Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’m going to support my colleague from Na-nuk-put. I think he….

Nunakput.

“Nu-NAK-put?”

Nunakput.

I’m tired, it’s late… but I still support him.

Laughter.

Mr.

Chairman, resources in the

community are very important. Although we’ve spoken about it many times, it’s certainly worth noting again that when we start yanking out solid jobs in communities that provide a real, meaningful service, where they have a use and they belong, it has a real impact on the economics of the community. I think we’ve challenged that community by taking these opportunities away.

The other thing is the scale in the community that you want to make sure stays there. As the Member points out, quite correctly, the issue is…. When we need the job — and theoretically again, even though the department has probably built a case saying they don’t need it, which I don’t agree with, by the way — all of a sudden you’ve got to now find someone to be there. I don’t think we’re going to realize true savings on this, and we give up the quality service that’s being provided there.

Mr. Chairman, I’ll just mention now that we’d like a recorded vote on this motion as well, just to make sure it doesn’t get forgotten. Again, I’ll be voting for this. It’s another fine effort to convince other Members on this issue, no different from the efforts brought forward by Member Menicoche, about how important these positions are to the community.

Thank you,

Mr. Hawkins. Minister Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Again, I’d like to comment for the record that this position in Tuktoyaktuk at James Gruben airport, this proposed affected employee is scheduled for 2009–2010. I’ll give my comments to Mr. Jacobson in terms of if this would come up again going forward.

Mr. Chair, our department was given a task, and we’ve run to the task vis-a-vis looking at reductions of our operations with the least impact to services in the Northwest Territories. I do not take this task very lightly; I’ve had some long discussions with my deputy and discussions with the staff. It’s very painful. I come from a small community. I know what it’s like in small communities. I also know the opportunities these people could look forward to when they’re given a task — like creating opportunities for themselves. We are going to come back to this item. For the record, I’d like to state that very clearly from the department’s view.

Thank you,

Mr. Yakeleya. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As usual, I’ll be very brief. A position like airport manager in a community the size of Tuktoyaktuk is a very important one. If there is the work there to be done, the position to manage that work should be in Tuktoyaktuk. To move the responsibility for the airport in Tuk to Inuvik is a clear case of centralizing and moving things from small communities to larger communities. For that reason alone….

This is not a make-work project. Mr. Jacobson is absolutely right. The airport is going to get nothing but busier in the next while with the economic activity we anticipate, and this is a backwards move. I think it is regressive. We need to think

forward and keep the airport manager’s position in Tuktoyaktuk as a resident.

Thank you,

Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I, too, will be brief. I support my colleague Mr. Jacobson in his quest to have this decision reversed to eliminate the airport manager position in his community.

The Minister said this position is coming up in ’09–10. This individual got a notification letter. What does the Minister and what does the government expect Regular Members to do when people in our communities are getting notification letters on a budget for next year? Do they expect us to just sit by and continue to take that? No. We’re going to stand up, and we’re going to defend ourselves, and we’re going to argue that what you’re doing is wrong. In this case it’s wrong. We’ve got no defence. We could go through the business plans next fall, and regarding that position, the guy’s been notified for five months.

It’s not the Department of Transportation’s fault in this. They had to go out; they had to do their reduction exercise; they had to identify positions. But the way it’s being done is wrong, Mr. Chairman, absolutely wrong, and I support this motion.

Thank you,

Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much. I, too, will be supporting this motion and my colleague from Nunakput. They face the same issues as I do: a similar-sized community and a reduction in services that the travelling public has been used to, and trying to reduce those. As well, I’ve gone on record; when the whole cutbacks began, I stated right off the bat that centralization or relocating positions away from communities is something I could not support. I’ll be supporting this motion.

Question has been called. Sorry; Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I, too, will be supporting the motion. We talk about capacity issues, but we’re talking about a 5,000-foot runway here. I was in Beaufort Sea when the boom was on, and now with the land sale of $1.2 billion, this region will boom again. I don’t think it’s a question of when; it’s a question of it’s here — it’s happening.

I think you also have to realize that this position manages more than Tuktoyaktuk; it manages the Beaufort communities. Looking at this department, looking at your budget, you basically have increased your budget by $4 million from last year.

You haven’t cut anything, but you’ve cut individuals’ jobs. Yet you are able to continue to grow to the tune of $4 million.

I will be supporting this motion. We can’t lose sight of the fact that airports are an integral part of our infrastructure, especially for oil and gas and mineral activities that are going on out there. We have to ensure we have a manageable infrastructure and have people on the ground where that infrastructure is. I will be supporting the motion.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko.Question has been called. Members have requested a recorded vote. Mr. Jacobson, I’ll ask you to conclude the debate on the motion.

Mr. Chairman, in regard to this position in the community of Tuk, it’s based out of Tuk, but three of the other communities it served were Sachs, Ulukhaktok and Paulatuk. This position, I think, really should be reconsidered by the Minister and his department in regard to the safety of my people.

Thank you,

Mr. Jacobson. Question has been called. Members have requested a recorded vote. All those in favour, please stand.

All those opposed, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand.

The results of the recorded vote on the motion: ten in favour, zero opposed, seven abstentions.

Motion carried.

We were on page 9-17. Mr. Abernethy.