Robert C. McLeod

In my discussions with my colleagues from across the country when we have our FTPs, I always say, if you want to allocate money based on land, we will go for that, because, at 1.3 million square kilometres, we'll be in pretty good shape. I think they recognize some of the challenges we face. That is why our average per capita in Territorial Formula Financing is way higher than the rest of the country.

As I said, the deal will expire in 2019. The legislation that is governing this, the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Acts and Territorial Formula Financing, expires in April of 2019, and...

Well, no, just to say that the Member is correct. I mean, it is through the case work. Also, the GSOs will help them with that, as well, so that proves the importance of those positions, as well. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, first of all, I will just start with some statistics, and we have had so far in the 18th Legislative Assembly, we have had 220 direct appointments; 91 per cent of these have been priority from under the Affirmative Action Policy; 55 per cent of these have been Aboriginal persons. To answer the Member's question, though, there is no official appeal process once that person is directly appointed because that usually comes through Cabinet. Thank you.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we do have plans to expand the service down to Tuktoyaktuk, and I think it is part of our federal submission to expand it to Tuktoyaktuk.

As far as the other communities, I am not sure we have looked at those yet, but, if we have not looked at them, I am sure we will, and we will do a cost analysis of what it might cost to run lines into those communities, as well. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, absolutely. I mean, I would be more than happy to sit down with the committee. We've had some discussions with committee on own-source revenue in the Northwest Territories. We've had some feedback on committee on own-source revenue in the Northwest Territories, and I would be more than happy to sit down with committee, as I always am, to get their feedback as to how we can move forward. Because at the end of the day all the decisions that are made should be decisions that are made by this Assembly, and we should have some common ground and see what we can...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Member is correct. There are fewer people collecting this, and so that is why there was a decrease in the numbers. Thank you. I am not sure why that is. I do not know if people have left the territories, which he alluded to, but we will have to find that out. I doubt that is what it is. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am sure the stats that we have are: 50 per cent of those came from Yellowknife; 33 per cent came from the regional centres, Fort Smith, Hay River, Fort Simpson, Norman Wells, and Inuvik; and 10 per cent came from the smaller communities. Thank you, Mr. Chair. As far as the actual number, I have percentages, not the numbers. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Yes. Thank you. That goes back to my responses to Ms. Green before. This is one of the reasons that we would go to the federal government. If we do get a project of this size, part of the proposal we bring to them is that we need to see an increase to our debt limit to help us with our share of the project. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

That depends on the content. I mean, the way we do business in the Northwest Territories, of course, we listen to and we follow all comments out there, but at the end of the day we will evaluate their contents and see if it's one that would apply or work for the benefit of the people of the Northwest Territories whom we 19 Members were all elected to represent.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the increase was due to the amortization of the fibre line. Thank you, Mr. Chair.