Robert Bouchard

I’m wondering if the Minister can use that money to assess Hay River’s needs and make some sort of plan so that we have a plan to bring to the federal government. We know in the past when they’ve had infrastructure dollars come forward, often it comes quickly, and we need to have some sort of plan in place. Will the Minister commit to doing that type of assessment and having that type of plan in place?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said in my statement, I have dredged up some more issues in Hay River, as normal. I just have a question for the Minister of Transportation. Has the Department of Transportation begun to solve the department this year through their budget of dredging?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like my colleague indicated, today is a beautiful day. It’s nice and pink out there, but I’d also like to talk about the days getting longer and spring is around the corner.

Often in the North that’s an exciting time, but one of the difficulties that we have in Hay River is this brings on the discussion of breakup. One of the issues that we have in Hay River is an annual breakup and the Hay River has been filling in, getting silted up and for years now, since the late ‘80s, early ‘90s, they’ve quit doing the dredging in the Hay River area.

I’ve brought to this House, a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final question about agriculture is the agriculture policy and the identification of lands and special taxation. Has the department done any additional work with that lately?

I’m wondering if the Minister and his department have had any discussions outside of the Hay River area as far as bringing people from the Northwest Territories. I know there’s some agriculture happening in Norman Wells and Inuvik. Is there some interest in bringing people in from the communities for this type of training?

Thank you, Madam Chair. I, too, just have some short comments about Public Works and Services’ operating budget.

I think one of the first things that struck me, becoming a new MLA, is the issue of deferred maintenance, and learning more about that and finding out that we’re so far behind in our maintenance programs that we actually don’t have any kind of a plan to get back into just a regular maintenance. Everything’s deferred maintenance. I know the department has been able to depreciate that amount. I’m just wondering if I can get details on where the department assesses our deferred costs...

I think some of the other issues that are out there, also in the agriculture area, is in training. Are there ways that we’re implementing these into the schools and institutions and stuff like that? The corrections facilities? Is there any indication from the department, as far as agriculture is concerned, of doing that type of education as well?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the days get longer, everyone is considering their growing season, agriculture. I’ll follow up with my colleague’s questions for the Minister of ITI on agriculture.

The first question I want to follow up on is the question on the training course for the northern farmer training. Has the Minister committed to doing anything for the upcoming year in this area of training farmers?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As I’ve indicated in statements today, I think it’s something very important that we implement sooner than later. I’m quite confident the department can implement this sooner than later. I’m very comfortable with the Minister. I made this motion so that we implement this sooner than later, and it moves everybody’s midwifery programs ahead by a year.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate the department’s answers to all these questions and I appreciate the Minister’s responses as well. I guess this is the beginning of the process that, when coming into this job, I thought I might find it frustrating being in private business where we implement stuff a little quicker than the government, and this is one area that I think is lacking with our government system, and it’s in the area of midwifery.

The Minister has asked why we’re so concerned about trying to implement things quickly and trying to move things ahead. It’s basically because I think...