Glen Abernethy

Regardless of where the games are held, whether they are in Yellowknife or some other community in the Northwest Territories, I’d be standing here saying the same thing.

We’re talking about morale. We’re talking about helping the games be successful. My biggest concern is scheduling. They’ve got lots of volunteers, but the difficulty is scheduling the morning and afternoon 4-to-7 shift and 7-to-10 shift. People in the government aren’t stepping forward for those shifts as readily as they may, if they’re unable to get the times out without affecting their credits.

I would, obviously, like you to...

My questions are to the Minister Responsible for Human Resources and are a follow-up to questions I asked on Tuesday with respect to Arctic Winter Games and the volunteers.

Recently, in an effort to secure enough qualified volunteers for the 2010 Olympic Games, B.C. civil servants have been offered half their salary if they sign up to help out. The government felt that these are the kinds of programs large employers should be doing to create a positive work environment and good employee morale.

When morale is already challenged in the G.N.W.T., requiring employees to take lieu or annual seems a...

July 3, 2008, marks the anniversary of the founding of Quebec City. Four hundred years ago this year, Samuel de Champlain sailed from France, landing three months later at Pointe de Quebec to establish a permanent settlement on the St. Lawrence River.

The trading post he built there became Quebec City — at one time the capital of New France — a territory that extended from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the Great Lakes, as far north as Hudson’s Bay and as far south as Florida. It was an important staging ground for the development of modern-day Canada and continues to be an entry point for...

Clearly the Arctic Winter Games aren’t as large as the Olympic Games, but for a Territory of 44,000-ish people, this is a very significant event. Yellowknife is going to have thousands of people in the community participating in the games. For a population of 19,000, having thousands of additional people is a pretty big deal, and they need volunteers.

You talk about our position. Our position has changed. As I said before, in 1998 we gave the employees the time off. We allowed them to take up to two hours a day, where operational requirements permitted, without penalty to annual or lieu. We are...

I’d like to recognize two people: John Argue, a resident of the Great Slave riding; as well as Bill Braden, a resident of the Great Slave riding and a former Member of this House.

Justice, Operations Expenditures, Courts, not previously authorized: $1,729,000.

Justice, Operations Expenditures, Courts, $1,729,000 approved.

Total Department, Special Warrant: $250,000. Agreed?

Total Department, Special Warrant, $250,000 approved.

Highways, not previously authorized: $1,170,000. Agreed?

Highways, $1,170,000 approved.

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Bill 2, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 2007-2008, and would like to report that Bill 2 is ready for third reading.

I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

My question could be directed to any of the ministers with services directly to the public, but I'm going to focus them on the Minister of Transportation, given that my Member’s statement made specific reference to them.

I understand the value of policies and procedures. I understand why we have certain opening times such as 9 a.m. But I would suggest, in situations where weather is extreme, that it might be reasonable to open the doors and allow the people into the lobby. Policies are not written that way, and they do not allow that.

I'd like to encourage the Minister of Transportation to...