Bob Bromley

Thank you. I would, too, like to recognize many people in the gallery: my constituents Loretta and Dick Abernethy, the Zaozirnys, Arlene Hache, and my lovely wife, Marianne. Big wave there. I also see Mr. Rick Edjericon, chair of the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board. Many of the elders that I would also like to recognize, and city councillors Lydia Bardak, David Wind, Dave McCann, possibly others. Welcome all.

Of course, it is a matter of degree with universal coverage and income testing. We’re moving away from some degree of universal coverage and more and more towards income testing.

I like what the Minister had to say, that those are the issues. Will those issues be part of this public review? The public would like the opportunity to comment on that. There are lots of design ways that Canadians have figured out how to pay for health care, regardless of what their income is, so that it is universal coverage. That needs to be part of this discussion. Will the Minister commit to including that?

Thank you for those comments. I am surprised that the Minister is surprised, if he indeed does have access to those exit interviews. I want to be clear that the students and young people and new employees that I talked to are clear in that they’re very happy to have had the opportunity for employment. It is just the disappointment in the workplace — the missing teamwork and so on that I have mentioned.

One of the big ones is the incredible amount of wastage. I mention that again. The ENR, for example, apparently is the only department that has mandatory double-sided photocopying and so on. What...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. In the area of wastage of resources, these people suggest we encourage carpooling within divisions, creating a GNWT blog where employees can make suggestions for savings, and assigning a roving resource monitor for ensuring efficiency. This assignment could rotate among staff so that everyone is involved. Many employees who have suggestions for improvement in their department do not speak out for fear of retribution. We need to give these people a vessel through which they can anonymously express their concerns.

In summary, Mr. Speaker, our...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate those comments from the Minister. This, again, is a very serious issue.

I’d just like to note that the Yukon will be holding round table meetings with various associations, such as the Chamber of Commerce, the Association of Yukon Communities and so on, so it’s not just an internal process. Will the Premier commit to including a public process where our residents can participate in a response to this situation as required?

Mr. Speaker, given the situation that we are becoming more and more reliant on the export economy — diamonds and oil and gas — what’s the expectation of the Premier, having heard the situation on the market again this morning getting quite serious: global concerns and national concerns about recession…? What’s the expectation in terms of the diamond industry and the oil and gas industry for the Northwest Territories?

My question is for the Minister of Public Works and Services.

What have been the costs of the resupply of fuel this year by community, and what is the cost per litre by fuel type for each community?

Are there still communities to be supplied, and if so has the fuel already been purchased and at what cost per litre by fuel type for each community?

Once again, these are people that have thoughts and feelings about their employment. It is something we really want to take advantage of and address so we can improve our service to the public. One of the things they mentioned is the opportunity for a GNWT blog, where employees can log on and register their complaints and so on. What is the opportunity for anonymous contributions in order to protect these employees and enable them to make these comments and ensure we get a thorough assessment?

My question is for the Minister of Human Resources, following up on my Member’s statement today. As I mentioned, I’ve become affected by the disillusionment and disappointment shown by a lot of our young people — our summer employees, our casual employees, our new employees — and they’re lamenting the waste that they see.

I know the Minister made a statement the other day that they’re embarking on a comprehensive human resource strategic plan, which I’m very happy to hear. How is the department going to ensure that all employees have input, specifically these new and potentially long term...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to address the conditions and opportunities this government needs to consider to become, once again, an employer of choice.

The job market in Canada is changing rapidly. This government needs to make some progressive changes if it intends to remain competitive in attracting and retaining well educated and motivated individuals. Over the next ten years a large percentage of Canada’s workforce is going into retirement, and this is driving up wages for educated and skilled entry level employees. We cannot simply rely on higher wages to attract employees...