Robert Bouchard

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said in my statement, I have dredged up some more issues in Hay River, as normal. I just have a question for the Minister of Transportation. Has the Department of Transportation begun to solve the department this year through their budget of dredging?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like my colleague indicated, today is a beautiful day. It’s nice and pink out there, but I’d also like to talk about the days getting longer and spring is around the corner.

Often in the North that’s an exciting time, but one of the difficulties that we have in Hay River is this brings on the discussion of breakup. One of the issues that we have in Hay River is an annual breakup and the Hay River has been filling in, getting silted up and for years now, since the late ‘80s, early ‘90s, they’ve quit doing the dredging in the Hay River area.

I’ve brought to this House, a...

My last question is: Will the Minister ensure that this plan gets completed this year so that I can stop raising this issue in this House, hat we have a plan in place and we just need to go to the federal government? I’m willing to go with the Minister to discuss this issue if that’s what we need, or if we need to do lobbying to get the federal government to do this. But we need a plan in place. Can I get commitment from the Minister that this will be completed this year?

Thank you, Madam Chair. I, too, just have some short comments about Public Works and Services’ operating budget.

I think one of the first things that struck me, becoming a new MLA, is the issue of deferred maintenance, and learning more about that and finding out that we’re so far behind in our maintenance programs that we actually don’t have any kind of a plan to get back into just a regular maintenance. Everything’s deferred maintenance. I know the department has been able to depreciate that amount. I’m just wondering if I can get details on where the department assesses our deferred costs...

I think some of the other issues that are out there, also in the agriculture area, is in training. Are there ways that we’re implementing these into the schools and institutions and stuff like that? The corrections facilities? Is there any indication from the department, as far as agriculture is concerned, of doing that type of education as well?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the days get longer, everyone is considering their growing season, agriculture. I’ll follow up with my colleague’s questions for the Minister of ITI on agriculture.

The first question I want to follow up on is the question on the training course for the northern farmer training. Has the Minister committed to doing anything for the upcoming year in this area of training farmers?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final question about agriculture is the agriculture policy and the identification of lands and special taxation. Has the department done any additional work with that lately?

I’m wondering if the Minister and his department have had any discussions outside of the Hay River area as far as bringing people from the Northwest Territories. I know there’s some agriculture happening in Norman Wells and Inuvik. Is there some interest in bringing people in from the communities for this type of training?

I appreciate the timeline there. I’d also like to ask the Minister if, to speed the process up, they have looked at any other jurisdictions such as Alberta and Quebec who are funding some of these types of surgeries.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up on questions that Ms. Bisaro was asking about bariatric surgery and weight loss program to the Minister of Health. He has indicated he has a committee and they’re doing some reviews. I’m looking for a timeline when we can see some implementation to the changing of the act and the funding of these types of surgeries.