Floyd Roland

I would like to recognize my beautiful wife, the one that holds the family together in our household.

In the process we would look at for doing that, there are potentially two areas: our energy committee of Ministers, as well as reducing the cost of living, which is an initiative underneath the plans. We would like to go with that plan. Those processes would involve Members. As well, recommendations from Members of this House back to us could help us in adding that to the work that's going to be reviewed.

It is my honour today to begin this session of the 16th Legislative Assembly with a clear discussion about where our Territory is heading, the opportunities and challenges we will face and the actions we must take.

As Members of this Assembly we have identified six key goals that are crucial for the N.W.T.’s future:

A strong and independent North, where Northerners make their own decisions and chart their own course;

An environment that sustains Northerners today and in the future;

Healthy and well-educated people with bright futures and the skills they need to benefit from all the opportunities...

Mr. Speaker, our goal in this area is to look at how we spend our dollars on programs, the value for the investments we are making and the results we are actually producing. We have to look at that type of investment.

When you look at the total overall number and our compensation benefits package and the people we have working for us, it looks to be almost half the overall budget that we have in the Northwest Territories. There will be some impact.

Our work is not to target a number of people; our work is focused on programs. As we make decisions on how we proceed, we will be working through the...

I give notice that on Friday, February 8, 2008, I will move that Bill 2, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 2007–2008, be read for the first time.

I thank Ms. Bisaro for that question. The fact is that it is targeted for a two-year time frame. There is a portion of it that we are looking to reinvest back into those priorities we set as the 15th Legislative Assembly. As we’ve found out, I guess one could say, from past practice, even though we may target for a two-year window, some of the actual results may not prove themselves up for even the time beyond that. But the target is that we have a two-year window to operate in to try to find enough savings as well as the reinvestment portion.

This project has definitely spanned a number of governments. And the processes that were established…. As I am aware, the bridge corporation is looking at doing a public information process in the very near future. I think this may be an opportunity to have a discussion with them to see how much information they would be able to provide and respond to that area and go forward on that basis. As the Government of the Northwest Territories, there is an impact, as I stated, on the amount of equity that's put forward and the rate of return that would go back to the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation.

I have...

Mr. Speaker, when I talked about looking at the process, I was looking at the project timelines, information that flowed between particular departments to committees, to this Assembly — whether it was through supplementary process — and decisions made right to the point of the concession agreement being signed.

Mr. Speaker, for the record, we have to state that but for the fact that this concession agreement was signed as late as it was, it is politically one that is being debated. The fact is that the numbers being used today were shared with Members of the past Assembly prior to that...

I’m aware, because of our discussions around the concession agreement, that they do have their equity in place — again, not to the $5 million. I believe they’re right around the $4 million mark. They have a partner that’s partnered up with them, along with themselves and another corporation within, I believe, Fort Providence. I would have to work with them to ensure I can sit down and provide the information to Members. I’m not sure if I can make it public at this point.

Mr. Speaker, one simple way of doing it is never to enact another piece of legislation that drives one particular project. That is an avenue, so that would always come before Members of the House. But like every act we’ve put in place, that act, once passed, becomes a living document of the Assembly, and Assemblies to come, until it’s removed from the books.

The review that I committed to…. We will have it done very soon, and I’ll be able to share that with Members and sit down with them at that point.