Michael Miltenberger

Thank you. One of the, I suppose, most unique practices that we’re considering or initiatives we’re considering, of course, is to conclude the Devolution Agreement, where we would take over responsibility and authority of our land, water and resource development and be able to speak to these type of practices. I appreciate the Member’s comments on the Water Stewardship Strategy. If he has specific recommendations in terms of what he considers unique northern approaches that we may not have considered, I’d be very happy to look at those and would ask that he share that with us so that we can...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a recently new process that is not completely understood. It is a source of great research at the international, national and even in our level as we seek to understand the use of hydraulic fracking for unconventional oils, in particular shale gas.

There is work being done at the federal level. We are striking a committee between ENR and ITI and other relevant deputies and departments to look at this issue and to address some of the issues that the Member talked about to try to get a good handle on the research. Some provinces’ fracking for unconventional sources...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Once again, just to point out that the money that’s there, the $28 million for communities has been maintained, and over the years that I’ve been around, we’ve maintained the level of growth at a higher level than all other program areas, probably with the exception of health.

The Member talks about money while we talk about the struggles. We do have to keep in mind that we are still spending $1.34 billion across the North and we’re going to continue to spend that amount and probably more with all the growth pressures.

The other piece – and I have to take this...

This government intends to follow through on the work that’s been laid out in a recently concluded Greenhouse Gas Strategy, and the path laid out in that strategy to look at how we will set targets and meet our obligations as a territory within Canada, of course, and as inhabitants of planet earth. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In regard to Highway No. 7 and the red flag list, I can assure the Member and this House that if there is an opportunity to put more money into capital through a bump up to our borrowing. We want to look at targeted infrastructure in the capital planning process and the committees will be fully involved. The work that’s been done up to date, the red flag lists will be put out there and we will have that discussion both in terms of the amount of money and how we move forward to put the money that we have available to work strategically. So, yes, I will confirm to the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The science as it pertains to climate change is not under dispute or question by the government. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As we indicated in a previous response, we are talking to the federal government about their commitment to the road, $150 million, and when it could flow and how it would be sequenced to see if we could, in fact, put their money to work as soon as we can while we sort our own circumstances out.

I’ve noted the comments on the schools in YK, but clearly, with a $75 million budget, there are far more needs than we have resources

The small cap budget hasn’t increased, but Health has made the case that there should be a separate amount of money put aside for their very...

As we pursue the work on our borrowing limit, we’re also pursuing our discussions with the federal government about the $150 million. We’re trying to find out what the opportunities are in terms of how that money can flow and can their money flow before it first, as we sort ourselves out. Those type of questions have not yet been finalized. I would once again ask Mr. Neudorf if he has any further detail in addition to our own resources other than the million dollars.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate the Member’s comment about the Capital Asset Retrofit Fund. We do have all the particulars at Public Works and Services in terms of the savings and costs and how we plan to move forward with reinvesting that money.

I can tell the Member that pre-division, 1999, the budget for the whole combined Northwest Territories was about a billion dollars. Post-division both budgets very quickly approached a billion dollars each and our current budget is almost $1.3 billion, almost $1.4 billion in total.

With regard to your question about the borrowing limit and when...

Madam Chair, I am here to present for the committee’s consideration the 2012-13 Capital Estimates of the Government of the Northwest Territories.

The estimates outline appropriations for government and community infrastructure investments of $124.2 million in the 2012-13 fiscal year.

The estimates do not include appropriations for housing infrastructure proposed by the NWT Housing Corporation in 2012-13, totalling $13.2 million. The appropriation for these investments will be sought during the review of the 2012-13 Main Estimates. The NWT Housing Corporation’s proposed 2012-13 Capital Plan...