David Ramsay

I thank the Member for the questions. I guess, first off, it just holds tremendous promise for the region and for the territory. Again, we can’t afford to mess this up. It has to be done right. We’re going to take our time, we’re going to get those guidelines together, and we’re going to work with the communities. There is so much opportunity there. If more wells are drilled and this resource is proven up and gets to a stage where it’s going to be commercially sent somewhere, there’s the existing pipeline south from Norman Wells. In discussions with experts and industry, if the volumes are...

Thank you. We could certainly take a look at compiling those statistics for the Member and sharing with the Members of this House. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We’ve had a number of initiatives that we’ve done in the Sahtu. Going back to last fall, we had the readiness session. When the Members asked me questions here in the House just recently about getting a post-mortem on this winter’s operations in the spring, that’s something I feel the department can certainly help out with, and I know Transportation’s involved in that as well, so we can look forward to that. We’ve also got this business development officer that you see in the budget at ITI.

Our staff have done a great deal in trying to coordinate, as the Member knows...

Thank you. I certainly do believe the Department of Transportation has a role to play in educating the public, and especially young people on the use of helmets and the safe use of helmets.

As far as future activities go and initiatives go, we’re looking at a release of an animated public service announcement on helmet use to be aired during Northbeat programming on CBC and also that would be available on demand on You Tube. We’re looking at the organization of a Take Your Helmet to Work Day, and perhaps that’s something that Members of the Legislative Assembly could in fact bring a helmet to...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I’ve never seen that level of detail at committee but the suggestion is one that it’s the first time I’ve heard it. Maybe we could go to Deputy Minister Vician for a response.

Yes, Madam Chair. There’s approximately $7 million that remains.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Interest was derived from the Opportunities Fund. Yes, there is the one big loan but there are a number of other investments through the Opportunities Fund that would have built up the interest. This is a portion of that interest that was taken out to be used for the Economic Opportunities Strategy and the Mineral Development Strategy, Madam Chair. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I thank all of the Members for their general comments in regard to ITI’s budget. I’ve made a number of notes. You’ll have to bear with me as I go through a number of the points that the Members made.

A number of Members covered some of the same topics, so I’ll try to get to everything. Hopefully I don’t miss anything. If I do, it could certainly come up under detail if Members have specific questions.

The first issue that was brought up was the cost of electricity and what we’re doing about it. I think we really need to look at bringing down costs system-wide. We’re...

I look at the Aboriginal Pipeline Group and its involvement in the construction and development of the Mackenzie Gas Project, and that is a good example of the Aboriginal people of the Northwest Territories potentially owning one-third of a major piece of resource development here in the Northwest Territories, a $17 billion pipeline.

My belief – I know Mr. Bromley and I have worked together for a long time – is that we have to look at opportunities to invest in resource development. Whether it’s the Aboriginal development corporations or governments or our government, in fact, that’s how real...

Yes, please, Madam Chair.