Thank you. Page 7-14, information item, directorate, active positions. Mr. Hawkins.

Page 7-13?

Page 7-14, Mr. Hawkins. Go ahead.

Thank you. It’s actually hard to hear you over here. I seek unanimous consent to go back to page 7-13.

Mr. Hawkins, that activity was called three separate times so we will not be able to go back to that activity on page 7-13. Page 7-14, information item, directorate, active positions.

Thank you. Page 7-17, activity summary, asset management, operations expenditure summary, $82.229 million. Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Let’s see, my first one on this page is, I believe this is where the energy standards are set for our buildings and some of our energy management work. My understanding is that currently we subscribe to the 25 percent better than the National Model Energy Code for buildings. As I was saying, though, really the times are moving on and we need to continue to ratchet that up and increase our efficiency. I’m wondering if the Minister would commit to investigating the possibility for moving to a 40 percent better than the National Model Energy Building Code for buildings.

---Interjection

Excuse me. Mr. Bromley does have the floor. Thank you very much. Mr. Bromley, I apologize.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It does get hard to hear here. I think the Minister knows

where I’m coming from here. I have to say that I’m not totally comfortable with his comment that it always has to be purely based on economics, these decisions, but I think so far we obviously have been doing very well, just based on economics. Although I see there are other government mandates and responsibilities here as well that need to be serviced. Could I get the Minister’s reaction on moving to a 40 percent better National Energy Building Code?

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. We’ll go to Mr. Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Member is correct; right now we subscribe to the 25 percent better than the national. That’s our target. We do actually direct our staff in the department to meet or beat even the 25 percent and go beyond that. In most cases we do. We’re comfortable that we’re actually beating the 25 percent that we’re targeted for.

With respect to investigate, I’m happy to have the department look at some options. I will not commit to 40 percent at this time because the analysis hasn’t been done and I’m not sure whether or not we can actually get to the 40 percent. I’m happy to have the department look at it and provide me with some information so that an informed decision or informed direction can be made.

Thanks for that commitment. That’s what I was asking for. Obviously, as I mentioned, almost all other jurisdictions have already gone to the 25 percent and they’re more southerly than us. Our savings are bigger, obviously.

My second one is on the contracting and procurement services. Again, sort of an asset revolving issue, you might call it. I brought this up before. We do have a Green Procurement Policy in place but it’s worth beans. The department knows that and had committed in the past to coming up with a real Green Procurement Policy with best practices and standards and so on, getting that in place. Can I ask where the department is on that and when we’ll be getting a briefing and see that into implementation, hopefully within the next few months?

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Abernethy. I believe we’re going to go to Mr. Guy.

We’ll go to Minister Abernethy as well.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and to Member Bromley. Like Mr. Guy said, we don’t have the exact date, but we will have some discussions this week and we’ll get back to Mr. Bromley with a more concrete date as to when he can expect to see and look at the suggestions of the proposal.

Thank you, Minister Abernethy. Mr. Bromley.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and thanks to the Minister and deputy minister for those comments. I’ll look forward to that.

On the inspection services side of things, again, I know this department has their own building standards and so on, but unfortunately our communities don’t have a building standards act. I know that there are many cases when they’re at a loss, they do approach Public Works and Services and when they are able, they do provide a response on an informal basis to help out there. I’m just wondering, is there an assessment of that sort of service that’s provided or is that something the department should be doing, and would this department be willing to work with Municipal and Community Affairs to put together a buildings act and provide advice on the basis of their considerable experience with their own standards and codes. Thank you.

Ultimately, as the Member said earlier today, the responsibility for a buildings standard code in the Northwest Territories would ultimately be up to MACA, and we’re absolutely happy to work with MACA, share our expertise, provide any sort of guidance around the specifics that we can, and we will do that if MACA does take that direction.

Thanks for those comments. I know there is a lot of experience with the department, so that would be useful if we do go that way.

I was also asking, I know that communities have projects and often turn to Public Works and Services personnel on an informal basis. Is there a way of capturing that sort of thing and reporting on it as to the degree of activity that happens in that format given the absence of an NWT building standards act? Mahsi.

I’m actually going to Deputy Minister Guy on that one.

Thank you, Minister Abernethy. Mr. Guy.