Robert Bouchard

Thank you. With decentralization as a priority for this government, will the Minister commit to reviewing these positions and making sure that none of those positions currently could be located in Hay River?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today will be for the Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation. In 1989 the Power Corporation moved its head office to Hay River. We’re awfully proud of that facility in Hay River.

My question is that the positions in the Hay River headquarters office have been floating slowly over to Yellowknife and other locations. I know there are currently 70 positions in Hay River, but I’m wondering if the Minister can answer how many positions are currently located in Yellowknife.

I am concerned with that large a number. I think the number is somewhere between 45 and 50 and I’m wondering why there are so many positions such as engineers, safety specialists that are currently in Yellowknife when Hay River is the headquarters for the NWT Power Corporation.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Next on the list is R.C. McLeod.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I, too, would like to thank the commission for their hard work and all the effort that they’ve made in looking at the three options that we gave them: 18, 19 and 21. Obviously, the debate includes the court action requiring it to be within 25 percent over or under. But we also have to look at the territory, the size of the territory, the population of the territory and, I believe, the growth of our territory. We’re seeing a decline in the population.

I guess one of the questions or one of the comments is effective representation. We look at these ridings and MLAs have...

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Dolynny, please speak to the motion. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Glad that I can agree with Mr. Beaulieu’s point of view in that we are elected officials to make these decisions. I will not be supporting this motion, as well, on the fact that I think there are a bunch of intricacies of these types of decisions and I don’t think that’s in the best interests of the Northwest Territories to be bound by a commission. I think the commissions can give us recommendations, give us direction on what they see, what they’ve heard and seen, but we, as elected officials, have to make the end decision.

The other thing is that making this binding...

A motion has been made. The motion is being distributed. The motion is in order. Mr. Hawkins.