Thank you. Last term our government did mention or at least talked about their somewhat willingness and participation in the Health Quality Council in Alberta in their dialogue

and overview of services, and the Alberta province itself says until we have a solution we won’t be closing the Muni. This is a solution, but part of that relationship would be that the Health Council of Alberta is the Northwest Territories government through the Minister of Health’s office was formulating some relationship on this particular subject and it may have been weak, but at the same time they were still involved. That said, I’d like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services if he will take an active role on this particular file to make sure that the northern voices are heard and protected when it comes to medevac services.

Thank you. The discussions that I was referring to were discussions about the Garrison Airport. As far as the airport and the Edmonton City Centre Airport, one runway is shut down, but medevacs are continuing to use that airport. The only time the medevacs are diverted to the International Airport at this time is because of weather. Thank you.

Thank you. The fact is we have a missed opportunity. We’re going to have to go wherever they present us. Well, let’s be part of the solution when I say where they present us. That means if they’re going to tell us what airport we can send our medevacs to, we should be on the front of this problem rather than just being told at the very end of the equation and that’s kind of what I’m getting at with the Minister of Health and Social Services here. We need to get involved in the solution to ensure that northern needs are taken care of; otherwise we’re going to have to put up with whatever they give us.

That said, I once again ask the Minister of Health and Social Services will he be willing to take an active role in finding out what’s going on and perhaps even join the deputy premier of Alberta on lobbying DND, that’s the Department of National Defence, so they’ll turn over the Edmonton Garrison for Capital Health of Alberta to ensure that our medevacs arrive safe and in a timely way in Edmonton. Thank you.

Thank you. The Department of Health in the Northwest Territories is involved with this and had been involved, but this is a relatively new development and we know that that airport could be a viable alternative to the International, but we know that it also requires upgrades and we do believe that it warrants full consideration. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is the Minister saying to this House that they’re now involved in this particular observation and discussion and evaluation of the Edmonton Garrison solution? I think it is a viable solution and I just want to make sure our government is involved

in the final decision. Even if it’s a small voice on there, it needs to be a voice at that table. Thank you.

Thank you. As I indicated earlier, we play no official role but we are aware of the discussions. We’re staying in the loop, but we haven’t engaged officially either with the National Defence or any involvement with the City of Edmonton at this time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister for Municipal and Community Affairs and I’d like to follow up on my Member’s statement. Since Volunteer NWT folded, I think most non-profit and non-government organizations in the NWT have found it much more difficult to do their job. They have volunteer boards and they have less volunteers to work with. I think it’s been a loss to all of the NWT in the fact that they can’t provide the same services to the effectiveness that they could before when Volunteer NWT was alive and well.

I’d like to ask the Minister, I noted on MACA’s website that the Volunteer Support Initiative Action Plan is listed there. It’s dated Action Plan 2005-2008. The last Volunteer Support Initiative status report was dated 2006-2007. I’d like to know from the Minister whether or not there is any document that exists other than what’s posted on the website with regards to the Volunteer Support Initiative that is more up to date. Has there been any activity on the part of MACA to do updates and to do work on the Volunteer Support Initiative? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The final report on the Volunteer Support Initiative is expected in the fall of 2012. So we’re hoping to get that out by the fall and it will be an update to the past work that’s been done. Thank you.

Thank you. That didn’t really go very far to answering my question about what kind of activities have been in the works, but I’ll wait anxiously for the updated report.

From my information, MACA’s volunteer budget this year is some $263,000, and that, I understand, goes to staffing and management of the two programs that I mentioned, but only $70,000 of that $263,000 goes to the actual programs. It would seem to me that it would be possible for the department to re-profile $50,000 out of that $263,000 so that we could have a Volunteer NWT

back in business. I’d like to ask the Minister whether or not he would be able to see his way through that. Thank you.

