Mr. Chairman. This first come-first serve basis, where do you start? From the Beaufort or from this end?
Debates of Feb. 14th, 1997
Topics
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
Page 650
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
Page 650
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
Page 650
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you. We more or less try to be fair and equitable, Mr. Chairman, in this regard. The communities that are receiving this program, or are in the capital plan to receive this program, are perhaps all over the different areas. It is not from one end or the other. It is not from the Beaufort or from the south here. It is generally from all over, in the high Arctic, in the eastern Arctic as well as communities in the west territories. 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
Page 650
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Corporate services. Mr. Steen.
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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Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I would like to let the department know that I am in full support of this program. If there can be more funding identified in the future for this program I would appreciate it if he put my community on that list. I would like to ask one or two questions in regards to management. I presume management means and includes PYs. I would like to ask the Minister, how many project officers he presently has in Nunavut and where they are located?
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
Page 650
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you, Mr. Steen. The honourable Minister for Transportation, Mr. Antoine.
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
Page 650
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I did not get the question very clearly. Is the honourable Member asking how many project officers we have for access road programs, or is it a general question of how much is in the west and how much is in the east? 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
Page 650
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. On the list we have Mr. Steen, Mr. Ootes, Mr. Enuaraq, and Mr. Erasmus. Mr. Steen.
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
Page 650
Vince Steen Nunakput
Mr. Chairman, I am going to repeat my question, so I hope that you do not cross me off your list there. How many project officers does the department have in Nunavut, in the eastern Arctic, and where are they located?
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
Page 650
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. At this point you are supposed to have four questions, but I will give you one credit. You will have three questions at this point. 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
Page 650
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you. There are three project officers in the Nunavut territory and they are in Rankin Inlet. 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. Steen.
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
Page 651
Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Does the Minister feel confident that the department can carry out its mandate with the number of project officers it has?
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
Page 651
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Antoine.
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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Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the intention of this department was to staff more positions in the east. Upon request of the committee, we put that on hold until we figure out how to proceed from here. According to our plans, we hope to have three more project officers in the east in this 1997/98 fiscal year and a further four in the following year, in 1998/99. This is the plan for staffing for division. 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
Page 651
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Final supplementary, for the time being, Mr. Steen.
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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Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I have seen, over the winter, where DPW is actually advertising a contract that was under the responsibility of Transportation. Their explanation given was that Transportation did not have any project officers to carry out the job in Rankin Inlet. Now I hear from the Minister that he has three. Could the Minister explain why that job was taken over by DPW rather than Transportation?
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
Page 651
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. The honourable 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
Page 651
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, there are some projects that the Department of Public Works has taken on behalf of the Department of Transportation. There are a few. If the honourable Member could be more specific, perhaps we could answer, very specifically, to his request We have three project officers in the east, and if we need additional project officers, then we probably send project officers from the headquarters in Yellowknife into the areas where the department is handling the projects themselves. Again, there are some projects that the Department of Public Services is doing on behalf of the Department of Transportation. 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
Page 651
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Corporate services. We have Mr. Ootes.
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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Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have some comments and then a question. Mr. Steen made reference to the Ingraham Trail as an access road and the fact that it is regarded as a highway. It is Highway 4. I want to point out that there are many residents that live on that particular route. Additionally, it is a tourist resort area. There is a lot of tourism on that road in the summertime and it is a road to resources as well. So it is a multi-use highway. It is not a one purpose road, a small access road. My question is for the Minister. Considering the amount of traffic over the next couple of years that will be on the Ingraham Trail because of the development taking place north of Yellowknife through, first of all, BHP and, in all likelihood, another diamond mine, the Diavik project. So we will see very, very heavy traffic, both on the Mackenzie Highway and the Ingraham Trail. It has been a concern expressed before, about the safety on both those particular stretches; Rae to Yellowknife and Yellowknife on the Ingraham Trail. I wonder if the Minister could tell us if he has budgeted any funds in the coming years for the upgrading of Highway 4?
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. Ootes. I should have reminded Mr. Steen that the highway, under Transportation, is on page 10-18. Mr. Ootes, can you wait until we get to that particular page activity?.
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
Page 651
Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, and thank you for pointing that out to me, I will wait.
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
Page 651
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. We have Mr. Enuaraq. Mr. Ootes, are you still on? Okay, Mr. Enuaraq. 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
Page 651
Tommy Enuaraq Baffin Central
Qujannamiik. (Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I feel we do not really have any comments at the moment. I would like to go line by line, class by class. (Translation ends)