Statements in Debates
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 17-16(3), Supplementary Appropriation No. 3, 2008-2009, be now concluded and that the Tabled Document 17-16(3) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The reason I am asking is I am trying to do some sort of comparison what it’s costing the department to do the highway maintenance directly and what it’s costing to do highway maintenance to a contract, specifically around Fort Resolution with Nuni (Ye) Construction. My understanding is that the contract is a fairly good contract and it’s set up in a way that you have to have machinery working in order to maximize the contract. An example that I’ve been advised of is that if it’s not snowing and in the wintertime and the machinery isn’t moving or it’s not snowing heavily, then the contract...
Thank you. I believe that is correct at this time. I’m thinking of the future. At some point I have a plan which includes dust suppression for the entire community, so maybe this department along with the municipality or the band, First Nations, when they become the municipal body they would look at chipsealing the entire community. I think there’s approximately four kilometres of road that covers all of Lutselk’e, possibly less than four kilometres. If they’re going to somehow increase the market viability of their community as far as market housing and other benefits to having good...
The Minister touched on something here that I would like to explore a little further. On the collective bargaining issue, it has always been my understanding that it wasn’t a union issue in negotiating because if you are providing subsidized housing to someone in a non-market community where, like I said, it is difficult to provide staff housing for staff because of high carrying capital costs and so on and so forth, it is difficult to get contractors on. I am curious to know what type of actual collective bargaining issue this creates, because I can’t see how the people in market communities...
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to ask questions on housing for staff as well. I have most of the Hansard as the people ask the questions. I guess I will ask about the Market Housing Program. I am curious about how the Market Housing Program...I am trying to figure out the difference between housing for staff and the Housing Program. Maybe just a little explanation on those to start with, please, Mr. Chairman.
I recognize that even in the recent federal budget announcement that there is money put in for environmental assessments all pertaining to the Mackenzie Gas Project. I’d like to ask the Minister if he could commit to increasing the GNWT’s share of the Interim Resource Management Agreement so that more money can be put into environmental monitoring in the non-settled areas.
There is a limited amount of monitoring going on around both Lutselk’e and Fort Resolution. What I’m interested in doing is seeing if the Department of Environment and Natural Resources could expand that environmental monitoring. I’d like to ask the Minister if he would be prepared to have his staff meet with the environmental workers in both Lutselk’e and Fort Resolution so that they could start to develop some sort of plan for the future environmental monitoring in those areas.
Mr. Speaker, they are aware that the environment affects climate and it even affects discussions as far as future land claims and so on. Mr. Speaker, there is a complex environmental assessment process. There is a real need to have a good supply of environmental monitors, and what better candidates are there than those who live in Lutselk’e and Fort Resolution. Later today, I will have questions for the Minister of ENR. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I was not going to speak to the motion. The motion is fairly self-explanatory but just a couple of small points to make. The main issue seems to be that the Housing Corporation is able to build homes faster than they are able to find clients. So what’s happening is a lot of the clientele is unable to access the homes as the current income situation stands, core need income thresholds, I should say. With the income thresholds, they are either too low on one hand or too high at the other hand. Let me see, right; too high at the bottom end and too low at the upper end...
Mr. Chairman, I have a motion.