Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will not be asking any questions, as opposed to making several comments, and maybe raising a couple of concerns that I am hoping the Minister will address. Mr. Chairman, I want to indicate that when he first had the motion for the audit come forward, I would have supported the motion. I think the idea of the audit is necessary. However, I do have a couple of other issues before we get on with concluding this particular item.
One, a more specific constituency issue, and that happens to be what is going to happen to the Aklavik plant? It is not clear yet. I do not necessarily need the answer today, as opposed to asking the Minister if she could have, at least, someone contact me as to what we intend to do.
Secondly, about a year ago I raised a concern with the former Minister about the increase in qualification that are being requested for plant supervisors, and area supervisors. There is still movement afoot, to move from stationary engineer, or those kinds of qualifications, into an engineering degree. I am concerned about that because what bothers me is, I have always been under the impression that those that have had 15 or 20 years experience in the system, know the system, and education does not necessarily mean being qualified as an engineer, or an engineering degree. It means that you can answer those questions, that most people who know and work in the plants understand and know about.
So, it still is a concern to me. The other thing is that it concerns me in that community people who have worked in the system, for many years are, in fact, going to be left out in the process. That may not have been the intention, but I can tell you that the facts are that people are being asked to leave jobs, and locations, because they do not meet the qualifications now being requested by the Power Corporation.
I think the suggestions in the requirements that are being requested are in some cases ludicrous, to say the least, and I think if the intention is to improve the quality of people, then my suggestion is at least train those that are on site now, so that they can manage the systems. I think it is wrong to not take care of those who have put in their time, and their efforts, bringing in new people from southern Canada, just to manage our system. I think we should take care of those who have made a commitment in the north first.
I will raise other concerns with the Minister, but those are just the two issues that I wanted the Minister to deal with. She does not have to deal with them now, Mr. Chairman, but I wanted to raise them now, and she can respond to me through a written ledger, or some information, if that is the way she wants to deal with the issue.