Michael Miltenberger

In regard to Mr. Beaulieu’s comments and some of the MLA for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay, I think, yes, we have far more needs than we have resources from now as far into the future as we could plan we will need every cent we have. If we just want to keep spending everything we have, our capital demands everybody knows are far in excess of the capital budget for next year. Something like half a billion a year versus $75 million, not to mention our program needs. So I would suggest that we have to do both; that we plan for our employees, we plan for pension funds, superannuation, we plan for the...

I’ve indicated what our request to the federal government is. There has been a number of initiatives underway. There has been our view, starting back with Mr. McCrank. There’s been the federal government at work. We have pressed the federal government Minister Duncan to hold off on any changes to the regulatory regime while we have these other processes underway and given the fact, as well, that we are going to be soon in the middle of an election process. At this point that is where we are with the issue of the regulatory reform and any proposed or possible changes.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have with me Sandy Kalgutkar, acting deputy minister of Finance, Kelly Bluck from Finance, and Ian Rennie from Justice.

In fact, the Government of the Northwest Territories strongly supports the idea of land use planning. We are working as a government on our own land use framework that will get our thinking clear as a government so that we can be as constructive and supportive as possible at the various tables. We are involved at the various tables right now. The key for us is to make sure that we have an organized, coherent message and plan going forward. We recognize the distinct importance of the land use plans. That’s why we’re doing things like the Water Strategy. That’s why we’re doing things like...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am here to present Bill 10, Northwest Territories Heritage Fund Act. The purpose of this act is to establish a trust fund for the future benefit and use of the people of the Northwest Territories.

This bill responds to our commitment to introduce legislation to establish a Northwest Territories Heritage Fund before the end of the 16th Legislative Assembly. During the October 2009 revenue options consultation and roundtable undertaken by the Department of Finance, we heard from many respondents that the NWT needs such a fund in anticipation of achieving control over...

Yes, I will discuss with our deputy and the Minister of Education to make sure we are coordinated and connected on that important initiative. Thank you.

There are a number of documents that are out there. If the Member is talking about some type of, sort of, fiscal update that would be new and separate, I would be glad to have that discussion with him to see what’s possible. We have some information available on line. We also have whatever information and fiscal updates are provided here in this House in terms of the detail, some of the borrowing limit issues, the other pressures in terms of revenues and expenditures, and the broader economic landscape that we’re all operating in, which could have a significant effect on our revenues, for...

Once again, this is an important issue. The Member has written to me on some specific cases. I would point out that there are thousands of patients seen successfully every day across the Northwest Territories. We do have the occasions where things don’t quite work as planned. The issue of being more responsive and sensitive to the needs of seniors are cautions that are worthy of note. Once again, as I follow up on some of the concerns the Member is raising, that would be on the list. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The thinking was that the fund, we’re creating an instrument that at this point is only that. It’s a tool that’s an instrument that’s there to be invested in. We have work to do. We have not decided if there’s going to be money put into it. We anticipated for the first 10 years to get the fund up and running it would be best done through the Financial Management Board through the policies and procedures that are currently in place. The main concern being not wanting to generate expenses when we have no revenues in which to cover those if we have to create a board and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are currently discussions and work underway with Finance Canada and the three territories, including the Northwest Territories, on the basic first step of defining what is going to be meant by debt and the treatment that’s going to be given to different kinds of debt, which is in itself a very important, somewhat complex subject, but that is where we are. The intent is to try to have everything concluded with the three territories by the end of this fiscal year.