Denny Rodgers

I won't take much time. Obviously, anybody who knows me and followed my campaign and followed me here, I'm in full support of Indigenous governments and am in full support of reconciliation. This one, Mr. Speaker, is a no-brainer. I commend the Cabinet and the Minister for bringing it forward and has my full support. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chairman, when we were elected, we sat down here, all 19 of us, we sat in the conference room out there and we talked about what we wanted to do. Those who wanted to put their names forward for Cabinet talked about what they wanted to do. We talked about a top down approach. My background is corporate. Certainly, you know, I feel that in order for real change to happen, it has to happen from the top down. You have to have that leadership. We can't keep doing the things we've always done and expect a different result. We know that. It's been said many times. And, you...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when the Minister says the prices on our end haven't changed, we set the prices, so the contract states that the sale of liquor, sale of beer, sale of coolers, sale of liquor in the liquor store, is based on the prices set by the liquor commission, by GNWT. So ipso facto I guess our prices must have changed. Now, whether they changed through negotiation or not, but they would have had to have changed, Mr. Speaker. Has the price, previous to the end of this contract and now the price of the extension, has our price per liter changed, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, I assume that with the extension, there was some increases obviously. I know that the liquor in the liquor store is sold by volume and not by -- and the prices are certainly set by the liquor commission, by this government. I guess my question is does the Minister -- obviously if the contract's expired, when is the current RFP scheduled to close?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I learned that the price of bottled beer in Inuvik went up by 28 percent, the price of canned coolers in Inuvik went up 20 percent, and liquor went up 6 percent, Mr. Speaker. This is a significant increase for those purchasing recreational alcohol from the liquor store or those who attend the bars and restaurants in Inuvik. The prices obviously will also go up there as well, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, where was the communication on this? I learned this from Facebook, and I learned it from constituents reaching out to me saying what's happening. It's...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that this committee defer further consideration of the capital estimates for the Department of Industry, Tourism, and Investment at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said in my Member's statement, I may only have one question for the Minister of Infrastructure. Would the Minister commit in this House to me, to the residents of Inuvik, to the former AOC Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, to finally pave the muddy, dusty bypass road in Inuvik when the paving project starts for the Inuvik runway project? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that the Chair rise and report progress. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 193-20(1), 2025-2026 Capital Estimates, Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And might I say you're looking rather dapper today. I guess I need a tie.

Mr. Speaker, I'm going to borrow a statement from my esteemed colleague from Inuvik Twin Lakes today from Hansard in October 14th, 2022. And I quote: Mr. Speaker, the bypass road in Inuvik is not only used by vehicles but is also used by the people out for walks, exercise, as well as other recreational activities. I can say even as far back as some of my colleagues in here will remember, phys. ed. classes where we had to run the 5-kilometer run in the school at the bypass. So it's used for many...