Wendy Bisaro

To the Minister: I have to express my surprise and my huge concern that the Minister is not aware that this stretch of road needs upgrading. It’s not an access road; this is a GNWT highway, a territorial highway. Albeit, it’s in the city of Yellowknife, but at the moment it’s a territorial highway, and if the Minister doesn’t know that it needs upgrading, it’s no surprise that we haven’t had any success.

To the Minister: he’s going to have this meeting. At this meeting is the Minister willing to commit to provide funds to get the repair work done that’s needed on this road? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up on the questions asked by my colleague Mr. Bromley, and I have some questions for the Minister of Transportation with regards to the piece of road between Niven Gate and 49th near downtown.

You know, the Minister explained how difficult this problem is, how complicated it is. I have a very simple solution for the Minister. The city and the GNWT have been talking about this stretch of road for many years. So, my first comment to the Minister is that there’s a simple solution to this very complex problem: fix the road, which is what needs to be done...

I have to assume that there is no strategy; the Minister has not referenced it at all. I appreciate the work that Education, Culture and Employment has done in regards to languages, and I also, like the Minister, think Aboriginal languages and the preservation and advancement of Aboriginal languages is extremely important, and we are starting to work in that direction. But the Official Languages Act is a law, a piece of legislation, and the regulations that follow it require representation on our languages boards. It specifically asks for specific representation.

I’d like to ask the Minister...

Thanks again to the Minister. That’s a great target date. I certainly hope that it can be met.

My other question on this page has to do with the next line item, transfer of funding from Education, Culture and Employment to support the expansion of the Healthy Family Program. I’m certainly in support of expanding the Healthy Family Program, but I’m trying to understand where the money is coming from in Education that’s going to be transferred to the Healthy Family Program. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move we report progress.

---Carried

Thanks, Mr. Chair, and thanks to the Minister. I don’t remember what the total amount would be that we have put into the pension plan for the Hay River Health and Services Authority, but I would think it’s many, many millions of dollars.

How close are we to bringing the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority in under our GNWT public service so we can bite the bullet once and for all, pay what we need to pay to get their pension plan in, similar to superannuation, and then have them as our employees going forward? Thank you.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Thanks to the Minister. I think I understand.

I just have one last comment. I was somewhat dismayed to hear the Minister say that in the next bundle it’s going to be mostly bridges. It’s already decided what’s going in the next bundle and it hasn’t even been brought before any Members on this side of the House to have any kind of an input. We didn’t have much input into this bundle and where this money was going, and it sounds like it’s already decided where the next several bundles are going, so I have to express my dismay. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 205-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures) No. 5, 2014-2015, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 205-17(5) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thanks to the Minister. So, the total cost of these projects is not $28.5 million is my guess. The total cost is 25 percent more than this. Is that correct? Thanks.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We wish to continue with Tabled Document 188-17(5), NWT Main Estimates 2015-2016, with the Department of Public Works and then the Legislative Assembly. We would then like to consider Tabled Document 205-17(5), Tabled Document 206-17(5) and then Tabled Document 207-17(5). Thank you.