Michael Miltenberger

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document, entitled Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2013-2014. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This particular request deals with our business with the industry, working with industry to construct winter roads, and they compensate us fully for that and was done during a time when there was no opportunity for the Legislature to meet. This is working with industry, they assist us and give us direction on the winter road construction and they compensate us.

There is $461,000 to pay for increased utility costs for public housing in Inuvik, mainly resulting from the conversion from natural to synthetic natural gas; $669,000 to provide for housing repairs in response to the Nahanni Butte flood, which will partially be recovered from Canada; and then $82,000 to fund increased electricity costs resulting from the approval of the interim rates set by the PUB.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We are not going to reinvent the wheel here. We are going to look at the work that was done, but with an eye to trying to identify costs if we proceed with repatriation. The client base is constantly changing so we have to make sure and do that review, as well, to make sure we know what the needs are. We are going to make full use of the work that was done by committee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The government doesn’t get any subsidies. We pay the fully burdened rates. I’m not sure if that answers the Member’s question.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is another demand-driven area, but there has been a steady increase. The program review office, one of the tasks there that have been given is to look at these areas. One of the questions that has occurred in the past is, is there a sufficient capacity in the North or can the capacity be built in the North to have the facilities up here to repatriate those services. We put in facilities in Hay River, for example, to do that. Over the years, way back, Trailcross was built. There’s been other receiving homes built to try to repatriate services, the Territorial...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The intent is to make this as seamless a transition as possible.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The projected cost will total about $30.8 million for 2012-13.

Thank you. In concluding this supp currently before us, it will be $18.961 million.

Yes, Mr. Chairman.