Sandy Lee

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have to ask the Minister for clarification then. Is it the Minister’s information that everybody that works at the Stanton Hospital actually has to enter all of their data in this computer? That is all I am asking. Can we just limit it to people who are most familiar with that program so that there is less chance of a lot of people spending a lot of time trying to iron out the wrinkles? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to also jump on this PeopleSoft issue and I have some questions to Minister Dent. Mr. Speaker, this PeopleSoft issue has been around for a long time, for the entire eight years, and as far as I know it’s an internal personnel management software program, but the reputation for this program has grown to such a level that when I had a neighbourhood coffee meeting recently, even the people who have nothing to do with government, or they’re not employees of government, couldn’t stop talking about this PeopleSoft problem. Mr. Speaker, there are...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate his answer but I have to tell you that this has been an ongoing issue for a long time and the last deadline I had from his officials was that they were hoping to have it in place by the end of July. The latest date I’m getting is by the end of September. I’d like to accept the Minister’s answer for what it is, but I have to believe there must be other reasons why it’s delaying that. I’m wondering if he could give reasons as to why the complications and could he communicate with us, to me, in writing, as to exactly what’s behind it, why the delay, and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t have all the names but I’d just like to recognize the UNW executive in the gallery: Mr. Parsons, Ms. Wyness, and sitting next to him, he’s not with the UNW, but Byrne Richards, who works very hard on the Aurora Oxford Home. I’d also like to recognize Sue Glowach and Lydia Bardak. Thank you.

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To say in all the three bullets here, studying the cost of living issues, it suggests that somehow this bridge will increase the cost of living, and this is why I had to do the whole song and dance about the fact that in fact the case is completely reverse, the case is completely reverse. This bridge will reduce the cost of living for the North and for Yellowknife and the surrounding area. We have to do everything we can, it will benefit everybody, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have to do something to avoid a situation that we had earlier in the month when we are at risk of running out of...

Geez, Mr. Speaker, what I want to tell you is this project has had more review, and more input, and more study, and more effort than any other project we know. It has gone through a lengthy process. Oh yes, and there is a benefit to Fort Providence area and I understand the Member from Sahtu said talking to his family they don’t know what this project is…

Mr. Speaker, I have indicated many a time, not having access because of the ice break-up in the springtime and in the fall, it could amount anywhere between six to eight weeks in a year and I know and I appreciate that in many communities that’s the state of being all year round. I appreciate that and I believe they should get the bridge too. That’s not to say that Yellowknife should not get that. We have 20,000 people and the businesses and all the services we provide that get closed down twice a year and there is a cost to that, Mr. Speaker. The trucking companies pay extra money when...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’m happy to enter into this debate today and I’d like to thank the Members for bringing the motion forward. I’d like to start off by saying I do have concerns about this motion. I like the fact that we’re doing the debate, but I do have concerns about the motion in that it sort of casts a little bit of dark shadow on something I think is great news and a great project and something that we should all get behind 1,000 percent. Mr. Speaker, I believe this is the kind of innovative, visionary, a big action item that governments should do more of. We...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister indicated in previous questions that the job recruitment process is ongoing and the time and the nature of summer student jobs vary and so students could get hired throughout the summer, but I think May is an important month and most students would want to be hired by the end of May. So could I ask the Minister to make a commitment to get back to us by the end of the month and give us a results report in that regard?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 93(4) and have Committee Report 3-15(6) be moved into Committee of the Whole for today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.