Michael Miltenberger

What I would like to offer to do is to share the information we have on the issue of regulating fuel prices and gas prices with the Member, the Chair of the EDI committee, and whatever other information they may require. Then we can sit down and have a discussion so that we’re talking from the same base of information. We’ll see as we move forward what may be possible. Clearly, there’s been work done in other jurisdictions, and I’ll commit to doing that so that we can have that informed discussion.

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to be able to acknowledge and recognize a constituent of mine, Mr. Ron Shaefer. With him is his niece Renee Grandejambe. Welcome to the Assembly.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In my understanding of a revolving fund, it implies that there’s money moving in and money moving out. With forest fires generally the money moves out as we fight fires. The budget that has been set by the Assembly has been over a number of years set to be what we think is, based on a basic average, what we could make do with, with the understanding that if there is a bad fire season — hot weather or something happens that’s untoward — we will come back and ask for more money as opposed to…. My understanding is that in previous times they would have a fairly large fire...

Mr. Speaker, I recollect, I believe, it was the Member saying this just today in this House: just do these specific taxes; don’t bother; let’s just get at it; we know which ones are the right ones.

This whole process we’ve laid out with the revenue options paper, the mail-out across the North, the two day round table, the briefing of committee, the business planning process which we’re going to feed all this information into, is all geared to engage fully the wisdom and advice that we’re going to get from the committees and the Members, even the Member opposite from Yellowknife Centre, and...

If we overspend the budget, we’ll have to find the money. It will be part of our financial calculations going forward here as we conclude this fiscal year and plan for the next.

Mr. Speaker, clearly — clearly — that’s an option: for the government to buy into business. Of course, first we need to have the money to do the investment. We have a limit here of $500 million, but we are looking at all the options, and we want to be as creative as possible. We’re interested in setting up, as the Members pushed for it since the last Assembly as well, things like a heritage fund that will allow us to plan for the future. Clearly, we want to look at all the opportunities that are out there, but we are limited by the funds and resources we have available, in addition to trying...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, October 3, 2008, I will move the following motion.

Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Tabled Document 75-16(2), Supplementary Appropriation No. 2, 2008–2009, be referred to Committee of the Whole for consideration.

Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will be seeking unanimous consent to deal with this motion today.

Mr. Speaker, we look forward to working with the Members, the committee members. There’s been a clear signal that they would like to have Members on the refocusing committee because of the issue with boards and agencies, because of the program review issues. We’ve laid out the work to date. Funds have been voted. There’s been a five member staff that’s been put together. We’re working out a work plan. Clearly, this is a complex issue as you start looking at analyzing and doing zero based reviews and program reviews. There are some very big pieces of government out there. We look forward to...

We will come forward with the full package for committee’s review, what we think is viable and what we think is not. We’re going to come forward with the options in terms of being able to, we believe, grow the population in a modest but significant way that’s going to add to our economic base over time.

In addition, we’re going to come forward, as Members know, with year 2 of the reduction exercise. We’re prepared, and we’re going to have that full discussion with committee, looking for their advice and feedback.

I’ve been Finance Minister for July, August, September, two months of which the Member was on holidays and I was working. But rest assured, Mr. Speaker, the intent is…. I’ll ask the Member for some indulgence here, not to get ahead of the process. We’ve asked for feedback. We’re going to come back with what we’ve heard. We’re going to look at the whole gambit of options that we have, and we want to lay that out and we want to have the full discussion with committee to make the right decisions. There are going to be tough decisions to be sure. We have a very high level of service in this...