Wally Schumann

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is correct. He brought it up in the House last year. Since then, the Department of Infrastructure has introduced a prompt payment issue to the Procedures Working Committee. They are having a look at this thing. Ontario has just recently passed this prompt payment legislation. They are the only ones in Canada who have done it. The federal government is having a look at doing this. We are continuing to monitor both of them moving forward.

At the same time, we have also reached out to the Construction Association of the Northwest Territories on prompt-payment...

Yes, that's a great question. Back in 2010, the Auditor General did a review -- or 2009, I believe it was -- did a review of the department. It was brought forward at that time that we should have a vendor complaints system. That was incorporated in 2010. Since 2010 until December 31, 2017, we've had 22 complaints through that process, and only two have ever found merit.

As I've said in this House many times, and I will say it to everyone across the room here, and I don't have a problem saying it, last time I sat in this House, we had two or three people who came to me directly about complaints about the procurement system. Since I've last stood in this House and said the exact same thing, I may have had one person come to me. I do not have a problem with the procurement system within the Government of the Northwest Territories, and I will not review the policy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm glad he's asked this question, or has mentioned it, because Infrastructure routinely offers procurement training workshops to Government of the Northwest Territories employees. I will update this House, as of now, the Department of Human Resources does this training calendar, and workshops are held to design NWT procurement process for all procurements regardless of value, and focus on supporting Northwest Territories businesses and manufacturers, wherever possible. Up to date, this year, since April 1st of 2017, the department has delivered 48 procurement training...

We went out and talked to all the manufacturers in the Northwest Territories. We have gone to all the regions and had this discussion. I will be tabling in this Assembly, in this session, the "what we heard" report around the manufacturers' strategy. I haven't even had a close look at it myself yet. I suspect that, if this is an issue with the manufacturers, it will be in the "what we heard" report. We will have a look at it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I have stated, we have put this to the working committee. I have reached out to the Northern Construction Association. Based on one person, again, am I willing to make legislation? Possibly. I am willing to sit down with the Construction Association and see if this is something that is of utter importance that needs to be done in a timely manner, to have a look at it. As of right now, with one person, I am not ready to move on legislation.

As I just mentioned, since 2010, we had 22 complaints. That is in eight years. Two had merit. For example, this year, the last calendar year, we have 362 contracts go through Infrastructure. That is not counting the contracts awarded by Infrastructure on behalf of other departments. Put this into context, we had 362 contracts valued at $136 million. As I have stated in this House, I have had two or three people come directly to me about the process and complaining about it. The vendor complaint process clearly shows there is not an issue. Twenty-two people complained since 2010, and two have...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Premier said earlier today, they believe this is one of the best policies we have in the Government of the Northwest Territories, and that is BIP. That's one of the first ones in the procurement process that helps Northerners be able to participate in a way that recognizes the high cost of operating in the Northwest Territories and being here. As I said earlier today, we have the community engagement process that's involved in the RFP process to help businesses when they're bidding on the process to add onto BIP, to give them more points basically for northern...

As I've said, the department is very supportive of northern businesses, and we have to adhere to the policies that are here, and we are here to support and protect the northern purse as well. At the same time, the department has also come out with a community engagement process for RFPs. This is to engage the proponent, the criteria around used to credit available, around the community engagement process, along with the BIP process, to have policies for local and northern labour and material and goods purchases in the Northwest Territories. Under this community engagement criteria, this is...

The 2030 Energy Strategy that we will be tabling, in fact, revolves around community needs. I think five out of the six points that we have in there are around communities and supporting communities and community residents, and the Government of the Northwest Territories, as well as the Arctic Energy Alliance, are in line to well support communities when it comes to sustainable energy solutions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.