Mr. Speaker, again, our department is working with the community of Fort Smith, identifying what’s happening out there — the incident the Member is referring to — because it does reflect on the programs being delivered, the enrolment and so forth. So I’m not going to specifically say this person is responsible. It’s all departments that are conducting the review. Mahsi.

Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

As I said earlier today — and I’ll reference again that people don’t want to go there — we have a Social Worker program that people don’t want to go to. It wasn’t fully subscribed to, cancelled, moved to Yellowknife and was fully subscribed to and even over-subscribed. The trades have dropped by 67 per cent — two thirds. So the fact is that people aren’t wanting to go there.

What is this Minster doing about this process, and is he cutting back on the college’s budget and funding because people don’t want go there?

For the campuses, we’ve delivered many, many graduates, post-secondary, in Inuvik, Fort Smith, Yellowknife campus, especially with the journeyman ticket holders. We’re proud to say we’ve graduated those individuals from the communities over the long years that we’ve serviced the communities. So we’re very proud of that. The programs we deliver have been very successful in the communities.

There may be some issues that we may be tackling, but it’s all workable within the three campuses. Three campuses are working together to remedy the situation.

I had a chance to look over a bit more Hansard here. I want to go back to this. You know, these things just don’t go away just because we decide to sweep them under the carpet.

The concession agreement was signed on September 28. We found out November 27 — two months later. Now, the Premier said we didn’t ask the right question. We didn’t say, “Did you sign the concession agreement in the last government?” We weren’t that direct.

Here’s a quote from Hansard, again on October 19. This is Mr. Ramsay: “Are we going to be able to see the concession agreement? Are we going to be able to see the contracts that have been signed? What has been signed?” He says: “What has been signed?”

This is a month before we found out the concession agreement was signed. Mr. Roland comes back: “I’m going to commit to you and Members of this Assembly to share the information that is necessary to make sure we make good decisions for the residents of the Northwest Territories.”

I have to ask again: on October 19, when the Premier — whether he was assigned portfolios or not; I don’t care. He was in the last cabinet. He must have known that the concession agreement had been signed. When he was asked that very direct question — “What has been signed?” — why did he not offer up to this government that the concession agreement had already been signed, significantly committing this government to all the liability we’re now talking about?

The Member again quotes the Hansard from October 19, the first day we had oral questions in the 16th Legislative Assembly.

Most of us around the table — at least from this side of the House, because I had not assigned portfolios — were expecting a light day as was past practice of new governments. But I ended up taking questions from across the delivery of programs and services by the Government of the Northwest Territories.

As the Member has quoted, I committed to providing the necessary information that is now in the hands of Members. Do we want to relive the past? I committed to stuff. I provided that. What more does the Member want from myself? I should be careful asking that question. I have ideas, and I think I know where this is going. But the fact is, what I’ve committed to, I’ve delivered.

I’m interested to know what the Premier thinks I’m looking for. He was only elected as the Premier a short few months ago, and

I was certainly on the record in telling him that I did support him. I still support him. I don’t see a lot of other options sitting over there for Premier. I’d like to work with him. I’m being honest here. I’d like to work with him.

But the fact of the matter is that we need transparency. And I believe the Premier…. You know, as I said, you can’t sweep these things under the carpet. I believe the Premier knew full well what we were looking for that day, and he didn’t have the guts to tell us the concession agreement had been signed.

Did the Premier understand what we were getting at that day? That’s what I’d like to ask.

: I guess I’ll have to apologize. No, I didn’t get the gist of what was happening. I was basking in the glow of just being named the tenth Premier of the Northwest Territories. I wasn’t expecting any questions that would require a lot of background detail. In fact, I stood here — and I didn’t have the updated notes from all the departments — and responded to all the questions that were put before me. I think we used up almost a whole question period, in fact.

I had Members saying good job for not being given an opportunity to know where Members were coming from or to get the background. I responded to questions with information that I had off the top of my head as to where things were, still in, I guess, the limelight of being named Premier of the Northwest Territories.

So for the record, I did not look at the fact that “Okay, they’re looking for what the previous government had signed off days before the election.” No, I didn't. It’s very clear now, as has been pointed out, that it is a very big concern.

I've tried to state, for the record, the information — the critical information that we needed as the Legislative Assembly, even this Assembly — was out there in the public, because questions had been asked about that of the previous government.

