Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my statement earlier, I referenced the comprehensive human resources plan for Stanton Territorial Health Authority and the fact that it was supposed to be completed in the summer of 2007. My question is addressed to the Minister of Human Resources. I would want the Minister to please advise me as to the status of this particular human resource plan. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Minister of Human Resources, Mr. Bob McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to report that the preparation of the Stanton human resource plan is well underway. Two surveys have been conducted since the human resource committee was formed in February of 2007. Data from both surveys have been summarized and have been released to all Stanton employees as of October 4th . A

staffing working group has been formed. A staff forum

was held on November 9, 2007, in order to provide feedback on the results. We are taking that data and the feedback and are working on developing a human resource plan. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the information from the Minister. That is more than we had previously. But I would like to ask the Minister when the Standing Committee on Social Programs can expect to receive this report.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are working towards having a draft prepared by January 2008. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you again. I would like to ask the Minister, at this point now that the information from the surveys has been accumulated and drafted into some sort of an initial report, whether or not and when the Standing Committee on Social Programs can receive copies of the surveys which were sent out.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Ms. Bisaro. Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions surround my Member’s statement in regards to the maintenance and disrepair of our highway systems in the Northwest Territories. I think we do have to look at how we maintain the highway systems we have. The practice to date has been applying calcium, continue to grade and apply more crushed gravel to the surface and continue on trying to be able to maintain that system, but yet, Mr. Speaker, it is not working. We are realizing our climate is changing. We are seeing more rain. We are seeing more permafrost separation by way of roads

shifting and culverts collapsing. I think it is crucial that we look at an alternative. Mr. Speaker, I believe the alternative that we have to look at is chipseal or looking at eventually permanent pavement on our highway systems.

Mr. Speaker, there has been pavement in Inuvik for quite a few years. You drive the Alaska Highway; it is paved pretty well all the way to Whitehorse. You can drive from Whitehorse to Dawson City which is chipseal and even parts of the Dempster Highway in the Yukon is chipseal. I would like to ask the Minister, is he willing to consider looking at a different way of maintaining our highway systems by implementing a territorial-wide program that will chipseal all of our gravel highways so that we can bring our highway systems up to the standards of other jurisdictions in Canada? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for Mackenzie Delta for the question. Mr. Speaker, I had driven last year on the Dempster Highway. I know what the Minister is talking about first hand in terms of the conditions on the Dempster Highway. Mr. Speaker, our department’s first priority, of course, to all residents who are travelling our highway, is safety. Safety is number one in our books in terms of our transportation system. I would say that we didn’t do any work on the Dempster Highway in terms of putting calcium coating on the surface of the Dempster and the reconstruction of the Dempster to bring it up to some standards to where we can look at further investments into the Dempster Highway.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe it is crucial that we do come up with a territorial change in regards to how we maintain our gravel highways in the Northwest Territories. I would like to ask the Minister again, would he ask his department to work with other departmental agencies? We have a chipseal program in regards to MACA that we’ve just piloted, and I believe it’s a good start but I think we have to expand that to include our roads throughout the Northwest Territories. So I’d like to ask the Minister, would he take an in-depth review of the maintenance program we presently follow and see if we can apply a chipseal program throughout our highway systems in the Northwest Territories?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our staff and our contractors are doing an exceptional job in terms of maintaining our infrastructure, especially on the highways. Mr. Speaker, I welcome the suggestion from the Member here in terms of part of our

view in terms of priorities and infrastructure within the Department of Transportation is to look at areas where we can ensure and commit investment in terms of improving our highway systems like the Member is suggesting; looking at the chipsealing of the Dempster Highway. I would take that as a suggestion in terms of when we look at long-term priorities of our highway systems.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, just to remind the Minister that there used to be a major undertaking by way of applying calcium to our highway systems. There was a major cutback over the last number of years where on very few sections of our highways calcium was being applied. Again, we talk about dust control. But right now that is the only option that we have in front of us to provide the public with safe driving conditions that they can drive under. But yet it’s not…

Do you have a question Mr. Krutko?

I’d like to ask the Minister, would he seriously look at the possibility of implementing a territorial program to chipseal our gravel highways in the Northwest Territories?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Yakeleya.