Bill Braden

Okay. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just wanted to get on public record how we go about setting that up. At least with that information, perhaps it will clarify things. I think we do take reasonable steps to set that allowance. The other area I wanted to go into was the cultural enhancement strategy. I was at the public Board of Management meeting a couple of weeks ago when this strategy was put before the board. My perception of the meeting, Mr. Chairman, was a strategy which was commissioned by the last Assembly and just now completed, was accepted by the Board of Management. The Speaker has...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’d like to comment and ask a question about the policy of the Board of Management, which of course the Speaker is reporting on behalf of, and it concerns something that I’ve had some feedback on from constituents. It’s about the housing allowance policy that is in place to provide those MLAs who don’t live in Yellowknife adequate resources to set up in effect what amounts to a second household for them. Understandably there are costs incurred for them and the Assembly quite rightly has a responsibility to provide that. The cost of rental housing in this city has been...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move we report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So a case-by-case basis. You know, overall, there’s a lot of case-by-case, one-at-a-time, we’ll think about it kind of approach. I would like to know in the area of consultation and communication, which is such a big part of the environment we work in, is the government looking at adopting a formal consultation policy so that everyone knows what the parameters and the thresholds and the ground rules could be? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, could the Minister advise what performance measures or what indicators of performance? Is it going to be meeting its objectives? How is this new council going to be measured for its success? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I am afraid I am going to have to use my second question to repeat my first one. What are the issues or the problems that require the creation of yet another governing body in support of recreation? I would really like to know why this organization has to be brought forward. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Sport and recreation and healthy lifestyles are more and more critical to our society, to the health of our population, to our enjoyment of this great land. We have many wonderful and successful partnerships in this between governments at all levels, between businesses here in the Northwest Territories, and, of course, a huge body of very dedicated and committed volunteers. Over time, though, Mr. Speaker, we have seen a number of different bodies come into existence and be recognized by government for some part or other in the sport and recreation milieu. There are, I...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I will look forward to that. Tabling it is a very good gesture. It extends to the public a message that we welcome their input into it as well. I would leave with one final comment. If a proposal comes before the Board of Management that we are going to pay for parking out of money that is earmarked for cultural enhancement, then I will steadfastly oppose it. If we are going to be serious about parking and we are going to be serious about culture, then we can find that there is a distinction between the two of them. That I am sure will come along in future...

Thank you for that information. Mr. Speaker, this annual review of the cost of a furnished two-bedroom apartment, how is that review done? Is it done independently of people in the Legislative Assembly here? Who is commissioned for that work? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the major, perhaps the major outstanding issue of the Giant property, Mr. Speaker, is the question of how we are going to be managing the underground vaults that are full of arsenic trioxide. The federal government has indicated that it wants to proceed with an underground freezing option, and I would like to ask the Minister from the GNWT side has this government considered that option and is it prepared to give it its full endorsement? Thank you.