Floyd Roland

Mr. Speaker, we need to pay attention to that file. In fact, we need to renew it. I guess that is a way of putting it. At one point the Government of the Northwest Territories did venture into the P3 area. That first movement wasn’t very satisfactory, so we’ve agreed that FMBS would take charge in that area, as it relates to financial matters. Hopefully, as we come back together in the fall, we can show Members the work that’s being done on it and provide an update at that time.

Mr. Speaker, I’m hoping that as we get on with work now after the session’s over, we’ll be able to put the energy into getting some of the package together.

As I stated earlier, I’ll work with the Member to provide information as to the timing and the structure. We’ll look at getting the information. I don’t have that with me at this point, but I commit to get that to the Member.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member is aware, there are a number of departments involved in different areas. The specific area of sector financing is being undertaken by the Financial Management Board Secretariat.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On June 21 the people across the Northwest Territories will once again be celebrating National Aboriginal Day. This is a day to celebrate aboriginal peoples’ rich and diverse cultural heritage and to also acknowledge the valuable contribution of aboriginal peoples to the healthy development of our communities, our territory and our country.

The Government of the Northwest Territories honours and respects the importance of aboriginal cultures and the vital role aboriginal people play in contributing to our economic, social and political development and in enhancing our...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, be read for the third time.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The review of the Business Incentive Policy is laid out in the Member’s motion. As the Government of the Northwest Territories, we have to look at how this works for us. The Budget Address identified…. The wording is reviewed and the focus seems to be on elimination, but the process is the elimination of the Business Incentive Policy, particularly its application to capital projects, while maintaining its commitment to local and northern purchasing.

As the Member has noted, this policy is 24 years old. It’s not a question of whether the Government of the Northwest...

Mr. Speaker, an interest we always have as the Government of the Northwest Territories is seeing a successful venture happen and the benefits staying in the North. As we develop this and bring this back to Members, we hope we can lay out how it’s coming together.

One of the issues with the P3 process — even the federal government and other jurisdictions have had to wrestle with this — is that a true P3 would put the majority of risk on the private sector. As a government we would have to see how far we go that way. One of our exercises in our last initial round in the late ’90s, I believe, was...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If we could just have a contract put on our desk, we would look at it.

Realistically, though, we know much work needs to be done on the Mackenzie Valley Highway process. I’ve had discussions with my Cabinet colleagues, as well as shared some of the vision of that with the Prime Minister at the Western Premiers’ Conference, and we’ll continue to build on that.

Mr. Speaker, a lot of the work — for example, the third-party accountability framework — has been done, and we’re doing a review of it as well as going forward. A number of areas are going to be looked at further to get input from the sector and the NGO sector as well as the volunteer sector.

I’ll get back to the Member and provide information as to how this will be undertaken, and the timing of it as well.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take the opportunity today to inform the Assembly of an important national summit I am co-hosting with the president of the Native Women’s Association of Canada, Ms. Beverley Jacobs.

The National Aboriginal Women’s Summit will take place in Yellowknife from July 29 to 31. The summit will be attended by about 150 aboriginal women from across Canada, along with representatives from the federal, provincial and territorial governments and national aboriginal organizations. The summit will advance the ongoing work toward improving social and economic...