Debates of Feb. 23rd, 2011

This is page numbers 6085 - 6142 of the Hansard for the 16th Assembly, 5th 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

Oral Questions
Prayer
Minister’s Statement 114-16(5): Public Service Capacity Initiative
Congratulations To Ms. Siobhan Quigg On Being Selected To Attend French Language Conference In Quebec City
Congratulations To Commission Scolaire Francophone On Achievements
Preventative Maintenance Assistance For Homeowners
Territorial Hotel Tax
Future Of Health Care In The NWT
Public Consultations On Proposed New Wildlife Act
V-Day Campaign To Stop Violence Against Women And Girls
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Homelessness Assistance Fund
Preventative Maintenance Assistance For Homeowners
Territorial Hotel Tax
Proposed New Wildlife Act
Foundation For Change
Family Violence
Planning For Retrofit Of Stanton Territorial Hospital
Written Question 24-16(5): Cost Of Wildlife Act Consultations
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Report of Committee of the Whole
Orders of the Day

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Again, I mean, if we’re spending money as a government and we’re collecting data, I think that data should be the privy of the public. I think that if we’re doing anything that there has to be a way that those public funds are being utilized, but more importantly, that the public can actually see how we’re spending those dollars. I know that you go to different conferences and whatnot and that you see all these different presenters and presentations on geotechnical information in regard to mostly mining potential, but I think we also have to look at it in the confines of oil and gas. I would just like to know what happens to the information

that we do compile, and more importantly, how much money do we spend on it.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

All of the information that we collect is in the public domain. It is not only the remote sensing or the geomatics or the work that we do on behalf of the federal government for NTGO, it’s all available. I guess the problem we have is that unless somebody asks for some specific information, we have so much information that we wouldn’t know how to accumulate it unless somebody was specific in what they were requesting. Thank you.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Again, I mean, we know this is just another department. It seems like we’re spending a lot of money on people going out and getting the information on contracting services. Maybe that’s the question I’ll ask under corporate management with regard to corporate services. How much of that $400,000 are we spending? Is that money we’re spending on geologists or people who specialize in different areas looking at geology from the perspective of mining or oil and gas? Could you give me a breakdown of that $400,000 and how much of that is outside sources by way of geologists and people who compile that type of information for us?

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

I’m not sure what number he’s talking about, but our share of the geomatics is $476,000. If he’s asking about the contracts, I’ll ask Ms. Magrum to respond to that detailed question.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Krutko, I believe that was the $406,000 under contract services. Thank you. We’ll go to Ms. Magrum for that.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Magrum

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The $406,000 under contract services and corporate management relates to the corporate management function. There wouldn’t be any geological contracts under this section. It relates to the directorate in headquarters and the corporate management function throughout the regions for the Department of ITI.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Bob Bromley

Thank you, Ms. Magrum. Mr. Krutko.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

If possible, since it’s broken down by region, could you give us the regional breakdown of the $406,000 so we can see how much is going into the different regions?

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Magrum

Directorate in headquarters has $185,000 in contract services; North Slave region has $11,000; South Slave region has $7,000; Inuvik region, $1,000; Sahtu, $30,000; Deh Cho, $120,000 and $92,000 of that is related to strategic initiative with the protected areas that was approved in the 2010-2011 main estimates. Policy legislation and communication has $22,000; shared services finance and administration has $17,000; and shared services informatics has $11,000.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Could you tell me what that $1,000 was spent for in the Mackenzie Delta?

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Bob Bromley

Ms. Magrum, the $1,000 in the Inuvik region.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Magrum

Mr. Chairman, no, I’m sorry, I cannot.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Bob Bromley

Thank you, Ms. Magrum. Anything further, Mr. Krutko?

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

February 22nd, 2011

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

I was going to ask to swap out for the $120,000. You can keep that $1,000. Just getting back to the geographical information systems, again, the information depends on who the user is. At the end of the day, that information could be used to benefit businesses whether you’re a miner or a geologist. You want that information so you can look at the potential of prospecting and whatnot. That’s the type of stuff I was trying to get at. We’re collecting this information but who is the end user at the end of the day of that information that we’re collecting? Is that information released freely? Can you go in and ask for it without paying anything?

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. McLeod.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. All that information is available in the public domain. We also put on open houses where if anybody wants to understand how it works, we’re very pleased for anybody who is interested to come in and show them how it works, show them all the information we collect. The geosciences information that comes through the NTGO arrangements we have with the federal government. It’s all there, it’s all available to the public.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Committee, we’re on page 12-13, Industry, Tourism and Investment, activity summary, corporate management, operations expenditure summary, $7.735 million.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Bob Bromley

Page 12-14, Industry, Tourism and Investment, activity summary, information item, corporate management, active positions. Mr. Krutko.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I know in the past they used to break these numbers down into P1s, P2s, P3s, disabled, female. Is there any possibility we could get that type of breakdown to get an idea of what the statistics are in relation to the Affirmative Action Policy and looking at people with disabilities and the number of female workers in this department and in the area of senior managers?

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. McLeod.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We can provide those statistics to the Member. We have it here.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Once again, committee, we’re on page 12-14, Industry, Tourism and Investment, activity summary, information item, corporate management, active positions.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Bob Bromley

Page 12-17, Industry, Tourism and Investment, activity summary, minerals and petroleum resources, operations expenditure summary, $6.063 million. Mr. Krutko.