Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Madam Chair. Claims between contractors and their subs could range from a huge, huge variety of situations. A bond is a time-sensitive tool, and if a subcontractor with a legitimate claim fails to take action under the bond on the assumption that the GNWT will intervene for some reason, they may jeopardize their ability to pursue relief provided by the surety. We make sure that the large projects have bonds in place to protect the subs and we make sure that those are adhered to, but individuals have to make sure that they utilize them as well.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We’ll commit to getting a plain-language explanation of this one for the Member and committee as well.

Thanks. If the Member goes to page 7-18, which is asset management, he’ll see that six positions have been taken out of asset management, and if he then turns to page 7-14 he will see that six positions have been added into the directorate. These positions haven’t changed their location, they haven’t changed their job. We’ve changed the reporting relationship. There was a restructuring in the department. It isn’t an addition of positions to Yellowknife in any way, shape or form. The positions existed, the incumbents are still sitting in their seats, they’re still sitting on the same floor and...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Those are Public Works and Services’ assets. So we put more assets into service that year than I think we had initially planned, but I think for some specific details I’ll go to the deputy minister on that.

Madam Chair, we are a public government so we can’t actually black list contractors. In many cases, in problems that exist, the GNWT is not always a party to contractual agreements between general contractors and their subs. A lot of the times, issues are coming to me about subs and the issues that a primary contractor may be having with some of their subs. These subs are contracted to the person we’re contracted with. Our relationship is with the contractor, not with the subs.

The GNWT procurement policies and contract regulations do not permit the government to actually black list...

Thank you, Madam Chair. With me on my left is Paul Guy, deputy minister of Public Works and Services; and on my right, the director of Technology Service Centre, Laurie Gault.

Madam Chair, we do general contract reports. It is not always a public document, but I’m happy to share the information on individual projects with committee, at the appropriate time, on a requested basis.

I am pleased to present the Department of Public Works and Services’ main estimates for the fiscal year 2013-14.

The department’s main estimates propose an operations expenditure budget of $104.5 million for 2013-14, an increase of 11.5 percent over the 2012-13 Main Estimates. This increase can be primarily attributed to the following activities:

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one-time funding for the demolition of the Sir Alexander Mackenzie School and Samuel Hearne Secondary School in Inuvik; and

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ongoing funding for the transfer of responsibility and funding for the administration of Health and Social Services leased...

In proposals, the company that submits a proposal indicates the companies that they intend to work with, the work that they plan to have those individual companies doing. We have contracting staff and Public Works and Services staff – sorry; this was a tender – in the community who is reviewing their compliance with the contract that was signed. The contract makes specific reference to the individual local companies and NWT companies that they will be utilizing for services.

By way of example, on this particular project, 50 workers in Inuvik were enrolled in the training course arranged by the...

Thank you. I remember as a kid, going to the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre here in Yellowknife, they had a lot of fantastic displays, and one of the displays actually had a significant amount of RCMP history and memorabilia. I believe that display is now gone, but I would be happy to talk to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment to see about bringing those materials back together and creating a display that maybe could go to different museums throughout the Northwest Territories.

We do have a number of facilities that may be able to show a display like this, but I’d also...