This is page numbers 1165 - 1196 of the Hansard for the 12th Assembly, 7th 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 liquor.

Topics

The Speaker

The Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Cournoyea.

Return To Question 524-12(7): Advertisements For Orthodontic Services For Inuvik Region
Question 524-12(7): Advertisements For Orthodontic Services For Inuvik Region
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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Mr. Speaker, the information that I have here in terms of the status of the Inuvik Regional Health Board's proposal call for orthodontic services is that they have made their selection and have identified who they will be awarding the contract to.

However, the honourable Member is correct in saying that they are presently awaiting the authorization to purchase the equipment that would be necessary to have the orthodontist do the work out of the Inuvik Regional Hospital. Mr. Speaker, that is in the process and, hopefully, that will be resolved very shortly.

As Minister responsible, I perhaps slowed the process down a bit because I wanted to make sure that was the best possible deal that we could get given that there was another service available for dental care in Inuvik. So, I am now satisfied that the best choice was made and will move as quickly as possible to get the necessary paperwork to have the authorization completed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 524-12(7): Advertisements For Orthodontic Services For Inuvik Region
Question 524-12(7): Advertisements For Orthodontic Services For Inuvik Region
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The Speaker

Item 6, oral questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Jeannie Marie-Jewell Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have another question for the Minister responsible for fire suppression. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I asked the Minister about standards used in the request for proposals. The Minister referred to Transport Canada's basic standards for fixed-wing aircraft. He further stated that any other standards such as the number of hours required and the experience of pilots are set by the senior management of this government. The request for proposals indicated specific standards, presumably those which the senior management felt were necessary to do the job. Can the Minister explain what changed, in between when the request for proposals was prepared and when the contract was awarded, to allow those standards to be relaxed in terms of pilots' experience? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Minister responsible for forest fire management, Mr. Morin.

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Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A request for proposals is exactly that. It is a request for proposals to northern companies to offer up their services. There are certain standards in the request for proposal that are in there bemuse of MOT and licences that are required that have to be adhered to. There are other standards we would like to see but we would accept other qualifications and give us your proposal.

That's the whole idea. For example, maybe some pilots did not have 20 years' fire experience, but what Members must understand is that these standards have been set over a period of 20 years and they are set from a ratchet effect. For example, maybe you only needed two hours' firefighting experience 20 years ago, but as Con Air got 20 hours then it moved up. Every time the past contractor got the hours that were needed, then all of a sudden the hours moved up, and we call that a "ratchet effect." So, for example, if you were to supply a DC-6 you would have to supply it with only a certain size cargo door. Who paid for that? We did. It cost $1 million. Now, it is part of the standard so how can other people compete? We have to change that, we have to change the attitude of how we tendered and we have to change it so it benefits northern people. That's what happens. This contract benefits northern people.

For example, maybe a pilot didn't have 10,000 hours of firefighting experience, but I know about the pilots in command of DC aircraft and land-based air tankers. One has 16,000 hours of experience, 15,500 hours in the Canadian army. Another pilot in command has 12,300 hours of flying experience and seven years of fire suppression with a DC-6 in NWT, Alberta, Saskatchewan and BC. That's acceptable to us, there's no problem. A pilot who is second in command has 2,500 hours with a DC-4 and three years in the NWT. He can haul men and equipment for forestry each summer. He's also the company's safety officer. He's acceptable to us.

Another pilot who is second in command has three years in the NWT, has 2,100 hours flying experience in a DC-4, and has hauled men and equipment for forestry for three summers as well. Then we have reserve pilots for these aircraft with 18,000 hours; 23,000 hours; 15,000 hours; 3,000 hours in a Bird Dog aircraft; 30 years in the NWT. All these things are acceptable to us as a government for awarding this contract to a northern company. I can go on and on about these peoples' experience. As far as I'm concerned, they're experienced, they meet the standards that we have mutually agreed to, and we are going to fight fires with them this summer. Thank you.

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The Speaker

Thank you. Supplementary, Mrs. Marie Jewell.

