Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Chair. After a thorough and vigorous review of this latest budget of the Legislative Assembly, your loyal committee would like to move a motion.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. After such a great and vigorous debate, I feel we need to move a motion now. Therefore, I move that this committee now concludes consideration of the Department of Public Works and Services department summary and all related activities and information items contained in Tabled Document 22-17(5), Northwest Territories Main Estimates 2014-2015.

You would think it would be a very paramount job of the Minister of Human Resources to know exactly how many vacancies we have, not to wait to each quarter or semi-quarter, who knows how you want to paint it.

Why doesn’t the Minister, realizing how important this issue is, while the House is sitting, why doesn’t he know how many jobs are vacant because these are rolling vacancies if someone gets hired, somebody changes their mind and doesn’t want to work there anymore. So we have an average vacancy built up throughout the Northwest Territories government at all times.

Why doesn’t the Minister...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I talked about the job opportunities that are being denied the public, for goodness sakes.

On the GNWT’s website there were only 71 postings, half were in Yellowknife and half were outside of Yellowknife.

Where are the remainder of the 500 jobs that the Finance Minister proclaims to the public that they are actively pursuing? I’m asking the Minister of Human Resources, where are the other jobs? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. After that detailed and thorough review of the department, I will now move a motion.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If anyone doesn’t know, apparently we use PeopleSoft, because I think it has been said at least seven times if not more. Maybe we should have the PeopleSoft program sitting in one of those seats answering all these questions because if we only have information from October and we don’t get new information until April, that has to be at least six months. This is such an important issue.

What is the Minister going to do to ensure Northerners have current information before them so they can apply for these jobs? Because I can tell you, up and down this Valley, all four...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’ll just maybe use the time just to request a copy of this so-called study that was done.

The Minister highlighted $300 for a truck to drive across the bridge, obviously, the 10 cars, divide that up, you know, that type of survey. He had highlighted that example, the gas he said they’re using as a reference. I’d like to find out who your expert is. I’d like to see what paperwork they generated, justify their position and I’d also like to know if that could be sent to my office, including the costs that may have come. I want to get a sense or a full grasp of what they...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to use this occasion to table the press release put out by the Mackenzie Valley Review Board, and at the same time, I have the compendium document, which is what they publicize with this, which is board member honoraria policy that, although confusing, does in some ways spell out what they pay their chair and the board members.

Thank you. So, the advice being given to my constituent, who happens to be a senior, who happens to only be able to pay for this airplane ticket to go on their medically approved trip through the medical travel process, they’re to use their own credit card to front the government on a cost on this, is that the policy as it stands? Let’s get that clear first on the record, and if that’s not the correct advice, maybe the Minister can highlight the right process for those folks listening. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m seeing a small crack at the door here where there seems to be…(inaudible)…to do this. I could go on with great example, but I think the Minister is hearing the issue.

Would the Minister be willing to put this paper together, provide a proposal to committee members on this side of the House before we begin our May session this year? I want to make sure that we start doing this in a timely way. The last thing we want to hear is some day we will get to it, but that means nothing to the public.

Would the Minister be willing to meet the challenge of this particular...