Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I am just trying to find the page again here. It is page 114. The line item is negotiations. There is going to be a reduction between 2017-18 and 2016-17. Can someone from the department explain why we are reducing the funding for negotiations in light of the commitment and the mandate to try to finish all of these negotiations by the end of the 18th Assembly? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that. I fully recognize that the mining industry has made contributions beyond the resource revenues that we get to keep, but I think it is time that we did look at this issue, especially now that we have jurisdiction and control over it. It does need to be a comprehensive review. It is complex because you have to consider either taxes or forms of revenue, but we’re beyond that now. We’re three years into devolution. We haven’t really looked at that, so I appreciate the commitment from the Minister to ensure that his Cabinet colleagues start the move on this. I...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I’m looking at page 132, and this is the Northwest Territories Power Corporation snare hydro system. I know that, in the last couple of years, we’ve had to provide extra subsidies to the Power Corporation in terms of low water levels. How is it looking this year, Mr. Chair? Sorry, I’m just wondering what the water levels are looking like and whether there is any expectation that the Department of Finance is going to have to provide additional funding to the Power Corporation? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I will try one more time. Before the Premier or Cabinet or the Minister responsible issues further policy direction to the Public Utilities Board, will the Minister consult with the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I’m looking at page 128, which is the revenue summary. I see that Tobacco Tax revenues are $15.6 million; liquor revenues are $23.5 million. I add them up. Generally, it looks like about $39 million in revenues there from tobacco and liquor. Then I look at the net resource revenues that we get to keep from mining and oil and gas. That is found on Roman numeral xii of the main estimates. It looks like the amount that we actually get to keep from non-renewable resource revenue, so that is mining and oil and gas, is $13 million.

Look, I understand that 50 per cent of the non...

Thanks. I appreciate the response and I'll just go on record again as having some concerns about the loss of capacity for this important work, and I think it may affect our capacity and ability to continue to negotiate. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Just to be clear, I am not advocating doing that, but once again, the Regular MLAs were not told about this. Our advice was not sought. This was not brought before standing committee. It was something that Cabinet went off and did on their own. What is the future of this board? Is the Premier prepared to bring some sort of an options paper or start to engage the appropriate standing committee on this before issuing further policy direction to the PUB? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Maybe I am just a little bit thicker today. This $2 million, is this money that we allocate on an annual basis then into the liabilities fund? Is that what is happening? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I think I understand it a little better. So all of those people coming together to serve what used to be four departments, were positions cut within some of the other departments that they used to serve or were they all direct staff transfers into this shared corporate services unit? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that answer, but it was fairly prescriptive policy direction in terms of items that are going to come before it. Why bother having a Public Utilities Board if we are going to issue that sort of direction? Thanks, Mr. Chair.