Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure. Does the Minister understand the difference between a joint venture and an Indigenous government? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will take that on notice.
Thank you. Oral questions. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Question 1076-19(2):
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure and also the Minister of Northwest Territories Power Corporation.
Can the Minister explain to me what policy process was used to negotiate the fivekilometre access road to the wind project, which was awarded to a consortium led by an Alberta company? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories Power Corporation follows a different procurement services than the GNWT. So, I mean, we brought that to Cabinet and Cabinet approved the work going forward with the business. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this money was approved in the House by the Members and by processes, loopholes, it gets moved around, it gets moved to the Crown corporation led by our deputy ministers. So can the Minister explain the process in the negotiation to select that they used to select the contractors? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member was cutting in and out there so I think I kind of understand what she's asking.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if this is a new policy or process that we are going to be moving money around to Crown corporations so we don't have to follow government procurement, can you provide me or this House with the copy of how that's done so that maybe all the other aboriginal groups can negotiate in the same way? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have done that in the past; we have worked with Tlicho government and some negotiated contracts for some of the work, which included some P3 projects and, you know, right now the Department of Finance is going through the procurement process so hopefully that would guide some directions on how this government goes forward on some contracts. Thanks.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know, Mr. Speaker, I understand that there's big projects, or P3 projects. This is a fivekilometre road, an access road. It's not even a road; it's an access road. So if this is the new process, it's the first time that I have heard of it. If we are negotiating with Alberta companies, then I think that it's time that we reviewed that process because I am sure that there are at least four other aboriginal road building companies in Inuvik, Fort McPherson, and Tuk, that could have been negotiated with. Not being led by an Alberta company where the money's going to leave the North in the time of economic recovery that is needed for our region. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this government, and this Assembly, had said we would work with Indigenous groups to look at ways of doing things differently. So the Inuvik Wind Project, we reached out to the Gwich'in businesses. The Gwich'in, and they provided us with their list, and that's how we were able to say do some of that work going forward. Yes, it is a fivekilometre work and you look at the total Inuvik Wind Project and that's probably just going to be one piece of the bigger work that needs to be done to complete the wind project. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions, Member for Hay River South.
