David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Thanks, committee. We are on marine, operations expenditure summary, $7.808 million.

I know in the department’s business plan they talked of moving to a one-window approach to business services in the Territory, but they were short on elaborating on how that was going to happen and how all these moving pieces are going to be put together to ensure that it works. If the Minister could just elaborate a little bit on how programs are going to be delivered regionally through this one-window approach, I would be interested to know what the department has in store for regional service delivery for business programs.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Next the chair recognizes Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Yakeleya, if you would like to get back on the list, I can put you back on the list. Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Thank you, Mr. Minister. Next the chair is going to recognize Mr. Menicoche.

Thanks, committee. We’ll now turn to page 11-7 and that is the operations expenditure summary for the Department of Transportation, $104.511 million.

Ms. Bisaro. You’re finished? Page 11-13, Transportation, activity summary, corporate services, operations expenditure summary. Mr. Bromley.

Again, I just wanted to state again for the record, I am not opposed to the partnerships and I don’t want the Minister to think that I am opposed. However, I think the department needs to learn something. This partnership that we got into with the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation, they never had the required equity. They still don’t have the required equity. It’s cost us as a government nothing but headaches and money, Mr. Chairman. Again, we have to be very careful when it comes to getting into partnerships with folks who don’t have the equity and can’t deliver on the project at the end of the day...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have just a few opening comments on the Department of Transportation. I guess I just want to start off by saying this whole thing with the Deh Cho Bridge, Mr. Minister, is not something that is easy for us to be talking about, easy for myself to be talking about. I have the utmost respect for the Minister and the department. However, we are in this situation. I would expect if the Minister or any of his Cabinet colleagues were on this side of the House and the project was in the status that it’s in, I would expect them to be asking the exact same questions I am...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Thursday, February 18, 2010, I will move the following motion: now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that the appointments to standing committees of the following Members be revoked: Mrs. Jane Groenewegen, Member for Hay River South, to the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure; Mrs. Jane Groenewegen, Member for Hay River South, to the Standing Committee on Government Operations; Mr. David Krutko, Member for Mackenzie Delta, to the Standing Committee on Social Programs; Mr. Jackie Jacobson...

I’d like to ask the Minister what the government’s plans are in the immediate future for the remainder of that Opportunities Fund. If we’re not making any money from the Opportunities Fund and we’re actually paying an administration fee of 7 percent, what are we doing here? Why don’t we just give the money back if it’s going to be booked against our debt?