Floyd Roland

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.

Mr. Speaker, we must be careful what we say in this House. I mean, some Members have come up with their own figure of what this potentially costs. The $242 million figure is someone else’s math work. What we’ve put on the table is the total amount of $165 million. The tolls will pay a significant portion of that. As the act itself identified, we would be taking funds from the ice crossing and the ferries going up to close to $2 million. The FMB of the day agreed to a further extension of $2.28 million as a ceiling for putting this in, based on the dollar values of when that agreement was put...

Mr. Speaker, I’d have to clarify. The schedules the Members are talking about as part of the concession agreement are one process. The instruments — I guess that is the proper term — of the lending agency to the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation that we are involved with and that the Department of Transportation is involved with are the things that I talked about: the banks needing to proceed with this project and having a timeline of the 22nd. That’s the piece that I’m referring to. That is all part of the due process that is already in place. That’s about to happen. We’re waiting on the lawyers’...

Mr. Speaker, the process of loan guarantees is done through the Financial Management Board, notification to Members. If there's an actual expenditure that occurs as a result of that, that would fall to the supplementary appropriation that comes to this House. I'd have to go back to look, because at one point the interest had to be paid out as part of the process. So I’m not sure if that came to the House or not, but I recall some debate on it. Thank you.

In the area of the guarantee itself, the guarantee is something that’s been in the process, has been updated a number of times, through the work of this government in the sense of the relationship with the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation. They’ve been working with the bank.

That guarantee doesn't kick in unless the bank itself calls that loan. For us to have a direct involvement in what they’ve spent on, what areas they’ve done, that would be limited. I don't have that information. But we do stand behind that guarantee until it gets called. Thank you.