David Krutko

Municipal and Community Affairs, appropriation authorization request: $59,258,000.

Municipal and Community Affairs, $59,258,000 approved.

I do have a lot of faith in my cousin too.

Laughter.

I think it’s important to realize that as a government and as the Government Leader in this government, your voice carries a lot of weight around here. And I think it’s important that we do voice our concerns, especially in regard to the Conservative Senators who didn’t make an attempt to be here.

I think, as a government, we should write a stern letter to those Senators to make them aware that we do not appreciate being put aside because of the cost and not having the time to be here. I think, as a government, we do have a responsibility to...

Department of Executive, appropriation authority required: $7.5 million. Mr. Ramsay.

Does everybody have their documents? We’re on tab 1, page 3, Schedule 1, Operations Expenditures, department number 2, Executive Offices, including Human Resources, Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations, Financial Management Board Secretariat, $36 million, appropriation authorized request: $36,254,000.

Executive, $36,254,000 approved.

Mr. Speaker, I do encourage all residents of the Northwest Territories, especially here in Yellowknife…. There will be hearings at the Northern United Place on Tuesday at nine o’clock in the morning. I think it’s important, even as MLAs, that we do talk about the issue of rural poverty, because it is something that affects all our residents.

Again, I’d like to ask the Premier: will the cabinet be meeting with the Senators to also, in light of other issues that we have in the Northwest Territories such as the Northern Accord and also dealing with devolution and any other problems we may have...

Operations expenditure appropriation, appropriation authority required: $381,275,000.

Total Interim Appropriation for Operations Expenditures, $381,275,000 approved.

Do the Members agree that there are no further general comments and we can proceed? Are we agreed that we continue on with page 3 of the supplementary appropriation? Clause by clause of the interim appropriation?

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the Senators who will be making an attempt to travel to the Northwest Territories and travel throughout the North in regard to the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut and look at the issue of poverty in the North and especially in aboriginal communities. It is important that the Northern leaders, the representatives, MLAs and our government work with them to come up with some ideas on how to deal with poverty in aboriginal communities.

The thing that appalls me the most is who is not taking part in this journey: the Conservative...

Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, appropriation authority required: $14,958,000.

Industry, Tourism and Investment, $14,958,000 approved.

For the record, Mr. Roland, could you introduce your witness.