Debates of June 3rd, 2013

This is page numbers 2751 – 2792 of the Hansard for the 17th Assembly, 4th 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 information.

Topics

Oral Questions
Prayer
Devolution
Report Of The Minister’s Forum On Addictions And Community Wellness
Elders In Schools Pilot
Pregnancy And Infant Loss Remembrance Day In Canada
Ecole J. H. Sissons School Students Homelessness Project
Targeted Wage Subsidy Programs For Trades Apprenticeships
Youth Employment Opportunities
Personal Medical Travel From Small Communities
Housing For Teachers In Small Communities
World No Tobacco Day
Environmental Review Of Conocophillips For Horizontal Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking) Project
Harriet Gladu Health Centre In Tulita
School Replacement In Trout Lake
Return To Oral Question 232-17(4): Highway Emergency Response Protocols
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Pregnancy And Infant Loss Remembrance Day In Canada
Targeted Wage Subsidy Programs For Trades Apprenticeships
Youth Employment Opportunities
Personal Medical Travel In The Deh Cho
Housing For Teachers In Small Communities
Awarded Contract For Demolition Of Samuel Hearne Secondary School
Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking) Activities In The Sahtu
Status Of Harriet Gladu Health Centre In Tulita
Trout Lake School Reconstruction
Caribou Management
Employment For Northern Graduates
Committee Report 3-17(4): Report On The Review Of The 2011-2012 Annual Report Of The Information And Privacy Commissioner Of The Northwest Territories
Motion To Receive Committee Report 3-17(4) And Move Into Committee Of The Whole
Tabled Document 79-17(4): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2013-2014
Tabled Document 80-17(4): Northwest Territories Lands And Resources Devolution Agreement Tabled Document 81-17(4): Northwest Territories Lands And Resources Devolution Agreement: A Plain Language Summary Tabled Document 82-17(4): Summary Of Changes To Consensus Draft Devolution Agreement And Schedul
Tabled Document 84-17(4): Elders In Schools Handbook
Tabled Document 85-17(4): Minister`s Forum On Addictions And Community Wellness: Healing Voices – April 30, 2013
Tabled Document 86-17(4): Summary Of Members’ Absences For The Period February 6 To May 28, 2013
Support For The Approval Of The NWT Lands And Resources Devolution Agreement
Organ Donation/ Human Tissue Act
Bill 24: An Act To Amend The Liquor Act
Supporting Federal Action On Cyberbullying
Recorded Vote
Referral Of Electoral Boundaries Commission 2013 Final Report To Committee Of The Whole
Bill 20: An Act To Amend The Tlicho Community Government Act
Bill 21: An Act To Amend The Dental Profession Act
Bill 22: Territorial Emblems And Honours Act
Bill 23: Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2013-2014
Bill 11: Financial Administration And Public Agency Statutes (Borrowing Provisions) Amendment Act
Bill 12: An Act To Amend The Education Act
Bill 13: An Act To Repeal The Curfew Act
Bill 14: An Act To Repeal The Pawnbrokers And Second-Hand Dealers Act
Bill 15: Gunshot And Stab Wound Mandatory Disclosure Act
Bill 16: An Act To Amend The Justices Of The Peace Act
Bill 17: An Act To Amend The Protection Against Family Violence Act
Bill 18: Apology Act
Bill 19: Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2013
Bill 20: An Act To Amend The Tlicho Community Government Act
Bill 23: Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2013-2014
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Concurrence Of Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2013-2014
Report of Committee of Whole
Bill 23: Supplementary Appropriation (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2013-2014
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

The Chair

The Chair Robert Bouchard

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Aumond.

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

Aumond

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I believe there’s a previous commitment to share, I guess, the goals and objectives of procurement shared services with committee, and we will do that, but we’ve got to take the opportunities.

The incremental ask here is for $165,000 and what we’re trying to do here is create, I guess, for lack of a better term, a centre of excellence around procurement. As a total, the government takes hundreds of millions of dollars of procurement every year and rather than having that left to people who aren’t practiced in that area, or in some cases even hold a professional certification in that area, is to create a centre of excellence so that that hundreds of millions of dollars in procurement gets undertaken by those professionals who actually have certification in that area and have experience in that area.

The other benefit I would suggest would be is that all procurement would be undertaken in the same manner, and we’ve heard from business that, depending on which department they deal with, the experience is different, the processes are different, and to bring some consistency to that process and some certainty to that process. So when industry or business undertake a contract or compete for a contract for the Government of the Northwest Territories, they will do so in a manner that’s consistent every time they do it.

So, as I said, we will share the goals and objectives of the procurement shared services that will be used to measure the success of that in the years to come. Thank you.

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

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

I do appreciate the deputy minister’s response. I mean, I’m not going to deny creating a centre of excellence, as was mentioned here today. That should be the goal of any organization, whether it’s in government or in business. But it has to be said that if you’re going to do this, you need to quantify or at least predict what your savings are going to be and we didn’t hear that today. We heard it’s only $165,000, we’re going to be doing a whole bunch of changes, we’re going to have all these topnotch people come down and do the buying for the government, and trust us.

I would expect that in the future that the department come here armed with information that if we legitimately ask what are those savings in dollars and cents, that should be provided to committee. There should be a quantifiable reason and a scope of savings and a true cost benefit to the taxpayers by doing changes in how we do such things as procurement. I think that’s a legitimate question and a legitimate ask from committee. Thank you.

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 Robert Bouchard

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Taking that as a comment, directorate, previously not authorized, $858,000.

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 Robert Bouchard

Asset management, not previously authorized, $1.620 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 Robert Bouchard

Total department, not previously authorized, $2.478 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 Robert Bouchard

Page 9, Health and Social Services, operations expenditures, program delivery support, not previously authorized, $89,000.

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 Robert Bouchard

Health services programs, not previously authorized, $108,000.

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 Robert Bouchard

Community wellness and social services, not previously authorized, $22,000.

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 Robert Bouchard

Total department, not previously authorized, $219,000.

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 Robert Bouchard

Page 10, Justice, operations expenditures, service to the government, not previously authorized, negative $91,000.

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 Robert Bouchard

Legal aid services, not previously authorized, $4,000.

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 Robert Bouchard

Court services, not previously authorized, $5,000.

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 Robert Bouchard

Community justice and corrections, not previously authorized, $24,000.

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.