Michael Miltenberger

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.

In the fall of 2012, once the work has been done and the results are before us, we’ll make sure we collectively look at that information and make that determination. Thank you.

We will be following up based on this discussion in this House. There are officials from all levels of government that listen closely to the debate here. I am completely and fully serious when I talk about the benefit and the ability for us to do this job properly being greatly enhanced within the next very few years and within the life of this Assembly, as a matter of fact, to be able to have that transfer over to the Government of the Northwest Territories so that we don’t have to have the discussion about a third order of government that has their headquarters in Ottawa. It’s very real, it...

We monitor and track what is being done. We work with federal agencies and officials to ensure that they take the right steps. There are the concerns that the Member has stated. We have, as well, our own officials, as I indicated, that will work with the federal government keeping in mind still that they have the lead role to play here. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the sacrifices of the barren ground caribou harvesters during the past several years have not been in vain.

Recent surveys indicate the Porcupine herd has increased from an estimated 123,000 animals in 2001 to 169,000 in 2010. The population estimate of the Bluenose-East herd has increased from 65,100 animals in 2006 to 98,600 animals in 2010.

Recent surveys point towards a stabilization of the Cape Bathurst and Bluenose-West herds, though overall numbers remain very low.

Reconnaissance surveys on the calving ground of the Ahiak herd in 2011 suggest that the herd is also stable but...