Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I just want to follow up on the capital planning process. The Minister did mention that it is under FMBS, but, at the same time, the Department of Finance has some of the purse strings in terms of the funding that flows over what is tied to definitions and a certain amount of goals, like green infrastructure. I am sure that our Department of Finance does have some leeway in defining what green infrastructure is. Late last week, I said -- well, it will actually come to me in a dream, Mr. Chair -- that I wasn’t too far off when I said there is nothing greener...

Well, I am very pleased to hear that the Minister has a heart, Mr. Speaker. In all seriousness, that’s what I would like to see. The plan for a gymnasium in Nahanni Butte is so far off in the future, it’s just unrealistic because the need for the gymnasium is for today, Mr. Speaker. I would like to get the Minister’s commitment that he will work hard and try to get a facility for that particular community in the near future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Indeed, that’s the tone of a letter the Minister wrote to the principal in Nahanni Butte; that the department is not in a position to support the development of a gymnasium through their capital budgeting process in the immediate future, and that’s very disheartening, Mr. Speaker. Have a heart, Mr. Speaker.

For me, what that means, Mr. Speaker, is if we identify a need, we must address it. Here is a need that needs addressing. I would like the Minister to address it and tell me what he’s going to do about fulfilling this need. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am surprised the Minister brings up population as one of the mitigating factors in determining which communities get a gymnasium. We all know that’s not true today. I would like the Minister to stand away from that argument and say as an identifying need this community doesn’t have this facility. In our budget, we are talking about second schools and second gymnasiums in the larger centres. I think before they get theirs, Mr. Speaker, that communities without should get those facilities and I would like the Minister to commit to that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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So I would like to ask the Minister if he could look at that and use that definition when bartering with his colleagues, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister consider it as green infrastructure? Thank you.

But the sad fact remains that they don’t have their one-third contribution even today. In fact, there’s some old contribution money that they don’t want to give up, and they are still trying to match dollar for dollar from old water and sewer funding that they currently have. They are just trying to match that and now we’re asking them to match another one-third. So we’re going to have to take a good hard look at that infrastructure, as well.

In terms of capacity building, several Members brought it up and in terms of pipeline capacity issues and that still has significant concern for me....

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to follow up on my Member’s statement to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. In this sitting of the Assembly, I told people of Nahanni Butte I am either going to have a good news story for you or a bad news story. The way it looks, it looks like a bad news story. There is no indication of a gymnasium for Nahanni Butte. That is absolutely to say that next year we will have something for you. I would like to ask the Minister of MACA when or where can we look at this infrastructure for Nahanni Butte, Mr. Speaker? Mahsi cho.

Madam Chair, the committee wishes to consider Appropriation Act, 2005-2006.

Mr. Speaker, I have in my hand here 10 letters from the students and principal of Nahanni Butte school requesting a school gymnasium that I would like to table.