Bill Braden

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess I am looking for some ballpark figures here where we do know that there are at least based on the three percent increment that I believe was allowed Members. This is taken from the Collective Agreement with the Union of Northern Workers. What is the CPI now; two and a half percent? Mr. Chair, my objective here is to be able to say to the public, okay, we think that increasing the costs for the Legislative Assembly under these criteria will result in a certain percentage of increase. What is that percentage of increase?

Mr. Speaker, I, too, will speak in favour of his motion and I compliment my colleague Mr. Menicoche for picking this up in his travels and bringing it to us for our consideration.

Mr. Speaker, Ms. Lee has already referenced this Assembly, this Chamber, as an outstanding example. As I was thinking geographically around the Northwest Territories, I think one of the very few examples of a public building that has made an effort to bring the art of its peoples into the building and not just in the sense of hanging something on a wall or putting something in a display case, but truly bringing the...

Mr. Speaker, the $40 million that is now under review for investment, $35 million of which at the community level, was something that I believe was extended to this government and our sister territories really, Mr. Speaker, as a down payment toward the establishment of a new deal with Canada, not so much something that was going to be looked at as a payoff, if you will. Here is some money; take it and have some fun. This is a down payment, a promise toward a better deal with Canada. What are we doing to continue these negotiations, Mr. Speaker, and to make this a reality?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to address some questions to Premier Handley. This is in relation to the ongoing and, perhaps this is the point of my question, Mr. Speaker, whether or not there is indeed any ongoing activity related to the Northern Strategy process.

Mr. Speaker, indeed, we have seen some positive things flow from this, not the least of which was the $120 million fund that the previous government set aside for all three territories. We are now, in fact, going through the process in deciding how to invest our $40 million. The Council of the Federation and the expert...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. About a year and a half ago, all three territorial governments and Canada agreed that the North needs a new deal with Canada. A very interesting process was created, Mr. Speaker, called Developing your Northern Strategy. It was an initiative that was launched by the previous federal government, again at the urging and with the collaboration of all three territorial governments. It canvassed many residents, Mr. Speaker, and solicited government involvement. It was something that I think we all entered into realizing that this was not going to be the golden answer to all...

Right. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, the Minister doesn’t see this from my perspective. We may end up with a lot of people trained in conversions and some aspects of how to look after and fix or convert a house. I am talking about something on the ground here, so that we are not exporting our manufacturing jobs to Calgary, that we are keeping them here in the Northwest Territories. That’s what I mean by an industry, Mr. Speaker. That’s what I am looking for. Will we use this as a springboard to create our own industry?

Okay. Thank you. The Minister did a great job of confirming everything that I said in my introduction here, but the question was once we get to the point, as the GNWT…The Minister is going to be bringing a request for an allocation to us for a commitment for tens, and potentially for the long run, hundreds of millions of dollars. I am going to want to know that that is a solid deal and I am going to want independent analysis. Will the Minister enable that to happen before he comes to this Assembly to seek authorization for those commitments; an independent analysis, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The process is well defined and well understood even with some of its problems, but I guess what I am looking for, Mr. Speaker, is a clear understanding and an acceptance of the fact that NGOs are really being squeezed by a tough job market. What is our readiness to step up to the plate and help them continue to survive, Mr. Speaker?

Mr. Speaker, it’s encouraging to know that under the FAA review that we’re going to be looking further into it. I guess for now a number of organizations experience a lot of delays and uncertainty in their funding and their stability. Mr. Speaker, how can our funding mechanisms today be streamlined to improve access to funds and reduce administrative time and stress to these organizations and I would venture, Mr. Speaker, to our own civil service? Thank you.

Mahsi. Good morning, Mr. Speaker. Funding for non-government organizations is an issue constantly raised with me and my colleagues and our committees when we meet with organizations doing very valuable work in the voluntary sector.

Mr. Speaker, NGOs and their volunteer efforts cut across all areas of our daily lives here in the communities; cultural, economic, educational, environmental, sporting and, of course, social programs. Mr. Speaker, there is no question that without their contribution, life in the NWT would be much different.

An issue particularly is the acute need of those...