Glen Abernethy

Thank you. I’m glad the Minister brought up the boards. I’m wondering what proactive steps, if any, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is taking overall to encourage all the health boards out there to hire as many students as possible. That way we would be getting some students into the community, which I think would be great.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation, Premier Roland. Earlier today in my Member’s statement I highlighted the increased cost to replace the Bluefish dam. Can the Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corp please confirm this afternoon what the budget for this project is and how that budget has changed over the last several months? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This Assembly worked awfully hard to try to find ways to reduce the power rates in communities, and as a result, the rates stayed the same in Yellowknife, but overall we did a good job of trying to reduce the rates in the whole Territories. This rate obviously is a concern; this rate increase is obviously a concern. I’d like to ask the Minister, if power increases as a result of the Bluefish construction, if we can’t avoid increasing our territorial power rates as a result of this, are there any programs or is there anything that we can do as a Legislature and the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are significant hydro opportunities here in the Northwest Territories. Given the rapidly increasing fuel rates and the environmental impacts of our reliance on diesel fuel for power and heat throughout the Northwest Territories, we must remain focused on building upon and maintaining our hydro potential.

Earlier this year the Northwest Territories Power Corporation decided to put more time into development of the business case for the Taltson Hydroelectric Expansion Project. I believe it was the right and most responsible decision. If previous assumptions about...

I thank the Minister for that. I’m curious how this increase will affect the power rates in Yellowknife, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister tell me what the forecasted impact of this project is on power rates in Yellowknife? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize a constituent of the Great Slave riding, Mr. Merlyn Williams. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given that Education, Culture and Employment is one of our largest departments and it has a mandate for education and employment -- I’ve already indicated that the department hired 20 students last year -- and given that it has quite possibly one of the largest budgets in this government, I’m hoping that the Minister will meet or beat their previous targets. The Minister has already heard this terminology, but I’d like to say if any department out there can beat their target from last year of 20, it should be Education, Culture and Employment, given the sheer size of...

Thank you. I’m glad the Minister brought up the boards. I’m wondering what proactive steps, if any, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is taking overall to encourage all the health boards out there to hire as many students as possible. That way we would be getting some students into the community, which I think would be great.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Weledeh, that Bill 21, An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act, be read for the first time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This Assembly worked awfully hard to try to find ways to reduce the power rates in communities, and as a result, the rates stayed the same in Yellowknife, but overall we did a good job of trying to reduce the rates in the whole Territories. This rate obviously is a concern; this rate increase is obviously a concern. I’d like to ask the Minister, if power increases as a result of the Bluefish construction, if we can’t avoid increasing our territorial power rates as a result of this, are there any programs or is there anything that we can do as a Legislature and the...