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Jeannie Marie-Jewell Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know the Minister can go on and on and on about all the experience, but I think the Minister has missed my point, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when this government develops a request for proposal, they develop certain standards to be adhered to in that proposal call. That's how they judge whether a proposal should be granted. Transport Canada requirements are totally different than the standards set by the senior management of this government. The standards of the senior management of this government are basically set because they want to know what they want to use with regard to speciality aviation.

Therefore, in as much as a pilot has thousands of hours of experience flying people, that is a totally different experience from going in to attack a fire where the conditions are totally different. Therefore, I'll ask the Minister again, can he explain what changed in the process, between the request for proposals when it was prepared and the contract which was awarded, which allowed those standards to be relaxed? What changed in the process? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 525-12(7): Changes In Basic Standards For Fixed-wing Aircraft
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The Speaker

Mr. Morin.

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Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like I have said many times, that is the process for requests for proposals. You go out with a request for proposals and you ask people to propose to you what they will offer for services. That's what was done. We evaluated it, and that is the job of the senior management committee that was in place. They evaluated that, we saw where we got the best bang for our dollar and we saved $4.8 million over five years. We awarded it to Buffalo Airways and they'll be out fighting fires.

I take the safety concerns of Bird Dog officers very seriously. We are addressing them and, hopefully, they will be addressed today. Thank you.

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The Speaker

Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

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Jeannie Marie-Jewell Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister, what are Transport Canada's requirements. Thank you.

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The Speaker

Mr. Morin.

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Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will supply that to the Member. She asked for that information through a written question, so that information is coming. I don't have that at my fingertips. Thank you.

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The Speaker

Final supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

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Jeannie Marie-Jewell Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I asked the Minister for a copy of the request for proposals, which I still have not received. However, I do know that when they ask for air crews for land-based air tanker aircraft, which are DC-4s, this government's requirements requested 500 forest fire environment lying hours. Now, why would this government ask for 500 forest fire flying environment hours for pilots and not adhere to that request in the proposal call? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 525-12(7): Changes In Basic Standards For Fixed-wing Aircraft
Question 525-12(7): Changes In Basic Standards For Fixed-wing Aircraft
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The Speaker

Mr. Morin.

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Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like I previously tried to tell the Member, with requests for proposals, the standards are there. There are certain standards that have to be adhered to for Transport Canada. There are certain standards that we, as a government, put in place. We are allowed with requests for proposals to mutually agree with the successful contractor as to what is acceptable to us for pilots, as well as aircraft. That is what we've done. Now, after we awarded this contract and came to the orientation time, there was a safety concern raised by our Bird Dog officers. We are addressing that concern. We are taking that concern seriously and, like I said before, hopefully today it will be addressed. Thank you.

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The Speaker

Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Zoe.

Henry Zoe

Henry Zoe North Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Transportation. There are a number of transportation initiatives being undertaken by the department in the Dogrib/North Slave region. The most obvious, Mr. Speaker, is the large project to upgrade the highway from Rae to Yellowknife, where almost $20 million will be spent over the next five years to re-engineer, straighten and eventually to repave the highway.

This project and others, Mr. Speaker, in the area, will obviously have a great impact on the region. So, I would like to ask the Minister who his department consulted with in the planning of these projects in the Dogrib/North Slave region. Thank you.

The Speaker

Minister of Transportation, Mr. Todd.

Return To Question 526-12(7): GNWT Consultation Re Projects For North Slave Region
Question 526-12(7): GNWT Consultation Re Projects For North Slave Region
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John Todd Keewatin Central

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I'm slightly confused. Consulted about what? Thank you.

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Question 526-12(7): GNWT Consultation Re Projects For North Slave Region
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The Speaker

Are you asking a question of Mr. Zoe?

--- Laughter

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Question 526-12(7): GNWT Consultation Re Projects For North Slave Region
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John Todd Keewatin Central

Well, I need further clarification, Mr. Speaker. Does he mean consult about who gets the contracts? Does he mean consult about whether chip seal is used? I would just like some clarification about "consultation." It's a pretty broad word.

Return To Question 526-12(7): GNWT Consultation Re Projects For North Slave Region
Question 526-12(7): GNWT Consultation Re Projects For North Slave Region
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The Speaker

Supplementary, Mr. Zoe.