Tom Beaulieu

That’s good news, Mr. Speaker. It sounds like there’s been some activity with the industry. Now, in as far as the department themselves go, the department of Housing, Public Works, MACA, ITI, and their needs for work to be done, just any sort of work that has to be done, most of that type of work, when there’s contracts and so on, there’s a requirement for trades personnel to be on-site. I’m wondering if the Minister has discussed any sort of plan with departments such as Housing, Public Works, MACA and ITI in as far as the need for trades labour goes for their work. Thank you.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I spoke of apprenticeships in the small communities and how this government should try to take advantage of the Apprenticeship Program and to try to get some deferred maintenance requirements done. I mentioned that across NWT and GNWT buildings, there is a deferred maintenance backlog of over $300 million.

I want to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment: does the Minister know what the deferred maintenance requirements for each community are? Thank you.

Can the department or the Minister tell me if this reduction will impact people in the community trying to get repairs or if for the most part people applying for repairs are being approved? Provided that they’re eligible, of course. Will there be instances where people will be told that we can’t do your house because we don’t have enough money? That’s my question.

I’m seeing a drop there. For the $8.5 million, does it look like this year for 2010-2011 ending March 31, 2011, if the entire $8.5 million will be spent on home repairs?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Committee wishes to continue with Tabled Document 133-16(5), NWT Main Estimates, 2011-12, and deal with the Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, that’s positive. I think that’s in the right direction. There seems to be some good planning, I guess, going on for future needs and I’m talking about trades, although I’m ultimately trying to get some apprenticeships. Will the Minister commit to developing an overall plan for trades and apprenticeships, for both, to address the total needs of all trades requirements in the NWT including government and private industry? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I’m trying to get the appropriate department, I guess, to start looking at employment rates. It’s very difficult to kind of place this issue, like the Minister responded, on one department. I’m also trying to find some sort of champion, I guess, from Cabinet to be able to lead something like this. Again, I want to ask the Minister if he knows, if the Minister or the department knows what industry needs for the demand of trades personnel are in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

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

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to speak about the Apprenticeship Program and its impact on small communities. In our small communities we have to bring trades personnel in to do work on our units and on our buildings. This is due to the lack of trades personnel at the community level.

Mr. Speaker, this is not to say we have no tradespeople at all, we do have a few, but much more is needed. For now, every tradesperson in a small community should have an apprentice working with them. In a community such as Fort Resolution and Lutselk’e...

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

Mr. Speaker, time and time again I have asked about the issue of very low employment rates in Tu Nedhe. In other words, Mr. Speaker, I’m talking about people in Tu Nedhe that do not have work. Mr. Speaker, I have drawn comparisons to the larger communities in the NWT which have employment rates twice that of the small communities.

Mr. Speaker, if this government does not develop an employment strategy for smaller communities, things will not change. Employment development in the smaller communities will not impact the larger...

That’s it for questioning on this page.