Rylund Johnson

Yellowknife North

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 127)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yellowknife North constituent Tasha Olekshy as well, who works in ENR's climate change and air quality unit is here today, as the Minister will be tabling the annual climate change report. Thank you for joining us.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 127)

I don't have any further questions. I hope the next Assembly gets this done. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 127)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Office of the Chief Public Health Officer just released a latest public health warning expecting an influx of respiratory illnesses in a wave from down south to head up here. Additionally, we know COVID is still spreading and we just recently released the bivalent vaccination. And this all, Mr. Speaker, is to say it's a reminder that when you are sick, it is best to stay home. Yet, Mr. Speaker, for many people that is not an option.

When surveyed, the number 1 reason people go to work sick is because they can't afford it. And, Mr. Speaker, the solution to that...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 127)

Thank you, Madam Chair. It's not often, actually, that committee gets to pass motions directed at the Speaker so I'm happy to do that. We also made a similar one for the public accounts. But what often happens is the Speaker will have a document in his possession but wait until the Assembly has to be sitting until it's tabled, in this case July 1st. So committee would like to get these reports the minute that they are completed and submitted to the Speaker and not sometimes have to delay their review by three months simply because session is not in. So, Mr. Speaker, if you're listening, we'd...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 127)

Thank you, Madam Chair. It is my intention, outside of my role as SCOGO chair but as an individual Member, to introduce a private Member's bill this sitting and hopefully get some changes to the Ombud Act in the life of this Assembly. Those are to be some of the smaller and easier changes. Some of the larger ones I think do require the government to go out and thoroughly consider them and perhaps engage with the public; you know, something beyond what a committee or an individual Member can do. And I guess this motion here is just reiterating and asking the government to once again look at the...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 127)

Thank you, Madam Chair. The committee report was read into the record on Tuesday, October 18th, 2022. The Standing Committee on Government Operations has reviewed the 20202021 Annual Report of the Ombud. The Ombud Act requires the Ombud to prepare an annual report. The report includes information on the number of inquiries, complaints received. It can also include recommendations. The Speaker tables the report in the Legislative Assembly. Once tabled, the committee reviews the report.

As part of the review of the Ombud, Ms. Colette Langlois appeared before committee on February 11, 2022...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 127)

Yeah, thank you. And I think perhaps, you know, some sort of I mean, it's somewhat ironic to me that how little information publicly available with the Office of the Chief Information Officer. You know, we rolled ISSS into, you know, one department, and there's millions of dollars there. I'm wondering if the Minister could take back the idea of perhaps you know, I don't even know how many software licences we have presently, how much they presently cost, when they are up for renewal. But I expect that if you looked at the replacement costs and the licensing costs, it's tens of millions of...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 127)

Thank you. Is anyone able to tell me any numbers about this? I know we don't do that but, you know, how much were we initially planning to spend years ago and then have we spent any money to date here in our failed procurement attempts? Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 127)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess I'm going to ask one of the questions I always ask about, is I have concerns that we do not publish the cost of any projects. And, you know, I can kind of understand for tendering certain things but here I'm looking at a list of software. I guess, is there any concern that if we went out and tendered this software, and somewhere in the public record of this Assembly we showed the costs that we expected it to be, that that would affect the tender? I'll note that I have never seen a IT project or software licence come in anywhere on time or on budget to date. So I...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 127)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm seeking unanimous consent to return to item 5 on the orders of the day, recognition of visitors in the gallery.