Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the Premier and I differ on types of camps that should be at the border. She comes from a mining background, and I'm from the other side of the tracks, which is oil and gas. We are used to something fairly comfortable.
I've been getting complaints and concerns about the accommodation at the border, and partly because it is a tent-type facility similar to a weather haven facility. I understand the camp will be there for the rest of the winter. Just to alleviate some of the concerns by the people that are staying there because they're talking about possibly quitting and not going back, I just want to make sure that we address it before we get too far into it.
The first question for the Premier: my understanding from local service providers that they were never made aware that those services were to be contracted out, camp services. When I hear concerns about questionable hiring processes and now the contracting-out services, it makes me wonder who's in charge. I ask the Minister: was the camp infrastructure for Highway No. 1 put out to tender? If not, why, considering I made you aware of this well in advance? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Honourable Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will start with the first part of that because I heard two questions in that one. Who's in charge? Definitely, the buck stops here is what people have told me. I'm in charge of it. However, as the Minister responsible for the secretariat, at no time do I micromanage. My direction to departments is not which contractor to hire or which person to hire. My direction to departments has been: make sure the money stays in the North that you're contracting with Northern companies, especially during the time of COVID-19 and our economy in a slump. My other direction to departments isn't about whether you hire one individual or another; it's: make sure you're hiring affirmative-action candidates is my direction. I just want to clarify that that's -- after that, then, I trust my deputy minister, associate deputy minister in this case, would heed my directions and move appropriately.
With the other question in the same question which was: was the camp infrastructure put out to tender? In this case, Mr. Speaker, it wasn't. There are allocations within our financial act that says that, if procurement is under a certain amount, you don't have to go through that process. I think that's just recently been changed, though, if I remember right. This time, time was limited. We approached a number of northern companies that could provide the service. We also asked for other companies' names that we thought could provide it.
In the end, Mr. Speaker, though, we did contract with a northern company to provide the services for the camp, and because the camp actually -- at this point, when we first put the camp facilities in, we did realize that we were one unit short. In that case, we did contracts with a South Slave company who had agreed to put that camp in place. Two northern companies. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank the Premier for that answer, and I am glad that she is looking to companies out of Hay River because there are a lot of camp shacks sitting in Hay River, a lot of equipment sitting there that could do the job. The other issue that I have is with respect to camp services. You have water delivery, sewer pump-outs. You need diesel and propane delivery. You need snow clearing, fueling of generators and heaters, communication. I am asking the Premier: was or will these services be tendered out, as well?
A lot of those services actually were needed throughout the summer. We have been operating at the border in that area since COVID-19 came to the North, so a lot of those actually are services that are currently provided by South Slave companies. We recently just put out requests for quotes for snow removal, camp cleaning, and garbage removal. Again, we have asked those from South Slave companies, so more than just northern companies, from regional based companies.
We are dealing with electrical, fuel, and propane equipment. Some of these components require tradespeople when things go sideways. Are those persons, whether it be staff or contractors, qualified to provide the camp maintenance service if there are even camp maintenance services available? My understanding is that we are expecting those monitoring the border to provide some or all of those functions. This just does not make sense to me, so I am just asking the Premier what the department is doing to ensure that those services are provided in a safe manner and that we have got qualified people.
At no time, actually, should border personnel be providing services such as camp maintenance, especially if we are talking about things like electrical and things like that. Those are trades that need to have skilled personnel. Now, I do know that sometimes people will go above and beyond and kind of help out with things as needed. It's not a requirement, Mr. Speaker, and, in fact, it's not even promoted. If it is a skilled trade, no one who does not have that trade certification should be doing it. At this point, all of the camp maintenance is being provided by South Slave companies.
For camps to be established in the NWT, in most instances, there are inspections and permitting required. I would ask the Premier: were the fire marshal, WSCC, health, electrical, and gas inspectors provided advance notice that the camp at the border was to be installed? For the safety of the employees, has the process for installation of camps been followed, or is it not required in this instance? As well, I would ask the Premier: if these shelters that they have out there are not sufficient, will the Premier consider replacing them with self-contained modular units?
The MLA is getting a lot of questions in these four questions. What I can say, Mr. Speaker, is that, when we put out a contract, we do not go to the fire marshal, WSCC, health, gas inspectors, et cetera; we expect the contractors to do that. Otherwise, we would never get any projects off the ground. Any contractor who applies on things is expected to have those in place. If there is a complaint or an issue that is concerning, let me know, and we will check into it because all contractors should be following the legislation and the regulations. If not, that is a more serious issue than camp borders. What I can say, though, as well, is: I made a commitment to the MLA, and I am upholding that, is that right after session is finished, I think it's mid-November, I have committed to going down and seeing those camps myself, recognizing that I am a diamond-driller's daughter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Honourable Premier. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
