Debates of October 26, 2006 (day 16)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to talk briefly about the capital planning process and what I think are deficiencies that I think are costing us probably an extra 30 percent of our capital budget and the steps that we could take, I think, to remedy that and put much needed dollars back into the process.

The question is very simple: Why is it that a homeowner that’s going to build a house will manage to have the supplies on the ground in late winter, just before spring, so that when the ground thaws they are doing footings and the outside construction? Why is it that Diavik Diamond Mines, for example, a huge capital project out on the barren lands, could get their supplies in over tremendous distance and difficulty on the ground and get their mine built on schedule and on budget? How is it that Diavik Mines can come into Yellowknife -- one of our best corporate citizens, I might add -- can come into Yellowknife and pick up two big projects and bring them in on time and under budget? When, as a government, we routinely take extraordinary amounts of time to plan, design, and then finally build, and when the homeowner and major construction projects are going inside in the winter to do the inside work we are breaking ground to pour concrete?

The issue to me, Mr. Speaker, is very simple. It’s bedevilled us now for decades. I’ve worked for 20 years with the government and I put in 11 years in this Legislature and we constantly struggle with what do we do with our capital planning process to make it more efficient. Yet we have never, in my opinion, taken the time to look at the process from this particular forum right up to delivery on the ground with the project. It is my contention, Mr. Speaker, that we could save probably up to 30 percent of our capital budget if in fact we could readjust how we do our planning right from this Legislature to the ground. We should be able to duplicate what the business community can do with major projects, what the homeowner can do. I would suggest that as we look forward here that we should take the time, in fact, to look at that process. I will say once again that I believe we can save up to 30 percent of what we now spend on our capital budget and I would further suggest that we might want to take the opportunity, if necessary, to ask Diavik or one of those very successful companies to take a look at how we do business, to help us out. Thank you.

---Applause