David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. I welcome witnesses this afternoon. I would now like to open the discussion to general comments on Bill 14. Mr. Pokiak.

Mahsi, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Pokiak.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today, after having listened to the Premier take on Mr. Braden yesterday, I think I’m going to keep my questions to the Finance Minister today.

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I learned something yesterday, Mr. Speaker.

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A touchy subject, and that is the government’s participation in the Mackenzie gas project. I know the Finance Minister spoke of the project on page 6 of his budget address today and I wanted to ask him a few specific questions on one sentence in particular, Mr. Speaker. That sentence was, “We will participate fully and actively in the...

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to state, for the record, that I am a big proponent of the Mackenzie gas project and I wish the communities well along the pipeline route that are hopefully going to be able to access this $500 million socio-economic fund. My concern, Mr. Speaker, is the fact that 80 percent, 75 to 80 percent of our residents live in communities that aren’t going to be able to access any of this $500 million. I want to ask the Minister of Finance what evidence there is that the Government of the Northwest Territories has the wherewithal and the ability...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given the fact that our Finance Minister has delivered his budget address today, I feel compelled to comment on some observations that I have had after having now listened to the last three budget addresses.

I find it very ironic that the Finance Minister has delivered his budget address on Groundhog Day. I wonder if he has ever seen the movie Groundhog Day where Bill Murray plays a weatherman who lives the same day over and over again. Every day is Groundhog Day. It would seem to me, Mr. Speaker, that each budget that has been delivered by this government seems...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Premier for his response. I’d like to, as well, ask the Premier, and I know he mentioned it briefly, but how is the Government of the Northwest Territories going to involve aboriginal governments here in the Northwest Territories in dealing with the federal government? During the election campaign there was a lot of negativity in some camps towards the Conservative government coming into power and dealing with aboriginal people. I’m just wondering, has the Premier got a strategy so that he can lay to rest some of these fears that were out there to the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Honourable Joe Handley, Premier of the Northwest Territories. I spoke in my Member’s statement about dealing with a new political climate in Ottawa with a new Conservative government and as well here locally with a non-governing party Member of Parliament. So the political landscape in Ottawa has certainly shifted. I guess the big question in my mind and the public’s mind is, how is our government going to work with the new government in Ottawa to get our issues addressed? I guess the first question I have for the Premier is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m certainly very happy to be back in this House with the rest of my colleagues as we prepare to entertain the 2006-07 budget and address the issues that our constituents have raised with us since the last time we met. I’d like to start off by congratulating Prime Minister-designate Mr. Stephen Harper and his incoming Conservative government. I do believe, and have tremendous hope, that the change in government in Ottawa will pay huge dividends here in the North. Issues like resource revenue sharing, devolution, fiscal surety and the completion of outstanding land...