Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the previous Assembly, I was the Minister of DPW, as well as the Housing Corporation, and was in charge of the majority of the contracts for this government. Let me assure Members of this Legislative Assembly and the general public, when this government negotiates a contract, whether it be with the Gwich'in Development Corporation or Fort Good Hope or any other community, a negotiated contract is scrutinized more than any other contract in this government. We make sure that when you negotiate a contract with this government, you follow the principles that we lay out and you will hire north, you will hire local people. If you cannot find them at the local level, contractors or workers, you go to the regional level. Then you go to the territorial level. If you want to bring anybody in from southern Canada, it comes to my level, as a Minister. I was a Minister responsible for DPW and I remember making it very clear to a small community when they say, "We cannot find a foreman, we have to bring one in from the south." "Tough luck, then we go to public tender. You find your foremen in the north, you find your people in the north." Northerners will work with northerners on the negotiated contracts. They benefit everyone, especially the local people. So, they are scrutinized to the greatest extent and they are pure benefits that are real benefits to local people. That is what negotiated contracts do, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
Don Morin on Question 325-13(4): Negotiated Contracts
In the Legislative Assembly on February 14th, 1997. See this statement in context.
Further Return To Question 325-13(4): Negotiated Contracts
Question 325-13(4): Negotiated Contracts
Item 6: Oral Questions
February 13th, 1997
Page 643
Don Morin Tu Nedhe
See context to find out what was said next.