Bill Braden

Well, Mr. Chairman, I don’t quite know where to go from here. The federal government really has a big hammer on this and the question that we have, I suppose, as the Minister is asking today, is that we take this unanticipated, unrealized, and take it out of general revenue rather than pass it on to the consumer. Is that what the Minister is seeking?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question this afternoon is for Mr. Handley, the Premier, and they’re in connection with the motion that this Assembly passed last February, Mr. Speaker, on the northern residence income tax deduction. Mr. Speaker, in that motion we asked the Premier and the Finance Minister to get in touch with their counterparts in our sister territories, as well as in northern provinces and Ottawa, to gage their interest and their commitment in approaching Ottawa to increase the northern residence income tax deduction, Mr. Speaker; something that has not been addressed since 1991...

Mr. Chairman, three years ago, not long after the calamity of 9-11, security across every transportation system in Canada was ordered to strengthen and for good cause and good reason. As we know, of late, our country is still dealing with the consequences of international terrorism threat to our safety. So it was not something that there was any real grounds to objecting to on fundaments. But the impact on our market, if you will, and our community of a safety system or an inspection system that the federal government alone contributed over $4 million to has a consequence of us, we determined...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The high cost of northern living, Mr. Speaker, is an issue that affects each and every one of us every day. It is an issue that is often debated directly and indirectly in this Assembly. We have taken some steps to address this, Mr. Speaker. Last October, we passed motions in this Assembly on energy costs and the overall cost of living. We, through our committee system, requested the government to bring forward information and proposed actions on the high cost of energy and the high cost of living. They did so. I think they did so in a very useful and a progressive...

Madam Chair, I’ll give the floor over to my colleagues. I’m sure they’re probably going to ask some of the questions I have on my plate.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Mr. Minister, for the information. The bill says that this is a three-year strategy. Are we anticipating then that all of these positions will sunset after three years, Madam Chair?

Madam Chair, thank you. I guess I would just reiterate my curiosity about the background on this and hope that in the course of this debate or discussion, the Minister could provide some information on the extent, potential extent, of our liability here and how it is that we arrived at seemingly taking responsibility. My information, Madam Chair, for instance, is that this particular property was something that was established by perhaps the American military or the Canadian military years and years ago and contains a lot of materials of the time; lead paint, asbestos, probably hydrocarbon...

That’s all. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Two to four years, thank you. Two to four years’ life out of this building and even then we are looking at shutting it down. Mr. Chairman, this pushes the notion of value for money way out there into the stratosphere. It’s almost extraordinary that the department would bring such a scenario to the floor of the Assembly and ask for approval of it. If we do the math on this, as the Minister has already advised us on some previous projects, we are looking at an annual increase in the capital construction costs in the Northwest Territories of at least 10 percent per year. So we take something we...

Thank you, Madam Chair. With the information provided in the bill, it is suggested here that $297,000 be allocated to provide funding for the continuation of land development projects funded by infrastructure contributions. An offsetting amount was lapsed from last year for $47,000. The area I wanted to ask about, Madam Chair, was providing funding to complete the remediation plan for the common areas of the Con and Rycon trailer courts. The detail provided says, "The remediation costs will be recovered from the revenues received from the land leases entered into with the residents of the...