Michael Miltenberger

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, Madam Chair. I thank the Members for their comments. I will address the broad issues we’ve made note of. There are some fairly specific departmental issues the Ministers will be addressing when they appear before the House to defend their budgets.

With regard to some of the common issues, I appreciate the positive comments on the budget. It is a challenge to balance the many competing needs with not enough resources. The reality is this is not so much about restraint as it is about living within our means. We are spending almost $2 billion for 42,000 people and we have expenditure...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have with me the deputy minister of Finance, Mike Aumond; and the deputy secretary to the FMB, Sandy Kalgutkar. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the second opportunity to try to get this through the House. 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.

We’re looking at a number of things. In fact, we’re looking at the whole range of challenges as we look at how we’re structured historically and as we look to the future, distribution is definitely one. The question was posed at the Energy Charrette, it was posed by myself to the attendees at the charrette with the question of how many distributors of power do we need in the Northwest Territories to make this as efficient as possible. That is a question that we have to look at. We know we have to look at generation in thermal communities, bring down the costs. Total reliance on diesel is not...

Yes, there are discussions underway. The reason the Western Arctic Geomatics Centre is going to Inuvik is because of the fibre optic line and the work and opportunity that’s going to be created by having them located there. The college has been in meetings, there’s a working group forum. The Germans, among others, have offered up 20 percent of their volume for data processing in Inuvik. So, there are training opportunities, there’s going to be other opportunities related to service development, value added secondary industry opportunities. When you look at what happened in Kiruna, Sweden, $100...

That is an issue that bedevils every jurisdiction that has a lot of resource development, like Alberta. Probably many of us have been on planes, I know I have, when there’s a shift change coming out of Fort McMurray. So it is a challenge. What is happening with Dominion Diamonds, for example, they’ve taken that issue head on and they are doing away with their incentives and paying of travel back and forth to force the issue. It’s that kind of courageous corporate action that we’re hoping will bear fruit and add to our 2,000 in five year success. Thank you.