Kevin A. Menicoche

Maybe I can get further details on where the library coordinator is going to be and which five communities are getting libraries, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I think I’ll just wait until further details on the other pages that do show better numbers for regional positions. I’ll ask further questions at that time. Thank you.

I certainly look forward to the Minister’s response and, as well, we’ll have another opportunity to discuss this during his departmental business plans in Committee of the Whole. I just wasn’t clear; did the Minister say that the contract was up this year or was that for the information that he requires to see?

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister of Transportation some questions regarding the Liard River ice crossing. In November I raised the issue that the department had plans to use their own forces to build an ice bridge. That’s certainly something I don’t support. I’d like to ask the Minister what the plans are for this coming year’s ice construction schedule.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So the Aboriginal language and culture-based education, the Minister says it is part of the contribution that goes to the schools and that is how I imagine the regional educational council is the one that decides which schools get how much and the guidelines and parameters about what kind of program to use maybe. Maybe the Minister can just give me a typical program area on how this is expended.

Mr. Chairman, I am glad to see that we agree that Fort Simpson doesn’t have a library, so they should be able to access these funds. However, I will just leave that alone. Still, like I said, it is still high on my agenda and the agenda of the community of Fort Simpson to find a resolution around this and how to best fill our public library. I have always thought that establishing Fort Simpson as a regional library service makes it and that becomes a legislative library. It has to be funded is the way to go, if there is any way this line item can help and we will see the next movement from the...

If the Minister has got the detail of which communities are being focused for increasing their library service, I would certainly like to hear that, Mr. Chair.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. There’s certainly lots of activity under this description here, but I think where I’ll begin first is in the opening comments. I didn’t have a chance to raise with the Minister that the access to a public library is still high on the agenda for residents of Fort Simpson, and I will continue to pursue it and find a resolution about how to house the one in Fort Simpson to make it more than a resource centre and re-establish it as a full library. I do see an increase in the public library service line item by about $500,000. Maybe if I can get the Minister to...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just with the regional area offices positions, I know that legislatively the Minister did have to increase some positions, but I don’t know if I heard an adequate response why the positions went down in the regions though.

I’m sorry, Mr. Speaker. I did not realize the exchange was completed. I just want to raise the issue that the ice is being constructed by local companies employing local people. It’s been a source of income for seasonal workers for many, many years. I certainly support the continuation of contracting that ice crossing out. I’d like to ask the Minister, I’m not too sure if the contract is up this year, but it’s certainly something I’d like to see continue.