Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will try to be brief and I will not repeat all the things I said the first go-round. There were some consistent themes here about the borrowing limit, the sustainability of our budgets and the need to start making those hard decisions now, which we concur with.

In regard to Mr. Bouchard, he asked for some history and information of the borrowing limit, how did we get to where we are and just note for the record that we will provide that information to committee. He had some queries about the ice road, the Tibbitt Lake-Contwoyto ice road possibly being converted as a...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I was under the understanding that we were going to respond every third… Thank you.

Yes, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 43, An Act to Amend the Borrowing Authorization Act, be read for the first time.

The ability to put out a franchise call is the community’s responsibility and right. They’ve done that. We can’t speak to the past. There is a current one coming out. We’ve been asked to consider bidding on it and we are considering that and we’re looking at it, as we discussed in this House earlier this week.

I would just point out that when it comes to the NWT Power Corporation, and I believe all of us in this room, we would see that provision of electricity is an essential service and the same as we deliver and we look after all the fuel in the small, off-road communities to ensure that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to observe first, though the budget address is replete with references to the cost of living, an issue that the Member raised earlier in the House and about the McLeod government not paying close enough attention. I would suggest when you read the full budget address you would note that it’s replete and I’m somewhat offended at the fact that the Member didn’t notice that when he perused it in great detail because they are standout in significant numbers.

As it relates to the issue that the Member raised, I think the fundamental piece that we’re looking at as...

I would argue that we have shown an enormous interest and support for alternative energy in the communities. In the Member’s riding, for example, we have been working very, very closely with the communities. In Fort Providence, for example, and Fort Resolution to formalize forest management agreements that is going to allow the business opportunity to put in a $20 million pellet plant, creating not only environmental benefits but a huge economic opportunity. We lead the country in biomass applications here in the Northwest Territories. We have put in a significant array in Fort Simpson. We are...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are two things, two main approaches we need to take as we deal with the impacts of climate change.

First, we are going to have to adapt to the changing world, and the changes that are coming have been coming for decades and the changes that were needed to be put into effect are going to take decades to be impacted. In the meantime, we have been adapting to the permafrost issues that the Member has mentioned. We are adapting and paying for issues like low water, but at the same time we are investing millions, tens upon millions of dollars on alternate energy...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We will spend what is needed, so the volume will depend on the temperature. For example, when I came in here Tuesday from Fort Smith, it was about 40 below, and when I came over the hill every smokestack at Jackfish was going flat out with a great big plume of smoke, so it depends on the consumption.

There have been some projected savings with the cost of diesel. Diesel hasn’t come down as much as the price of oil. We’re tracking that. We’ll account for every penny and litre that we use and burn on an as required basis.

Ten million dollars has not gone into the NTPC...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Program Review Office I think has, if my memory serves me correctly, four people. We have 5,000 employees, about 11 or so departments, quite a number of significant sized other agencies, colleges, power corporations, Crown corporations and the sheer volume of things that need to get done require that we need to bring in, from time to time, outside resources because it’s physically impossible for that small number of people to do all the work that’s needed, the work that they’re currently doing as well as try to address some of these bigger, broader issues. Thank you...