Jane Groenewegen

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Mr. Yakeleya.

Public Works and Services, operations expenditures, directorate, not previously authorized, $177,000, asset management, not previously authorized, $3.6 million. Total department, not previously authorized, $3.777 million. Mr. Dolynny.

So, in response to the constituents who have raised a concern to us as MLAs about the availability of an electrical inspector in Hay River, and back to my question in my Member’s statement about what shall we tell them, can today we tell them that the electrical inspector’s position will continue to be located in Hay River? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In follow-up to my Member’s statement today, my questions are for the Minister of Public Works and Services.

Can the Minister confirm that a recent competition was held to attract and recruit an electrical inspector for Hay River? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the spirit and intent of the motion. It is interesting. Like Mr. Dolynny, I have some issues with the final now therefore. It talks about paying medical escorts, both medical and non-medical escorts, and it talks about paying people for their time and it sounds like paying for their time when they’re perhaps going to be away accompanying someone for a long period of time.

Right now I believe what we have for people who are medical escorts is we have travel, we have per diems for food, we have per diems for accommodation, we do have a lot of financial support...

As a result of that competition, can the Minister confirm for me that the position of electrical inspector with Public Works and Services will continue in Hay River as it has been for many years? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a little story I want to tell today and it ends with a question. What are we supposed to tell them?

For many, many years, Hay River has had an electrical inspector who works under the Department of Public Works and Services. Most of you will know that that was Stanley Norn. Stanley Norn recently retired, and congratulations to him on his retirement.

Now, the job was out for competition and candidates applied. This is a position that we have to fight to keep in Hay River. If a candidate who applies for the job lives in a different community, they can’t then just say...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to talk about support for grandparents who are caring for their grandchildren. I’m a grandmother and I know that if I had to go to sleep at night or for one minute had to wonder whether my grandchildren were being properly cared for, I would necessarily have to rearrange my life and make sure that I stepped in and became involved in that. Thankfully, I’ve been blessed with daughters-in-law and sons that are probably better parents than their parents were, but I understand the heart of grandparents who do step in and raise their grandchildren.

This issue...

Thank you, Minister Lafferty. Rather than getting into great detail on the program itself, if we could limit our comments today to the issue of the increase on the cap for the Student Financial Assistance. That might serve us well. Thank you. Mr. Yakeleya.

Agreed, thank you. I’ll ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort the witnesses to the table.

Minister Lafferty, could you please introduce your witnesses for the record?