This is page numbers 965 - 992 of the Hansard for the 12th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was chairman.

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Further Return To Question 443-12(5): Reasons For Terminating Hay River Group Home Contract
Question 443-12(5): Reasons For Terminating Hay River Group Home Contract
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Rebecca Mike Baffin Central

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The department does.

Further Return To Question 443-12(5): Reasons For Terminating Hay River Group Home Contract
Question 443-12(5): Reasons For Terminating Hay River Group Home Contract
Item 5: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

Supplementary To Question 443-12(5): Reasons For Terminating Hay River Group Home Contract
Question 443-12(5): Reasons For Terminating Hay River Group Home Contract
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Fred Koe Inuvik

I know the department does, but who in the department? Is it the Minister, the deputy minister, the regional superintendent or a social worker who has the ultimate authority to terminate this contract?

Supplementary To Question 443-12(5): Reasons For Terminating Hay River Group Home Contract
Question 443-12(5): Reasons For Terminating Hay River Group Home Contract
Item 5: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Minister of Social Services, Ms. Mike.

Further Return To Question 443-12(5): Reasons For Terminating Hay River Group Home Contract
Question 443-12(5): Reasons For Terminating Hay River Group Home Contract
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Rebecca Mike Baffin Central

Thank you, Madam Speaker. In this particular contract, I have not examined who has the authority. But, under the recommendations of the regional superintendent, the deputy minister of Social Services terminated the contract.

Further Return To Question 443-12(5): Reasons For Terminating Hay River Group Home Contract
Question 443-12(5): Reasons For Terminating Hay River Group Home Contract
Item 5: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Baffin South, Mr. Pudlat.

Kenoayoak Pudlat Baffin South

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to direct this question to the Minister of the Housing Corporation. I received a letter from Sanikiluaq about a contract. The contractor in Sanikiluaq, Kawtak, owns 51 per cent of the company. The other partners have 49 per cent ownership. The 51 per cent owners of this company requested that they be awarded the contract for the extension to the school, the construction of a garage, work on the airstrip and also some housing initiatives.

They have been trying to get this contract for quite awhile and it is going to have to be decided upon very quickly. The contractors in Sanikiluaq have been trying to get some information from the government about this contract. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Morin.

Return To Question 444-12(5): Information Re Contract For Kawtak Contracting Limited
Question 444-12(5): Information Re Contract For Kawtak Contracting Limited
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have received the letter from Sanikiluaq and I'll be looking into the matter. But, I'm also aware that 49 per cent of this company is owned by a southern-based company. That issue will have to be addressed because there's no way, I believe, that we, as a government, can negotiate with any joint venture where dollars from the Northwest Territories will be flowing south. There are many contractors and construction companies in the north that are willing to work with the Development Corporation and small community groups to help them develop. I encourage people to use and buy northern products. Thank you.

Return To Question 444-12(5): Information Re Contract For Kawtak Contracting Limited
Question 444-12(5): Information Re Contract For Kawtak Contracting Limited
Item 5: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Iqaluit, Mr. Patterson.

Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Minister responsible for the Power Corporation. Madam Speaker, I drew to the Minister's attention, my displeasure with the way a relatively minor maintenance contract has been tendered for plant maintenance work in Iqaluit. My concern was that the documents for this tender had to be picked up at the Power Corporation's head office in Hay River, they had to be returned to the Power Corporation's head office in Hay River, they were tendered in a period during which the Easter break occurs -- thus further limiting the time available -- and they were advertised in News/North, a newspaper that does not widely circulate in Iqaluit, and not Nunatsiaq News, a paper that does widely circulate in Iqaluit.

I would like to ask the Minister responsible -- and I do appreciate that she's made some efforts to get the documents to my constituent who had complained -- on a broader basis, how could such a thing have happened in the Power Corporation?

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Madam Premier.

Return To Question 445-12(5): Nwtpc Tendering Process
Question 445-12(5): Nwtpc Tendering Process
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, in the matter of advertising, I believe the Power Corporation, in the majority of cases, has taken into consideration all suggestions on how to maximize contracts and dollars they spend on northern businesses. I believe that this case was an oversight. It did not get advertised in the Nunatsiaq News where it should have been advertised and I think there has been added direction given that this should not happen again. Thank you.

