Jane Groenewegen

The committee is agreed. Thank you. We'll give Mr. Dent a couple of minutes here, and then we'll ask Mr. Roland if he will please proceed with his opening comments on the Department of Public Works and Services. Mr. Roland.

Is committee agreed?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That is a good point. Actually, it was the Minister who started listing off the menu of what you might like more than my remand facility in Hay River, so that is how we got off on that little tangent. I guess, Mr. Chair, when there is will and direction in this House, things happen, money gets invested, money gets reinstated, and new initiatives are backed and supported. I know that when there was an $850,000 investment back in early childhood development, how did that happen? The Minister said he could do it and see the support of the House, so I guess I will wait...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to ask the Minister, Mr. Chairman, if after we shift in the fiscal situation, as everyone knows the way our system works, the business plans come out in the fall and there is quite a bit of time between then and when the budget session is held early in the year, if there was ever any thought given to putting any resources back into Justice as a result of new federal money which became apparent we would be receiving in the near future. Thank you.

Agreed. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Dent. Thank you, Mr. Cooper. Thank you, Ms. Schofield.

What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to table an excerpt entitled Public Service Growth, 1999 to 2004, public service growth by community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m not really sure what that meant. I think the Minister knows what I want to hear here, but anyway, we’ll keep going at it then if that’s what we need to do.

Mr. Chairman, you want to talk about the way the government spends money. In the case of unanticipated costs for anything, like a bad fire season, we find the money. Wherever there’s a will it seems there’s a way to find the money. That’s why we’re in government. That’s why we make the rules. That’s why we make the laws. That’s why we decide how to spend the money. There’s nobody else in charge. We’re in charge...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman I had an opportunity to just do a little bit of research. I had talked before the break a bit about the treatment of the casual and term positions and with respect to particularly the casual employees who worked at the justice and corrections facilities in Hay River. I was able to determine that when the Department of Justice went to Hay River to notify the employees verbally for the first time, at Dene K'onia, and they asked the casuals to leave the meeting. However, the casuals refused to leave the meeting and the indeterminates wanted them to stay...

Agreed. Thank you. Back to the start. Department summary, infrastructure investment summary, total net book value and work in progress, $59.368 million.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m sure they’re aware when they take casual positions of that, but I’m sure they’re also compelled to take it because they probably need work and they probably have families to feed. But, Mr. Speaker, with respect to term employees then, as well, is it possible that this government would let term employees go when their term comes up, in order to backfill their positions with other affected employees who have been on a priority hire list because of job losses? Thank you.