Glen Abernethy

Great Slave

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 10)

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...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 10)

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.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 10)

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.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 10)

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...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 10)

For the record, in my previous question I meant education boards, not health boards. This department is one of the largest departments that we have and it’s responsible for education, culture, and employment. I’m wondering in the employment capacity of this department if this department is taking any proactive action to work with businesses throughout the Territories to find ways to encourage them to employ summer students themselves.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 10)

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.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 10)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are related to Human Resources and summer students and they’re for the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment. My records show me that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment hired 20 summer students last year. Could the Minister please tell me to date how many summer students has the Department of Education, Culture and Employment hired so far this year? Thank you.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 10)

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

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 10)

Thank you. I wonder, is there any specific cost mitigation measures that the Power Corp is using to try to lower the cost of this project. Are there numbers? We were talking about final numbers. Is the $33 million with the $4 million contingency, are they the final numbers or is there any possibility that the final cost of this project in the impact of power rates across the Northwest Territories and Yellowknife will be lower and how does the Power Corporation work towards trying to control these costs and keep them down, Mr. Speaker?

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 10)

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.