This is page numbers 2921 - 2956 of the Hansard for the 16th Assembly, 3rd 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 work.

Topics

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the answer from the Minister that they’re looking at this. I guess it goes to the question which I think Mr. Hawkins asked, but I didn’t really hear an answer. If the Minister is looking at alternative models, when might we be able to see some sort of proposal? If they’ve been working on these models since 13 months ago, is it going to take another 13 months before we get a proposal?

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Certainly, as I stated, we are discussing this with various departments and within our own department and other departments as well, that we’re expecting to see some results based that we can certainly share with the standing committee after session. Probably, we’re hoping that before next session or springtime, or even at the earliest the summer, that we can certainly have a draft documentation saying that this is what we can probably pursue with and then share that with Members of the standing committee.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. Summer, I guess if that’s what it is,

that’s what it is. I wonder if the Minister could advise how much of a priority this change in funding model is for the department. I would appreciate an answer on that. I would also like to know, if it is a priority for the department, how many staff are working on this particular change to the funding for daycares.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

We do have dedicated staff within the department that we have specifically for early childhood. Dealing with the daycares, whether they meet the funding criteria that’s based on, the contribution agreement, we need to relook at the whole mechanism for a number of past years and where we are today. How can we move forward on how we can improve in those areas? Certainly we don’t want to see any disruption in the operation of a daycare establishment in the Northwest Territories. We will continue to discuss the various models that we can certainly deliver. We’ll do that and provide that information to the standing committees on a going-forward basis.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The time for oral questions has expired. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bob McLeod.,

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to return to item 3, Members’ statements.

---Unanimous consent granted

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Item 3, Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bob McLeod.

Food Rescue Program
Members’ Statements (Reversion)

March 9th, 2009

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to take this opportunity to recognize an extraordinary constituent. In the past, she has received the Queen’s Jubilee Commemorative Medal for her tireless work on breast cancer awareness and health. I am speaking about Ruby Trudel, who is still very active on community issues.

---Applause

In March 2008 she attended a homelessness forum where various representatives expressed their difficulty in keeping up with increased costs, including food, which were eroding their grant funding. In her desire to help, she focused on providing food for the needy. She, along with her husband, Laurin, approached several local

businesses for donations of food that were still edible but about to be thrown out for various reasons. Because of liability concerns, some of these businesses were hesitant to take part.

Her desire to help the homeless and the poor with donations of food led her to research on food wastage and how other jurisdictions were grappling with this issue. She pushed for legislation with the help of our colleague, Ms. Wendy Bisaro. This legislation, the Donation of Food Act, came into effect October 21st , 2008, and the Food Rescue

Program was created. There was an explosion of donations from businesses. Food Rescue is a group of volunteers who retrieve food products from warehouses and stores that is considered unsalable by the commercial establishment. Product may be past its best before date or be in a condition that needs refreshing.

In its first 117 days of operation, Food Rescue received 26,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables. The recovery rate has been over 86 percent, meaning that more than 22,000 pounds of perfectly edible fruits and vegetables have been donated to some 15 organizations and saved from the landfill. This is an astounding success and the results are amazing.

In addition, Food Rescue also received more than 4,400 litres of dairy product, 1,000 litres of juice, and 2,300 pounds of meat. The Trudels, along with Grant Pryznyk, Werner and Michelle Klinger, Margaret Henderson, Lorne Schollar, Carol Givson, Toon Pronk spend a lot of their time collecting, sorting, cleaning, and chopping donated food. Chopped food made into applesauce and a number of other creative solutions are donated to shelters, drop-in centres, the Food Bank, and struggling persons identified through word of mouth.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Food Rescue Program
Members’ Statements (Reversion)

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

The benefits of Food Rescue are many. Besides saving the landfill from tonnes of waste, the vegetable trimmings are being composted and cardboard is recycled. Beneficiaries include the Salvation Army, Centre for Northern Families, YWCA Rockhill Apartments and the Alison McAteer House, Yellowknife Food Bank, the SideDoor, the John Howard Society, and the Weledeh School Lunch Program.

Food Rescue not only addresses food access issues of the homeless and the disadvantaged, but also addresses environmental issues by making the maximum use of food products shipped to the North.

This program is being run out of the Trudel home as they have yet to find a suitable location. The Food Rescue Program is an innovative solution that helps the homeless and those in need, and a testament to these volunteers’ continued dedication and commitment.

Please help me to congratulate Ms. Trudel and the Food Rescue Program volunteers on their success. This is a clear demonstration of how one person can make a difference.

Food Rescue Program
Members’ Statements (Reversion)

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 8, written questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Food Rescue Program
Members’ Statements (Reversion)

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to go back to Item 7.