Return To Question 445-12(5): Nwtpc Tendering Process
Question 445-12(5): Nwtpc Tendering Process
Item 5: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Supplementary To Question 445-12(5): Nwtpc Tendering Process
Question 445-12(5): Nwtpc Tendering Process
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

I'm glad to hear that, Madam Speaker, thank you. This is a relatively minor contract in the scheme of things for the Power Corporation and is obviously related directly to the local plant, but would it not be more appropriate that plant superintendents be delegated authority to make decisions and deal with issues locally rather than through the central office in Hay River? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 445-12(5): Nwtpc Tendering Process
Question 445-12(5): Nwtpc Tendering Process
Item 5: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Madam Premier.

Further Return To Question 445-12(5): Nwtpc Tendering Process
Question 445-12(5): Nwtpc Tendering Process
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, the simple answer to that is no. At one time there was some delegation of contracts in various regions and I believe that the consolidated approach was in response to a lot of suggestions by businessmen saying that if it would be given the proper lead time, the fact that everyone has faxes and does a lot of work on telephones, it would be more appropriate and easier to know there is one location for contracts to be awarded from and tendered from. That was done with the inclusion of some of the comments by businesses. The Power Corporation wanted to streamline how they did business and advertised, and I think the way they have it now has not been the reason this item fell through the cracks. I'm really hard pressed to tell our business operation -- that doesn't have the same volume or flexibility as government -- how to run their business. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 445-12(5): Nwtpc Tendering Process
Question 445-12(5): Nwtpc Tendering Process
Item 5: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Supplementary To Question 445-12(5): Nwtpc Tendering Process
Question 445-12(5): Nwtpc Tendering Process
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

Madam Speaker, I understand that the Power Corporation has recently hired a very experienced and capable manager to run the operation in Iqaluit which, I believe, oversees other communities. I would like to ask the Minister if the corporation is not willing to give decision-making authority to that and other senior managers who are located in the field, then why do we pay them well and hire qualified people if all important decisions are going to be made in head office?

Supplementary To Question 445-12(5): Nwtpc Tendering Process
Question 445-12(5): Nwtpc Tendering Process
Item 5: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Madam Premier.

Further Return To Question 445-12(5): Nwtpc Tendering Process
Question 445-12(5): Nwtpc Tendering Process
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, the manager is to keep the power plants operating. Tenders and paper work is paper work. The qualifications to try to keep the power generation going in small communities is a priority of the Power Corporation. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 445-12(5): Nwtpc Tendering Process
Question 445-12(5): Nwtpc Tendering Process
Item 5: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Final supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Supplementary To Question 445-12(5): Nwtpc Tendering Process
Question 445-12(5): Nwtpc Tendering Process
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I think it's obvious I'm not going to win this argument with the honourable Minister. But I would like to ask her this...I will give up on delegating authority to the field, maybe I'll get more sympathy in other quarters. I would like to ask the honourable Minister if contracts, even local maintenance contracts, are going to be dealt with from Hay River, would the Minister at least agree -- since these are of primary interest in the local community -- that it would make sense that the documents be made available at the local Power Corporation office in that community, and that the documents could be submitted and tendered within the deadline through the local office in the community, rather than having to go through the trouble and expense of retrieving and then sending them by courier to Hay River, which is some considerable distance for Iqaluit? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 445-12(5): Nwtpc Tendering Process
Question 445-12(5): Nwtpc Tendering Process
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 979

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Madam Premier.

Further Return To Question 445-12(5): Nwtpc Tendering Process
Question 445-12(5): Nwtpc Tendering Process
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, it's my understanding that the information is available at the regional levels, because the Power Corporation does give out a plan on what work is to be done in the preceding year. I will see what can be done to make sure that the information flow and the fact that this information and accommodation of people getting papers back and forth is able to be accommodated a little bit better. Thank you.