Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that is something that does not make me happy, but it is what it is, and I will move on to my next question. I would like to ask the Minister if the Minister can commit to doing a socioeconomic analysis of staff members when they are laid off. In my Member's statement, I talked about the loss of actual people to the Northwest Territories. If we lay someone off and they take their family and four of them go down south, we lose transfer payments, which could be potentially higher than the salary that we are saving by reducing that position. Again, my question...

The GNWT has policies to retain a priority status when they are recruiting employees to the GNWT. Does that same set of policies apply when there are layoffs being contemplated by the GNWT in I guess sort of in a reverse sense? Would the GNWT look at the Affirmative Action Policy to lay individuals off?

Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, each time the GNWT decides to lay a person off, this scenario has the potential of repeating itself. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have no more questions. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, just along the same line, that has always been a bit of point of contention for me, actually, the capital project money going into the municipalities hasn't changed since the new deal, I think. I think the money has been $28 million, and then now it's decreased for Deline, but that's actually not really a decrease because that's just a transfer.

I think the Minister's answer is trying to live within the economic realities of today, but I personally see it the opposite way. If you increase the money going into the communities, I think that it would save money...

Marci cho, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 41618(2), Capital Estimates, 20182019 with general comments, the Legislative Assembly, the Departments of Municipal and Community Affairs, Lands, Environment and Natural Resources, and Finance. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I am familiar with the staff retention policy. In fact, I mentioned one of the retention policies in my Member's statement; giving somebody 80 per cent of their salary for one year to go to school. My question is more: would the Affirmative Action Policy apply the same way when we hire individuals? We use a priority; priority one, priority two, and people who do not have a priority. I am wondering if that policy would apply when you are contemplating layoffs.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am trying to get into more of the traditional knowledge, so I want to ask the Minister: while considering which species to be put on this designation, do the Aboriginal governments or Indigenous governments in the NWT have equal say as to the actions that are going to be taken by this group or by the federal government or by a group between the Minister's department and the federal department? Thank you.

I was wondering if the Minister could advise the House if the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has a regular working relationship with the specific federal department that is responsible for species at risk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on Highway No. 6 there is one bridge, Little Buffalo River bridge. I would like to ask the Minister if there is an intention of rehabilitating the Little Buffalo River bridge. Thank you.