This is page numbers 303 - 340 of the Hansard for the 15th Assembly, 6th 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 health.

Topics

Supplementary To Question 123-15(6): GNWT Human Resources Management System
Question 123-15(6): GNWT Human Resources Management System
Item 7: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 123-15(6): GNWT Human Resources Management System
Question 123-15(6): GNWT Human Resources Management System
Item 7: Oral Questions

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have a significant dollar figure and outstanding invoices to the contractor who was to deliver the system in a working state to us and we are in the process of ensuring that we are satisfied that we have a working system before we would even consider paying those invoices. We are also tracking our extra costs. So we think that we have some protection and we will be working to ensure that we do our best to make sure that we are delivered a system for the price we were told we would get it for and protect the taxpayers. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 123-15(6): GNWT Human Resources Management System
Question 123-15(6): GNWT Human Resources Management System
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 321

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 123-15(6): GNWT Human Resources Management System
Question 123-15(6): GNWT Human Resources Management System
Item 7: Oral Questions

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Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I realize this is fairly late in the life of this government, but I would like to ask the Minister if he could undertake...I mean he will still be the Minister until a new Minister is sworn in. I would like to definitely come up with some kind of report that would put in chronological order where we went wrong, to avoid something like this happening again. It's fine to keep saying, well, this is a problem, this is a problem, this is a problem. I would like to see some kind of a constructive debrief report come out of all this activity that would be useful, hopefully, as we go forward in the future. Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 123-15(6): GNWT Human Resources Management System
Question 123-15(6): GNWT Human Resources Management System
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 321

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 123-15(6): GNWT Human Resources Management System
Question 123-15(6): GNWT Human Resources Management System
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 321

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd be pleased to ensure that we do that kind of report and I will share that with the Members opposite. I'd also be pleased to ensure a regular report through the life of this Assembly to Members on progress in implementing the new system. I can tell you that the one piece of advice I will give the new government is don't customize software.

---Laughter

Further Return To Question 123-15(6): GNWT Human Resources Management System
Question 123-15(6): GNWT Human Resources Management System
Item 7: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Oral questions. The honourable Member from Nunakput, Mr. Pokiak.

Calvin Pokiak

Calvin Pokiak Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the Premier's sessional statement today he indicated how his government is working on new critical infrastructure projects throughout the territory, including the all-season road to the Arctic Ocean. As I indicated in my Member's statement today, Mr. Speaker, there's been a lot of discussions with the Premier between the mayor, the deputy mayor and myself with regards to accessing funds up to $50 million for access to the road to source 177 from Tuk. I'd like to ask the Premier at this time, has he heard anything from the federal government on how this money can be spent? If so, will that include allocating $50 million to source 177? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Return To Question 124-15(6): Tuktoyaktuk Gravel Source Road Access
Question 124-15(6): Tuktoyaktuk Gravel Source Road Access
Item 7: Oral Questions

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Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm told that we have now received a framework for how the infrastructure money will be spent. The Department of Justice are reviewing that now. So I expect we should be proceeding quickly on this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 124-15(6): Tuktoyaktuk Gravel Source Road Access
Question 124-15(6): Tuktoyaktuk Gravel Source Road Access
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 321

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Pokiak.

Supplementary To Question 124-15(6): Tuktoyaktuk Gravel Source Road Access
Question 124-15(6): Tuktoyaktuk Gravel Source Road Access
Item 7: Oral Questions

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Calvin Pokiak

Calvin Pokiak Nunakput

Thank you. Yes, it's been since February 2007 and we're now in August, like I say right now. It's been a long time to finally find out how that money can actually be spent, the $25 million infrastructure fund. I'd just like to ask the Premier I guess, he indicated that it should be shortly, once the Department of Justice reviews that, so can he give an indication to this House on whether they will expend that money between now and October? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 124-15(6): Tuktoyaktuk Gravel Source Road Access
Question 124-15(6): Tuktoyaktuk Gravel Source Road Access
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 322

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 124-15(6): Tuktoyaktuk Gravel Source Road Access
Question 124-15(6): Tuktoyaktuk Gravel Source Road Access
Item 7: Oral Questions

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Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First let me clarify, we don't have any dollars yet. What we have is a framework that sets out some of the guidelines to how the money will be spent. Assuming that there are no difficulties with the framework, then I would think that this will move fairly quickly. The federal government will be getting back to business soon from their summer recess. So I expect early this fall, but we have no way of knowing how fast they will work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 124-15(6): Tuktoyaktuk Gravel Source Road Access
Question 124-15(6): Tuktoyaktuk Gravel Source Road Access
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 322

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Pokiak.

