Michael Miltenberger

We’ve spent a lot of time looking at this issue. There are a number of questions and areas, of course, for further discussion. Is the issue on the wholesale side and setting up a single wholesaler, or is it on the retail side, which is where I believe the problem is, and the issue of while we can have a good system like most laws in the country, which is why we have jails and police. If people want to try to circumvent the system, as they do with tobacco, there are many ways to try to do that. Our job, as the Member has indicated, is to try to make sure that we have as airtight a system as...

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, that Bill 3, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2011-2012, be read for the third time. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, that Bill 3, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2011-2012, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, that Bill 3, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2011-2012, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Section 32.1(1) of the Financial Administration Act, I wish to table the following document, titled “List of Interactivity Transfers Exceeding $250,000 for the Period April 1, 2011, to December 31, 2011.” Thank you.

I could repeat the findings of the internal Audit Bureau, which has given me comfort that the system overall is working. Are there improvements? Absolutely. I’m sure if we had more resources and more ability, we could have more folks on the ground.

The issue of the one wholesaler, that’s one potential way to look at things. Will it deal with the issue of retailers? I’m not convinced that it will. Am I prepared to have more discussion? I am.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government’s internal Audit Bureau spent over 600 hours of man time to investigate the allegations that have been raised in regard to tobacco, and they reached the following conclusions, which I will quickly outline:

that there was a reasonable assurance that the GNWT was collecting the required tobacco tax revenue;

there was no evidence to support assertions that collectors were under-reporting their sales volume to the GNWT;

there was no evidence that the Northwest Company was incorrectly reporting sales to the NWT to avoid paying the higher tax rate; and

some...

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, that Bill 4, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2011-2012, be read for the third time. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, that Bill 4, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2011-2012, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill makes supplementary appropriations for infrastructure expenditures for the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 2011-2012 fiscal year. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, that Bill 4, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2011-2012, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.