Michael McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the intent of this initiative was to at long last recognize the work that was being done by the alcohol and drug workers, who for many of these years have laboured often in isolation. We got the positions reclassified, we had money added to the budget, and the issue now is would they become employees where they could get the benefits, they could also get the benefit of the supervision and support for training. The intent here is to continue to provide this service in all of our communities. The issue is to work out the arrangements with the various...

Mr. Speaker, yes, we can provide some information, in terms of who was contacted in writing. There is also a Web site that we have available for the Housing Corporation. I also want to point out that this is a portion of our larger capital projects and the information is distributed in the same way. We have $32 million in capital projects. This is going to be around $2.3 million. We do not go around contacting every company to personally knock on their door and say, yes, we have this coming up, would you like to bid? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We will run that through the Housing Corporation to see if we can deal with the deadline. That is the biggest concern at this point. I will guarantee the Member that I will take this issue to Cabinet and indicate the different arguments that have come forward on why we should extend the tendering process for another two weeks. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we’re taking note of the concerns raised in Committee of the Whole and certainly in this House. We take all the questions very seriously. The question to defer by two weeks we will put forward. Our tendered document that the Member has referenced as not having a lot of detail, I’d like to point out to the Member that this document is something I’m prepared to table. It’s a supply tender for commodity. It is not a construction contract. We are looking for a lowest-priced tender in this case. It does meet the technical requirements. The question again for the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes we have made a lot of estimations on these units. We recognize they are not the same as a house. That is something that I didn’t mean to indicate, that they are one and the same. There was a reference made that they are substandard for accommodations and that is the point that I was trying to make, that many people are residing in mobile homes across the North and they take pride in these units. We have looked at and realize that there are cost factors, and that is one of the reasons that we’ve gone to a mobile home. They may be a little bit more...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would have to guess, but I would say yes. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Member has indicated, there are some units going into communities. There is a high need especially in the community of Fort Resolution. We are planning to put in five this year, and providing everything goes this year, from the report and Cabinet’s direction, we would look to next year for more units. The community has come forward, the DEA Chair, and also the LHO president has come to Yellowknife to meet specifically on this issue. They are indicating to me that what we are allocating is not near enough for what they require. They have...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I already made the commitment that I would go back to my officials and get that information. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm not aware of anybody in the south who has been contacted. There may have been some contacts made in terms of assessing what the average cost of these units would be, but I have not seen any information in that regard. We are quite comfortable that there are many, many people picking up the tenders, including northern people interested in bidding on these things. But in response to the Member's question, no, I am not aware of any companies that were contacted, at least not any that have been brought to my attention. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I would like to make the Members aware that if I go through the request that the Member is making, to stop this process, that would mean no units in the communities for this year. We have huge pressure from the different organizations, from the different communities, to do something and do it quick. I would also like to point out that the tender process is open to northern bidders, and if it comes down to me saying whether or not I would defer these units, these modular homes into the communities, I would have to say no. Thank you.