Supplementary To Question 124-15(6): Tuktoyaktuk Gravel Source Road Access
Question 124-15(6): Tuktoyaktuk Gravel Source Road Access
Item 7: Oral Questions

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Calvin Pokiak

Calvin Pokiak Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand that there is a framework in place here now, but I think this government is spending a lot of money in other places outside of the Beaufort-Delta. I would like to advise the Premier and the Minister that any considerations for giving to the Beaufort-Delta in terms of capital infrastructure funding and I encourage him because he's the funding source of access road to source 177. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 124-15(6): Tuktoyaktuk Gravel Source Road Access
Question 124-15(6): Tuktoyaktuk Gravel Source Road Access
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 322

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 124-15(6): Tuktoyaktuk Gravel Source Road Access
Question 124-15(6): Tuktoyaktuk Gravel Source Road Access
Item 7: Oral Questions

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Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is right; we've had a lot of meetings about this and I'm sure it's frustrating for people who attended meetings with myself with the Inuvialuit president, with the former Minister of DIAND, and in fact I think this was even discussed with the Prime Minister when he was here last week. Mr. Speaker, we will do everything we can, but I would expect that because this is a new expenditure, that this is something that would have to now go to the next government, but we will make that recommendation that they give it the same attention we have and make the commitment once the money is received. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 124-15(6): Tuktoyaktuk Gravel Source Road Access
Question 124-15(6): Tuktoyaktuk Gravel Source Road Access
Item 7: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Oral questions. The honourable Member from Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to also jump on this PeopleSoft issue and I have some questions to Minister Dent. Mr. Speaker, this PeopleSoft issue has been around for a long time, for the entire eight years, and as far as I know it's an internal personnel management software program, but the reputation for this program has grown to such a level that when I had a neighbourhood coffee meeting recently, even the people who have nothing to do with government, or they're not employees of government, couldn't stop talking about this PeopleSoft problem. Mr. Speaker, there are private businesspeople and doctors and health care professionals and they have asked me and begged me to say that until this is all ironed out, that this not be implemented for the doctors and other professionals working at the Stanton Hospital because the reputation is that lots of managers are spending their entire time because they're not even asking the staff to do it anymore and they're spending time putting the stuff in. So until it's all ironed out, could I get the commitment from the Minister that no one else will be added on? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for Human Resources, Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 125-15(6): GNWT Human Resources Management System
Question 125-15(6): GNWT Human Resources Management System
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 322

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In fact, if they're being paid now, they're already on the system. So the system is actually delivering their cheques to them as we speak. What we're talking about here is upgrading the software and we can't go back to the old software because the old software is not being supported anymore. So we can't get the new tax tables or if the system doesn't work, it's not being supported. So the requirement is to move to a new system. So either its upgrade PeopleSoft or find entirely new software in order to get people paid. The issue that has been has been the Absence Management module that's given us the most problems. The rest of the system appears to be working as it should. Thank you.

Return To Question 125-15(6): GNWT Human Resources Management System
Question 125-15(6): GNWT Human Resources Management System
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 322

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Supplementary To Question 125-15(6): GNWT Human Resources Management System
Question 125-15(6): GNWT Human Resources Management System
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 322

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't think I'm suggesting that government comes up and adapt a whole new software program to address this. I'm talking about the network of people who are required to actually sit in front of the computer and enter these numbers or whatever they have to do to put the process in place and data in place to get the software to do whatever it has to do. A lot of people who are not having to do that right now don't want to experience the kind of stories they are hearing from other people who are having to spend a lot of time dealing with it. So until these are ironed out, I understand you still have to use the same program, but can we limit the number of people or the duties of people having to deal with the software program until it's ironed out? I hope I'm clear on that question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 125-15(6): GNWT Human Resources Management System
Question 125-15(6): GNWT Human Resources Management System
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 322

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Dent.