Frieda Martselos

Mr. Speaker, senior management within the Department of Infrastructure still insists that this decision was given by Transport Canada. Will the Department of Infrastructure share this letter of direction from Transport Canada?

What was the point of spending $2.3 million on an airport runway that was operational and running fine?

Mr. Speaker, for my Member's statement today, I would like to address the point made in yesterday's Commissioner's address regarding modernizing airport infrastructure in the NWT.

On June 17, 2019, the leadership of the community of Fort Smith wrote a letter to the former Minister of Infrastructure regarding narrowing the main runway at the Fort Smith Regional Airport. The leadership felt that, by narrowing the runway, disastrous results could happen if Fort Smith had to evacuate due to forest fire or other natural disasters. The leadership felt that this decision was made unilaterally, without...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table two documents relating to my Member's statement and oral questions earlier today. First, a joint letter from Fort Smith leadership, dated June 17, 2019, regarding the Fort Smith airport infrastructure, and a letter dated July 8, 2019, which was a reply from the then-Government of the Northwest Territories Minister of Infrastructure. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The new lights that were installed at the Fort Smith airport were not the Arctic kit that was supposed to be installed at the airport, as said in the July 8, 2019, letter from the former Minister of Infrastructure. My question is: when will this be addressed?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Further to my Member's statement, the community of Fort Smith's concerns regarding narrowing of the airport has not been addressed. My question is: why are safety issues at the Fort Smith airport not being addressed?

Mr. Speaker, it is extremely crucial that all boards, including the NWT Power Corporation, are reflective of the interests of the people of the Northwest Territories. Therefore, when will the NWT Power Corporation board be reinstated with members at large, and not just filled by deputy ministers?

The decision to go with the status quo from the 18th Assembly is unacceptable, considering the importance of public input on behalf of the Members of this 19th Assembly. My question is: are the deputy ministers once again going to be dictating the direction of this Crown corporation? When will an arm's length, neutral approach to a Crown corporation take place?

As elected officials of this Assembly, we all came here to represent the interests of the people of the NWT, but are we really doing so if we continue to appoint deputy ministers to all of our boards again, as opposed to members of the general public representing all regions of the NWT?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for Minister Thompson, who is responsible for the NWT Power Corporation. On February 4, 2020, notice was given to all Members of the Legislative Assembly regarding recently reappointed members of the NWT Power Corporation Board. Mr. Speaker, why are we still reappointing deputy ministers to run a Crown corporation, rather than appointing members from the private sector or appointing members to the board who are from different regions from across the NWT?