David Krutko

Again, I’d like to ask the Minister, in regard to reducing the high cost of fossil fuels, that there are motions coming forward by way of trying to get us off certain types of fuels. And for myself I think that in a lot of our diesel communities where we have a high dependency on diesel fuel, it’s finding ways to break that dependency. I know for a fact that we have a residual heat system in Fort McPherson and the government has done everything in its power to not use that system. It’s already in place, it’s there, but there are no real plans to expand this project to other community...

I noted the Minister mentioned Aklavik, but I’m not too sure what type of project you’re talking about. You were talking wood pellets. It’s going to be very expensive not only to get it in there, but to store it and have the...because it’s an isolated community in which you have to take into account large storage facilities. Maybe you can elaborate on that.

One thing we also have to keep in mind is out of the energy plans that were done by communities, there are only three communities that have done their energy plans. The majority of those are large communities. There are 30 communities out...

Mr. Speaker, are there any board appointments coming up here in this short while and are those going to be advertised in the papers?

I just want to get some assurances that you are talking $1 million a kilometre. I believe using that estimate, that road from Aklavik to its gravel source shouldn’t be any different than the road from Tuk to site 177 based on $1 million a kilometre. I think that makes economic sense. That is what it is going to cost. I don’t know why Aklavik can’t be considered for $20 million in regards to its gravel source and put that on your books and basically develop it into your business plan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister responsible for the Workers’ Compensation Board. As we all know, the term of the present chair of the Workers’ Compensation Board is coming to a close. I’d like to ask the Minister, when are you going to be advertising for the replacement of the existing chairman of the Workers’ Compensation Board?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Does the Minister have a final cost of exactly what this project is going to cost?

Mr. Speaker, as we heard here in the House yesterday, the Premier clearly stated that the information for the existing contracts this government has out there has not even been sent to the Gwich’in or to the local business community so they can see what contracts are available. Mr. Speaker, we have a policy in the government by way of a Market Disruption Policy so that if the government is giving out any contracts that have an effect on a community, is that taken into consideration when contracts are being given by way of the cost to maintain a business in the small communities? If anything...

This project’s been on the books as long as I’ve been here. We’ve been spending dollars over there on the community access road funding of $250,000 a year. I think we have two kilometres of road built. It’s not as if this is something that this government isn’t aware of. You can go all the way back to, I think, former Members of this House with regard to Richard Nerysoo. He brought that issue up to this House going back before the 13th Assembly. For the Minister to make the comment that it hasn’t really been a priority of this House or an issue of this House, what does it take to get a project...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, a constituent of mine from Aklavik who runs a plumbing and gas fitting business is having a tough time sustaining his business in Aklavik because of competition from Inuvik by way of contracts. Mr. Speaker, I received an e-mail from this individual this morning, which basically is a tender for the community of Aklavik is being put out in regards to a gas fitting service in Aklavik, with no consideration for local businesses that can basically provide the service and not have competition come from...

I thought that question was going to get referred to the Minister of Transportation, who seemed to know where the capital dollars are coming from.