Michael Miltenberger

Yes, I do, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents, entitled “Northwest Territories Heritage Fund Annual Report for 2012-2013” and “Northwest Territories Heritage Fund Annual Report for 2013-2014.”

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. For the record, I appreciate the Member’s comments. We had a fairly lengthy discussion about this yesterday. The comments I made yesterday I just leave stand on the record with regard to the Member’s concerns. Thank you.

This is a design/build contract road project. It’s the set price, $230 million. We need to make sure that we give the contractor all the tools, both fiscal and otherwise, that he needs to get the job done so he can move the design requirements and stay within budget.

This allows us to catch up to the road that wasn’t constructed last year because it was a slow start. This is not a gift or benefit to the contractor. That’s the only reason we are doing it. It’s not because he just decided it would be better off for him just because.

We are all very, very conscious of our obligation and the...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First I just want to reassure the Member and the people listening in here that we do all this money management with complete regard for our fiscal situation, which is why we get the clean audits and which is why we have the Aa1 credit rating and we managed to absorb some of these unexpected shocks because we always keep in mind looking after the taxpayers’ dollars as if it were our own. So I want to reassure the Member of that.

When the project was started, it was flagged right from the beginning that cash flow adjustment would probably be required, we just didn’t know...

There is an arrangement with the federal government where we can put in for payments for every 10 kilometres completed, and the arrangement is quite timely. There is a two to three week turnaround. The $40 million will only be drawn down based on progress, so for every 10 kilometres we’ll go back and we’ll get a payment. I’ll get the deputy minister just to reiterate for us the percentage. The majority of the money that’s going to be coming forward, at least 60 percent will be coming from the federal government. But with your agreement, Mr. Chair, I would ask the deputy minister to speak to...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The comments that we made yesterday in response to the concerns raised by Ms. Bisaro I’ll let stand so we don’t take up too much needless space in Hansard and chew people’s cabbage twice.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have with me the deputy minister of Finance, Mike Aumond; deputy minister of the Department of Transportation, Russ Neudorf; and the director of the Management Board Secretariat for Finance.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, November 3, 2014, I will move that Bill 35, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2014-2015, be read for the first time.

I also give notice that on Monday, November 3rd, I will move that Bill 37, Financial Administration Act, be read for the first time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to quickly recognize the two Pages from Fort Smith, Mackenzie Villeneuve and Pyper Rehm, and Ms. Rehm’s mother, Gladys Rehm, who are here for the week, and I thank the Legislature for the opportunity to have them here.