Joe Handley

Mr. Speaker, yes, the money is identified in the supp and will be open for debate at that time. Thank you.

No roads. We don’t want to let this one go by. Mr. Speaker, this project is too important for us to sit by. We are major players in it. Some things we are not directly involved in. For example, on the financial considerations that the industry is dealing with, the federal government is directly involved. But we are being kept informed all the time and we will watch that closely because, in the long run, we are the ones as northerners that will end up paying a large part of that bill. Yes, we are watching all the way along. We are a significant player here. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I certainly don’t feel like the Maytag repairman anymore. Mr. Speaker, our government’s position is that the pipeline will happen. It will take place. But the negotiations are proceeding. Every day, I am in contact with some of the parties, all of the parties, depending on what is happening, and monitoring what is going on. This is very tough negotiating. There are $7 billion plus just in the expenses, plus huge amounts of revenue if it goes ahead. It is a huge amount of revenue for us as a government, for the federal government, for the producers, for the...

Mr. Speaker, last spring when we had the Circle of Northern Leaders meeting, we heard very loud and clear messages from local leaders that they wanted the ability to lead, to be leaders. They are elected. They wanted to be able to decide on the highest priority of their communities. Generally, that’s what we heard across the Territories. So we have designed this proposal in a way that responds to that. Having said that, if some communities would prefer to submit applications to us and have us decide amongst the applications that we receive, then we’re starting to prepare to do that. That’s...

Mr. Speaker, no. No communities have accessed any of the money. The money will not be available to any of the Members until this House has debated the proposal and has agreed with it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can assure the Members that all of the deputy ministers will be measured on a number of goals that we set. They are different in different cases, but I can assure Members that all of them will be measured on what they do in helping us to achieve our targets on energy conservation measures. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, no, I don’t want to make those available or those public. Those are between the deputy ministers, the Ministers and myself. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank the Member for the question. I was beginning to feel like the Maytag repairman.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, when we set out as the 15th Legislative Assembly, we set a number of strategic goals. The deputy ministers and Ministers, and all of us in fact, are measured against those goals that we set. We all know what they are. In terms of the specific goals, the specific criteria with each deputy minister, a lot of that is personal, and I think it’s something that we have to keep between the deputy ministers, Ministers and ourselves. We all have the broad goals in our strategic plan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, our deputy ministers’ performances are measured each year. It’s measured against the objectives that the government sets. I enter into a management letter with them. Energy conservation is certainly one of our goals as a government and, yes, deputy ministers’ performances will be based on that as one of the goals they’ll be measured against. Thank you.