Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to start off by saying that I appreciate this department’s achievement in keeping their budget on track. Having said that, I disagree with the Minister’s Department of Transportation going up 6 percent when the government’s only going up 3 percent, especially given the proven track record of Public Works and Services achieving reductions in

costs and actually saving this government money. That is where we want to be investing, and aggressively. We know full well what’s happening to the cost of fuel and it looks like we’re on an accelerated rise again here. The window of opportunity we know is almost certainly brief and we can’t afford to miss it. This department had an opportunity here to act more aggressively, given the considerable expertise and accomplishments they’ve developed in this area.

I want to say that I appreciate the consolidation of maintenance for GNWT buildings and the developing and further improvement of the delivery of maintenance services. I am curious about how in particular will the benefits of this consolidation be realized.

I am very supportive of the settlement manager positions. An electrician seems like a great score for Inuvik. I’m very curious about the 11 apprenticeship positions established by the department over the last four years. I’m wondering how long an apprenticeship is. If we’ve had these for four years, does this mean that some of them have completed their apprenticeship? Where have they settled? I’m interested in what their areas of skill are. I’m interested in what this translates to in numbers of apprentices we’re able to train. I think that’s a great program. I’ve said the same thing about the Housing Corporation. I’d like to know what skills are represented in our apprenticeships and what the turnover is on them and whether they’re actually staying in our communities.

The investment and infrastructure that’s reduced our deferred maintenance I think is an accomplishment that needs to be recognized and applauded. The consolidation of utility payments within this department is probably a good piece of work, but again this will allow for accurate tracking and feed into current energy conservation projects. I’m curious how, again, you expect to achieve this. What are the possibilities there?

It’s no surprise that I think it’s great that we got the electric boiler conversion done in Fort Smith, in the schools in Hay River and so on. These, of course, are old technology that we’re finally getting onto, but this department has shown the initiative to actually get out and do it. All kudos for that.

The numerous other projects are small, but not only are they gaining us but they’re developing the trades and skills to do these sorts of things and spreading that knowledge to our communities. I think the same thing in our Housing Corporation when they take this on, biomass heating capacity in Fort Simpson and so on. I’m wondering if it’s possible for this department to share their expertise and approach that they’ve developed with, for example, the NWT Power Corporation, recognizing that we’re talking heating and not electricity, but it’s the can-do, let’s-get-it-done attitude that pays

dividends here. That’s what we need from our Power Corporation. Again, old technology that’s being used in many areas in Europe.

I think it’s great that we start capturing those. The Minister of Finance has promised that we would start a revolving fund capturing the savings and perhaps it’s actually going to happen here finally, in the last gasping breaths of our Assembly. I’m happy to see that.

Finally the Minister mentions that he’s going to explore opportunities for further investment under this program. That certainly should not be a difficult task.

We certainly have a big need for enhanced and improved bandwidth services, so I hope the department really does get after that. I’m not at all knowledgeable in this area but I recognize the need. I ask the department to indeed do what needs to be done.

The petroleum products division operational efficiencies, we’ve been hearing about that now for a while and I’m glad to see that’s become operations. If the Minister’s really looking to help our residents and service our communities, and I thought he had actually committed to doing this, I don’t see it in his remarks, perhaps it’s happening. I ask again: what about the expansion of the petroleum products division to the PPPD, the petroleum and pellet products division, and start supplying pellets to our communities?

The Green Procurement Policy remains a hollow document and I know this department knows what needs to be done there. I’m hoping that they’re getting after it. I’m hoping the Minister will tell me that good work has been done there and they’re about to come out with a real Green Procurement Policy and explain how it will be spread throughout the Government of the Northwest Territories.

I’ll leave it at that. There’s lots of potential in this department. I’ll be exploring some of these things in detail, but I’ll be looking forward to the Minister’s remarks.