Jane Groenewegen

Mr. Speaker, it’s my pleasure today as well to recognize my constituents from Hay River South: deputy warden of the SMCC, Quinn Groenehyde, who received the Corrections Exemplary Service Award; and his wife, Jenny, who is an educator in Hay River.

Also, as Minister Lafferty said, Correctional Officer Anthony Beck, who has today received a lifesaving award, and his wife, Lynn Beck, who is also an educator in Hay River. Welcome to the House.

Mr. Speaker, I am an elected Member of this House. I've been here since the 14th Assembly. If I am not aware of the fact…. And it was — let’s be honest — two weeks ago tomorrow that we actually got a copy of the concession agreement. This is a $160 million project. I didn't know, until we got the concession agreement two weeks ago, that our government was in fact indemnifying, guaranteeing — call it whatever you want — a $160 million loan. I didn't know that. I’m a Member of this Legislative Assembly and I didn't know. How could the public possibly say whether or not they support this project...

Mr. Speaker, in a previous answer to a question, the Premier basically threw out the challenge to have an open debate about the Deh Cho Bridge project. That’s like inviting us to a duel, you know, with no gun.

We’re absolutely bound by confidentiality; we can’t say anything. Here we are now — the poor suckers who got to read the concession agreement — and we’re sitting here trying to ask questions in the public interest, but we are bound by confidentiality because of the restrictions that were put on us. We cannot be transparent and open with the people of the Northwest Territories, who are...

Mr. Speaker, my point of order is the fact that the Premier is misleading the House. He says that the banks are on the hook for this $160 million. You know, let’s be honest. The Territorial government is on the hook for this, and I have the concession agreement to prove it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just to describe for Members what is being proposed here in this motion to delete: Public Works and Services is records storage; Justice is the perimeter fencing at North Slave Correctional Facility; the $80,000 in Education is for the renovations to the Lahm Ridge Tower. Those are the three items this motion proposes to delete from the interim capital appropriations.

Mr. Chairman, the committee today would like to consider Bill 3 and then continue with Bill 1, in that order. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, so these contracts are normally sole-sourced contracts, and we do spend a fair amount of money. I haven’t even gone into the ones where we hire people who actually reside in the Northwest Territories or who have their shingles hung out in the Northwest Territories.

In view of some of the need for cutbacks, does the Premier see any opportunity for savings on this particular type of discretionary spending?

Mr. Speaker, as many people will know, the Regular Members of the Legislative Assembly have been meeting lately to talk about ideas for strategic reductions, since the government has advised us that we need to find $135 million over the next two years. It’s been a very interesting discussion, and at some point our report and recommendations will be made public.

For those who don’t know, there’s a very interesting document available in our library. It’s called “Contracts Over $5,000.” It’s a public description of all contracts over $5,000. To anybody who wants some interesting reading material...

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...