Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I was just trying to grasp the sense, as well, of how this is going to play out with our recent announcements of cutbacks, and now we’re looking at some reinvestment. Would this be classified as a reinvestment?

Mr. Speaker, of course, our capital investment is based on some of our surplus and our ability to borrow. This actually helps us in a way, that any projects that are on our capital list or on our needs are now being invested in from our side with 25-cent dollars. So it will help us. It should free up some dollars for reallocation and maybe loosen up the tight squeeze we’re in. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, this is a question for the Minister of Transportation. Is the construction of the Mackenzie Highway through the Mackenzie Valley and right to the Beaufort Sea a priority of this Minister and the government?

Mr. Speaker, the

Premier’s special statement highlighted the Mackenzie Valley Highway right up to the Arctic coast. It’s been the priority of this department, it’s been the priority of this government for a long time, and I think it’s been a priority of the people of Nunakput.

Mr. Speaker, what is the role of the federal government with respect to the construction of new roads in the N.W.T? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, since the 1980s the Territorial government has assumed

responsibility for the highways. It’s always been our point and the point of this government that the responsibility for new highway infrastructure is the federal government’s responsibility, and this government is working very closely with the federal government in terms of seeking out new infrastructure in the Northwest Territories. I’m going to continue to lead that with the federal government. However, we are working on possible partnerships in terms of infrastructure that would benefit all people of the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, given that the road to the Arctic coast is a priority of this government, the federal government has the responsibility for new roads in the N.W.T. Now we have access to federal infrastructure funds for N.W.T. transportation and municipal projects. Can the Minister please commit to looking at work that we could include under the agreement to initiate the priority of a section of my access road into source 177? Thank you.

Mr.

Speaker, I look

forward to working with the members of the standing committee and honourable colleagues on this side, Members of the House, working with stakeholders and businesses, people in all areas of the Northwest Territories so that we have access, opportunities to talk about funding and working in partnership. I commit that this department will do its best in terms of working with all stakeholders in ensuring that funding, if possible, can be available through the type of agreements that we have. Minister Michael McLeod signed this afternoon with the federal government in terms of ensuring that investment down the Mackenzie Valley is well spent by this government.

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned in my Member’s statement, we are currently faced with $135 million in budget reductions over the next two years. My question is to the Premier. I believe the departments have been tasked by cabinet to identify areas for reduction. What criteria were provided to the departments to assist them in identifying areas for reduction? Thank you.

Mr.

Speaker, we went

through an exercise of allocation and, as well, giving guidelines as to what could be considered for savings or for reallocation or reinvestment. Some of the criteria of our programs — mandatory delivery programs, or what we’re legislated to do — is something that would have to be reviewed by every department. For the other areas, for example, we sat down in the 16th Assembly and came up with

our vision, goals and priorities. Along with that, we’ve turned those into the strategic investment initiatives and highlighted a number of areas for

reinvestment. The departments were informed that they were to look at other areas that were outside of the reinvestment as a potential area as well. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, how do these criteria affect the critical positions in this government such as those of nurses? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the departments are well aware of the challenges in delivering the services to our communities large and small. They are having a difficult time meeting the demands. As the Member has highlighted, the nursing side has always been a challenge in our communities. So the departments, as they’ve come through that scenario, again were mandated to deliver programs at levels in communities that still have to be met through this exercise. As we go through this exercise, Health has its overall target to meet, but it also has to look at the delivery it is mandated to deliver for people in the North. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, in the announcement of the reductions there was reference to reinvestment. If the government is looking for $135 million, how much will actually be reinvested back into the public service? How will it be done, and what criteria for reinvestment will be used? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the reduction scenario and areas where we need to find permanent savings is in the area of $60 million. The target for reinvestment, putting back into the strategic areas, as we’ve highlighted in the 16th Legislative Assembly, is targeted at $75 million. We’re going to have to start at a smaller pace because we realize that we won’t be able to achieve the savings, number one, and enough savings to reinvest, number two. So it will start off at a smaller pace and grow for the life of this Assembly as we continue to reinvest. Thank you.

Final supplementary, Mr. Abernethy.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker, $135 million is a lot of money. It’s going to be hard to find these dollars. What will happen if we don’t reach the targets that have been set by this government?

Mr.

Speaker, if we don’t

change the course we’re on today, before the end of the life of this government we will be in a dire situation. We would not be able to carry forward the business as laid out. We have to remind ourselves sometimes that we are spending $1.2 billion for 43,000 people in the Northwest Territories.

There’s got to be a way. We’re starting to do that exercise, and we’ll be more so in the second year of government, re-focusing and looking at how we spend that money and what the results are for that investment. I think we have to consider it as an

investment. It’s not just an expenditure; it’s an investment in the people of the Northwest Territories. If we don’t change that, we will, in fact, be in a situation where we won’t be able to continue on with capital projects. We’ll have to reduce those. We’ll have to take a serious look at all the delivery programs we have.

Mr. Speaker, with regard to staffing, we have some guidelines that we adhere to. With regard to grievances or arbitration, it depends on at what level the union submits their grievances.

Mr. Speaker, I’m wondering. The Minister had mentioned the standards that they adhere to. Is that from time to time, I wonder? I’m aware of it sometimes taking months to fill positions. I’m wondering if the Minister could look at putting in an accountability factor and looking at a Web-based competition status so that people who are applying for jobs know exactly where that competition is at.

Mr. Speaker, I know the Member has the best interests of the government at heart. Competitions generally take about eight weeks. The competitions are controlled by the managers of the various departments. The things that can delay competitions could be a number of factors. They can include managers not being available, candidates not being available, having a person in an interview being unsuccessful so you have to re-book the file. There could also be appeals. But generally the rule of thumb is that competitions would be about eight weeks.

Mr. Speaker, I do have the interests of my constituents and the residents here in the Northwest Territories at heart when I do question the Minister.

I want to again get back to the accountability side of things. I think the department should look into a system like they have in Alberta, where it can tell the applicant whether the competition is in the

screening, interview, offer or appeal stage. That, to me, is a fairly straightforward accountability measure that the department should be employing.

I’d like to ask the Minister: will he take a look at the system they have in Alberta and try to get it implemented here?

Mr. Speaker, we are always interested in looking at ways to improve our level of services. Certainly we will look at the Alberta model and look at implementing it, if it will improve our level of service as indicated by the Member.

Final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.