Floyd Roland

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the letter that I sent in response to a letter that we got from Avalon Rare Earth Mineral’s project and the people within that organization stands. We’re interested, as we have been with any secondary industry potential that we have in the Northwest Territories. There are many challenges that need to be looked at, so we’re still going to go ahead with those discussions. I know that Minister Bob McLeod with ITI folks have been arranging to have these ongoing discussions, and they’re still open. Of course, we’re challenged in our environment to see how we can...

I believe it was representatives of the Department of ITI as well as ECE. But we can get that information as well.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That portion of the work was an RFP.

Mr. Speaker, in many forms of contracting, best price isn’t necessarily the best work that you want to get. Especially in the critical days of a government coming into power, it wants to ensure that the information it is collecting, the position it is preparing for in meetings, in opening some of those doors, each person can bring their own unique qualities to the table. For example, with our establishing a relationship with the federal government that’s in place, that requires a unique set of capacity and capabilities, and we received that.

When it comes to dealing with industry, as well as...

Mr. Speaker, the contracts that we have in place that we put together so that we can position ourselves when it comes to discussions with either the federal government or industry, at times, are necessary and in place, and we use that, different departments use those as well, and we do have documentation on those. In some areas the documentation is provided directly to and short form to appropriate Ministers. Thank you.

The contract I believe was issued under ECE and I’ll have to get that detail to him.

Mr. Speaker, I understand that response was tabled in this Assembly, our response to the Auditor General’s report, on the initiatives we would undertake to deal with those issues. As well, in remarking to other questions earlier this week, the Financial Administration Act is being reviewed and out of that can flow further changes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is now not a rookie anymore. He’s been around this Assembly long enough and he’s been digging up information for quite some time and making strong suggestions out there or language that we can get on and debate and challenge each other on. He’s not satisfied with the information we’ve given him. There was no schmooze fest, as the Member is suggesting. Contracts were in place; meetings did occur, and a number of them. He’s not satisfied with the information we’ve given him. I am sorry he’s not satisfied, but I don’t know if there’s anything I can...

I would agree with the Member. That is one of the areas that is of concern to us when there are so many different levels of government at the table. That is why, for example, at the regional leaders’ table we agreed to work on a land use framework process. That work is ongoing and, in fact, moving ahead, I would say, at a fairly good pace, considering the complexities across the Northwest Territories, and we continue to put that effort into it. Hopefully, before the life of this Assembly, we’ll have something we can agree on together with aboriginal governments and ourselves. But that is the...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Under the general operations and maintenance, under contracts, I’m trying to get further detail on that. We have contract services of $902,000 where he’s going back to 2008-09 actuals of $1.224 million. I’d have to get that information. I’d have to get the details on the difference there of what’s actuals versus what’s in the contracts registry department. The contracts registry area, the report is developed by ITI, I believe. Thank you.