Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Minister McLeod. General comments? Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. General comments on the bill? Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Minister Ramsay. I’m going to have to probably get someone to come here and take the chair. Sorry. Then we’ll go to general comments.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Does committee agree?

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Does committee agree?

I’d like to call Committee of the Whole back to order. The first item that we’re going to deal with today is Bill 1, Tlicho Statutes Amendment Act. I’d like to go to Minister Robert C. McLeod for opening comments. Minister McLeod.

Thank you, Minister Ramsay. Next I would like to go to the chair of the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you. Does the committee agree?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Premier knows, Hay River has a very long-established business community, the private sector. We have many multi-generational businesses in Hay River. I’m sure that if the government put out a call for expressions of interest well enough in advance of some of these moves being made, I can assure the Premier that he would get a very favourable response. The government would get a very favourable response to that, with some lead time. I’d like to ask the Premier if that’s an opportunity that could be employed by this government, to give people lead time to create...

Mr. Speaker, would the Premier concur that when we are setting up jobs or activities that are now conducted by the federal government and we are setting up for the Northwest Territories, that it may be simpler to hire people to where they are going, as opposed to trying to move people from where they’re already established and have their children schooled? Is this a window of opportunity now that when we are recruiting people, to have them actually go to where those jobs will be? Thank you.