Robert C. McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Looking at the numbers of the affirmative action employees across the GNWT, and I believe we have about 1,608, that's a good indication that our government and the departments are serious about applying affirmative action into the positions that they open. However, having said that, I've also, in my initial briefing with the department when I first got Human Resources, I made it quite clear that I would be watching very closely the number of affirmative action employees that were hired. I want to make it quite clear, though, that a lot of these employees, I want them to...

Mr. Speaker, this is a project that this government has been quite excited about, and the benefits it'll bring to technology down the valley, and of course I will keep committee apprised as to going forward. I know there's a winter bill season, that's when they are hoping to have it completed, and we are hoping to have it lit up by I believe it's this spring. So there's a short little stretch to go, but the plan is to try to have that completed this spring. But I will keep committee apprised as to the work going forward.

Yes, I would, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the P3 partner is actually the contractor on this particular project and they have deals worked out with the subcontractors, and we have no role to play, it's not our contract. So there's really not much we can do. Any issues that might be happening would be between the contractor and subcontractors. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It was procured through an RFP. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, at this point, no, I haven't had the opportunity to speak with our MP; however, I will commit to having a conversation with Mr. McLeod, and as far as writing to the appropriate federal Minister, no, that hasn't been done yet.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, to date, the GNWT has spent $19.5 million from 1998 to 2015 for the Human Resource Information System and $22.5 million from 2009 to 2016 for the System for Accountability and Management or SAM. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Member said in his Member's statement that this is a privately-owned company and they were paying into a pension plan. To this point, we haven't had much contact with any of the parties involved. I think we play a very limited exposure that we have to NTCL and we don’t really have a standing in the bankruptcy proceedings. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, I would, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Speaker, because we would have a vested interest in this particular area, we will work closely, as I said, with our federal counterpart. We will work closely with the community of Paulatuk and then if they determine that it was an area that needs further evaluation then I can see ENR playing a very significant role there because we do, at the end of the day, have to be the caretakers, so it would be to our benefit if we work closely with the federal government and the community of Paulatuk.