Ronald Bonnetrouge

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I have questions for the Minister of ENR. I guess, I would like to firstly say that we are always friends, you know; just sometimes our jobs put us on different sides. Well, we're on different sides of the floor, anyways. We know that, for sure. This is regarding the hiring practice in my community. I know I've pleaded with the Minister; I've sent emails, you know, short of signing over my GST cheque, but it's about inexperience versus experience.

It's just come to my attention since I got back earlier today that there is a very inexperienced Renewable Resource Officer III...

Mahsi. If she can include with that how many investigations were undertaken in 2018-2019 and how does this compare with previous years, if she could include that with that report. Moving on to the staffing appeals process, the Public Service Annual Report did not report any number of appeals. The 2018-2019 annual report indicates five out of 71 appeals were upheld. The department is asserting that the low number of staffing appeals upheld is a reflection that the department is doing a good job administering its staffing process. The question, I guess, is: what percentage of employees who apply...

Like I mentioned in my Member's statement, we're seeing an increase in truck traffic. You know, when I was coming up here last weekend, on the Sunday, I met up with six trucks on the road, and they were following very close to each other. It's a good thing it wasn't snowing; I probably would have hit one of them. That's what's happening. It's just a big increase with truck traffic on the highways, and we're not really regulating them. We don't see highway patrols out there. They're just running down the highway, you know, wanting to splash mud all over you in the summers, and whatnot. It still...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Hopefully, the Minister of Infrastructure is not all tuckered out yet.

---Laughter

My questions are related to my Member's statement on the trucking industry and the safety on our highways. Can the Minister tell me how the department regulates the trucking industry? Specifically, when they are on our highways, keeping in mind the safety of the travelling public? Mahsi.

Maybe just a final comment on that. Internally, within the GNWT, because I was there myself, we apply to jobs that are internal to a department. When we are unsuccessful, we are not notified of anything. We're not given any notification whatsoever of why we were denied the positions and stuff like that. I think we need to improve in that department, anyways. I just wanted to make that comment. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Madam Chair. I realize there are some protections in place for GNWT employees. The 2019-2020 business plan indicated that labour relations would be working on improving the implementation of the Harassment Free and Respectful Workplace Policy in regard to adding capacity for mediation or alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and supporting training. Does the Minister know what the status is of this work? Masi.

I thank the Minister for all that information. I'm not sure if they are specific to the trucking industry; that's the industry that I'm discussing today. I mentioned the dangers of flying mud, rocks, and snow coming out of the trucks when you pass them. I've driven on the highway for quite a number of years, since 2008, when I had to work out of Hay River, going back and forth to Fort Providence. I've experienced a lot of that. Now, my time coming up to Yellowknife for the sittings. There's lots of, you know, flying mud, rocks; the mud covers your windshield totally. The snow is very, very bad...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would like to talk a bit about the trucking industry in relation to safety on our highways. Mind you, they provide a valuable service in delivering cargo and goods to our communities, and to remote locations, via ice roads. Back when the Merv Hardie ferry was crossing the Mackenzie River at Fort Providence, there were times during the yearly freeze-up and spring break-up that all traffic came to a halt.

Mr. Speaker, we really miss those days of solitude and no truck traffic, specifically the semis with their prized cargo. Most Legislators will say, the days before the debt...

Thank you. Just a final comment regarding the regulatory framework, that I hope they really keep the small communities in mind when you are setting your legislation and everything, because I know that government has a hard time thinking of the small people and how they can move forward, when they are thinking about locally produced and harvested foods. Mahsi.

My final question to the Minister: does the department conduct investigations into complaints made against health centre staff in terms of the treatment received by patients?