David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize a local businessman, Jim Beckwith. With Jim are his father, John Beckwith, and Kristin Holt. Welcome to the Assembly.

---Applause

I'd also like to welcome all the children who have travelled up here and their chaperones from Hay River. Welcome to the House.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Braden. General comments. No more general comments. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Are there any further general comments on Bill 16? Mr. Bell.

Okay. Does committee agree?

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...