Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to follow up from my Member’s statement earlier today with questions for the Minister of ECE. I would like to know why we treat people differently, depending on how much money they make. Recognizing that the Minister is working hard on this issue, could the Minister explain what is the underlying philosophy as to why the system his department operates inherently treats people who are living in poverty with less respect than other people? Thank you.

That sounds pretty exciting. Good luck. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thanks very much for that update. I appreciate that and I’ll look forward to any further conclusions. I appreciate the focus on safety. I think that is pretty well covered with the building standards. What wasn’t in there was quality, or longevity as the architects may refer to it, and the energy, the opportunity to reduce cost of living, basically, for both our residents and our businesses by subscribing to standards, energy standards, which is a bit tough to get your mind around. In fact, the studies show you don’t even spend, but it looks like you are, but when you...

That’s great. Thank you very much.

On Thursday we heard in the ITI Minister’s statement detailing the support and subsidies that ITI will provide for the fossil fuel industry. I must observe, once again, there is a clear conflict of interest putting the government cheerleader of this industry in the position of its regulator. Devolution could indeed be great, but I already feel our credibility slipping and public confidence draining away. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just following up on that last one, I’d say especially if they’re outdoor programs, and I mean that, especially for the mental health aspect of it. From time to time I’ve brought up the need for eco-literacy, which is, simply, traditional knowledge, I guess. You know, some understanding of the outdoors and familiarity and comfort with the outdoors can have huge benefits in that area. Just a comment there.

I just wondered how much of the $15.9 million for water and sewer services is going to Yellowknife this year, if that information is handy.

That’s all I had, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

Thank you. I recognize that reality. I don’t have to have these answers right away, but I think we’re on the other side trying to learn about the department too. So maybe we can help each other here.

The capital transfers, $461,000, again, come April 1st it’s a brand new department and we’re already dealing with some capital transfers. I’m just wondering if we know off hand what that’s all about. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, thanks to the Minister. I guess I agree that it would be worthy to have that discussion. What would be useful would be to know the number of applicants we have had in recent years and the amount that they have applied for, just to get a trend and see what’s happening. I think the Minister started to provide that information in a general way, so it would be good to have that in advance of those discussions. That’s all I had.

That certainly provides clarity. It doesn’t show me much for efficiency, but it does give me an accurate basis on which to discuss the budget.