Michael Miltenberger

That’s going to be part of the challenge. As we look at, for example, the federal approach to P3s, they have a fairly high threshold of $50 million. We’ve heard the concerns from the committee that in the North that’s going to put most projects out of reach. That’s one of the areas where we have to come to a final agreement on.

The Member has touched on a key point in terms of the risk and the tangible benefits. We do have an extensive list of feedback from the committee that we received in December and that work is still being reviewed in looking at how we can incorporate it into the policy going forward.

Thank you. We appreciate the Member’s point and we are of the same mind, that whatever we do has to be tailored and reflect the realities of the Northwest Territories as an individual and unique jurisdiction. We are doing the work in both areas, both on the Finance side and Environment and Natural Resource side, to pull together the best information that’s available so that we can set all the pieces in place for the incoming Assembly to make an informed decision, hopefully as quickly as possible. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 17, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, be read for the third time.

Mr. Speaker, the issue of our carbon emissions targets taxes has to be seen within the broader context in which we are trying to do through the Greenhouse Gas Strategy and the recognition that we all see as Northerners, the majority of us Northerners see of the rapid and dramatic and visible effect of climate change and what is driving that climate change in terms of world population and, of course, the anthropogenic or human-caused emissions.

In the North, we are very carbon dependent, as the Member indicated. The question is, what do we do in order to be responsible citizens of the country of...

Yes, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, March 4, 2011, I will move that Bill 25, Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), 2011-2012 be read for the first time.

I give notice that on Friday, March, 4, 2011, I will move that Bill 26, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 5, 2010-2011, be read for the first time.

I give notice that on Friday, March 4, 2011, I will move that Bill 27, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2010-2011, be read for the first time.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have with me the deputy minister of Finance, Margaret Melhorn; John Monroe, the director of fiscal policy; and Mr. Ian Rennie, legal advice and legislative counsel from the Department of Justice. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am here to present Bill 17, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act. This bill is the result of our collaboration with the Department of Justice and the Canada Revenue Agency to ensure the NWT Income Tax Act remains harmonized with the federal act pursuant to the Tax Collection Agreement between the two governments.

Besides minor changes in terminology, the proposed amendments relate to the following:

revising definition of “adjusted income” for the purpose of calculating territorial Child Tax Benefit;

Child Tax Benefit entitlements in a shared custody situation;

deductions...

This is the first increase to base funding for electricity since 2006-2007.