Robert Bouchard

I’m just wondering if those officials are any prompter than the Minister of Finance or the Minister of Transportation from the federal government, because we sure aren’t getting any results from them.

I’m wondering if the Minister will commit to having a meeting in Hay River with those federal representatives. He’s indicated to me in the past that the Coast Guard and Public Works from the federal government were involved in this process.

Can we get some results in actually seeing the federal government starting to talk in Hay River about dredging the Hay River? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In follow-up to my questions about the cost savings, has the Power Corporation put into the calculation the amount that it would cost to purchase the assets? I think there is $12 million on the books, but I think there has to be a premium if we’re taking a hostile takeover. Have we calculated that into the cost savings?

I’m just wondering if the Minister can indicate to me – obviously they have done an assessment and believe there can be a cost savings – have they done any assessment on what they expect that savings to be if they were to get it? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize a few Hay River residents who were distinguished Education Hall of Famers, as well, Ms. Camsell and Mr. Green. Mr. Green taught me Grade 10 biology and I didn’t have the stomach to go on dissecting frogs, but he’s also a wrestling coach. He helps out in the community quite a bit, and Mrs. Groenewegen talked about he’s involved in morel mushrooms now.

I’d also like to recognize Ted Blondin, an alumni from U of L who I went to school with. Thank you very much.

Along the lines of the Power Corporation and NUL competing against each other, has the Power Corporation looked at other jurisdictions where there is a Crown corporation and privately owned companies that compete and operate amongst each other and other utilities? I know there are some power and some phones, but just to know how they operation and how do we operate here compared to other jurisdictions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In a follow-up to my statement, I have some questions for the Minister responsible for the Power Corporation. Obviously, he has indicated the Power Corporation will be bidding on the Hay River franchise.

Can I get an evaluation of what the Power Corporation did in order to decide that they were going to bid? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to talk about the energy process, as well, and I support the Town of Hay River’s call for an RFP in the process. I’m the MLA for Hay River North. I represent Hay River. The town council has the option to go out for bid for process. I support that. The town council voted unanimously to go into that process and I support their look to government to bid from the Power Corporation.

I understand NUL is a northern company, Aboriginally owned, and they’re a Hay River company, a long-standing Hay River company. That’s the difficulty. But the people of Hay River have...

I guess the manufacturing policy, if there’s a 25 percent value-added is the indication, and the information I’ve been given is that the value of this tender was 70 percent of manufacturing and the truck was only 30 percent of the cost.

The department has bought plow trucks from a northern manufacturer before. How does this company not get on a manufacturing list? How does the Department of Transportation not support northern manufacturing?

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Committee, I’ll go to Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of ITI made a statement about manufacturing and the GNWT’s support of manufacturing in the Northwest Territories. I guess one of the problems I have is that I’m not seeing that in real life. I have a question for the Minister of Transportation today.

In October the Department of Transportation issued a tender to have a plow truck manufactured in the South. It was given to a northern contractor, but all the work is being done in the South.

Can the Minister of Transportation indicate why this tender was issued? Thank you.