This is page numbers 131 - 159 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 work.

Topics

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is an energy coordinating committee on Cabinet made up of ITI, myself, and Public Works and Services and such, and we’re tasked with overseeing the energy plan, conservation issues, hydro issues. As we get up and running -- in fact, we’re having a meeting Monday to start the business of the committee -- those type of detailed issues will be one of the things that we’re going to be looking at. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Bromley.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is my last supplemental. I’m also wondering if the Minister is working with Aurora College and those sorts of follow-up programs to establish the learning and the knowledge in the North that we need for these renewable energy projects to come to fruition. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In fact, I had the opportunity to meet with the college Board of Governors yesterday at noon, as well with the president, to talk about the NRTP course, the need to work together, the role of the Aurora Research Institute up in Inuvik, the need to set a collaborative science agenda between the government and Aurora College. So we’re setting the framework in place to have those type of discussions that will lead to the resolution and the moving forward of the issue that the Member has raised. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. McLeod.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is in response to the Minister’s answering my questions before. He said that it’s not moving, so it’s not costing us anything. If that’s the case, then there’s a lot of things within the government not moving, but they’re costing us something.

---Laughter

I would like to ask the Minister, and maybe I should rephrase my question. Obviously there was a cost to transporting this piece of equipment to James Creek, 150 kilometres away. Is the Minister aware of the cost of transporting it from Tsiigehtchic on the Dempster to James Creek, 150 kilometres away? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Minister of Transportation

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to say to the Member from Twin Lakes I apologize for not being very clear on this question. I will look at the issue in terms of what it costs the department to move it over to James Creek, and what it’s costing us to have it there, and what it would cost if we were to move it to another location that would be satisfactory to him and other members of the Mackenzie Delta.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you. I thank the Minister for that. I’d like to ask the Minister if he is aware of the last time that this piece of machinery has been used. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Minister of Transportation

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my discussions with the department, I’ve been told that this machine was used at the Mackenzie crossing, in terms of experimental project, and that it was used only the one time. However, if he needs the specific dates and times, I certainly will go into sending that over to the Member for him for his review.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Well, I appreciate the Minister’s answer and I would like to say that I spoke with someone who had an opportunity to use the machine and said that the machine worked beautifully and it did the job that it was supposed to do. It sped up the opportunity to get goods and services to the Beaufort-Delta. I would like to ask the Minister, who made the decision to not use that machine again and store it at James Creek? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Minister of Transportation

Thank you for the specific decisions there. Mr. Speaker, I would get that to the Member. It’s my understanding that he knows that I’ve also come from areas that have this kind of concern and

that’s certainly something that I’d be happy to talk with the Member about. This certainly does raise some questions; however, I will provide that information to the Member when I can get it from the department.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Final supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister’s answers to my questions. I would also like him to undertake to find out why the machine is not stored at the Transportation yard at the Mackenzie ice crossing in Tsiigehtchic. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Minister of Transportation

I’ll certainly get the information for the Member, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’ll certainly again ask the Member from Twin Lakes that I certainly want to work on this issue. It’s an important issue, I know, for the people in the Mackenzie Delta. It’s something that I’ll bring up with the department in terms of a list of priorities of our infrastructure needs and across the Northwest Territories.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Justice, Mr. Lafferty, in regard to a situation that occurred in Fort McPherson regarding a young lady that passed on. Before she passed on, apparently she was in police custody. She was arrested, put into police custody, released to the health centre, and then later put back into the jail, and then later released on her own recognizance. Later, she passed away. So I’d like to ask the Minister, exactly was there an investigation by the RCMP or by anybody in Justice and the Department of Health to look at the circumstances of this and, also, suspicious or not, is there a report on this particular incident?

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Justice, Mr. Lafferty.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Minister of Justice

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for the particular incident, the department is looking into that. When Mr. Krutko first approached me, I notified my department to say has there been any investigation and so forth. So it has been brought to my attention. I’ll certainly be more than willing to share that information once it’s in my hands. At this time, Mr. Speaker, I don’t have that detailed information. Mahsi.