Thank you, Madam Chair. I have with me Mike Aumond, deputy minister of Finance.

Mr. Speaker, there are things that have happened in the past that have their own character and complexity and annex. The reality is, and I will say it again, the Government of the Northwest Territories is involved and will continue to be involved with the community of Norman Wells in looking at its long-term energy needs as we deal with the direction and indication from Imperial Oil that their access to gas is going to be cut off. That work is already underway.

The good news is, as I have indicated, we have assurances that NTPC will not be impacted in the near term and the work is underway with...

The Government of the Northwest Territories has been involved in this process, a party to the work that is underway. We have a commitment and an obligation, as we have assisted in the past in Inuvik when they converted from the high temperature system to natural gas, to work through the process with the community and to make sure that we are there to assist so that there is not an undue burden placed on individual citizens of Norman Wells. Thank you.

As the Minister of ITI proceeds with the work on his Economic Development Strategy, there will be a consultation of the nature that the Member has raised.

I would also point out that I referenced the suite of programs and opportunities that are there related to traditional pursuits. There are programs that deal with the northern fishery, there are processing opportunities, we have a Manufacturing Policy, we have a Business Incentive Policy.

The work we’re doing long-term with all the energy initiatives are all geared towards trying to lower the cost of living in communities. One of the biggest...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is a range of existing initiatives across government. The Minister of ITI is looking at an Economic Development Strategy. We’re talking about, as well, and I reference in my address, the fur and trapping programs that we’re trying to encourage people to put money into the hands of trappers to get kids, young people on the land. We have the seed funding that is available through ITI. There’s a range across government.

More importantly, I would ask the Member – even though it’s not my position to ask questions in this House – if the Member has specific suggestions...

The Member made reference in his statement to what sounded like what is referred to a base-plus approach to blended funding where you have a fixed amount, everybody receives a fixed amount and after that the calculations move to a per capita basis. That is an approach that is in use at every opportunity by every ministry of the government, and the territorial government as a whole supports that kind of approach. It has been put to use in some cases.

In regard to the health transfer, there’s a floor of no less than 3 percent. No province or territory is supposed to be disadvantaged using the...

I will look at Hansard. I agree with the Member that as we look to take over land, water, resource development, we want to be fully up to speed and up to date on all the rents, I think is how the Member referred to them. There are also other areas across the land, for example, where we want to look at are we putting the proper value on things like water. As we go forward as a territory looking at all these issue post-devolution, we will be looking at that and we will be having that discussion with Members, and I’m sure with Northerners as a whole.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In regard to the response to listening to the MLA feedback, we have been listening very carefully. This document has gone through extensive consultation work with committee. We went through interim appropriation to allow for that cycle to take place. In addition, we got feedback when we finished the review of business plans from committees, which we are going to respond to through the supplementary appropriation process and we’ll have that debate. I would point out the asks in that letter; the combined asks, of my recollection, were in the neighbourhood of $4.3 or so...

As I indicated in the budget address, there are no new taxes in this particular budget. We do have some projects that I think are going to be a real boon economically as well as for building the North, like the fibre optic line. We do know with the conclusion of devolution and the resource revenue money that will flow, the A base funding that will flow, that we will have some additional revenue there as well. If our projections stay on target and there’s not any kind of negative downturn in this fragile global economy that we’re still in, then we anticipate there’s going to be some continued...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the Member’s comments. The issue of the escalation of operating expenses of government, I mean, that is a stark reality. As I laid out in the budget address, we are committed to restraining and constraining the growth of government and ensuring that our revenues exceed our expenditures so that, in fact, we can do the replenishment of our cash reserves and look for efficiencies within government. We are committed to, as I’ve already indicated, decentralization. The Premier has made that commitment in the House today. The Member is indicating that we should...