Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The subsidies are linked to the rates and as the rates of power go up, and we’ve been having the rate increases over the X number of years, even though they’ve been cushioned, the subsidy goes up commensurately, and they’re linked, so they’re going to keep moving together.

The criteria for the formula stay the same, so it’s still governed by things like tax effort and the amount of money spent in other jurisdictions. And their operations, as I indicated in my budget address, we anticipate with the deficit reduction going on across the land, that our formula could be affected negatively, but the criteria and all the elements of the formula have been left in place until 2018-19, but we’re still bound by those variables.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There has been significant improvement in terms of the time. We have met yearly, at least I meet yearly, the staff meets more often with the Audit Bureau, the audit folks, and we work with all the agencies that are supposed to be reporting in. We have shortened that timeline and are going to keep working on shortening it. There has been recognition of the improvement by the Auditor General, but I’ll ask the deputy if he wants to add anything further to that matter.

We get revised amounts monthly, but the date by which most returns are in is October, so October is a month we look to to get more certainty.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member raised a good point and identified a need in terms of having proper structure in place. There has been a meeting of senior officials as it pertains to that particular policy. They have done the initial scoping out, they are establishing a work plan and they intend to come back in the fall with a fleshed out policy.

Yes.

The Member in the House raised some areas where there were gaps. It was an area when it was raised, and we had officials look at it where there isn’t a lot of clear policy direction as it pertains to Facebook and other social media, and how we do our business on there in an increasing fashion. They’re going to take a look. They’re going to do a review of other jurisdictions and they’re going to pull together, hopefully, the best practices in terms of next steps.

The folks are taking close note of the discussion and debate in this House. The Member has raised some legitimate, pertinent concerns, including the one she just articulated, and yes, we’re going to list all those concerns and then see what’s the best way forward in terms of coming up with an adequate and functional policy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that Bill 3, Wildlife Act, be read for the second time.

This bill replaces the Wildlife Act. It modernizes wildlife management processes in a manner consistent with land claim agreements. Provisions respecting the harvest of wildlife were updated and measures for the protection of wildlife habitat are included. Consequential amendments are made to the Environmental Protection Act, the Forest Management Act and the Herd and Fencing Act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, as Finance Minister I can tell you that I think, in fact, this budget, the last budget, every budget that I have been involved in in this House is a good budget. They tend to pass unanimously. We are doing an enormous amount of good work here. There is $1.6 million being put to work and the vast majority of it is spent on programs. It’s audited every year by the Auditor General. There are all sorts of other reviews done on an ongoing basis. We, of course, will continue to work with committee and the Members to make sure that we have the best budget possible dealing with...