Floyd Roland

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have responded to the federal government through the Minister of ENR and we responded to Minister Strahl on this initiative as that’s where the McCrank report issue was generated. We’re waiting for their official response as to what they would incorporate. We’ve put in a number of recommendations where we feel things could move forward fairly quickly and easily without major changes to existing structures in a sense of land claims and so on. So we’re waiting for them to respond back to those issues. Thank you.

Indeed the training aspect is an important one and working through the Women’s Advisory office, there’s been a training session provided for or planned for and designed on the development of tools and approaches and has been put in place. It’s open to all public servants. It’s being piloted through the process and has been placed on the GNWT training calendar. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of the Executive along with the Women’s Advisory Office has been working on this initiative for some time, as the Member has highlighted. We’re hoping to have a position paper on gender-based equity being finalized by the end of this calendar year. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I’m not aware if the board at this point have had discussions. I’m sure, as they go through their corporate plan, they have much discussion about how they would provide the information and provide for the service necessary. More importantly, as the Government of the Northwest Territories, we have looked at the issue around the capital plan and had some discussions from our side to see what could be done differently. As well, as the Member is aware, through the Ministerial Energy Coordinating Committee we’ve had some work done looking at our rates, subsidization and regulation...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Power Corporation plans for maintenance as well as replacement of assets on an ongoing basis, so it would be part of their corporate plan that they put forward. Thank you.

We’ve continued to highlight the significance of that report, their response and the potential impact it would have on the Northwest Territories. I think the bigger question, as the Member has asked, is what are we going to do in the North with the aboriginal leadership and ourselves coming together in a common voice saying this is where we think we can work together and pursue the changes that are required. So I think that’s the avenue that we are going to start to put our energies into, is start coming up with a common message and support from a northern perspective on that initiative...

It’s difficult to answer what’s holding back the federal government. Of course, there are quite a number of issues that have to be dealt with. It’s a complex matter, it involves a number of departments, it involves settled claims, it involves different areas of responsibility and that example is one why we continue to pursue devolution and resource revenue sharing, for example, so we can streamline through that process as well. Thank you.

I don’t know if there’s a message that’s been given to those who are in charge of the policy end. I know it is open to all government employees across the Territory. Thank you.

What I’m aware of is the Minister responsible for the Status of Women, through the Department of the Executive, has been working with a number of groups across the Territories: the Status of Women Council, the Native Women’s Association, and the Dene Nation has also been involved in that. A lot of the start of this paperwork and this initiative has been based on work that’s been done through a national network and involves federal and provincial governmental and non-governmental organizations, including the NWT Council of Status of Women’s involvement there. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the Bluefish replacement project is something that’s been planned for by the corporation. They’ve been looking at that facility for quite a number of years and, again, part of their corporate plan would be for the replacement of that asset. Within ongoing dollars we have available, we would also have to look at if there is higher cost on the project to see how that would be dealt with. I will get that information and provide that to the Member. Thank you.