Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. With respect to the amendments on Bill 9, I, too, would like to voice my concern with respect to the municipalities being able to collect outstanding fees that are owed to them through the taxation bill. It is laid out clearly here in the chair's opening remarks of the dispute mechanism that is noticeably absent. Already in the small communities, people are disputing their taxation bill because of overlaps of band and territorial government land issues or just confusion of who owns what land. That confusion already exists. Now we are also giving...

Mr. Chairman, the committee wishes to consider Bill 8 and Bill 9.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With respect to the procurement of office space in Fort Simpson, that’s exactly what has happened, Mr. Speaker. There was no opportunity given to this other provider. He’s got office space. It’s a prefabricated building, which is like a trailer. One of the reasons he was given, Mr. Speaker, is because it’s a trailer-type office space and the government says they don’t even consider that. If I asked a written question today to ask the government to list all the trailers that we do rent throughout the NWT, I am sure it’ going to be there. This reason is not acceptable...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the honourable Minister of Public Works and Services with regard to the procurement practices of our government. Recently in Fort Simpson, the PWS leased some office space locally, and I am here to say that I don’t think it was done properly in following a proper procurement process. There were no tenders put in the newspapers or asking the general public to bid on the contracts, Mr. Speaker. So I would like to ask the Minister today, what is the procurement process when you are looking for office spaces in our regions and communities?...

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I would like to know what this government is going to do in terms of getting the ferry service back up and running, Mr. Speaker. We have got at least three weeks or at least another month worth of sailing time, as it were, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question today is for the Minister of Transportation, with regard to the ferry service strike in Nahendeh. Despite the federal ruling against the ferry service being listed as essential services, the residents of Fort Simpson and Wrigley do consider it a life line to the rest of the world. On behalf of my constituents, I would like to know what position the government is taking with respect to the strike there, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I was just wondering, is it not our duty to the public as well as the traveling public, and I would like to know if the Minister is looking at a continuation of our services for the ferry in Nahendeh. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The workers that are on strike were only asking for a fair wage for the work that they do, Mr. Speaker. Is our government in any position to offer any arbitration in this matter?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today our Premier and all our Ministers spoke about energy. I commend our government in recognizing and addressing this huge impact of rising energy costs. We have yet to hear exactly how government will be addressing the real needs of our people, Mr. Speaker, people like granny from Nahanni. She wants to know how her fixed income will combat unprecedented rising heating and gasoline prices. She wants to know why, Mr. Speaker, she has to pay 10 times the national average for her power bill.

We do not need programs like a Beverage Container Recovery Program to add to her...