Rylund Johnson

Yes. I'm glad to hear that. I think part of my reason for talking about this is just so that everyone in the public service listening, knows that they can go to their management and asked to be placed in an Indigenous government for a period of time, that they can go into the communities and get first-hand experience because, as much as I think cultural awareness training is a step in the right direction, there's really nothing that replaces going to work for an Indigenous government and seeing their struggles. Is the Minister willing, as part of our whole public service renewal and a number...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I appreciate my colleagues' comments today and the Minister. I am confident that we will create targets in our departments and review the Affirmative Action Policy and make some progress on this. I think you have to recognize that this is a systemic problem that has multiple solutions and there are multiple tools. One of those which I believe we can use is the tool of secondments. In 2015, the Minister for human resources announced secondments to Indigenous governments and really brought this up as a win-win situation, and it allowed us to send GNWT employees into our...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Perhaps, can I just speak to how we go and get more RCMP officers under the First Nations Policing Program. Is that a request that Justice has made? Is there a possibility of further federal funding in this area? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I completely understand that, in the midst of COVID-19, perhaps, we had to just get the isolations in place and not tender them. Now that we're looking for operating these multi-years, I really think it's important that we send them out for tender. I note there are hotels that could be interested. There are smaller hospitality places and communities. There are catering contracts. There's a lot of money flying around within the COVID secretariat right now that I believe we have to have an economic lens to.

One of the other suggestions I've heard is whether apartment rentals were considered? I...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Can I just get some assurance from the Minister that the Department of Infrastructure has a communications plan and has outreach and is going to make sure that we do not fail to get Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund money out the door? It seems to me a representation of the GNWT, that we would fail to get our Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund money spent. I recognize COVID-19 happened. I recognize getting people to apply to funds can be difficult. I am just looking for some assurance that we have a plan to make sure we spend this money. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. There has no doubt been a lot of talk about the COVID-19 secretariat and its budget. I'd like to speak specifically about the isolation centres today considering they make up over half of the COVID-19 secretariat budget. I believe that there is a consensus that the spending in this area is too liberal. There are a number of ways we could save money on isolation centres, whether that's increasing the number of hub communities, shortening the isolation periods, increasing rapid testing, making sure people have kitchens so they can cook their own food instead of being...

Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm the first to admit that this is somewhat of an arbitrary number, but that's due to my frustrations in not being able to get what the projected cost savings in isolation centres are. I believe I've got a commitment that the $17 million we will approve tonight is not all going to be spent on isolation centres. We will reduce those costs. I hope I am sitting here on April 1st, and I look at what we spent in the various reporting, and it's $12 million, and we actually went and saved some money as I keep getting promised. I believe my duty as a Member is to approve...

I recognize that the Minister is willing to work standing committee, but I don't believe that was public engagement. I'm going to try this one more time. Does the GNWT recognize and acknowledge that deputy ministers -- I know they work hard and probably that's one of the problems is that they are so busy working that they don't have time to completely review a corporation. They have expertise in public service. They don't have expertise in managing a Crown corporation and energy interests. Does the GNWT recognize that is an inherent problem, that we have the wrong people on the board?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'll start by saying that I feel kind of silly that this is the second motion to remove what I see as somewhat of a random number from the COVID secretariat. I believe I have to bring this motion to distinguish from the previous one -- I'm not sure if I'm allowed to speak to the previous one. Sorry, Mr. Chair -- In that this is just me doing my job as an MLA. I believe the projections of what we're going to spend on isolation centres and what we will actually spend don't line up.

This is an attempt to give clear direction to Cabinet and to the Chief Public Health Officer...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. For years, a governance review of the Power Corporation since its board was removed and replaced with deputy ministers has been requested. It's been promised by previous Ministers, but it has not been delivered. We now find ourselves with a new Minister asking the board to review themselves. My question for the Minister responsible for the Power Corporation is: what has happened in the last four years since the board was removed in regard to a governance review, and how much longer is this going to take? Thank you, Madam Speaker.