Katrina Nokleby

All of the departments have, quite often, ADM committees, working committees. They also have DM working committees. I would say that my department and the Department of Health have actually had a lot of conversation over the last while, but you are correct. There was a direction coming from Health and Social Services that needed to happen so that we could protect worker health and safety.

Maybe now is the time that Infrastructure does need to push forward a little harder and say, "Okay, we need to take a little bit more risk in having people back to work so that we can move forward the process...

Thank you, Madam Chair. The three strategic infrastructure projects, at least two of them are funded already for the next four years, to get them to a shovel-ready project. Actually, I think all three of them have funding for the next four years. We're not actually looking to go and ask the federal government in this Assembly for more money for those three strategic infrastructure projects. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. If you're referring to a couple of years ago when that all happened, no, just in general. Well, I'll refer to that incident anyway, where fuel was not good when it showed up. The department looked at that. They took a look at their procedures through that, and they implemented measures afterwards, to not have the bad fuel sale again, and they did put in more controls. I don't know if Dr. Dragon would like to add to that, but I'll give him an opportunity to do so. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I will have Joe answer this question. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I will commit to getting back to the Member on the number of percentage there if Dr. Dragon can't find it in the next two minutes, or two seconds, even. I do commit that this is generally a conversation that I am having with the department. It has been a bigger conversation that I have had in my career, is the lack of technical Northerners and Indigenous people in these positions. It is a discussion that Dr. Dragon and I had very early on. Another piece of that, which is not what you're asking, has also been about women. I recognize that the department is not doing well...

Yes, I completely do commit to making these changes. I think that, within the department, I have recognized that it is a much more complex situation than when I was first speaking to you about this. I do recognize that people are tired of excuses and tired of hearing, "We just have to do it this way," and playing it safe, because that is pretty much the messaging, is that the safest thing for me as a Minister is to put everything out to open tender, and then I protect myself.

That is not the way that we will be going forward, and I can guarantee and commit to that right now. We are already in...

Yes. Just one second, here. Thank you, Madam Chair. Under strategic infrastructure, over this last one, we have had an increase of $36,000, which was the collective agreement wage increases. In the past, we have seen a decrease of $134,000. That was $14,000 of incremental collective agreement wage increases, as well, there. Net of in 2019-2020, there was a one-time supplementary appropriation funding and transfers. Are you following? Okay. $148,000 of that funding was to provide support to the Slave Geological Province Corridor project, the design and planning. That was federal funding, so...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I would hope that everything in my department does is based on real numbers. I hope he doesn't mind, but I will let Dr. Dragon answer this one, too. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. There has been lots of back and forth. I'm going to guess though there has been some where, perhaps, they haven't had that follow up. Again, I don't have the metrics of how many have actually responded and came back, but I do understand from my department that there has been a lot of back and forth with our contractors. I know myself, personally, I've had a lot of contractors reaching out to me and had conversations with them, some from your region. I guess, again, I will just ask Dr. Dragon if he actually has any sort of numbers or data around the results.

Thank you, Madam Chair. As most people are aware, a government does multiple things at a time. Supporting and advocating for one project does not mean that we are not doing others. I would completely agree. COVID has highlighted the lack of infrastructure and the have and have-nots of our territory. I 100 percent agree with that. However, Internet is actually in the Department of Finance; it's not my department. However, I do continue to work with my colleague on that, because there is a bit of an overlap in that area.

I would argue back, for your comments regarding the project, I mean, we have...