Robert Hawkins

Just one more question in this area. Well, I certainly hope only one more question. Is that because…? We were talking about space and whatnot, when the Premier talked about revision coming in ’09–10, so I won’t press that too far. But I just want to get clarity, and hopefully, it’s the last time: is this manager position a permanent position that is staffed at this office, or are they a contract or some type of special hire — hired in a special way outside of the normal process?

Well, you know, it’s funny. When the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, or government as a whole, says, “We’ll take action,” it could mean years. But when citizens like my constituents Adrian Bell or Paul Falvo, or I should mention Diavik, which will be now known as Rio Tinto…. I mean, when they decided to help clean up the streets, they could make a decision in that day and then run out there and start cleaning up the streets on these types of problems.

Mr. Speaker, what’s taking this problem so long? When can we see some real action on this? Because it’s not a difficult problem...

The Minister wasn’t 100 per cent clear on the transfer assignment positions. Is that one that is affected and will be reduced, and will that mean there will be one person in the office after a certain period of time?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe in practical approaches to everyday problems. I believe we have a solution before us about this plastic bag problem, which is to use cloth bags or recyclable bags. In my household I try to lead by example. I have a six-year-old who often reminds me about stuff like that, because it’s the young kids who know all about this problem. They seem to be teaching us older folks.

We need some leadership from the Department of ENR on this issue. I’d certainly like to know and get some details as to where this government is on working toward eliminating, in a gradual...

Can I get some further details on this as to exactly what this lease commitment is and how it provides value to the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, and of course to the Government of the Northwest Territories?

I think that has satisfied my concerns at this time. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, could the Minister provide some information as to how those five positions ended up, or where they ended up? Were they transferred? If the positions were reduced, what happened to the employees in those particular cases? Were they transferred to empty positions, vacant positions, or are they still in stasis at this moment, waiting for the completion of the budget? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I see that there’s a reduction of 11 positions. I just wondered if the Premier — or I should say, the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, in this particular case, but obviously one and the same — had any comment as to the strategy to review this reduction, and if he had any comment on the work that was done to ensure that either these positions weren’t necessary or, furthermore, that this work could be picked up by other staff.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My last comment for opening remarks is I want to make note that it's good to see some ecoTrust money going to some good projects. I'd enjoy the fact that Public Works is working very hard to develop options like heat pumps and selling more wood boilers. It may not be the only solution to our energy crisis and the way it is, but the territorial government, as we all know, pays a fair amount in oil costs and to operate buildings. If we can find a cheaper solution, that certainly is a payback — within a reasonable amount of time, that is — I certainly support. That's...

Mr. Speaker, if I said today — simply just today — how much money is there in any incentive program for any employer to come in and tap into, so they could use that to leverage their own money in order to hire summer students…? Because, I think, as highlighted by the Minister and me yesterday, the territorial government can’t employ all the students; it certainly isn’t reasonable. We’ve only been able to employ approximately 60 per cent of what we had last year. The private sector wants to take it up. So what programs exist today that they could call to tap into to hire these extra students?