Once I knew exactly what Members wanted, I committed to it, and I've delivered upon it. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, two motions were passed in the 15th Assembly. I believe they

were unanimously passed by the Regular Members of this House.

The Premier had to have known that there were concerns on this side of the House with the Deh Cho Bridge project. It has been widely publicized that there were questions and concerns.

The fact that he'd had a chance to think, for I don't know how many months, he might be the Premier,

and with headlines written for months in advance that he was going to be the Premier, I can't help it if he didn't assign that cabinet portfolio. But that was his choice.

Let’s go on to another serious beef. Let’s go on to December 31st . December 31st was the date by

which the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation had to comply with certain things that needed to be done. The equity and different pieces of their side of the commitment had to be put in place by December 31st .

Somebody made a decision to extend that deadline to January 31st . Who made that decision? Thank

you.

Mr. Speaker, the deadline of December 31st was in place. The loan guarantee

was put in place, with our government backstopping that loan guarantee with TD Bank — TD Securities, to be correct.

They had a 30-day provision before calling that loan. The concession agreement, as I was informed by department officials, also had a 30-day provision built into it. That's what we were waiting for, to see if the bridge corporation would come up with the equity and come up with a lending agreement and all of the pieces that needed to be put in place for this to proceed.

Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Just to confirm: even in light of the fact that the Premier knew how many concerns there were about this process and this project, a significant deadline of December 31st came and went. And a decision was made on that side of the House to extend that deadline to January 31st without any consultation or awareness

on this side of the House.

Again, after the fact, we got a phone call. After January 31st had passed, we get a phone call. We

were told that shareholders have changed and that the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation has met their requirements.

Somebody made a decision in spite of…. There was an opportunity on December 31st to change the

course of this project, but the Premier made an extension to January 31st . Did he alone make that

decision?

Mr. Speaker, once again, we have to be careful of what we say in this House.

For the record, I committed to Members that before we made a decision to extend, alter or change anything, as Members of the 16th Legislative

Assembly, I would get hold of Members. I did that on two occasions, going to Members or making

phone calls to Members, before the deadline. Not after the 31

st. Before the deadline. So let’s get that

correct.

Item 8, written questions. Mr. Hawkins.

If I could, please, Mr.

Hawkins,

remind Members of the rule on written questions. The rule is a written question must be one written, carefully worded question. I would ask you to please bring your written question back and in a proper format.

Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Mr. McLeod.

I wish to report to the Assembly that the Standing Committee on Social Programs has reviewed Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act, and wishes to report that Bill 3 is ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.

Further, Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Member from Frame Lake, that Bill 3 be moved into the Committee of the Whole for today.

Motion carried; Bill 3 referred to Committee of

the Whole for consideration today.

Item 14, tabling of documents. Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document, entitled Framework for Action 2005-2008: Status Report to November 30, 2007.

Document 22-16(2), Framework for Action

2005-2008: Status Report to November 30, 2007, tabled.

I wish to table the following document, entitled 2007 Annual Report for the Public Utilities Board of the Northwest Territories.

Document 23-16(2), 2007 Annual Report for

the Public Utilities Board of the Northwest Territories, tabled.

Item 15, notices of motion. Mr. Krutko.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Wednesday, February 20, 2008, I will move the following motion:

Now therefore, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that this Legislative Assembly strongly recommend that the government initiate the necessary policy changes and bring forward the necessary legislative amendments to make possible the consideration of levelized power rates for the Northwest Territories at the time of the NWT Power Corporation's next

general rate application; and furthermore, that this Legislative Assembly strongly recommend that these legislative amendments include, if necessary, changes to the Public Utilities Act which would give the government authority to provide direction to the Public Utilities Board; and furthermore, that this Legislative Assembly strongly recommend that the government instruct the NWT Power Corporation to base its next general rate application on a levelized rate structure; and furthermore, that the Legislative Assembly recommend the government provide a response to this motion within 120 days.

Motion 2-16(2), Motion 4-16(2). These motions have been called once, but will stay on this Order Paper for one more day.

Item 16, notices of motion for the first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills, Mr. Lafferty.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Hon. Member for Range Lake, that Bill 4, Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2008, be read for the first time. Mahsi.