Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Madam Chair. We’ve been practicing fiscal discipline, the use of passive restraint. We’ve capped forced growth at very low levels, and those levels might, in fact, be required to drop further as we move forward. With the passive restraint targets, we’ve done things like Finance has done, which is gone through its own operation to make sure our house was in order and things like the Territorial Power Support Program. We’ve laid it all out in the main estimates and all the other documents that are going to be coming out of public accounts.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If the Member will bear with me…

---Laughter

…I’ll try to answer that question. If the Member has a specific example about what particular type of education program he would suggest, I’d be happy to consider that, as long as it is not too unbearably expensive. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’m just assuming Great Bear. We’re talking Port Radium? We’ll commit to get back to the Member on the issue of remediated sites, waste sites. I’m thinking, but I don’t have the list before me, that that might be one of the ones that the federal government still has responsibility for. But we’ll double check that and we’ll get that information back to the Member.

Thank you, Madam Chair. There are two things. I’m assured that the 13 percent rate increase wasn’t put onto the backs of the ratepayers and cost about $20,000. Thank you.

I want to reassure the Member that this position would be able to provide some support in that area. There also is in Sahtu a fairly sophisticated, I think, well-versed, well-experienced group of people that work in the communities and the various boards that are there. So, between us all, we will be looking to make sure that we understand clearly the technical nature of all the applications that are submitted, and this water person will be one of the folks that are key in that regard. Thank you.

Thank you. We have one of the supplementary appropriation requests before the House has the final supplementary request, which will bring to a close the fire season costs and then we’ve, as well, engaged in a comprehensive review that is still underway in terms of the fire season and its impacts that were discussed yesterday when we were looking at ENR’s budget. One of the key areas being looked at is the administration and finance side. Thank you.

The Member is correct; this individual will be part of a broader water team that exists in the Government of the Northwest Territories. We’ve invested, over the last five years or so, millions of dollars in setting up community-based water monitoring initiatives and stations and in the Member’s constituency as well. Where the testing is going on, results are being collected. To address some of the issues the Member has talked about, we’re very aware of the concerns of the folks in Good Hope, for example, and this person will be an added resource to work with all the other resources we have...

Thank you, Madam Chair. The borrowing plan, which will be debated and approved in the House, is a key part of the bill that’s currently being reviewed by committee. So that will definitely be there. I’m assuming it will receive the full support of the Legislature. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have with me Ernie Campbell, deputy minister; and Susan Craig, director of finance and administration for ENR. Thank you.

It could be both.