David Ramsay

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank my colleagues for their support, those that are willing to support the motion. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I will try to keep this brief, but the project has changed and some Members in their arguments are jumping to the fact that this project was discussed. It was discussed four years ago in committee meetings. I attended these committee meetings as a city councillor. That was four years ago, Mr. Speaker. Information has changed. The project has gone from $70 million to $130 million plus.

The other thing that has changed, Mr. Speaker, if I...

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The motion is in order. To the motion. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, committee. We will now consider Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act. I'd like to ask the Member responsible for Bill 16 to introduce the bill. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank Mr. Voytilla for that. Again, it goes back to the point where I wouldn’t want to see a project like this tie the hands of the government for the next few years. If it’s $180 million, it would probably be more than that, but that would certainly put us up near $500 million. So just be cognizant of that and if there’s other financing models out there, I would encourage you to look at them. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Motion to report progress. The motion is not debatable. The motion is in order. All those in favour? Those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a question on the investment and that goes back a little ways; sorry, but 22. If the Government of the Northwest Territories is going to backstop this project and it does cost whatever, $180 million for the transmission line and whatever else for the actual plant expansion at Taltson, how is it going to be set out that the government gets that money back, the financing charges specifically, because obviously they’re going to have to borrow the money? I mean we don’t have $180 million or even more to do this. So on the financing side of it, how do we get that...

Thank you. Does the committee agree that Bill 16 is ready for third reading?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In today’s day and age where the onus is on security, I think it is important that the Minister of Justice and the government take security and locksmithing seriously and we move forward. If the Minister wants committee to come forward with a recommendation, then that is something we can do as well, but the government has known about it for 20-plus years, and I believe it is high time we move forward on this piece of legislation, Mr. Speaker. I am not sure if the Minister needs committee’s approval to include it in the transition document for the next government, but...

Clause 2.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned in my Member’s statement, it has been over 20 years since the issue of dealing with legislation governing locksmithing was first brought to the attention of the then-Justice Minister. As I mentioned, it has perhaps been brought to every Justice Minister since then. I am wondering, the first question I would have for the present-day Justice Minister is, locksmithing regulations and legislation, where does it fit in the government’s agenda? Mahsi.