Bob Bromley

I appreciate the Premier’s comments there. I’d say obviously, then, the government does not agree with this and they have a moral responsibility to fight this proposal and retain the local and regional control.

The model of consultation being used here is the typical federal approach of preordaining the outcome. Mr. Pollard says again he will “lead the consultation process on reconfiguring the current four board structure into one board,” then carry the one board model forward into remaining claims negotiations.

We have two environmental audits and the McCrank Report telling us the solutions...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services. I know we graduate nurse practitioners out of Aurora College but I’m learning from constituents that we are actually hiring those nurse practitioners into regular RN jobs rather than nurse practitioner jobs. This is sort of following up on my colleague’s for Hay River North questions. We need to make good use of these nurse practitioners. What’s going on here?

Thanks for the response from the Minister. As the Minister noted, in my previous question, there’s a wide range of consultation going on with territorial and federal departments with regard to Prelude Lake, but there was no mention from the previous Minister how First Nations governments’ involvement will be ensured, and the public and stakeholder consultations. The boat launch itself is a jumping off point to the use of Akaitcho lands. Can the Minister assure me that the Yellowknives Dene First Nation will be included early in the work and the public will be informed and involved throughout?

I appreciate the Minister’s commitment there and I think I’ll hold up on that one and ask that he provide that to us as soon as possible. That would be helpful.

The last one I have on this page is the considerable cost, almost a 50 percent increase to the cost for children in residential care outside the Northwest Territories. This is a very, very sad state to me. The last time we visited this issue was when the Child and Family Services Act was reviewed by the Social Programs committee. At that time we were assured by the department that those numbers were on the decline and great progress was...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of ITI and are with regard to the management of the Prelude Lake campground and boat launch. There’s a large and growing demand on these facilities and it’s probably the most popular park in the Northwest Territories. A large volume of parked campers, casual users of the boat launch, and those accessing both legal and illegal squats from the landing. Parking and dock use is maxed out and quality of experience is declining. In correspondence from the 16th Assembly’s Minister of ITI, the Minister said a new and comprehensive...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Last point, I think maybe I got the wording wrong. I think it’s a report on how they are managing their energy costs rather than an energy management plan. Would there be an opportunity for committee to see that report and perhaps comment on it?

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to follow up a little bit and I appreciate Mr. Dolynny’s questions there. It all helps. I’d just like to first of all confirm that did I hear it’s 69.72 cents is the average per kilowatt hour for 2011-2012? I just want to get that right. Is that for across the NWT?

Thank you, Madam Chair. This is an example of the sorts of management we could be doing to avoid these sorts of ongoing costs. I’m not satisfied with the earlier discussion, nor would I like to see this just provided in the budget on a routine basis. These costs are nothing short of ridiculous in this day and age. We insist on subsidizing energy costs and utility costs more and more, rather than dealing with them and reducing the costs. This is $2 million plus, Madam Chair, for the two items and I understand that the FMB has asked the Housing Corporation to report on how they are managing...

I just wanted to establish those numbers to be sure. That is a flag. We did review this quite thoroughly in the 16th Assembly and we came up with the $10 million very much explicitly and on purpose. My colleagues have already raised many points. Mr. Yakeleya has raised many points and others. I think we’ll hear similar comments as we go department to department. Typically they reflect a lack of action on prevention sides and cutting to the chase on a lot of these issues or improper funding to begin with.

So sticking with general comments there, I think I’ll leave it at that. We need to do...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I’d just like to add my voice to my colleague’s, Ms. Bisaro. I don’t see these as legitimate if they reflect bad management of the resources that we’ve had for the year. Can I just get confirmed, Madam Chair, what was our reserve? We reviewed it and established it in the 16th Assembly. Did we establish it at $10 million, or would the Minister know if it was $15 million? Thank you.