Debates of Oct. 20th, 2008

This is page numbers 1767 to 1822 of the Hansard for the 16th Assembly, 2nd 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 going.

Topics

Prayer

Minister’s Statement 110-16(2) Supports For Former Residential School Students

Minister’s Statement 111-16(2) Recognition Of Small Business Week 2008

Minister’s Statement 112-16(2) Foster Family Appreciation Week

Minister’s Statement 113-16(2) Meeting Of Housing Ministers

Tabling of Documents

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Tabled Document 93-16(2) Northwest Territories Capital Estimates 2009–2010

Committee Motion 82-16(2) Recommended Funding Increase Of $1,400,000 For Highway #7 Km 0–254.1 Liard Highway Under The Department Of Transportation (Td 93-16(2)) (Committee Motion Carried)

Committee Motion 83-16(2) Deferral Of Consideration Of Education And Culture Activity In Education, Culture And Employment Capital Estimates (Td 93-16(2)) (Committee Motion Carried)

Committee Motion 84-16(2) Deletion Of $12,000,000 From Public Works And Services For GNWT Multi-Use Facility And Records Storage/request For Market Disruption Analysis/ Technical Evaluations (Td 93-16(2)) (Committee Motion Defeated)

Committee Motion 85-16(2) Recommendation To Advance By One Fiscal Year The Diamond Jenness School Renovation Under The Departmentof Education, Culture And Employment (Td 93-16(2)) (Committee Motion Carried)

Committee Motion 86-16(2) Recommendation To Advance By Two Fiscal Years The Jh Sissons School Renovation Under The Department Of Education, Culture And Employment (Td 93-16(2)) (Committee Motion Carried)

Committee Motion 87-16(2) Recommendation To Include An Extension To The Mangilaluk School In The Five-Year Capital Plan (Committee Motion Carried)

Committee Motion 88-16(2) Concurrence Of Tabled Document 93-16(2): Capital Estimates 2009–2010 (Committee Motion Carried)

Report of Committee of the Whole

Orders of the Day

Committee Motion 87-16(2) Recommendation To Include An Extension To The Mangilaluk School In The Five-Year Capital Plan (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

There was some correspondence received this morning from the Minister of Public Works in regard to subcontracts regarding a particular contract for the school project in Inuvik. I know there were concerns out there regarding who the subs were. I’d like to ask the Minister if he could provide that information to the affected parties.

The Chair Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you. I’ll refer that question to Minister McLeod.

The Chair Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Michael McLeod.

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We have had discussions with the proponent who’s been providing us with the estimates on this project. We’ve also conferred with him about the release of the potential subcontractors that he is working with, and he has no problem with us making that information public. We have to remember that there was some reluctance to bring these forward as there is no contract yet, and there is no agreement with any of the subs. But we’d be glad to table the information that is required.

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Mr. Chair, I find it kind of odd that these are your subcontractors, but they won’t notify your subcontractors that they are your subcontractors. So I’d like to know: when will the subcontractors know that they are the subcontractors?

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Mr. Chairman, those subcontractors would be working for the general contractor. They are not our subcontractors. I’d like to ask Minister McLeod if he’d like to add further.

The Chair Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Minister Michael McLeod.

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Mr. Chairman, the process would be that once this budget is passed in this House, we would move forward to signing an agreement with the general contractor, and he would also sign agreements with subcontractors. That information would then be solidified, and we could speak with confidence as to who the actual subcontractors are going to be. As of yet there is no agreement with these subcontractors, and there won’t be until there is a contract in place.

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Mr. Chair, there has been a lot of money expended in previous years. I’m not too sure of the numbers, but the information I’m looking at is just a draft for 2009–2010, Infrastructure Acquisition: $20 million. What has $20 million been expended on already while we haven’t even constructed the school?

The Chair Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Aumond.

Aumond

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The total spending to date on this school, as I said earlier, is about $3.7 million. This has been mostly for the design of the project and some initial site development work. We are hoping to be able to spend in the neighbourhood of about $10 million or so on construction for the rest of the fiscal year. As the Member may be aware, we did give up about $7 million in the negative supp to go into ’09–10, so our spending to date is about $3.7 million, hopefully with another $10 million or so, for a total expenditure up until ’09–10 of about $14.3 million.

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

This information that we’re going on was provided to committee, and I think that it’s good that we can get updated information — information that is accurate in regard to dollars that have been lapsed and carried forward. It’d be good if we can keep track of these expenditures, if they are not being expended that they’re carried forward. I’d just like to ask if we can get the most current information in regard to this project and also have a way of tracking the expenditures of this specific project.

The Chair Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Mr. Chairman, that information has already been provided to all the Members. It is the information that we are referring to in the House here, and it is our most current information.

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Mr. Chair, I’m sitting beside Mr. Bromley, and we’re looking at the same information, so I’m not too sure what the more current information is that you’re talking about. If we can look at the information that is current so that it is as current as we can get it.

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Mr. Chairman, if the Member is unable to find the information, I’ll make sure he gets a copy.

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Just as long as we’re kept in the loop about exactly where these expenditures are and you keep the committee and Members up to date. I’ll leave it at that.

The Chair Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. I didn’t hear a question. The next person on my list is Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. When I left off my question before on the Inuvik schools — this is just to recap — Mr. Miltenberger said that the authority was signed off by then Premier Joe Handley. That was in support of the negotiated contract, but the actual appropriation of funds to the Financial Management Board was signed off by the then Finance Minister, Mr. Roland. Then, when there was a discrepancy or difference, I guess, between the original project that would have been signed on by FMB and the current project, was there need for any subsequent approvals by Cabinet or FMB with respect to the change in the price of the project?

The Chair Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Minister Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There was an FMB submission on June 20 for additional funds.

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

And that would have been signed off by yourself as Minister of Finance? Just help me out. Who’s signing here?

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

The Finance Minister at the time was still Premier Roland.

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

So the original agreement to negotiate the contract was signed off by Minister Handley, and two subsequent appropriations related to the cost of the Inuvik schools were both signed by Mr. Roland, as the chair of the FMB and the Minister of Finance, correct?

Debates of Oct. 20th, 2008

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