Tom Beaulieu

Maybe I’ll try to provide some context to this. What the selection committee looks at is the physical workplace, working atmosphere, social, health, financial, family, benefits, vacation, time off, employee communications, performance management, training and skills development and community involvement. Some of the companies that are on this list that have been selected as top employers are companies such as CIBC, City of Edmonton, Coca-Cola Canada, Ikea, Ontario Public Service, Shell Canada, Telus, Xerox, KMG, LLP. There are a lot of companies there. I don’t think that it takes a whole lot...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In 2012 we had 177 convictions; in 2013, 223 convictions; and to the end of March 2014 we’ve had 54 convictions. Thank you.

Thank you. The resurfacing of that highway is, unfortunately, not in the information I have here, but my understanding was that we were continuing the work, other than all other work that needed to be done other than this widening of the highway, using that money from Corridors for Canada. I will check to see what is happening between Tsiigehtchic and Wrangling River and I’ll let the Member know. Thank you.

Thank you. Yes, we are. It’s essentially the same plan that we’ve been running for seven years. It is a plan that’s worth $4 million a year for the last seven years that has been spent and we thought that it would just roll into this new Corridors for Canada III. However, there seems to be a one-year gap in between. We were hoping that didn’t exist, but yes, we will be continuing to widen the road moving forward with money that comes from the federal government. Thank you.

The Inuvik-Tuk highway is a design build highway. We are heavily involved in working with the joint venture up there, the EGT Northwind and in the construction of that highway. We think it’s a good approach. It’s a good approach for the Inuvik-Tuk highway. We would look at all of our procurement avenues when we build any major infrastructure like this.

At this time it would be unwise, I think, to say that we would go and negotiate a contract on that section of highway. We recognize that that highway will be running through two different regions. About 100 kilometres will be through the Deh Cho...

Mr. Speaker, to date, the GNWT has spent $128 million on that section of road; we’re referring to a road up the Mackenzie Valley. Slowly we’ve continued to work on that. We’ve put quite a few of the bridges in. We’re continuing to put bridges in which not only will work well for the future all-season road but also works well for extending the length in which the winter road will remain open. Plus, like I indicated, a proposal to the federal government on the national infrastructure program.

With that, we will be providing some information to the federal government, but for the most part, we’re...

Mr. Speaker, earlier we had provided some funding to the group in order to make sure that that access road into Jean Marie is ready before the Dehcho Assembly. I’ll touch base, again, with the region, to the department, to ensure that was enough money to ensure that road was ready for people to drive in there for the Dehcho Assembly. Thank you.

As the Member indicated, there was a competition held. We had offered the position to an individual who was in another community. The individual had requested a desire to remain in their community. We had looked at the numbers to see if something was possible for the individual to remain in the community. Initial numbers we had looked at indicate that the position would be best to remain in Hay River. Thank you.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]

Today I would like to pay tribute to the late Michael Eugene Bridgman of Lutselk’e, who passed away on March 31, 2014. Mike was the husband of Debra Bridgman and had two daughters, Chantyle and Sarah, who lived down south in Ontario. Mike had six grandchildren, a brother named Randy and two stepsons, Michael and Paul.

Mike was born in St. Thomas, Ontario, July 6, 1951, and spent the majority of his working years working for the Ford Motor Company where he was a welder and in assembly, and he spent 30 years doing that.

Mike believed in...

I will have the department look at that possibly. I do believe that we have a certain amount of staff, like I indicated, and then we were getting close to that maximum, so if we were to do something different, I think we would have to add staff. I will have the department go back and look at that. At this time, as I indicated, the labour code seems to be the issue, and that we had talked to the members of the Liidlii Kue First Nation and their feeling was that if we had a 16-hour window that we could slide, that they would prefer to stay with the current hours and not open at 7:00 a.m.