Yes, the Speaker can advise the Minister. The question for the Minister.

Upon implementing the recycling of electronics earlier this year, we have an advisory group that’s going to sit down within the one-year period of this implementation. They will be reviewing the policy and bringing recommendations back to the department, which we can share with the Members.

I won’t try to ask you the question this time. I’ll ask the question to the Minister responsible for ENR. I thank the Minister for that answer and I’m very happy to hear that there is a committee. Can the Minister actually advise the committee that there is some of these issues out there that people are looking at, the electronics that has, you know, getting a refund, so we can get all the electronics out of our dumps and into a proper recycling process? This will be my final question.

As I said, we have a committee that will be reviewing the process and see if it’s working effectively to keep electronics out of our dumps in the Northwest Territories. Upon that review, we can have those discussions and if the Member would like, he can have input probably in that discussion as well with the committee.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just have a couple questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. I just got a memo here that, you know, there will be reduced nursing services in Aklavik between June 30thand July 9th. I’d just like to ask the Minister, what’s the reasoning behind this? Is it due to holidays? Or just what’s the reasoning for this? Thank you.

Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member’s nailed it exactly on the head. It’s as a result of holidays and some staff changes and turnover. We will do our best to have some locums come in to fill over these transition periods, some locums will be coming in this summer. Unfortunately, the timing hasn’t lined up, so we do have to go to reduced services for a short period of time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, when the Minister says reduced services, what does that entail? Is it a full closure or just limited services?

Mr. Speaker, I can’t recall the exact situation in Aklavik when you go to reduced services, it might mean that we have to reduce and only provide emergency services, so accidents, injuries that need immediate response, and not deliver any of our clinics, like Well Man or Well Woman, but I will confirm. I’m pretty sure we’re going to reduce services, which means we’re providing emergency services, but no clinical services for that short period of time. I will get that detail and confirm with the Member.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to ask the Minister, this wouldn’t affect any medical travel or anything that’s already booked that may happen during this time?

No, Mr. Speaker. Any services that the clients or the residents in Aklavik have, that they require to leave the community to go to either Inuvik, Yellowknife, or Edmonton, those things are still scheduled, still appropriate and medical travel will still occur.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Mr. Speaker, as we prepare to leave for the summer, I just want to ask the Minister of Housing a couple of questions here. You know, we were supposed to get a couple units barged on the Mackenzie River. I just want to make sure that, you know, I know all the buoys should be in place by now and so I’m going to make sure that everything’s on track and will these mobile homes actually be shipped down the river over the summer? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of NWT Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, unfortunately, during the fiscal year 2015, the modular that was supposed to go into Tsiigehtchic was delayed because of the low water and the barge was unable to get into the community, but it’s scheduled to be; we’ve made arrangements for Cooper to carry it into the barge and so it should be in this year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I know we only have two months here of barging season. I know it should be three. But you know, by the time September comes around, the water is so low that, you know, the barges have difficulty here. If these units do not make it to Tsiigehtchic and also Aklavik too is supposed to get a couple there, I believe. You know, what’s the department’s plan if that doesn’t work out again this summer?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Currently, we’re not looking at any delays with it. It is scheduled to go up on the Cooper barge and so it should be there by the end of August. We’re expecting that it’ll be complete. The site work is all completed and so we’re just waiting for the modular unit to get in and then we’ll be setting it up and it should be ready to go by the end of August.

Mr. Speaker, you know, quite a while back, the barge used to actually land in Tsiigehtchic and unload there. I’d just like to ask the Minister if they’re familiar with what the process is going to be. Will it actually go to Inuvik and then be trucked to Tsiigehtchic, you know, that would add costs for sure, but you know, if that does happen, will they contract that work out, as soon as possible.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In all honesty, I’m not too sure how the barge works to get into Tsiigehtchic. I can look it up and get back to the Member on that question, but like I say, it is scheduled to be in the community and set up by the end of the August. If that doesn’t work out, then we’re not projecting that there will be any difficulties, but if there is, then we’ll look at it at that time, recognizing that NTCL, this will be the last year and that we have gone out to tender to try to get another barging system in place.

Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As mentioned, I did get questions on this earlier in the week. We’re just waiting for the reports to be written up by the independent review, and in that report, we are going to get some recommendations. We’ll sit down with our staff, decide what we’re going to be doing in terms of moving forward with the ministerial directive, and then be presenting that to both the Commission scolaire and all the interested parties involved in Hay River and Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.