Jane Groenewegen

Thank you. You know, to the public that's listening to this, the semantics here are off. Let’s be very clear: there is a vast difference between approving and being advised of or being notified of. I want to tell you that that's all that was going on for us over here: we were notified of it. We did not approve of it. Let’s be very clear. I mean, just because we were notified of it doesn't mean we agreed with it.

I'd like the Premier to clearly confirm that, in fact, the FMB had the authority to extend the loan guarantee and increase it on the grounds of notification to Members only.

Mr. Speaker, this loan guarantee started off at about $3 million, and it was extended and increased at several different points. I would find it very unusual if a public government could guarantee a loan for something where they did not have any say or control or knowledge of what it was being used for and that they would not be at the table.

Do we want to go from $3 million to $6 million to $9 million? Wouldn't the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation have had to come back to our government and justify an increase in our loan guarantee with what it was that they were spending the money on?

Mr. Speaker, I would like to seek unanimous consent to go back to item 7, oral questions.

Mr. Speaker, is there some requirement on the part of our government to also sign off on those schedules? Who would be signing on behalf of our government? Is there any way to delay that signing-off until we have received some of this information we’re asking for?

Mr. Chairman, I move that sub-clause 3(2) of Bill 1 be amended by striking out $491,566,000 and substituting $490,831,000.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that the Schedule to Bill 1 be amended to:

decrease by $115,000 the interim appropriation amount set out in Part 2, item 15, Public Works and Services, by striking out $6,534,000 and substituting $6,419,000;

decrease by $540,000 the interim appropriation amount set out in Part 2, item 17, Justice, by striking out $1,610,000 and substituting $1,070,000;

decrease by $80,000 the interim appropriation amount set out in Part 2, item 18, Education, Culture and Employment, by striking out $21,626,000 and substituting $21,546,000;

decrease by $735,000 the amount set out in...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Premier, then, if he would also communicate to his Ministers and the departments that this may be an area where they might like to look for some savings that would contribute to that total amount that we need to save over the next two years, and if he would put some guidelines and some parameters in place to provide guidance and leadership for Ministers and other departments as well.

Mr. Speaker, the Premier said he’d have to have a specific example. Let me give you an example. “John Todd Holdings Ltd., consulting services, $48,000.” What kind of process goes into approving such a contract?

Mr. Speaker, this has been a time when we’ve been hearing a lot about cuts to government spending. There is a very significant piece of Territorial infrastructure out there that has been talked about, and there have been some very large dollars attached to the anticipation of such a structure. I’m talking about a courthouse here in Yellowknife.

Mr. Speaker, many long-time residents of the N.W.T. remember the days when the courthouse in Yellowknife was located on the second floor of the Federal Building, better known as the post office, so at one point the federal government did pay for and...

Mr. Chairman, I would like to move that we report progress.