Jane Groenewegen

Mr. Speaker, I think measures like that and communications like that are the most prudent on behalf of our government.

We’ve heard that our government is not the employer of choice anymore. We know that in all various sectors of the labour market, there’s extreme competition out there. I don’t think that we can afford to scare anybody out of our public service and out of the Northwest Territories. We need the people we have, and we work at professional development and investing in our employees.

I would like to ask the Premier if he will clearly communicate to his deputy ministers what the...

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to follow up on Mr. Ramsay’s questions with regard to the $135 million target for reductions in government expenditures over the next two years.

Mr. Speaker, there is concern out there, and I do believe that much of it is premised on a lack of information. I’d like to ask the Premier today…. We have committees that will be looking at strategic initiatives as reinvestments. We are, as a Regular Members’ caucus, looking at strategic reductions. There are many ideas that are coming out with the help of the public service, who are submitting suggestions to us as well.

I’d like...

Mr. Chairman, I would like to move that we report progress.

Motion carried.

Mr. Chairman, the committee today wishes to consider Bill 1, Interim Appropriation Act, 2008-2009. The Minister has provided his opening comments, and we would like to proceed with general comments. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize two pages that have been serving in our Legislature this week who are from Hay River South. I would like to thank them for a job very well done. They are Mikaela Muller and Danelle Stelmack. Thank you, girls.

I’d like to ask the Minister: is he quite satisfied that the signage leading up to the bridge is adequate to communicate to people that they need to slow down? Has he seen the signage? Is it bright enough? Does it start back far enough? Is it sufficient?

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister of Transportation: what’s wrong with the bridge? Should we be worried even driving across it at five kilometres per hour? What is exactly wrong with the bridge that requires people to slow down to five kilometres per hour?

I’m just waiting for you to finish your consultation there.

What’s wrong with the bridge? Why do we have to slow down to five kilometres? Should we be worried about driving on it at even five kilometres per hour? What kind of assurance can the Minister offer to the public? What’s wrong with the bridge?

Mr. Speaker, I know, at least for myself, I want to make sure that we use government resources to impact our residents in the most positive way possible. Our public service is a huge piece out there.

I would love to hear the Premier today tell us and confirm with us that layoffs of employees in the public service will be a last resort in terms of reducing the expenditures of this government.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to hear something encouraging from the Premier so that we could look at effecting these cuts and reductions with the absolute least impact on employees as possible.

At any given time in the public service of the G.N.W.T., I believe there’s about a 15 per cent vacancy rate. I know that in some positions, it’s not possible to deliver the programs and services without positions being filled. But with a 15 per cent vacancy rate, isn’t there an opportunity to look at perhaps not re-staffing positions that are not absolutely essential and integral to delivering a program or...

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize my constituent Mr. Tyler Hawkins of Hay River for his outstanding talent achievements in the music world.

Tyler Hawkins began his music lessons on multi-stringed guitar when he was just eight years old. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from York University with Honours in Performance in 1990. Since then he has been working as a teacher and a private guitar instructor in the Northwest Territories.

This weekend we’ll see another dream realized, as through Tyler’s leadership, we will host what I hope is just the first N.W.T. International Lute...