Tom Beaulieu

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I have a constituent in the audience. I would like to recognize Cheryl Mandeville.

As I indicated, it would be something that does go through the Occupational Health and Safety Committee. However, I can touch base with the deputy. I believe that Human Resources holds responsibility in the safety area of all employees in the public service. I’ll ensure that I hold discussions with the deputy minister, who in turn will discuss with the other deputies to see what type of safety plans are in place for the safety of our staff across the entire public service not only here in Yellowknife but across the whole territory. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. These types of incidents can be brought up to the occupational health and safety committees. Each department has an occupational health and safety committee, so those would be vetted through those committees.

Mr. Speaker, ensuring our residents are able to share the benefits and responsibilities of a unified, environmentally sustainable and prosperous Northwest Territories is our shared vision. Infrastructure is a key part of achieving that vision and our government continues to participate in research that will improve northern infrastructure design and protect our northern environment.

I’m pleased to announce that Transport Canada will be providing $669,000 from the federal Northern Transportation Adaptation Initiative to proceed with two new innovative research and development projects on the...

Right now there are nine of those 19 jobs. Well, as of October 31st, when those vacancies were identified, we proceeded to try to fill nine of those jobs, so either those jobs have been filled or are in the process of being filled. Then there is also the possibility that there have been more vacancies created. On average, the jobs that we go to fill are being filled in the same time period as other jobs across the territory.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There is no money in this budget for dredging Hay River, the port or the rest of the Hay River.

We can send the report to committee or any of the Members that wish to review the report. The report is mostly a report on what the current situation is. It’s not something that is, in the sense, something we could do something with as far as the governance goes. So, what we’re doing is we’re asking a consultant to look at the report and put it in terms where we can look at and determine whether or not it would be something that would be feasible to move forward with.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We will work with the city to try to find a safer way for pedestrians to come into the city for work and back to Niven. We know that the ideal situation, of course, and the safest situation is for the pedestrians just to stay on the city roads and come into town on the other side of Niven, recognizing that‘s a long ways, especially for the people that live on this end of Niven. But it’s just that we are finding that any time you cross, we create an unsafe… Whether we’re crossing right at Niven or crossing at the Legislative Assembly, both of the crossings on that road...

Thank you, Madam Chair. We’ve completed a report on the governance of the Yellowknife Airport, and we now have a consultant looking at that and looking at the options. Most likely, if there’s going to be privatization or a change in the way the governance at the Yellowknife Airport occurs, then it will probably be something that would be decided at the next Assembly.

Madam Chair, we do not have a time frame as to when this solution will come about.