This is page numbers 41 - 72 of the Hansard for the 13th Assembly, 8th 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 information.

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David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is in response to the Minister of Transportation, Highway System Improvements statement. I would like to thank the Minister for taking a drive down the Dempster Highway from Inuvik to Eagle Plains. I think he picked the time when the highway was probably in the best condition. He should have been there two weeks earlier when it rained for two weeks, in which we had potholes galore. I would like to thank the transportation staff and the people that maintained the Dempster Highway because I believe with their hard work and effort they did bring the highway up to a suitable standard.

My concern is that we have to find new means of improving the road conditions not only on the Dempster Highway, but the Liard Highway. The highway systems are presently gravelled surface. I would like to ask the Minister in light of his trip to Ottawa to meet with the Canadian Transport Minister and also in consideration of National Highway Strategy, would he also consider meeting with the Research Council of Canada to find possible new methods and new means of resurfacing the highway systems which are presently being constructed with gravel and the ones that are presently not being paved or where chipseal is being used, if we can find an alternative source to maintain the surface of those highway systems so that we do have a better highway system so when it does rain for ten days or two weeks that it does not turn into a washboard and that we have potholes all over the place. Will the Minister, consider if this is a possibility of something that he can look at with his department, federal counterparts and also the federal Minister of Transportation?

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Steen.

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Vince Steen

Vince Steen Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for his comments on the condition of the highways. It was not my choice that we drove at that particular time. We did experience good weather going ahead, but it was raining all the way back from Eagle Plains to Inuvik, so we did not have all good weather. We saw the highway in both extremes of the weather conditions. We had no problems, Mr. Speaker, maintaining cruising speed within the speed limits. The highway condition was good. As far as including or considering new alternatives or new technology to maintain highway surfaces, Mr. Speaker, the department on an ongoing basis is continually in touch with other jurisdictions as to new technology being used. The highway staff is fairly up to date, the engineering staff is fairly up to date on other alternatives. However, there is no cheap alternative. They are all expensive. It brings to light, the major question here is there proper funding to maintain highway surfaces. I appreciate the Member's suggestions and we will take them into consideration. If, in fact, there is opportunity to gain further information at the meeting down south with the other transportation Ministers I will bring this up as well. Thank you.

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

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David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the conditions that we probably will not see in other parts of Canada except maybe in the Yukon, is that we do live in a different environment than the rest of Canada and we do have to take into account that we do have certain difficulties that we have to overcome such as the weather, permafrost, and other extremes which we have no control over. I would like the Minister to raise these concerns with his southern counterparts, but also make them aware that we are unique, we do have different challenges than they do. When it comes to funding, which you made reference to, we can access more funding to improve our road conditions in the North and I believe that is possibly one of the biggest factors is the lack of funding to do an adequate job to improve our road conditions so it is safe, not only at certain times of the year, but year round. I would like to ask the Minister to consider those points when he meets with his southern counterparts and raise them in light that we do have unique conditions that we operate under so that he can bring back the bacon along with some more money. Thank you.

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Steen.

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Vince Steen

Vince Steen Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department will be suggesting at the meeting of the Transportation Ministers that a formula other than the length of the roads in each jurisdiction be used to arrive at a fair distribution of the funds for the National Highway Strategy. It is hoped that in this way we will achieve and obtain more funding than we would if we just used our kilometres that are in the Northwest Territories that would be considered as part of the national highway system. If we, in fact, obtain this, well then that would loosen up more funding, Mr. Speaker, that we could use towards improving the other highways in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

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David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe one of the areas that the department could seriously consider looking at is the whole area of a pilot project which we could do in conjunction with the federal government through the National Transportation Strategy and also the Research Council of Canada. I will use an example, in the Yukon a part of the Dempster Highway just north of the turn off of the first 15 kilometres they started to chipseal just to test it out as a pilot project. I would like to ask the Minister if he would consider the possibility of looking at using the Dempster Highway on the NWT side as an area of a possible pilot project so that we can look at such an initiative? Thank you.

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Steen.

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Vince Steen

Vince Steen Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am sure the department will consider the Member's suggestions. Thank you.

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Final supplementary. Mr. Krutko.

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David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister if he can get back to me regarding what ever comes out of his talks with his federal counterparts and the other jurisdictions in Canada so that we can see what method we can use to ensure this pilot project does take root and will be carried out in the next couple of years. Thank you.

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Steen.

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Vince Steen

Vince Steen Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think that what ever the department comes up with as ways to improve the highway system and the highway services would be reflected in the business plans and whatever plans we would have would be discussed with the committees at that time. If the committee Members have suggestions as to possible options to improving the services of the department we would be wide open to suggestions. Thank you. Mr. Speaker.

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Mr. Henry.

Seamus Henry Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to Mr. Miltenberger, with responsibility for the Workers' Compensation Board. Yesterday, Bill 5, An Act to Amend the Workers' Compensation Act, was passed in the Legislature. My question to the Minister is does this legislation prohibit the ability of workers to sue their employers? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. I will have to rule the question out of order. Bill 5 is in the orders for today for third reading. You cannot ask questions on bills that are on the order paper. Oral questions. Mr. Ootes.

Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for Mr. Miltenberger, the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment. Teachers outside of Yellowknife region are back to school this fall Mr. Speaker, and contract negotiations are ongoing, but I understand that mediation talks are scheduled now to get things back on track for November 3, 4, and 5, 1999. In the mean time, teachers may be carrying out some job action. It is possible such strike action might be taken. There is ongoing concern, Mr. Speaker, with regard to the retention of teachers here in the Territories. In Hay River there is a turn over of nine staffing positions there. Other provinces we know are having similar difficulties. British Columbia and Ontario apparently have not been able to fill all of their positions. The crunch is here and it is not getting any easier.

In April of this year, the Minister indicated that teacher recruitment and retention would be addressed through wages and benefits in the current contract negotiations. These negotiations, as I have mentioned earlier, currently are stalled. Contract talks maybe the only place where this can be resolved. My question, Mr. Speaker, is because of the difficulty of retaining and attracting teachers, are we doing any sort of negotiations with other provinces to see how the issue of teachers supply can be addressed? Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Miltenberger.

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Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I have indicated in this House previously, the turn over rate has dropped from 18 percent in the previous year to 12 percent. It is still a concern for us that we have teachers, preferably northern teachers, in all of our schools. At the end of this month I am heading out to the council of Ministers of Education of Canada meeting in Victoria and one of the issues that we hope to address is that very issue that my honourable colleague has raised in his question. Thank you.

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Ootes.

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Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you. I preface my remarks with regard to the contract and mediation talks. Could the Minister update us as to what the status is and just tell us where we are at? Thank you.

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Miltenberger.

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Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my colleague laid out very clearly the status. There have been settlements in Yellowknife in the same ballpark that was settled in the UNW, but in the communities outside of Yellowknife, it is going to mediation as my colleague indicated and we are hopeful at that point that we will be able to get beyond of this current impasse. Thank you.