---Unanimous consent granted

Food Rescue Program
Members’ Statements (Reversion)

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Return to item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, a constituent of mine from Aklavik who runs a plumbing and gas fitting business is having a tough time sustaining his business in Aklavik because of competition from Inuvik by way of contracts. Mr. Speaker, I received an e-mail from this individual this morning, which basically is a tender for the community of Aklavik is being put out in regards to a gas fitting service in Aklavik, with no consideration for local businesses that can basically provide the service and not have competition come from outside the community.

Mr. Speaker, this government has a Market Disruption Policy which calls on not disrupting businesses in communities by putting tenders out from other communities. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister of Public Works and Services exactly why is it that your department continues to put out tenders in communities without considering the local entrepreneurs or businesses that are already established there?

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Michael McLeod.

Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Minister of Public Works and Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would have to see the situation that the Member is raising. Is it an as and when tender? Is it an infrastructure tender? I am not familiar with the issue he is raising. We have an MOU that we are obligated to follow and our department is also involved in that. I would have to see more information, Mr. Speaker.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Mr. Speaker, if the government was following the MOU, the contractor would have had an opportunity to see what tenders are available and have an opportunity to either consider negotiating contract, sole-source contracting or as and when services. I would like to ask the Minister, why is it that you are not using contractors who are established businessmen in our communities by way of as and when contracts than simply having people walk into your office in Inuvik?

Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Minister of Public Works and Services

Mr. Speaker, the government has an MOU with the Gwich’in and the MOU process clearly outlines some of the requirements. Our contracts and tenders are to be viewed and supplied to the Gwich’in government. That in return is supplied to all their different contractors. Mr. Speaker, if there is no tender request for negotiations, then the contract is tendered publicly, and in this case I am assuming that is the situation. I am not familiar with the actual document he is talking about. Thank you.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Mr. Speaker, as we heard here in the House yesterday, the Premier clearly stated that the information for the existing contracts this government has out there has not even been sent to the Gwich’in or to the local business community so they can see what contracts are available. Mr. Speaker, we have a policy in the government by way of a Market Disruption Policy so that if the government is giving out any contracts that have an effect on a community, is that taken into consideration when contracts are being given by way of the cost to maintain a business in the small communities? If anything, we should be supporting these businesses to remain in these communities rather than competing against them and running them out of our communities.

Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Minister of Public Works and Services

Mr. Speaker, the responsibility for the MOU oversight falls under ITI. I am sure I could raise that for the Member if he requires. The budgets were passed in the fall, Mr. Speaker, for the capital. The budget for O and M has just been recently approved by this House. Mr. Speaker, the Member has requested from the Premier as to the status of the report that is required as part of the MOU. I believe that has been responded to by the Premier and he has indicated that it has been sent to the Gwich’in Tribal Council.

Mr. Speaker, provision of the projects is a different process. I don’t believe that is part of the project report that is being delivered. Mr. Speaker, I certainly can find out in greater detail if the Member is asking me to do that. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister can also assist me by way of the community businesses and also finding ways of why they are not being considered when it comes to tenders, which could be either sole sourced or basically as and when tenders, where these businesses are already existing. You don’t need somebody driving from Inuvik or flying from Inuvik to provide a plumbing job where you have a plumber in the community. Why is it that you are not considering local tenders? If you are not doing that, I would like to ask the Minister, can he talk to the people in the Inuvik office? Why are they not considering local contractors for those tenders to be given out locally in those communities for those tenders who are going to be providing that service?

Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Minister of Public Works and Services

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure the Member is making the assumption that we don’t support local contractors. We provide a lot of contracts to companies that indicate their interest. Failing any indication that we have come to our attention, those contracts are put to public tender. We have a process. It has been signed off. There has been extension to a Memorandum of Understanding. The information goes to the tribal council and that is dispersed. If there is somebody that has slipped through the cracks, I would be glad to hear about it. But I have not heard of the company that he is talking about that has requested negotiating contract and didn’t get it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The BIP policy, as many of us well know, was established to help grow, foster, develop northern business and development. I think, in many cases, it has worked quite successfully to demonstrate that there is a real genuine interest in developing the northern economy and establishing southern businesses here in the North. Mr. Speaker, sometimes, though, when a company is listed under the BIP policy, they get sold and basically all that is left is the storefront and the actual business that does the work vacates the Northwest Territories but they keep their

storefront name just for the context of staying involved under the BIP policy. Mr. Speaker, I see that as wrong. It was brought forward by a constituent of mine that believes it is wrong. My question to the Minister who would be in charge of this would be our Honourable Bob McLeod for ITI. What type of demonstrated measures does his department do and investigate to make sure that when a company qualifies for BIP, they actually are a northern business doing northern business? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.