Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member herself gave a fairly good history in her Member’s statement about the payroll tax, why it was implemented, why it was raised, as she ended her statement with the cry to axe the tax and get off the back of the people of the Northwest Territories. The Member did a very good job of that herself. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, that Bill 10, Northwest Territories Heritage Fund Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 6, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2010-2011, be read for the first time. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Section 32.1(2) of the Financial Administration Act, I wish to table the following document entitled List of Interactivity Transfers Over $250,000 for the Period April 1, 2010, to January 31, 2011. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, there are several hundreds of thousands of dollars that’s cost shared between ourselves and the federal government and that money is in the budget again this year. As well, we are looking at other opportunities, partnering up as it relates to water in the Delta around Chip and the Chip-Athabasca, the Peace-Athabasca Delta and down into the Slave lowlands with Parks Canada, with the Alberta government, with the territorial government, as well as the Aboriginal governments. So there are other opportunities as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member has raised the issue of example, Stark Lake, in this House. We know that there are issues still related to Pine Point that are still being dealt with. We are responsible and we are taking the appropriate steps. There are many cases, in fact the majority of them, where the federal government is still responsible, like Stark Lake. The plan is to continue to work with the federal government in terms of remediating those sites, and as we look to devolution and the AIP and the negotiations that are going to take place, there will be negotiations as well starting...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As far as I’m aware, there are two programs. The Energy Efficiency Incentive Program and the Energy Conservation Program are both open for applications from business, residents and communities. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, we just this past Friday gave third reading and assent to the budget for this coming year so we are set, but as we plan for the end of this Assembly and we look at our transition items, I would suggest to the Member that that would possibly be an issue to consider and for inclusion in the transition document, recognizing that while people may find taxes burdensome, they are also the fuel that allows government to work and deliver the very many programs that people expect of it. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Deh Cho, that Bill 9, Wildlife Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Our current borrowing limit is a specific number. It’s $575 million. The $575 million is good for another four years after which it will revert at this point back down to $500 million. Of that money, about $350 million is what we call self-financing debt, which is debt of the Housing Corporation, Power Corporation and the bridge when it comes on-line. It will be paying a majority of its own way as well. Thank you.