Floyd Roland

Mr. Speaker, once again, we have to be careful of what we say in this House.

For the record, I committed to Members that before we made a decision to extend, alter or change anything, as Members of the 16th Legislative Assembly, I would get hold of Members. I did that on two occasions, going to Members or making phone calls to Members, before the deadline. Not after the 31st. Before the deadline. So let’s get that correct.

Mr. Chairman, the project is scheduled to continue. The piles are scheduled for the fall of 2008, with panel construction to be completed by 2012. That’s on both facilities. The complex facilities are both adjoining each other.

The work or the review… .The cash flow has changed, as the Member stated, from ’08-’09 to ’09-’10, because that is a reflection of the work that they will be able to get completed. So the work is still proceeding. But from where they are today, they would not be able to complete as much of the work as they had scheduled.

The construction is continuing. It has not been...

I guess I’ll have to apologize. No, I didn’t get the gist of what was happening. I was basking in the glow of just being named the tenth Premier of the Northwest Territories. I wasn’t expecting any questions that would require a lot of background detail. In fact, I stood here — and I didn’t have the updated notes from all the departments — and responded to all the questions that were put before me. I think we used up almost a whole question period, in fact.

I had Members saying good job for not being given an opportunity to know where Members were coming from or to get the background. I...

Mr. Chairman, you’d be surprised to see how many repeat offenders end up going back into the facility at different times of the year.

Probably more important is the fact that with such an open environment, items can be exchanged between those who might consider helping their friends or associates, and those who are now incarcerated. That is something that one must look at as part of the scenario that must be reviewed.

The department has put it in here as needing to be done, but we will respect the wishes of the Assembly. Thank you.

Again, once I have the details of those specific issues that the Member has raised, I would be willing to look into that and get the proper information to see why these are happening, if they’re tied to previous monies.

Everything we put out there, there’s a caveat that if departments are going forward, it’s based on approvals of this Assembly for new dollars. But I would gladly sit down with the Member and get that detail.

Mr. Speaker, we are aware that the Senate committee is doing a number of trips, or a trip, across Canada. I’m not sure exactly where they’re stopping. We have been approached on that basis about their meeting here, and Minister Bob McLeod will be attending on our behalf.

Mr. Chairman, this project consists of renovations to the Yellowknife Records Centre to create a vital records and multimedia processing and storage area. That would go back to having adequate space and areas for our electronic systems. I don't have the background on that piece, on what stage it is in — whether it’s a totally new project or, as highlighted, it doesn't have prior-year costs but may be at the point where they're needing to proceed. I don't know if the Minister would have any background on that.

Mr. Speaker, the result, as the Member has pointed out, of the additional process we’ve undertaken at this stage is to be clear, to be consistent with every department, and I believe that they are getting the message. Thank you.

Let’s be clear: we’re still hiring. But we’re doing it in a way…. The policy has not changed, but what we’re doing is, as departments go through their hiring process — through Human Resources, and the message is now to all deputies... Before a hire actually happens, we need to do that review, because departments are aware of what initiatives we’ve been working on to try to bring forward new initiatives for the government of the Northwest Territories, and departments are aware of what targets they’ve been given. They’re doing their work as to what areas may be offered up for cost-savings and...

Mr. Chairman, as the government of the Northwest Territories, while not in the 16th Assembly, we know from past experience in the last government that when systems fail, they can cause havoc in how we do business and how things are carried out. This FIS system is a very old platform. We’ve been nursing it along to keep it functional, but we’re running out of people who actually have experience with the program that’s written, and we’re having to do this now for the integrity of our mainframe.