reasons, and it’s been through many of levels of government, or years of different governments, as the Member pointed out.

In fact, we recognize that the Affirmative Action Policy itself, government-wide, needs to be addressed. It’s been in place for many years, and we need to get to the next level.

I understand that the Minister responsible for Human Resources will be — if he has not already —...

In the tight financial frame we’re in, one of the processes that allows us to move projects ahead would be if there’s a cost-sharing arrangement. The only project where we talk about a 50/50 arrangement is, in fact, one that was discussed in this House, which is the Yellowknife bypass road. We’re looking for cost-sharing arrangements, and in fact, there’s been that discussion with the gravel-source 177 discussions with the community of Tuktoyaktuk. This one here, as the Member has highlighted a number of times, has been raised politically a number of times, but there hasn’t been that cost...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I think this motion does at least…. I would have to agree somewhat with the Member for…

As the Member has highlighted, the fact is that we do work around our Capital Acquisition Plan, the strategies that are in place. There have been quite a number of them laid out. From time to time we do update them, or the focus becomes around communities instead of territory-wide initiatives.

We will work with communities as we have in the past. Some communities, for example, have gone out and done their own studies or cost-benefit analyses and even some design work, and then we sit down and have those sorts of discussions.

We’re prepared to sit down with communities and do some work together...

The process wouldn’t quite match up that way. Yes, the timing and so on looks like it would, but the positions that are actually targeted for reductions aren’t the chief negotiator positions. So we would end up having to deal with that outside this process anyway.

For example, we’re looking at a policy position, a communications position, an administrative position, financial planning, budget analyst position, communications again, an intergovernmental relations analyst, and two assistant lands negotiators are being targeted as well. So it’s not the chief negotiator piece we’ve organized so...

In fact, this morning we were talking in Cabinet about pulling together the information that we can sit down with Members on and come up with a joint process of dealing with these issues. So yes, it will remain on our roles and strategic actions as we work through this Assembly.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Joining me at the table here to my left is Ms. Gabriela Sparling, deputy minister of Aboriginal and Intergovernmental Affairs. To my right is Mr. Richard Robertson, chief financial adviser within the Department of DAAIR.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, indeed, we have, when we talked about the services, the vision and goals of the 16th Legislative Assembly. One of the areas we look at is strategic action supporting small and sustainable remote communities. We’ve had a number of discussions flowing throughout a number of initiatives that we’ve highlighted, whether it’s Reducing the Cost of Living, Building Our Future, Refocusing Government. There are a number of factors in each area that we want to put some energy into and focus on through the life of this Assembly to reduce those gaps the Member has highlighted.

Mr. Chairman, that position is filled through our normal hiring practices governing the Northwest Territories. It’s not a contract position, so that position followed the same process of competition.