Michael Miltenberger

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

We have over 5,000 employees. Our human resources costs are the single biggest costs in the government.

Once again let me state for the record that the Member is getting way ahead of himself on these questions. There is nothing that’s going to be decided by this government. There is transition planning in a whole range of areas that is going to be done.

As the Premier indicated in his statement, balancing our revenues and expenditures is a challenge of this government and will carry on as a challenge to the next government. When I do my fiscal update tomorrow, I will be making that same declaration. All we are doing is getting our transition documents ready and there will be no decisions made in...

Thank you. The amount of security that’s posted is $11.6 million.

We’re engaged in discussions with the Government of Canada over the potential that they could be filing for bankruptcy, and abandonment of the mine could lead to an agreement to transfer the mine to Canada.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We fully agree with the Member about the need for the government, especially in the smaller communities but across the economy as a whole, the territory as a whole, especially given the fact that we’re now into a second recession in the last eight years, to use our infrastructure dollars to help stimulate the economy. We did that in 2007. We borrowed to our limit to make sure that we had as much infrastructure go into the ground as possible, and I think we did over a million dollars in a few years. We still see that as a critical way forward, especially infrastructure...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to, of course, make the case that there is no point of privilege. What we are dealing with here is the fourth year of a drought. We are dealing with the circumstance of extreme weather that has put enormous potential burden on the people of the Northwest Territories at a time when the Assembly wasn’t in session or wasn’t with committee sitting. Yet, we had indicated clearly in the letter of August 31st that we would be bringing this forward for final decision in this House.

As the government, we are required to act in the best interests of the people of the...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just note and thank the Member for his comments and evidencing his pleasure and being pleased with Highway No. 7, Trout Lake chipsealing, Highway No. 1 north of Wrigley needing work but still thankful for the work on Highway No. 1 and Trout Lake and the fact that he likes the way that contracts can be used to stimulate the economy.

With regard to the community hall, that’s a possible gas tax project the community could look at where they have capital money.

The seniors home is a housing issue. I don’t have detail to speak to that, but I would assume the intent would...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have with me Sandy Kalgutkar, deputy secretary to the FMB; Mr. Paul Guy, deputy minister, Public Works and Services; and Mr. Russ Neudorf, deputy minister of Transportation.

I am here to present the Capital Estimates, 2016-2017 of the Government of the Northwest Territories. These estimates represent $292 million in appropriations for government and $28 million for community infrastructure investments in the 2016-2017 fiscal year.

These estimates do not include appropriations for housing infrastructure proposed by the NWT Housing Corporation in 2016-2017, totalling $22 million. The appropriation for these investments will be sought during review of the 2016-2017 Main Estimates by the 18th Legislative Assembly. The NWT Housing Corporation’s proposed 2016-2017...