Jackson Lafferty
Statements in Debates
Mahsi, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the committee wishes to consider Bill 13, Change of Name Act; Bill 14, Employment Standards Act; and Bill 19, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act. Mahsi, Madam Chair.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am looking forward to the transferring of the contract; the sooner the better. So my next questions I guess would lead to that. Mr. Speaker, after all this time and out of courtesy to the Tlicho Government and the people of Behchoko, the Minister must make some effort to give this issue some consideration before the close of this 15th Assembly. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister agree to meet with the chief of Behchoko regarding the maintenance contract before the end of this Assembly and make a commitment to transfer the maintenance contract that is...
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that was just the beginning of my oral questions here. My next question, Mr. Speaker, is I asked the former Minister of the Department of Transportation to consider the pros and cons of transferring the responsibility for Highway No. 3 maintenance to Behchoko, taking into consideration the cost efficiency as well as the need to stimulate employment outside of the capital city. The Minister was to report back to this Assembly. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister confirm if this work has been done and, if so, what were the results? If not, why not? Mahsi.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (English not provided)
Mr. Speaker, this is the third time I have raised the issue. There are two Department of Transportation crews that work on Highway No. 3. The Yellowknife crew is responsible for the section from Yellowknife to just before the Behchoko access road, the junction. The Edzo crew is responsible for the access road to Chan Lake towards Providence.
Mr. Speaker, I asked the current Minister of Transportation in February of this year if he would consider transferring the responsibility for maintaining a section of Highway No. 3 between Boundary Creek and...
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to table a document from Chief Henry Gon, of the community of Gameti, expressing concern on Gameti school expansion on August 1, 2007. Mahsi.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the portable is just a quick fix-up and we certainly want a long-term solution here. Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister. Will the Minister tell the Members why extraordinary funding was found by this government to go ahead with the construction of the school in Tulita when the project was millions of dollars over budget and the Minister will not do the same for the Gameti school? Mahsi.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker…(English not provided)
Mr. Speaker, the original plan of the Gameti school extension involved the community, the elders, the youth; most importantly, the past elders and respected Tlicho leadership. The community leadership are begging to stick to the original plans. So, Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister explain why his department is calling for a redesign of the school project in Gameti when the higher costs are due to the marketplace, not the school design?...
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, the GNWT is also suggesting that classroom modules made by workers in the South and shipped to the North is a solution. This too is foolishness, Mr. Speaker. Not only do we get substandard products that are not what we really want, we also make sure that there is little work, or no work, for the communities. This is not acceptable for people of Gameti, the chief of the community and the Tlicho Government Community Services Agency.
Mr. Speaker, just to conclude, I realize there is a cost factor involved here, not only the economic money...
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak today on the Gameti school addition. It is with regret to inform you that the GNWT offered the community of Gameti a totally different plan from its original plan. GNWT is offering two options to consider. One option would see the project redesigned to reduce costs and delay for a decision by the next Assembly. Another option would put off construction of a gymnasium for an unspecified time in the future and bringing in modular classroom units and tacking them on to an existing building. I, personally, find these proposed plans a...
Mr. Chair, I move we report progress. Mahsi.