Michael Miltenberger

We weren’t secretly supporting anything. The rates are there. There is a rate rebalancing process underway. It has been set at a 1 percent increase for this year and 3 percent for subsequent years as we move towards rebalancing. Rebalancing a rate structure that we inherited going back to federal times that is well superseded, in many cases, by the requirement for NTPC and the government to put money into things to protect the rates for all power users in the Northwest Territories, regardless of who provides or who distributes the power. I would refer specifically to things like the $37...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I apologize if I wasn’t clear enough. This was a two-step process. We did the functional review of our communications system which gave us the information that pointed to areas of concern, including the under-resourcing and being better organized to take on these new responsibilities. Based on that work, which is already done, we’ve come forward with this request to put some resources into the communication systems to make sure we can address those issues, improve the communication systems and incorporate all the work that needs to be done with the new authorities.

So...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. These numbers are calculated as of April 1st, and some of it, as we’ve noted, some have gone up and some have gone down depending on the communities in the region. Thank you.

We are at work with other jurisdictions mapping the spread of the black legged tick that usually inhabits deer as it moves around. At this point we don’t think it has moved north, but yes, we are monitoring that, the same as we were keeping our eye on the pine beetle to see if that was going to come north into the boreal forests north of 60. We will, as well, continue to do rotating moose surveys in various jurisdictions to keep track of the herd numbers and health of the moose. Thank you.

The work was still being concluded. The report has been written, the assessments made. We had to take it back through the due process and we weren’t able to get it done in time. That would have been our initial preference, but it was not possible, hence this request through the supplementary appropriation process. Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Our first strategy, of course, would be to identify if there is a particular tick infestation and the magnitude that would warrant such type of intervention as we’ve demonstrated with the barren land caribou. We’ve tracked things very closely and we will intercede when we think it’s warranted. We also have other legislation, the Species at Risk Act, if we think there are challenges in terms of actually affecting their survival of the species. So we’re going to monitor it, but at this point I have seen nothing that would indicate that we have an infestation of that magnitude. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There was a GNWT communications functional review that captured this and did their review and took a look at what was needed to enhance our capacity. We’ve attempted to be very reasonable that what was in an ideal communications systems would require a much greater investment, but once again, I’d ask if the Premier wants to add anything further to that.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, that Bill 58, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2015-2016, be read for the third time. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, that Bill 58, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2015-2016, be read for the second time.

This bill makes supplementary appropriations for infrastructure expenditures for the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 2015-16 fiscal year.