Katrina Nokleby

My apologies, I remembered what I was going to say. One of the things I've had a conversation with Joe about is that I would like to see some of the pathfinder-type service that we do in ITI start up in Infrastructure. I think we can learn some lessons. ITI does a very good pathfinding program, particularly around our mineral and resource sector. I'm going to look to have Dr. Dragon start implementing that. I also told him that, even if it's painful, people have to start answering their emails, because this has actually been something I have had from a lot of people, that a lot of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I can commit to that. I also wanted to state that one of the conversations that I'm having with my deputy minister at this point is that I want to see a creation of an engagement unit within Infrastructure to deal with these exact types of situations and not have that be a tack-on, add-on to the project manager's or the technical project manager's role. While it's very preliminary, I would then also welcome your input on how you would like to see that unit get formed. That is my plan, that is what I've conveyed to my deputy minister, and we're going to start doing...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess, you know, that is part of the whole goal, is to have a whole-of-government revamp and look at our procurement dollars and what we are going to be doing. Everything that the Member has said is noted. We definitely want to ensure that we maximize our dollars. I know that I will only be hearing about it if we don't. I'm leery of creating more policies when all I heard through the campaign was that there are too many policies and procedures, and we're not doing great at executing them anyway, but I understand your point. I do commit to putting in language, or...

Thank you, Madam Chair. It is my understanding that that grant is fairly flexible and can be used for different items within the community, its cultural well-being, education and training, community economic development, a small portion going to administration. I will commit that we can give you an annual report. I think that is completely a fair and valid request, and so we definitely will do that.

Like a lot of the programming that we are talking about with the federal government or within our GNWT programs, we talked a lot around flexibility. You will see with the SEED funding under ITI that...

Thank you, Madam Chair. The last 13 years of my life, I have been a woman in a non-traditional role, and I now am in charge of a department that is full of those exact people. That is the profession that I have been trying to change, myself, personally, for many years, so I am well aware of that. Unfortunately, a lot of these technical positions are traditionally male-dominated positions. We have problems with getting Indigenous people into sciences, and it's not from a lack of capacity or ability. It is a lack of our education system. This is all the conversation we are having around, and I...

I will look at you this time. The discussion around the Frank Channel Bridge within my department is very much about how we keep the Tlicho involvement in that. We are definitely having conversations about negotiated contracts on the Tlicho bridge -- sorry. There we go, giving it away. The Frank Channel Bridge. We recognize going forward that this could be a great opportunity to have Tlicho people employed and Tlicho people trained. Significant training would be part of what I would want to see in any negotiated contract. I do not want lip service, and I do not want to have a situation where I...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I think this one I will pass over to Dr. Dragon to answer. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I think that would be one we would have to come back to you on. I doubt that we have those numbers handy, but we will commit to that. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Well, considering I have only been here for eight months, I do not have a delta. I can't look at what it was before and say: this is how it's changed to here. However, I can tell you I have already learned lessons from projects I had nothing to do with the contracting of, for example, the Member's comments about the TASR, about Rae access, other things such as that, so I can guarantee to you that I am personally learning lessons and I will be incorporating those. I will turn it over to Dr. Dragon, though, to speak to the department's more formalized lessons learned...

All of the departments have, quite often, ADM committees, working committees. They also have DM working committees. I would say that my department and the Department of Health have actually had a lot of conversation over the last while, but you are correct. There was a direction coming from Health and Social Services that needed to happen so that we could protect worker health and safety.

Maybe now is the time that Infrastructure does need to push forward a little harder and say, "Okay, we need to take a little bit more risk in having people back to work so that we can move forward the process...