Robert C. McLeod

I would have to follow up on that, and with the department, to see if there was any communication with the firms. Once I get that information, I will share it with the Members across.

Mr. Speaker, we had identified $200,000 in the past for ground ambulance and highway services. We had some communities take us up on that money. Once they realized there is a huge liability without the proper training, they kind of backed off a bit.

We are looking at the overall picture. There is a departmental advisory committee that’s looking at it right now, and we’re waiting to see what they come back with, what some of their recommendations might be. So we are looking forward to that. Once we get that, we’ll be able to share it with the Members. We will share it with NWTAC, and look...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Through the office of the assistant fire marshal in each region, we’re working with community fire departments to identify training and anything else they may need. I believe that work has been done and we are just waiting to hear. Once shortcomings are identified, we will work with the communities and try and get them trained up, or work with them in identifying potential pieces of equipment they may need. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, it is an ongoing review. I will contact those that are involved, and see where they’re at, and see if there are any preliminary findings that I can share with the Members. I will be sure to give that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, one of the things we heard from NWTAC and a lot of the communities that are on the highway system, is their lack of capacity to respond to accidents that might be outside the town. We have $200,000 that was earmarked for ground ambulance and highway service rescue. We have decided that we’re going to allocate some of that for training. So we’ll have a lot of people in communities that are trained to be first responders. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize a few residents of Inuvik. We have Lisa Semmler up there. Mr. Jozef Carnogurski. Topsy Cockney is up there. I’d also like to recognize Caroline Lennie from Tsiigehtchic. Welcome to the Assembly.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’ve heard some of the comments over there about the operators here in Yellowknife and there was a comment of price fixing, but actually with the issue being raised in the House here it may bring attention to it and I think they may have a look at how the prices are set, because I did read the article and I heard one of the comments from one of the gentlemen that was interviewed on how if one did it then the rest of them would lower their prices. I think the fact that we’re raising it here in a public forum might go a long way and have them look at how their prices are...

Those are some very serious comments, and if there is a belief out there that there is that happening, then I think we need to notify the appropriate parties.

Again, I have committed before that we would look at it, and I mentioned moving a motion. I was just pointing out some options that are available to us as a Legislative Assembly. However, I have committed that we would look at it. But as far as the Member’s specific looking into that, I mean, I’m not sure where our jurisdiction is. I would have to find that out too.

Thank you. I have committed to the Member that I will have a look at this and see what options are available to us. Again, it may be a long-drawn-out, expensive process, but I have committed to having a look at this to see what options might be available to our department as to what we can do. Again, I’m expecting we’ll probably run into some reluctance on the operators’ part. But again, it’s consumer affairs protection, and it’s what we need to keep in mind here. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Make no mistake about it, Municipal and Community Affairs does care, and that’s why we have the consumer affairs department. This is private enterprise, and prices are set by the operators here in the capital. If we were to have to try and regulate gas prices, it would be a long process. However, I can commit to the Member that we will do some due diligence here, do a little bit of research, and try to see what we can come up with. But the fact that if we had to go to regulation, I mean if it’s a long-drawn-out process, I’m sure it would take an amount of time. Thank you.