Tom Beaulieu

Thank you. Was the question is there an auto toll? I thought that’s what the question was. Yes? Auto toll?

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Since the opening of the Deh Cho Bridge, food prices overall in Yellowknife have gone up by 2.1 percent. In the same time period when we compare it with the cost increases in Alberta, it’s 2.8; 2.9 in Saskatchewan; and 2.8 in Manitoba. So I don’t think the increases can be directly associated with the bridge. Some of it could be, but it’s not significantly higher, or in fact it’s not higher than anywhere else. Thank you.

Thank you. Likely I will not join in the sponsorship of that bill. It sounds like the majority of the jurisdictions are still not disclosing all of the individuals’ salaries publicly. Another thing is that the Territories has a very small population. I suppose when you’re dealing with millions of people, and people make the decision to print people’s salaries, most people don’t know who the specific people that have their salaries printed are. But in our jurisdiction I know that there are very few people and everybody knows everyone, and I don’t think that that would be something that would be...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My understanding at this time is that there’s a privacy rights issue for individuals not to have their names and exact salaries printed in a paper. GNWT salary grids including everybody that makes over $100,000, that would be the deputy senior management. All of those salary grids are on the Human Resources website right now. Thank you.

Direct appointments are initiated by departments. So if the departments have a need in a specific area where they feel that fulfilling that position with a direct appointment, usually again from internal resources, sometimes from individuals in other departments and sometimes bringing someone else in that is new. The departments initiate the direct appointment. They are vetted through various deputy ministers within the government and from the deputy minister, then it’s presented to Cabinet who have the appropriate Minister. Thank you.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Yes, the various departments still go forward with direct appointments. Direct appointments are made by Cabinet. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Wednesday, November 6, 2013, I will move that Bill 5, An Act to Amend the Motor Vehicles Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There was a lot of work done in the cost-benefit analysis before the bridge was completed to get some good baseline data. So my assumption is that there will be an audit and I’m assuming these numbers are from some form of an audit that was done on the cost of the various items. If more audits need to be done on this, I’m sure that the department is continuing to track for the purpose of determining if the bridge has put a heavy burden as far as cost goes on the items that are being sold in Yellowknife. Thank you.

Thank you. The trucking industry is an unregulated industry, just like the airline industry is an unregulated industry. However, what we’re seeing is that with the Deh Cho Bridge, the competition is what’s going to bring the costs down. There hasn’t been a significant increase in other areas, either, in this time period. The cost of fuel has only gone up by 1.6 percent, gasoline by 0.3 percent, footwear by 1 percent and household furnishings by 0.4 percent, so it’s not significantly an increase that is a result of the bridge. Thank you.

Thank you. The Department of Transportation has tried to find positions for individuals that were working on the ferry and the ice crossing. So at this point, the individuals that normally built the ice crossing will be given opportunities to assist on the Dempster ice crossing if they wish to do so. There were 13 employees on the ferry, most of them being casual employees, but three affected full-time employees. One retired. One of those positions was maintained by the department and another one had moved to run a different ferry, at Fort Simpson, actually. Thank you.