Michael Miltenberger

As it has been pointed out, some of these figures are estimates. They’re based on the royalties posted on an average basis. So depending on how good a year it is and the coming year will depend on what we’re going to get, but we fully anticipate we are going to get royalties in the neighbourhood of $120 million, barring some unforeseen bad news, and if there’s good news, then it will be more. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank the Member for his comments. The issue of managing within our resources, trying to meet the demands, the issues that the Member has talked about, as has some of his colleagues, nursing in the small communities is a challenge that, as the Member said, is still yet to be met.

I agree with him on the opportunity that decentralization and devolution are presenting us, that there are opportunities we have committed as a government to a decentralization plan. We’re moving into phase 3. There are going to be benefits in regional centres like Simpson, Smith, Inuvik, Hay...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, we’re not. We’re acknowledging that the Devolution Agreement kicks in April 1st. The resource royalties will start to accrue but the royalties will not be paid out and will not come into our coffers until the end of 2015. Once the appropriate business cycles are concluded and reporting cycles and financial cycles are concluded where royalties are ascertained, at that point we will honour the commitment and put in 25 percent in 2015-16 on a go-forward basis. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The 50 percent has not been allocated and we’re still having the discussion about how much goes into infrastructure and how much goes for debt servicing costs. Thank you.

The intention was to have that number reflected in the 2015-16 budget when we had the number. We’ve committed to the 25 percent and we will honour that and we will put it in as soon as we get the money. That will be reflected clearly and accurately in 2015-16. Thank you.

I’d also point out that I’m required as the Minister of Finance, under Section 31, to table each session a list of funds transferred that exceed $250,000 before the Legislative Assembly. So this is a standard management tool for an operation the size of ours, $1.6 billion budget, where the managers, the Ministers, the deputies, senior managers that manage their operations, there are the checks and balances to make sure that it’s accounted for within activities, between activities, but that ability is very, very common practice. It’s a management tool that’s absolutely critical in order to do...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In both the case of the Aboriginal governments and the Heritage Fund, the money is not expected to flow into our coffers until late in 2015, at which time we will honour the commitment to put in 25 percent into the Heritage Fund. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, $250,000. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, we would be glad to pull together a document that lays out issues to be addressed in the coming months and years as it pertains to the Heritage Fund as it moves ahead. Thank you.

It doesn’t.