David Krutko

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will not be supporting this motion. I believe there are other schools in more urgent need than this project. I think it’s important to realize that there are other schools that have to be considered over and above this one. This one is already in the capital plan. There are schools in a worse situation than this facility. So I will be voting against the motion.

In regard to the proposal for the lease-purchase, there were some ramifications with Revenue Canada. Was that ever discussed with the Department of Public Works in regard to a proposal in the Inuvik region?

I would like to thank the Minister for that. Also in regard to the tourism aspect, I know that there is a lot of focus put on tourism.

Right now we have an opportunity to tie into the tourism market. I know a lot of focus has been done in regard to tourism and whatnot, but there is a major market that has developed next door to the Beaufort-Delta region by way of the Dempster Highway. People are travelling from the Yukon, from Germany, and I think that we have to somehow tie into that by ensuring that we have those facilities along our road systems and also for our tourism outreach program to...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Could the Minister clarify the question in regard to the Semmler Building and those individuals moving in and out of the space? Who is going to be filling that space in the Semmler Building that is going to be vacated by Health and Social Services?

Mr. Chairman, this was an issue that came forward that I raised in regard to the Department of Environment moving out to Shell Lake. They were saying they don’t know how they’re going to fill that space. That space is still vacant. No one has moved into that space in regard to the Department of Environment relocating to Shell Lake. There’s also the Professional Building in Inuvik which has a floor that’s basically vacant. So out of that, there’s almost 7,000 square feet of office space that’s vacant in Inuvik. I know that in regard to the Perry Building, that basically was a question of...

It’s the last, which projects make the most sense, that I have concerns about, because a lot of times the smaller communities don’t seem to be put on the same pedestal as large capital projects for specific departments. Departments seem to win out over small communities, and that’s the challenge that we’re facing here in regard to how capital is being allocated.

I’d like to ask the Minister of Finance if there’s any way of monitoring some of these projects to ensure that they are fairly distributed by way of geography, making sure that small and large communities have a fair balance on that...

The Beaufort-Delta Health and Social Services Authority health clinic…. I believe there’s already a clinic in Inuvik. Is that the same clinic that you’re going to be relocating in regard to this particular health clinic in Inuvik?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In regard to the office facility for Inuvik I’ve been making inquiries as to the vacant space available in Inuvik and what effect this could have on the market. I’ve been told that there is roughly a 7 per cent vacant office space rate in Inuvik, excluding the Perry Building, so here you’re looking at about another 3,200 square feet. Right now there are probably about 10,000 square feet of vacant office space in Inuvik, so unless we can prove that there’s going to be no market disruption by putting a building of 47,000 square feet in Inuvik and that it won’t have an...

I’d like to thank the Minister for that. We also realize that in order for projects to get on the agenda for the Building Canada Fund, they have to be at a certain stage of assessment and validation in looking at the capital costs of those projects. So that’s the challenge a lot of our smaller communities have with our projects. We don’t have the ability to access the Department of Transportation or Public Works or infrastructure departments to assist us in compiling that information so that we can make the list, so I think that’s the challenge we’re facing. Also, out of the Building Canada...

In regard to making that decision, trying to acquire information after the fact doesn’t help us here. We need that information now in order to know that the decision we’re making will not have an implication for the retail market in Inuvik. Knowing that these leases are month to month, there is no certainty by way of lease commitments. So how can you expect us to make a rash decision on the basis of not having that information in front of us?