Michael Miltenberger

I indicated that I would follow up with the deputy minister and the chairs of the various boards and authorities to talk about this issue. The Member raises some issues about resources. Health will continue to be the largest department in government, with over a $300 million budget that grows on an annual rate that is higher overall than the standard and ceiling kept in place for other departments as we try to control our costs. There’s a new accord being negotiated with the federal government for health transfers and social transfers, so money will continue to be put into health and social...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will make some brief comments with regard to the implementation piece and then I’ll turn the answers on the other issues over to the Premier, who has the file on this.

There was an extensive study done after the Yukon devolution process was completed and a debrief and review to see what lessons could be learned. One of the main lessons learned and documented extensively is there’s a need to have the negotiation process and implementation process start almost simultaneously because of the time and the complexity of the issues and the need to move those processes, so...

I, once again, appreciate the Member’s comments. The one thing that’s difficult to get an average on, of course, is, while we can do it for the money, is the weather.

If I could just point to British Columbia for the previous two fire seasons where they had a budget in the neighbourhood of $50 million and had these extraordinary weather conditions where they spent nearly $500 million. That’s part of the challenge. But I take the point of the Members that the base budget is too low. We know that come July even just the starting of costs is going to put us close to exhausting our budget. I make...

There is work underway, as we speak, with the territorial government, the Aboriginal Steering Committee, to look at who would be the best people suited for the team, including the Aboriginal representative. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have with me Sandy Kalgutkar, acting deputy minister of Finance.

The Water Strategy was developed in consultation and partnership with the Aboriginal government. We have a committee that was set up to provide oversight to work with the territorial government. That role is carrying over in terms of what’s happening with the negotiations and there’s a cost to that. We, as well, want to make sure we have, when we have the actual negotiating team at the table, that there’s an Aboriginal representative there along with the territorial government representative. Those funds will be expended to fulfill those particular job requirements and obligations that we...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have with me the acting deputy minister of Finance, Sandy Kalgutkar.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We can go through key points on this list on page 303. The water unit staff have responsibility and involvement with the communities across the North and work on the ground in the communities across the North.

The Wilfred Laurier University contribution is, we partnered up and got, I think, $3 for the price of one or $2 for the price of one to a contribution agreement to do on-the-ground water research in the Northwest Territories on areas of significant interest and concern not only to Wilfred Laurier but to the Northwest Territories and the communities.

Source water...

I am here to present Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2011-2012. This document outlines an increase of $11.807 million for capital investment expenditures in the 2011-2012 fiscal year.

There are four items in the supplementary estimates:

$9.5 million for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment to advance funding approved for the Sir Alexander Mackenzie and Samuel Hearne Senior Secondary School replacement project, from 2012-13 to the 2011-12 fiscal year.

$1.729 million for the Department of Transportation to record previous contributions provided by the...

Yes, Mr. Chairman, we will have access to the money that’s available.