Bob McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are joined today by members of the Executive Committee of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region, or PNWER. They are here to visit our beautiful territory and capital city, and take part in the PNWER Capital Visit. I want to welcome our delegates and speakers from Alaska, Yukon, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Alberta, British Columbia, and more. I would also like to recognize the president of PNWER, Mr. Michael Schaufler. Later on today I will recognize the rest of the delegation.

Mr. David Ramsay, MLA for Kam Lake, and I will be joining the delegates in their...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to recognize two representatives from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business: Corinne Pohlmann, the vice-president of national affairs from Ottawa, and Mr. Richard Truscott, the director of provincial affairs from Edmonton. I should point out that the Canadian Federation of Independent Business is celebrating their 40th anniversary this year. Welcome to the Assembly.

I’d also like to recognize Darrell Beaulieu, the chairman of our Business Development Investment Corporation.

Like all the other Members here, I want to recognize all the Pages...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following two documents entitled Northwest Territories Energy Report, May 2011, and Growing Forward: Small Scale Foods Program, Community Garden Initiative 2010 Annual Report.

Mr. Speaker, at the beginning of the 16th Legislative Assembly this government made a $60 million commitment toward energy programs and initiatives. This commitment was in addition to existing programs and initiatives and intended to reduce the cost of living in the Northwest Territories and advance alternative energy initiatives.

Based on the priorities established by the 16th Legislative Assembly, our focus has been on reducing imported fossil fuels, mitigating the environmental impacts of our energy use, and reducing the cost of living in the Northwest Territories.

As the chair of the...

Thank you. The government’s objective is to meet last year’s target of 263 summer students and it’s our commitment for the department to achieve the 16 summer students that we hired, the same as last year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker. In December of last year the department met with the deputy ministers of all the departments and advised them of the process for hiring summer students, the need to register on the public registry and the need to have a continued support to hire summer students. We follow that up with regular updates at deputy minister meetings and also letters to the departments. We also raise them at ministerial meetings. So in every opportunity, we encourage departments to increase the level of hiring of summer students. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. To date we’ve hired nine summer students and I’d also like to advise the Members that the Progressive Experience Program is also fully subscribed. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents entitled 20/20: A Brilliant North Action Plan (2011-2012) and Results Report (2010-2011); and Report on the Staff Retention Policy Year Ending March 31, 2011. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled Northwest Territories Film and Media Arts Industry: Growing the Sector. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We met with the NWT Smart Communities Society and all the Yellowknife MLAs, including myself, and we recognize the good work that the Smart Society has been doing. We committed to working with the Smart Communities Society to deal with some of the programs that they have been working very hard on over the past three years.

I’d like to point out that over the past three years Smart Society spent about $11 million on their programs, and this year, in order to access $385,000 from the federal government, they were looking to expand their programs across the Northwest...