Michael Miltenberger

It’s only with the most current information before us that we’ll be able to sit down in the fall and determine whether there is an ability to re-examine the current limitations and make any adjustments that may be appropriate, based on that information. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I tried to indicate in my Minister’s statement this afternoon, once the surveys are done and the information has been collated, we will share that information with the co-management boards. We will share it with the stakeholders and the public. At that time we will be able to see what the information tells us and if we, in fact, have room to move in terms of adjusting any of the restrictions. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, having the Member stand up in the House to voice their concerns is a good way to do it, but in the long term the Member himself has observed the key way to get control of these matters and these issues is to sign the Devolution Agreement and take over that authority or responsibility. There is a separate chapter under remediated sites that would allow us to make sure that work is done. It would be a federal responsibility, but once we have the authority, we can make sure of the legal ability to go after the federal government to ensure that they honour their responsibility. If the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a project that is on federal land and regulated by the federal government. We have a marginal role, as the Member pointed out, due to the fact that that responsibility is a federal responsibility, and should the day come with devolution, we would be able to have a much more fulsome and thorough discussion. We review their plans if the remediation plans are available on their website doing their testing. There has been testing done in 2011. The Member’s point is well taken. It is a long existing project and there are concerns as he indicated. The steps that are...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to speak to the broader plan that we do have as a government. The Assembly is fully aware of the fiscal constraints we are operating under, but we will be spending $1.4 billion. We will be spending, all in, about $130 million on capital. We recognize that there is a far greater list of needs than resources. The whole focus of our negotiations from the borrowing limit is to be geared specifically to getting the ability and flexibility as a government to build and make strategic investments that will allow us to supplement our very modest capital plan. The...

Mr. Speaker, later this session I will be presenting Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Borrowing Authorization Act. The purpose of this act is to increase the short-term authority to borrow provided in section 1(2) of the act from $175 million to $275 million.

This should not be confused with the federally set borrowing limit of $575 million. The Government of the Northwest Territories continues to discuss an increase to that limit with the federal Finance Minister so we will have more flexibility to invest in the long term. We have recently received a letter from Minister Flaherty assuring us that...

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Member is correct; the capital budget was passed in November and it was a very modest capital budget as we are all aware going into the deliberations given our fiscal circumstances. We do have some plans in the midterm to address that as we’ve been discussing in this House over the last number of days.

In regard to the specific timing and sequence of the use of the O and M money this coming spring, Madam Chair, with your concurrence I’d ask Minister Ramsay to speak to those specific program questions. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. In order to conclude this process, I would request permission to go to the witness table and bring in some witnesses.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Great Slave, that Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Borrowing Authorization Act, be read for the second time.

This bill increases the allowance that may be borrowed by the Commissioner to ensure that the Consolidated Revenue Fund is sufficient to meet the lawful disbursements. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Great Slave, that Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Borrowing Authorization Act, be read for the first time. Thank you.