David Ramsay

Mr. Speaker, it just so happens the government is $35 million short of its current, I believe it is a little bit more than that, but if we had to book the one loan we have in the Opportunities Fund, I believe that was $35 million. What would that do to the Territory’s finance if the federal government came back to us and said that we have to book that as a debt, and what would that do to our ability to borrow any more money for the other things that the Minister had mentioned in his budget address today? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a few more questions for the Minister of Finance. In the budget address today there was no mention of the disposition of the Opportunities Fund. I would like to ask the Minister what is the current disposition of the Opportunities Fund as it relates to our financial situation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again, the office space requirement, that is the one that I’m talking about. Was it Cabinet’s assertion that they weren’t politically palatable, and if so, how come Regular Members weren’t given the opportunity to have any input on directions that those decisions may have taken? Thank you.

I guess I’m just having trouble understanding how a Program Review Office that’s been in existence for two and a half years, how the Regular Members of this House could only be given one decision point, and that was the office space requirement here in Yellowknife, to actually make a decision on. Now it sounds like the government is going to put the tough decisions on the 17th Assembly when they’re elected in the fall.

Mr. Speaker, I think the obvious question I have is: have decision points come to this Cabinet that haven’t got through to the Regular Members so we could make a decision...

Mr. Speaker, the signing of the AIP and eventually a final agreement with the federal government on devolution and resource revenue sharing is absolutely a game changer here in the Northwest Territories. I think going forward, coming up with a vision prior to the signing of the AIP and even the thought of us having a final agreement, that vision would look much different than a vision that I think we can come up with today that is post-devolution, post-resource revenue sharing here in the Northwest Territories. I would like to ask the Premier, that’s changed, and how can we articulate or how...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some questions for the Premier today. It is getting back to my Member’s statement where I talked about the signing of the AIP and what the future holds for our Territory. I also mentioned in my Member’s statement that I am a member of the Northern Leaders’ Forum and I have some questions to the Premier about the future of the Northern Leaders’ Forum and whether or not the Premier sees that as a vehicle to try to bring Aboriginal leaders and other leaders from across the Territory to the table so that we can talk about what the Territory is going to look like post...

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think it’s things like that that will go a long way to helping people to come to the table. If you look just recently, the numbers on exploration dollars spent in the three territories, we’re $60 million behind exploration money spent in the Yukon, we’re $180 million behind Nunavut, we need to be looking at opportunities to get investment in our Territory, and I think investment in our Territories means something for all governments here in the Northwest Territories, and I think as much information we can pull together, the better off we’ll be in these discussions. So...

Mr. Speaker, I have always been supportive of the Northern Leaders’ Forum and trying to come up with a common vision, a way to work together with other governments in the Territory to move this Territory forward.

During my Member’s statement and also the Premier in his sessional statement today alluded to all the good things that can come out of this agreement. I think we have lost so much, Mr. Speaker, in fighting with the federal government, fighting with ourselves for the past 20 years, and at some point in time I think we have to start putting numbers on paper, talking about what the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As well, business development, especially in our smaller communities, growing our economy has to be our primary focus, Mr. Speaker, and giving opportunities to our people. We must unlock the potential we have as a Territory and provide these opportunities for the people who live here.

We need jobs, Mr. Speaker. We need a strong economy and we must move forward. I can’t stress it enough that we must find a way to work together. Our fight shouldn’t be with ourselves, it should be with the federal government, and finally we should find the way forward.

Again, I encourage...