Thank you. Volunteer has a budget of $150,000 in the past year and that goes out to help support a lot of the volunteer groups under that particular umbrella organization. As well, the volunteer organization development contribution increased from $20,000 to $70,000. Again, our preference would be to put money right into the volunteer groups themselves and not in an umbrella organization. However, we’re coming up to a business planning process and it’s an issue, obviously, that the Member will raise and it’s something that we’d be more than willing to listen to. Thank you.

Thanks to the Minister. I’m hoping that he’s listening now as I raise this issue. I agree that certainly, and I was very pleased to see that the department has increased the contributions to volunteer organizations from $20,000 to $70,000, but without a coordinator, without a centralized person to assist organizations, they lack the ability to do the training that is needed for volunteers that allows our NGOs to do the business that they need to do for us. So if the Minister at this point, as he seems to have indicated that $50,000 is not available to reinstitute Volunteer NWT, what can the Minister suggest he could to do to get Volunteer NWT back up and running? Thank you.

I can assure the Member that the Minister is listening, and the Minister is listening also to other voices from across the NWT. I’ve heard nothing, really, on Volunteer NWT. They’re pleased with some of the volunteer support that they’re given; however, Volunteer NWT provided a service that was required by some organizations. We’d not be willing to commit money at this point; however, as I mentioned to the Member, we are going through a business planning process where it would be an opportunity for the Member or Members to raise any monies that they would like to see put towards Volunteer NWT again. As I said before, we’re listening and we’d be more willing to listen further.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. I’m really pleased to hear his assurance that he’s listening and I can assure the Minister that, yes, I will raise this issue when we review business plans.

If the department doesn’t feel that half a PY or some kind of human resource is necessary for Volunteer NWT, is there any hope that the Minister may see his way to increase the $70,000 going to the various organizations could be increased so that it could go to more than the 17 organizations – or, sorry, 16 I guess it was last year who were able

to access it. I’m sure there’s a lot more organizations who would access it if they could.

Obviously it is something that we would have to look at. If we’re getting more requirements or needs for the money that we have, or more demands, then it’s something that I think as an organization, as a department that we would have to have a look at and see how we can best support those groups that are actually out there delivering these programs to their communities. We understand the importance of volunteerism and every one of us in here has volunteered at one time or another. We need to ensure that we do our part in assisting volunteers as much as possible.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I alluded to in my Member’s statement today, I will be asking the Minister of Transportation questions today on sole sourcing and the methodologies or process management policies he and his department will be using for projects such as the Giant Mine bypass and projects for the coming years.

Bottom line, I have a bit of trouble understanding the rationale when the government decides in its best interest of public funds to sole source contracts and when not to. My first question to the Minister today is: Under what circumstances can the Department of Transportation, deputy minister, Minister and Cabinet award contracts without some sort of competitive process?

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. David Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think we have an obligation to ensure that all the information is on the table, that we maximize the opportunities for local involvement in projects, and I want to assure the Member that no decision has been made on how this realignment project will be delivered. It isn’t being fast-tracked. I think I heard the Member say it was being fast-tracked during his Member’s statement. This project has been in the works for several years. It isn’t being fast-tracked, nor will the procurement delivery model that will ultimately be decided upon by Cabinet be quickly or fast-tracked to arrive at.

So in the case of Highway No. 4 Giant Mine Bypass Road Project, I won’t use the word fast-tracked but I’ll say perceived rush to have started on the pathway of a negotiated contract and

then later removed for consideration by Cabinet Ministers. Can the Minister explain that process?

Again, I don’t believe we are in a rush. I think we are getting a little bit behind schedule when it comes time to make a decision on procurement on the realignment of Highway No. 4.

Again, this project has been in the mix now for several years. Construction was to begin in the winter/spring of this year to be completed by this fall. We’re moving now to look at a construction start date sometime in April.

We need to find out the best way to maximize the benefits to the economy of the Northwest Territories. We’re interested, as your colleague Mrs. Groenewegen stated in her questions to me, in trying to ensure that the money that is spent stays in the North as much as possible, and the jobs and opportunities and training are going to local people. All those things will be put on the table and ultimately Cabinet will have to make a decision on the best way to proceed with the procurement of the realignment of Highway No. 4 and that will happen in due course.