This is page numbers 39 - 64 of the Hansard for the 16th Assembly, 1st 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 agreement.

Topics

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Roland.

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as in my initial response as Premier, I will undertake to look at this matter of where we have gone at that point, sit down with Members to see what the next steps may be that we may look at as an Assembly. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I feel very strongly that we need to learn a lesson in what happened here. The only way for me to get some satisfaction that we have learned a lesson is to find out exactly what happened, who the players were and why that agreement was signed on September 28th . Can I ask

the Premier to find out why that agreement was signed on September 28th ? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Roland.

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I am able to do, there are some rules that we operate by in looking at previous decisions. But as the information we have and what is outstanding and my commitment to Members of this House is to look at this project and the process that was used. Again, I would be prepared to sit down with Members. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it seemed to me that the deadline for the Government of the Northwest Territories to sign this concession agreement was October 1st . It was signed on September 28th and

somebody somewhere has to be held accountable for why

that decision to sign that agreement was done on September 28th . We can go back and forth all we want,

but all the public deserves, and what Members of this side of the House deserve, are some answers. I would like to have some answers from the Premier on why the rush to sign the concession agreement, an incomplete document, was done on September 28th . Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Roland.

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Deh Cho Bridge isn’t a new project. It has been in the works since the legislation was first brought in in the 14th Assembly. It has had numerous amounts of

debate in this forum and, once again, in the 16th Assembly, we are having some discussion on that. I have committed to look at the process that was used and come back and sit down with Members and look where we go from there. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, about two weeks ago, I sent an e-mail to the Minister of Health and Social Services regarding some disabled constituents of mine. They are looking for some assistance regarding any support programs we have on the books or in existence, because they want to get an assisted dog to help them with their disability. One is in a wheelchair and the second one needs an assisted dog because they can’t walk properly due to a lot of reasons. But the e-mail hasn’t been answered. So I guess the question for today is, will the Minister be responding to my question? Are there any programs available for these two constituents of mine so they can get an assisted dog? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister responsible for Persons with Disabilities, Ms. Lee.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, I did receive that e-mail. We’re still investigating the issue and I will make the commitment to get back to the Member as soon as possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I certainly hope that this doesn’t speak to a trend that it takes a couple weeks to respond to me to tell me we’ll get back to you. So the fact is, when can we expect some type of response on this matter? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Ms. Lee.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

I believe it only took a second for me to tell him that I’ll get back to him, but it will take some time to review the issue at hand. The program to give or to support people obtaining pets as a means of health program is something that needs, it’s more complex, and there are two individuals involved. We need to find out whether they are eligible or not and how we can accommodate that. So I will get back to the Member as soon as I get that information and we are working on that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like the commitment or at least the clear assurance in this House by the Minister that people with disabilities aren’t put on the backburner, that their needs or requirements aren’t put off to the shelf and ignored. So can I get that clear commitment in this House today, because I don’t think that they should be? I just want to make sure that it’s absolutely clear. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Ms. Lee.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Members should be aware that that is an absolute commitment on my part because we have worked on other issues for people with disabilities within the life of this Assembly. Within the last two or three weeks, in fact. So the Member knows that I have a commitment to that. Of course, issues about things for persons with disabilities is definitely in the front of my agenda and I make a commitment again to the Member that I will get back to him on this information probably by the end of the week. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with respect to the Deh Cho Bridge 3P project, we have an infrastructure deficit in the Northwest Territories. We have a lending limit. Acquiring capital projects through public/private partnerships is something that is not a foreign concept. It hasn’t been a very happy concept for this government, might I say, to date. However, if the government were going to consider this method for acquiring capital infrastructure in the future, I think it would be prudent to have a P3 policy in place for this government, because obviously we’re flying right now by the seat of our pants and we haven’t had very happy experience with P3 in the past with one or two other projects. So I would like to ask the Premier, does the GNWT have a policy regarding the acquiring of capital infrastructure through 3P projects, or 3P, P3 process? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.