Wendy Bisaro

Thank you. That goes to my point, when I call them “hidden costs” I was not impugning that anyone was hiding anything, but these are costs which are not all that easy to itemize. The two PYs, yes, they’re obvious, but then there are many other bits and pieces of costs in various departments and that’s what I’m talking about. I’d like to know if the Minister can tell me approximately what kinds of costs the GNWT is incurring for staff time that’s been spent on this project, and that would be from after October 2007 election until now. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my pleasure today to recognize Wendy Wile, as well. I can’t see her up there, but I know she’s up there. She’s a resident of Frame Lake and a neighbour just down the road from me. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I request unanimous consent to return to item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery.

---Unanimous consent granted.

Thanks to the Minister. I do appreciate the commitment. That is what I’m asking for, is some kind of an approximation of costs which GNWT has had to endure for this project over and above the actual costs of the construction and the management of the project. So I am looking forward to that information.

My next question has to do with chargeback and the Minister has mentioned that many costs are charged to the project. These GNWT staff costs I presume are not charged to the project and I’d like him to confirm. I understood that the $15 million we just approved is going to be paid back to GNWT...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister of Transportation and I’d like to thank both the Minister of Transportation and Finance for the package of information on the Deh Cho Bridge that we received the other day. It was comprehensive and there was a lot of information in there, which Members have been asking for.

I spoke about the bridge last week and in my statement I asked for two things. I asked for an analysis of the costs, how they were accumulated from inception until now, and I also asked for protocols for the future. My first question to the Minister is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Early this month the Minister of Health and Social Services made a statement about the 2010 Drop the Pop program in effect for this month of February. Since it’s Education Week and Drop the Pop Month, I thought I would see what Yellowknife schools registered for the program are doing and highlight some of their activities.

I mentioned a few days ago that we have a great bunch of teachers in the NWT. Their creativity and that of our students is evident in the events that YK schools are holding to emphasize the importance of dropping the pop. Here’s a summary of what some...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just have a quick question here with regard to the contract services. That amount has increased significantly and I just wondered if I could find out why. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I asked a question yesterday with regards to recruitment and retention and I have received an answer that suggested that there is going to be a government-wide effort to put in place some recruitment and retention strategies for hard to fill positions. One of the ones that I am concerned about is within the Department of Justice, lawyers particularly. I just wondered whether or not the department is developing an across government strategy if it is going to include, for instance, lawyers, legal aid lawyers that are required by the Department of Justice and areas such...

Thanks to the Minister for that clarification; I now understand. I just wondered, the Minister’s statement about increasing our ability to track and report on all employees with disabilities who require an accommodation, could I get a bit of an explanation as to what that action is intended, what it is intended to do, I guess, and how it is going to be done? Thank you.

Thanks for that to the deputy minister. Maybe it’s the language in the Minister’s opening remarks, but it talks about the sensitivity training project; the training will be focused at directors, managers, officers, administration staff and persons with disabilities. So I’m wondering why persons with disabilities need to have sensitivity training. So maybe I could get an explanation of what’s intended with that statement. Thank you.