Statements in Debates
Thank you. Yes, I’d be, obviously, happy to talk to the RCMP about their history and where some of the historic items may exist. But I would also suggest to the Member that helping people in the Northwest Territories understand our history and the important work that “G” Division has done is only part of it. Getting that information out to other people in the country is important.
“G” Division has a long history that stretches back as the Territories has become a smaller jurisdiction. So there are other individuals outside of what is the Northwest Territories now that have some history with “G”...
That’s what BIP does. Under this particular process, we have to apply BIP, where appropriate, and the contractors or potential contractors, when they’re submitting their bids, must identify the local vendors that they’re going to use in all situations. If they are going to be using local hotels, they have to identify the companies they are using, that they qualify under BIP.
As far as monitoring, we require regular reports from the vendors, the successful proponents on compliance with the contract that we sign with them, which makes specific reference to the individuals they would have...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a good question. Unfortunately, I don’t know if a room exists where this information can be displayed and shared. You’re right; the “G” Division has a long and distinguished history here in the Northwest Territories, from the lost patrol of Rat River, the Mad Trapper, travel up and down the Mackenzie River, travel into the Eastern Arctic when it was part of “G” Division. There is a real solid history here.
I have had an opportunity to travel to a number of the detachments and I’ve been in the detachments. Many of the officers in those buildings actually have a real...
I think, as a government, we’re already doing much of that. If you look at the buildings we’re building, we’re building them to meet or exceed some of the national building codes. We’re utilizing technology that is available to us to help us control costs and leave less of a footprint. But I hear what the Member’s saying and as we move forward with the Green Procurement Policy, I will make sure that his comments are considered and utilized where possible.
Right now contracts are administered by not just Public Works and Services, they’re administered by every department to some degree. Within Public Works and Services, the contracts awarded in ’12-13, by way of summary, to date, the Public Works and Services has only done 59 sole-source contracts, which is about 2.2 percent of all the contracts; 82.2 have gone out for request of proposal, and in 2013-13 none have been negotiated and we’ve got 199, or 14.3 percent, tendered. So very, very few within Public Works and Services are actually sole-source.
There are criteria for sole-source contracts...
Thank you, Madam Chair. With respect to litigation, individuals looking to bring a lawsuit against somebody tend to throw large nets and try to capture as many people as they can. They’ll write as many names on the list as they can, hoping to catch somebody. We have bonds in place, we have contracts in place and our dealings are with the primaries.
I’ll go to the deputy for some specifics on that, but by way of example, on this particular contract we knew we were doing a teardown on a building and we knew we needed to know what the risks were in that building by way of contaminants such as asbestos and whatnot. The contractor we hired to do the assessment so that we would have the information that we needed to go out for proposal for tender on that project, missed a number of items which, unfortunately, resulted in a couple of the change orders. This isn’t something that happens to us on a regular basis. We usually get pretty solid...
Thank you, Madam Chair. Claims between contractors and their subs could range from a huge, huge variety of situations. A bond is a time-sensitive tool, and if a subcontractor with a legitimate claim fails to take action under the bond on the assumption that the GNWT will intervene for some reason, they may jeopardize their ability to pursue relief provided by the surety. We make sure that the large projects have bonds in place to protect the subs and we make sure that those are adhered to, but individuals have to make sure that they utilize them as well.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We’ll commit to getting a plain-language explanation of this one for the Member and committee as well.
Thanks. If the Member goes to page 7-18, which is asset management, he’ll see that six positions have been taken out of asset management, and if he then turns to page 7-14 he will see that six positions have been added into the directorate. These positions haven’t changed their location, they haven’t changed their job. We’ve changed the reporting relationship. There was a restructuring in the department. It isn’t an addition of positions to Yellowknife in any way, shape or form. The positions existed, the incumbents are still sitting in their seats, they’re still sitting on the same floor and...