Floyd Roland

Mr. Speaker, maybe I’ll ask a question back. The fact is that this Assembly feels it hasn’t had the opportunity to debate this in its full length. Concession agreements, schedules, projects that we do, whether they’re $4 million, $40 million or $80 million contracts for infrastructure we have in our communities, or leases — we have 10year leases on infrastructure for office spaces, whether in this city or other communities — go through a process but don’t get reviewed by committee on a contract-by-contract scenario.

In this case, Members are asking for a line-by-line review. We’ve provided that...

Mr. Speaker, the Member is correct in the fact that any loan guarantee established falls under the authority of the FMB. The process also lays out the notification of Members, and that process is followed.

The reference I made to a potential supplementary appropriation dealt with one piece, a small piece, of that, but all the information would have been made available. I'll have to confirm that. I'm going on memory at this point. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, yes, when they came forward with requests for increases, they did have to justify why we would want to do that and why we would carry it forward to the Assembly for approvals on supplementary requirements.

You can go back to the supplementary appropriations to see when loan guarantees were put in place or increased through operations of the House.

The actual work done was bridge design, looking at those areas. No doubt, lots of lawyers’ fees on the negotiations process with banks and so on.

There is a list. We know what they were working on. We were knowledgeable of that. When they...

Mr. Speaker, they are, as I stated, part of the process of finalizing the agreement with the lawyers reviewing it. Signatures would need to be accepted from all the parties involved. The lending organizations, the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Department of Transportation, as well as Finance, would be required to sign off a number of the schedules. I’m not sure of the exact amount, but this is the follow-through from what was laid out there. We’re following through the process that’s already in place.

Mr. Speaker, I have two documents to table. The first is entitled List of Inter-Activity Transfers Exceeding $250,000 for the Period April 1, 2007 to December 31, 2007.

Document 27-16(2), List of Inter-Activity Transfers Exceeding $250,000 for the Period April 1, 2007, to December 31, 2007, tabled.

As well, Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document, entitled Northwest Territories NWT Liquor Commission and Liquor Licensing Board, 53rd Annual Report, 2006-2007.

Document 28-16(2), Northwest Territories NWT Liquor Commission and Liquor Licensing Board, 53rd Annual Report, 2006-2007, tabled.

Mr. Speaker, hopefully, with the direction I’ve given this morning to clarify the problems that were out there in trying to do some of the evaluation, we can get that to Members, I hope, by tomorrow.

The other question on the timelines, as we related, about the 22nd of February. The lawyers have done their work and have gone through that and now are prepared to sign the final schedule on which they were dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s.

Mr. Speaker, she was waving a piece of paper there. I don't know what I would be agreeing to, if that's a briefing note from Research or an active part of the concession agreement, which would be problematic.

The fact is, the fundamentals that the Government of the Northwest Territories needs to be concerned about, and is concerned about…. That's why we have entered into this long process of ensuring and double-checking. In fact, the lending organizations themselves have followed through this. An independent engineer…. We had an opinion lawyer on the actual process of how our FAA worked and so...

Mr. Speaker, one thing we need to clarify, as a number of organizations were included, as I understand it from the Members, in the volunteer sector and NGOs. We do have a Minister responsible for the volunteer area who works with them through the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, as the Member has pointed out.

NGOs are those that, yes, may have a voluntary board but in fact receive contracts from the Government of the Northwest Territories or the federal government or other organizations. We do have to deal with that in a couple of different ways. Although we continue to work with...

Mr. Speaker, for the process of clarity, for the 16th Legislative Assembly, my offer is to debate the fact that we support the Deh Cho Bridge proceeding.

I'm not willing to debate schedule by schedule. We've never done that with any other contract in the Government of the Northwest Territories — at least, that I recall in my days — on something like that.

I've sat down with committee. I've provided them with all the information that has been requested. Yes, there are some outstanding schedules. Those lists of schedules that were outstanding were provided to the Members as well.

Part of the duties...

Mr. Speaker, under 23(j), once again, I’ve been accused of uttering a falsehood. The Member said that the banks are solely responsible. You can look at Hansard. I’ve not said that. So my point of order is that the Member is, again, accusing me of lying to this Assembly. In fact, lying to this Assembly is as good as putting my head on a platter.

Mr. Speaker, I want Members to be aware of the insinuations being made here. In fact, adding wording that has not been said and I have not said…. I’m speaking to this piece. Thank you.