Glen Abernethy

Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Human Resources and are related to the Arctic Winter Games and the volunteers, G.N.W.T. staff in particular.

The question is very specific to a two-hour block — two hours maximum per day — where individuals would be allowed to volunteer without penalty against their lieu time or annual leave. So where operational requirements permit and where a G.N.W.T. staff is registered as a volunteer and is either scheduled from a 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. shift or a 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. shift, the government has said no. Basically, if you need that two hours at the...

My questions today are directed to the Minister Responsible for Environment and Natural Resources.

As discussed in my Member’s statement, I was talking about the Energy Efficiency Incentive Program, with specific reference to the rebate available for hybrid vehicles.

In my opinion, the intent is good. The intent of the program is to help residents reduce their energy costs and, at the same time, reduce greenhouse gases. Unfortunately, it’s a new program, and there are some limitations. It does limit our residents’ choices. In order to get the rebate, they have to buy a vehicle that's available...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just wanted to sort of identify one thing that I thought I was missing. I agree with pretty much everything that Bob and Dave have been saying. I thought the statement was good.

But to me, in listening to it and reading through it again, the one thing that was missing to me was reference and/or conversation around the voluntary sector. You’ve heard me talking about it before; you’ll hear me talking about it again. The voluntary sector, in my opinion, is clearly one area where we can add a significant amount of value to the residents of the Northwest Territories. It...

I recently received a list of concerns from a constituent on the Energy Efficiency Incentive Program with a specific focus on the rebates available for hybrid vehicles. In principle, the program delivered by the Energy Alliance on behalf of the G.N.W.T. is a really good program.

The primary intent of the program is to help residents of the N.W.T. reduce their energy costs; however, with any new program there are some hurdles that become obvious during its implementation. In the case of this program, one of the difficulties, in my opinion, is that it limits choice. For example, the program is...

I’m glad to hear that. I'd still like to hear that job cuts will be a last resort and that this government will make every reasonable effort to find creative ways of reducing our spending — such as items mentioned yesterday about energy efficiency and those types of things — before job cuts.

On October 17 I asked the Premier “How will he work toward strengthening the public service and improving the morale of staff within the G.N.W.T.?” According to the unedited Hansard from October 17, the Premier indicated that “we must treat all employees — it doesn't matter at what level — with respect as...

On several occasions since I was elected, I have gone on record talking about morale in the public service. The staff of the G.N.W.T. are our most valuable resource. They’re the people who provide the essential services to all the residents in the Northwest Territories. Without a happy and motivated public service, we fail in the delivery of these essential services we are expected to deliver as a government.

Now, with this Premier’s announcement of $135 million in reductions over two years, there are waves of terror running through the public service. The continued reference from the Premier...

In my Member’s statement I talked about morale and the $135 million in budget reductions. Since the announcement has come out from the Premier that there will be $135 million in reductions and staff cuts, we have all had staff come to us and ask us, “Is my job going to be gone tomorrow? Do I need to start looking for another job?” As indicated in my statement, I think cutting jobs is the last thing we should be doing. It should be the last course of action with respect to bringing our spending in line.

I'd like to ask the Premier to commit to work with staff and to assure them that if any job...

During my Member’s statement, I talked about transparency and accountability, particularly related to the Deh Cho Bridge project. My question is directed to the Premier.

I am glad to hear that information related to the cost-of-living analysis is going to be coming our way — hopefully, by the end of this session — and I think that is a great first step, but it’s just a first step. I hear people in the community, residents, whether they support the bridge or whether they are opposed to the bridge, asking questions. They don’t even understand what is going on. And they are looking for the cost...

During my campaign and in follow-up discussions with Members of this 16th Legislative Assembly, it’s clear that residents of the Northwest Territories expect a transparent and accountable government — no, actually, they demand an open, transparent and accountable government.

During this Assembly’s strategic planning session, it was further reinforced by the Members that accountability and transparency should be a priority for all of us, as well as the public service as a whole.

Unfortunately, the government doesn’t seem to be doing a good job of living up to this expectation. The lack of...

Once again, to the Premier, it’s great that the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation is planning to do some of those information releases, but the government is still on the dime for this to a tune of $160 million. I think we have a responsibility as a government to share some of the information with the public, because they are asking us as well.

So once again, I’d like to get the Premier to commit to developing some sort of communications plan about our role in the bridge and the costs to the residents of the Northwest Territories and Yellowknife.