Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Neudorf.
Debates of Feb. 21st, 2007
This is page numbers 1063 - 1110 of the Hansard for the 15th Assembly, 5th 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 chairman.
Topics
Item 16: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Neudorf
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There were quite a number of adjustments that we made in our ferry budget and I will try to walk through those quickly if I can. Overall, from '06-07 mains to '07-08 mains, we increased by about $800,000. There were a number of different initiatives that were part of that. Those had come forward as part of a supplemental funding request. We took the
opportunity, due to the number of changes in the marine program, to take a look at how we were structured there and we made some changes to our organization. There were some additional dollars that resulted from that, about $240,000.
At the same time, with repatriation of the two ferries, we needed some additional dollars related to converting from a contract to own forces. The total amount there was $240,000.
There were also impacts on our other ferries of the actions that we took in Fort Simpson and Fort Providence. We did want to keep those other ferries under contract, but recognized we had to revisit some of the rates we had negotiated with those contractors, specifically the Arctic Red River ferry, the Louis Cardinal Ferry, where we renegotiated the contract there. That cost about $200,000.
At the same time, there were a couple of marine incidents that had happened elsewhere in Canada. It caused Transport Canada to take a look at what's happening on the regulatory side. These ferries are all governed by Transport Canada and their regulations. Part of that is for the next sailing season, they will be asking us to put first mates on three of our vessels. That will cost about $500,000 at the end of the day. So if you add those things up, it should come out close to the increment there.
Item 16: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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David Ramsay Kam Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank the deputy minister for that level of detail. A specific question though: What did it cost the Government of the Northwest Territories to get out of the contract they were in with the previous service provider at Fort Simpson? Thank you.
Item 16: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 16: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Neudorf
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This was an action we took last fiscal year. There was a total, one-time cost of about $100,000 that we had to pay to get out of the two contracts.
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David Ramsay Kam Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank the deputy for that detail. Where did that come out of, that $100,000? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
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Neudorf
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That came out of our O and M dollar that we had allocated in the ferry program.
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Norman Yakeleya Sahtu
Mr. Chairman, the first mates, are these specific operations in the North, or is it for up in Inuvik and McPherson, Tsiigehtchic, around the Liard and then the Fort Providence area? Are these first mates advertised in the Northwest Territories? Do northern people have an opportunity to fly and get the training? This really adds an increase to our operations in the North. I don't know who we are serving in terms of the operation. I am going to ask the Minister that question. Thank you.
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Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The requirement for mates is a technical one. I have got here a 200 gross registered ton, so there are three ferries that qualify for that. That's the Merv Hardie, Providence, the Lafferty at Simpson and the Louis Cardinal. We are in the process of beginning to issue those job advertisements and we'll progress with the hiring of those mates. Thank you.
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Norman Yakeleya Sahtu
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, I guess we are going to have a hiring policy. There are 23 new positions we are looking at. Whose rule is it that we have to have these mates or these requirements? Again, you are going to have different levels of ferries in the Northwest Territories. So the Minister of Transportation, I want to ask him that question. There are different classes again of people, so you are going to hire 23 new positions and we keep saying we have no money, we have no money, but somehow you find money. You have regulations, so you can find money. I am going to let my frustrations out again because our winter road seems to be falling off the scale here in terms of any type of regulations that require...You are spending millions on the Ingraham Trail. I am going to ask again on the different levels and ferries. Thank you.
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Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Of the three sailing ships, out of a total of 23, there are six mates required by the Government of the Northwest Territories. Once again, it's based on the size of the ship and because we repatriated the ferry services, it's a Transport Canada requirement that we have this minimum level and skill level of mates and engineers on all our ships. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
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Norman Yakeleya Sahtu
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to ask the Minister how many types of ferries are there in the Northwest Territories? We are running a budget here. I want to ask the Minister that. Thank you.
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