Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess, in saying all this, I think that it is important that the Department of Health and the Department of Infrastructure work together to coordinate moving ahead. Everything went so fast, and I understand that, you know, the Department of Health probably had to take the lead and do stuff without really having time to talk to anybody else, but now we have that time. How is your department working with the Department of Health to make sure that this goes ahead smoothly and quickly? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess, you know, again going back to lessons learned, I was talking to somebody today, and on the Whati road there is in excess of $200 million worth of work, and right now my understanding is that it's less than 10 percent northern, and, of that 10 percent, most of it is diesel fuel and just flow-through type goods. What have we learned, I guess, if that's what is happening? Maybe I am off-base, but I would like to hear what you have to say on that. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I would like the Minister to provide me with some comfort that the department will start to use tools, such as negotiated contracts and sole-source contracts, to the advantage of our northern businesses. Right now, what is happening is we still see contracts from the North going to southern contractors. There is always a reason why; there is always an excuse why, and we have to put a stop to that. I am looking to the Minister and her department to tell me how she's going to do it, and as soon as possible.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess for businesses in the North, you know, we are always concerned that people will say they are charging too much, but the cost of doing business here and having a brick and mortar here is costly. We are paying higher rates all around. Somehow we expect that BIP is going to take that into account, and it does somewhat but not fully. Now we are not taking into account the downturn in the economy down south. There is a cost to that. How do we include that when we are putting tenders out there? That is why I think it's very important that we deal with BIP as soon as...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is with great respect and admiration that I stand here today and recognize Mr. Alex Morin, a respected elder and a long-time resident of Hay River who recently celebrated his 90th birthday on May 22nd.

Mr. Morin grew up in a commercial fishing family, and it was the allure of the Great Slave Lake and the resources it had to offer that brought him to the NWT at the young age of 17. Alex, as he prefers to be called, is originally from Ile-a-la-Crosse, a small commercial fishing community in Saskatchewan. Alex and his wife made Hay River their home, where they raised...

Thank you, Madam Chair. The other thing is with respect to contracts. In the past, the contracts, years ago, they used to be broken down and then we kind of start combining them together and making them bigger. What that did was discourage northern contractors, the smaller ones, from bidding and not getting work. Has the department looked at possibly breaking those contracts down, or the way they're putting the contracts out, to ensure that small businesses, small contractors, can pick up some of the work on their own? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. That's all.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wasn't sure what to ask on this last question, but listening to the Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation, I am pretty dismayed at his answer with respect to the limiters, because it is a small thing, but it means it is such a big thing.

I have a feeling that, if we are going to be, you know, nit-picking on that, we are going to be doing the same thing with evictions and housing, and both of those things have to be put aside, at least for the next few months. I would like to ask the Premier if she would commit to having a frank discussion with the Minister...

This government has a number of projects that will ultimately be impacted by COVID-19. These projects may be delayed for a number of reasons that include shortage of workers due to self-isolation, shortage of supplies from southern Canada, and other related reasons. Can the Premier or the Minister of Finance confirm how various departments will help small businesses address current government projects that may experience delays due to COVID-19?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is times like this when we reflect on what it means to be healthy and to be safe, what it means to move freely throughout our communities, to move freely throughout our country and throughout the world.

It is times like this that we reflect on the what-ifs and the should-haves. It is our responsibility to always do the right thing. It is our responsibility to help our family, friends, and neighbours in these trying times. Most importantly, with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is everyone's responsibility to listen to the advice of our NWT Chief Public Health Officer and...