Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Madam Chair. The work on the childhood family services committees is continuing. The work on the midwifery review will be concluded. I believe the third item, which I didn’t get a chance to make a note of, is also going to continue to be dealt with.

No, Mr. Chair. Sorry. Minister Ramsay I think would like to have some closing comments on this item. Thank you.

I do, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I apologize to Mr. Yakeleya. He asked a question about energy and all the sunsets. In fact, as the Member pointed out, the end of March is the end of all that $60 million we’ve devoted to alternative energy over the last four years. One of the things we are as a government working on to be ready for business plans and for the main budget is to see, given our very tight financial circumstances, what we can do to look at the various initiatives that were underway. It’s the same with strategic initiatives. There are a number of initiatives that are sunsetting. We are...

There is activity; there is a proponent for a wood pellet plant that has done a lot of work. The issue of the supply of waste timber in the yard that the Member for Hay River South has raised has been raised with the proponent. At some point it may have that value, should the project go ahead, but at this point that is probably two to three years away. At this point the proponent had indicated that he was not in a position to buy that product in anticipation of his mill possibly going ahead. We are aware of it. We’ve looked at it. We’ve tried to consider it. We’ve talked very directly to the...

It speaks to the issue of getting money to fund contracts for child care facilities for purchased services. Some we can do on a quarterly basis or do it for three months and renew as we go. Others, where there are full-time programs running and some certainty needed in terms of funding would be we’d be looking for the full amount. Once again, as well, to have funding available for those specialized purchased services that are demand-driven.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are a number of timber licences. There is an existing operational licence for cutting firewood, I believe. Thank you.

That’s the additional money that was approved for devolution and to fund the process and negotiations and all the ongoing work that is picking up speed as we move forward here.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The two positions that are in question in Human Resources have existed. This is an internal reallocation of funding to account how they’re paid for, and the positions have been re-described, so the bottom line of the Department of Human Resources has not been changed. They’re not asking for money; they’re just reflecting that particular change. We could have waited and done it in the business plans and just put it in there as an organizational change, part of the internal workings and business of the department, but it was brought forward this way so it was clear and...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This bill that’s before the House is before the House because this Borrowing Limit Authorization Act is a piece of territorial legislation that is controlled by this Legislature. It’s to deal with, as I’ve indicated before, short-term borrowing. It’s a type of line of credit. This has nothing to do with the federal government. We are having our discussions on our borrowing limit with the federal government which will be concluded, our long-term borrowing limit with the federal government that will be hopefully concluded here by the end of March.

The Member also had a...