Tom Beaulieu

Marci, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, [Translation] the people are saying there the Pine Point Mine, the work that was worked on all the chemicals that was used would be going into the water. The Fort Resolution bay might be affected by the chemicals that were used for the mine. It seems like the people are getting sick from it and we don’t know. I would like to ask the Minister when are you going to start doing an assessment on how the land is impacted, the extent of the impact? When are you going to do that? [Translation ends].

[English translation not provided]. Marci cho, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I’d like to take the opportunity to recognize the interpreters we have in the House from my riding. We have Tom Unka. Tom Unka is from Fort Resolution, and he interprets for us in Denesuline. Mary Rose Sundberg who is from Detah, and she interprets for us in Tlicho. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 15-18(2), Main Estimates, 2016-2017. With that, Mr. Chairman, we would like to continue with the Environment and Natural Resources and possibly get into Health and Social Services. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]

Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In all fairness to the Minister, I’m going to be asking my questions in my own language.

[English translation not provided.] Marci cho, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Chairman, I move to report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, that's good there's more crews, more efficient crews. However, the process of eliminating positions, whether they be casuals or not, at some point there are two less jobs in communities where there are two crews and there's one less job in a community where there is one crew. We are going through an exercise here at this point where we are talking about some half-time positions in Yellowknife, as an example. Some part-time positions in various communities across the NWT. We've been talking lots about the employment rates in small communities. Above all...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, on the waste reduction line, there is no more money left in there. Could I get an explanation as to where it was picked up? Mr. Chairman, I'm asking on the general page. I guess the plan is to go back to the general page, ask more questions? Okay. I will then defer my questions until we get back to the general page in this section.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have to change the way we do business. I was really struck the other day when I heard what some of the current Ministers said about budget years ago when they were Regular Members. They wanted to change the way we do business. I know they are honourable and determined people and they must have tried to change the way we do business in government.

Mr. Speaker, we have now spent months reviewing business plans, working on a budget we are considering in the House. We all had input into it. Even if we don't like it all, we feel we contributed to things that...