Debates of Feb. 12th, 1997

This is page numbers 557 - 601 of the Hansard for the 13th Assembly, 4th 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.

Topics

Members Present
Item 1: Prayer
Television Program On Suicide Prevention
Federal Support For The Western Constitutional Process
Recognition Of Maca Staff By The Yellowknife Women's Society
Notification Of Job Losses
Fire Education Programs
Priorities For The Balance Of The Term
Western Constitutional Process
Impact Of Anti-seal Hunting Groups
Funding For Day Care Centres
Socio-economic Benefit Agreements
Yellowknife Women's Centre
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Fire Education Programs
Notification Of Job Losses
Diamond Evaluation Facility
Student's Concerns With Assistance
Vacant Positions In Rwed
Protection Of Democratic Rights
Staff Training Programs
Funding For Day Care
Education Board Funding
Seniors' Fuel Wood From Correction Centre
Written Question 15-13(4): Information On Grievances
Written Question 16-13(4): Staff Training Participation Levels
Item 13: Tabling Of Documents
Seniors' Fuel Subsidy Program
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Report Of Committee Of The Whole
Item 22: Orders Of The Day

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Merci. Mr. Henry.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Seamus Henry Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Recently computer services were privatized and my understanding is the Department of Public Works and Services had the complete responsibility for this. Could the Minister confirm if that is accurate?

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. Mr. Minister?

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Goo Arlooktoo Baffin South

Mr. Chairman, the privatization initiative was spearheaded by Public Works and Services staff, the actual legwork but the policy level work was done by informatics policy committee made up of deputy ministers of several departments.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. Directorate, Mr. Henry?

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Seamus Henry Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This committee, informatics group, were they working under the auspices of Public Works?

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. Mr. Minister?

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Goo Arlooktoo Baffin South

Mr. Chairman, the chair of the informatics committee is the deputy minister of FMBS, but members include staff from Public Works and Services, RWED, Education and one other department.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Qujannamiik. Mr. Henry.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Seamus Henry Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. What portion of the work, I guess I am trying to find out, I hear you mentioning RWED's involvement there, that involvement seems to be on a committee. Did RWED have other involvement in the privatization initiative? Thank you.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Goo Arlooktoo Baffin South

Mr. Chairman, the staff of RWED were members on the steering committee and on the working committee on this privatization and others. They did a lot of work putting information analysis together for the privatization initiative.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you, Directorate. Mr. Henry, this will be question number five.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Seamus Henry Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Was RWED a lead department in this privatization initiative?

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Don Morin Tu Nedhe

RWED was involved, but I as I said this was the informatics committee, which oversaw this, chaired by the deputy minister of FMBS.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you, Directorate. Mr. Henry?

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Seamus Henry Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We will get another round later, I take it? Thank you, that was my understanding of it too. The Minister and the staff had presented this to the Infrastructure Committee of which I am a member, prior to it proceeding. I did not recall any involvement in particular and certainly not this elite department, RWED. I am wondering if that privatization initiative was considered a success, maybe the Minister can comment on whether he thinks it was a success or not but if it was considered a success, why now, when we get to the consideration of privatization of petroleum services? Why is another department coming and supposedly being the lead department in this initiative? Thank you.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. The Honourable Minister for Public Works and Services, Mr. Arlooktoo.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Goo Arlooktoo Baffin South

Mr. Chairman, we are very optimistic that the privatized services of the one half of the computer functions will be successful but they have only been recently given the contract and then it will be sometime before we can analyze to see if it was successful in cost savings, et cetera. We are very optimistic. The issue about RWED being the lead on other privatization initiatives, the department RWED, formerly Economic Development and Tourism, is a department with the expertise on economics, business, et cetera that we require and use for these initiatives and it may or may not be spreading the work around rather than anything else.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. Before I move on to or recognize Mr. Roland, I would like to recognize Mr. Ashoona, his daughter Gutta and granddaughter Mary and son-inlaw Bob Goosey. Mr. Ashoona is a constituent of Mr. Arlooktoo and is the 1997 recipient of the Aboriginal Achievement Award.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Members

Applause.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. Qujannamiik. Welcome. I have directorate, Mr. Roland.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. A couple of lines of questions but I will start with one here. I understand in a non-competitive contract that Public Works and Services itself is unable to go through that system that it has to go through Cabinet?

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. Mr. Minister?