Charles Dent

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, actually maybe Ms. Lee missed it because I did answer her question about why the expectation was that anybody who had space would have already applied for it, and that is that whenever you have a public process, people who are landlords tend to be very aggressive. In the experience of government. when an advertisement is placed for space, there are always, or there seems to always be, particularly for governments to take that space, there is always a big demand. Landlords typically respond very aggressively when governments advertise that they have space...

Thank you, Madam Chair. At FMBS, not Cabinet, there was some discussion of an airport improvement fee. The Minister has proposed that he be given the opportunity to come back and look at what the other options might be. By the way, that’s not part of this supplementary appropriation. What you have here is the expenditure. That’s what is before you today. For the $6.6 million it has been proposed that that be accomplished through cost recovery. The way in which it would happen has not been finally set. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the difference is that until this year there was a requirement for students in third and fourth and fifth and sixth and so on years to carry a course load that was equivalent to 75 percent of a full load in order to qualify for Student Financial Assistance. We have this year instituted moving up one year at a time a 60 percent requirement for attendance. So a student who started this year in first year will be able to carry that requirement for a 60 percent course load through until the end of their schooling. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I understand that the process of negotiating with CATSA what their contribution would be and the time table took some time and in the best of all worlds, we wouldn’t have any needs for special warrants. But by the time the agreement was reached between CATSA and this government in terms of what the structure of what their contribution would be, there was no choice but to go to special warrant for the amount of funding that you have in this supplementary appropriation right now.

It’s worth noting that the balance of the expenditure will show up in the main estimate and...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I’m advised that this is within the normal range for this class of office. It’s certainly not anywhere near the cost that you would find for, for instance, the Human Rights Commissioner’s office, which would be outfitted to a much higher standard. So this is just regular office space and that, Madam Chair, is what it’s costing to outfit office space in Yellowknife.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Perhaps I could ask the Minister of Transportation to answer that.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the rationale was that it would allow the new justice a chance to learn from her colleagues, to spend some time working with them and, in other words, having discussions after circuits and becoming more and more conversant with the role that she would be fulfilling. That would allow some time for some of that development to take place. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As I understand it, the government will take possession of the space on November 1st, as things stand. I can only reiterate that the government did not go and say we want that space. It was proposed by the landlord. The issue of whether or not that’s proper, if the landlord comes forward and says this is what we want to do with our space and the space is suitable for the use, then the government is interested in it. The Legal Services Board had asked that Public Works and Services find space that was storefront, that was accessible, and we were also looking for space...

Thank you, Madam Chair. As I told Ms. Lee, no, I am not aware that the landlord is paying a significant portion of the tenant improvements. If there are any savings, then $115,000 won’t all be spent. It would, instead, remain in the government’s bank account.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I don't have any detail on the negotiations, so perhaps the Minister, if he doesn't have it with him, could commit to get the information to committee members about the details on the negotiations.