Jane Groenewegen

I’d like to call Committee of the Whole back to order. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you. Is the committee agreed?

Yes, record noted. Thank you. But sometimes when, like, he’s so honest about it, he’s not a good poker player. Sometimes it’s becoming overwhelming and he says that I wish to do better and I strive to know more about the issues and give my colleagues a good answer. I appreciate the fact that he is very real. We all have a ways to go to learn all the topics.

Our Minister responsible for Public Works and Services and Human Resources, comes to us from a background in the public service. I find Mr. Abernethy very responsive. He’s a critical thinking person. You don’t have to say, “Do you know what...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not intimately familiar with people in ITI and what they do, but I believe there is one long-term public servant in Yellowknife with ITI that has been focused on agriculture. Certainly, we also have another long-term staff position in Hay River, which we do appreciate.

When you’re talking about decentralization around the table with respect to agriculture, has there been any consideration to supporting agriculture in Hay River by looking at decentralizing that one full-time position that we know about in Yellowknife?

I do thank the Minister for his interest in this topic. Everything can’t be about the non-renewable resource sector. We have to put some of our attention to renewable resources and small-scale operations.

I’d like to ask the Minister, within his department, what kind of human resources and resources are dedicated to this issue of agriculture.

Thanks, Mr. Abernethy. Mr. Hawkins, your time is up. I’ll put you back on the list, if you wish. Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’re getting to the midway point of our term in the 17th Legislative Assembly, and as I have been known to do on occasion in the past, sometimes we like to talk about ministerial performance. I don’t have any speaking notes here, so I’m just going to wing this.

When we come here elected as 19 Members, we come here all as equals, all equally elected. Then we go into our territorial leadership and choose seven from amongst us to sit and hold positions of responsibility and leadership in certain areas of government performance. In my opinion, the “us” and “them” begins...

Please proceed.

I will ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort the witnesses to the table.

For the record, Mr. Beaulieu, could you please introduce your witnesses.

I will now rise and report progress.