Bob McLeod

The consequences are obviously it deteriorates the relationship we have with the standing committees, and so we endeavour to not have that happen. We follow up and work very closely with all of the Ministers and all of the departments. Certainly, deputy ministers are held to account for work that is being done by their departments, but certainly it's something that we are endeavoured to improve upon on every occasion.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wouldn't go so far as to characterize it as serious breaches. I would just talk about the four instances that the Member raised on the Robertson Headframe with Newmont. The proponent wrote to all the Yellowknife MLAs indicating that he had talked to our government. I do have e-mails from the four Yellowknife MLAs outlining their positions with regards to the Robertson Headframe. So for him to say that it's a complete surprise that we were talking about the Robertson Headframe, I guess he considers that as very serious. Perhaps we should have communicated directly with...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Alfred Moses will be absent from the House today and tomorrow to attend the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers of Immigration meeting in Quebec. Also, Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Louis Sebert will be absent from the House today and tomorrow to attend the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers of Justice and Public Safety meeting in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I don't see it happening again and again, but it's something, as I say, it's a constant process, we discuss it all the time. Every issue, every decision paper, every information item dealing, responding to the media, we endeavour to make sure that committees, especially the chairs of the appropriate committee and the MLAs are made aware of it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

That protocol is in the process of being renegotiated. It'll be rolled out very shortly, and we stand by it. Communications is a standing item of all of our Cabinet meetings of every decision paper and we will continue to endeavour to fulfill those commitments that we've committed.

I am pleased to recognize a constituent from Yellowknife South, Mr. Lona Hegeman, who is accompanied by Mr. Amir Kassab. Mr. Kassab is originally from Paris, France, and is in the Northwest Territories on a two-year work visa. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and welcome.

Local employment is always a factor when considering negotiated contracts but not at any costs, Mr. Speaker. We also have rules that govern our business incentive policies and our northern preference policies. The Member referred to the Inuvik Tuk Highway. In that case, there was the benefits and jobs are available, 600 jobs a year, 80 per cent provided by Northerners for Northerners.

What we find in our travels as we go out to the regions, as we go out and talk to the people of the Northwest Territories is that a lot of the people don’t realize what a good job that we do or they don’t recognize the number of important programs that we deliver. Through our communications people we want everybody to know what programs we have, what benefits we can provide so that everybody can make sure that they benefit to the maximum from all of the generous programs that this government provides.

We will be developing a draft approach to how we would come up with a report, and we will share it with the Regular Members.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise the Members that the Honourable Caroline Cochrane will be absent from the House today and tomorrow to attend the federal-provincial-territorial Ministers responsible for housing meeting in Victoria, British Columbia. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.