Michael Miltenberger

It probably would be one of the questions we’d ask. Who helped negotiate these agreements that left us...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are taking the steps, attempting to take the steps to be in full compliance, recognizing that this particular licence issue has brought to light the complexity of the right of first refusal in two jurisdictions where there’s an overlap of the licence. I’ve committed in writing to the Member for Sahtu to the process I just outlined to the Member for Mackenzie Delta of what we intend to do over the coming months to try to remedy this situation. Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Chairman. Sandy Kalgutkar, deputy secretary of the FMB.

Yes, we will keep the Member for Mackenzie Delta and the Member for Sahtu fully informed. As well, I will get to them a timeline and a work plan of what is being planned in terms of the meetings required to resolve this issue. Thank you.

As I indicated, we are intent upon honouring all our obligations, recognizing that there are other considerations when it comes to who can own licences, the need to recognize the trade between different jurisdictions and such. But I take the Member’s point and we are working it. On this particular issue there have been a number of things that have been brought to light that we’ve committed to clearing up in the coming months. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to present Supplementary Appropriation No. 2 (Operations Expenditures), 2009-2010. This document outlines an increase of $17.15 million in operations expenditures for the 2009-2010 fiscal year.

The major items in this supplementary request include:

$18.3 million for the additional costs to be incurred as a result of the Collective Agreement between the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Union of Northern Workers;

$550,000 for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs to provide contribution funding in support of NWT participation in the...

Work is underway to get this process going, recognizing the complexity of the situation and the circumstances, the two land claims, different jurisdictions, a number of questions to be resolved in relation to aboriginal governments, management boards, the full role of the GNWT. We started this process, we just anticipate that the discussions may take some time, but we are on this one already.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, November 5, 2009, I will move that Bill 8, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures) No. 3, 2009-2010, be read for the first time.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, November 5, 2009, I will move that Bill 9, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures) No. 2, 2009-2010, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In regard to this particular issue referred to by the Member, due process was followed and the Gwich’in exercised their rights and declined to exercise their right of first refusal. But it has pointed out some other issues and, as the Member indicated, we have an outdated piece of legislation -- the Wildlife Act -- that needs to be remedied, which we are doing, and we intend to have a new Wildlife Act before this House, hopefully passed in the life of this Assembly.

We also recognize the circumstance between the Gwich’in and the Sahtu. There’s an overlap issue in that...

Mr. Chairman, these projects, from what I understand, are going to carry us over the two-year time frame of this program to get them in the ground and up and running. Thank you.