Robert C. McLeod

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I don't know if this is anything like the Summer Student Program. I mean, we encourage the department through that program to try to take on as many summer students as they can, and that is the message that we will be passing on to the department before the next summer student season. As far as the number of vacant positions, I don't really know if there's a number of positions that are identified as regional recruitment positions. As I said before, I mean, we have 231 vacancies, and, as I said before, if there was any opportunities for...

Yes, we do. Of the 39, I said 24 were P1 candidates. Two are P2 candidates, and six have no priority.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I am well aware that the $150 million was removed from the mandate. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I share the Member's concern with employment in the small communities, and I do agree that creating employment in small communities is one of the better ways to help with the social ills. It's not the only answer, there's other parts to it. We've seen prime examples of that, especially with the Inuvik to Tuk Highway, I can use that as an example, because I know from my past portfolios that our income support numbers went down, revenue went up with the housing collection. There was opportunities for training. I spoke of the numbers before, and there was great opportunity there for...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have conversations with my colleagues in the other departments and it is a very important initiative that we do try and spend strategically all across the Northwest Territories, the larger centres, and then we recognize that in the smaller communities any investment we make I think is a real plus to that community and it does create some employment. So the quick answer to the Member's question is yes, I have had conversations with my colleagues and we do plan on any infrastructure investment to spend it strategically so it benefits all residents in the...

Mr. Speaker, we can work closely with the other departments. We recognize that there's some areas around the NWT that are being conserved or that people wish to have conserved, so we're working closely with the other departments. One of the first things as Minister of ENR I've asked our officials to work a lot closer with the other departments so that we're all on the same page because this is a very important issue to residents in the Northwest Territories, so we'll continue to do that work, and then through the committee of Cabinet on the economy and environment we also have those...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this individual and this government believes very strongly in the traditional value of the people of the Northwest Territories, especially those in the communities that still practice their traditional hunting. Through ENR and through some of the other departments there are a number of programs and I think there's even some resources put to those programs to assist those communities. Take a Kid Trapping is a perfect example, I think that's run out of multiple departments, there's some money there. There is the Grub Stake Program; I think that's provided...

No, I can't provide any preliminary estimates or thoughts on that, but I have committed to the Member that I will have a review of this and then we'll share the findings with the Members.

That was very beautiful, and the Member likes to throw this kind of stuff out there, but he knows as well as I do, and anybody that's been a part of this Assembly for a while knows that we work in partnership with Ottawa. We try to put ourselves in the position where we're partners with them and not just take handouts from Ottawa. No, they don't dictate to us what projects we put on the ground, but we work with them. That's good leadership, good government. We work with them as an Assembly, and when I say Assembly, I mean all 19 of us because a lot of the decisions we make here through our...

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I have to make a correction. I said "during this Assembly." I actually meant during this sitting of the 18th Legislative Assembly, so we will ensure we have that tabled. The Member's second question there, I will commit to having a review of this. The Member is correct, solecourse contract limits raising, I think it would be an ideal time for us to have a look at how we provide oversight to these contracts, so I will commit to that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.