Robert Villeneuve

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is good to hear that the mines are very interested. I guess I just wanted to point out in this review of electrical generation transmission and distribution in the NWT that came out in 2000, that there are things in this report that point to a lot of economic viability options of why we should convert to electrical and hydro generation here in the NWT on all fronts. I don't know if we should do any more review on this front, because it seems to be a pretty comprehensive report that has been developed by this government.

I just want to ask the Premier, as far as...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess, just from looking at the mines’ bottom line, we have a lot of room to play here. I was just wondering if the Premier could let me know, and maybe let the House know, who is on this negotiating team, and if this team has anybody representing the Akaitcho Territory and the South Slave Metis and Lutselk’e and Deninu Kue First Nations. Is there anybody on that negotiating team, along with the Power Corporation, to negotiate with the mines? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the important Taltson hydro expansion project this government is working to develop over the next few years. Mr. Speaker, I cannot express the important significance of this initiative enough. Not only does it affect the residents of Tu Nedhe, the people of the Northwest Territories, but also all of Canada because of the potential positive impacts to our environment if addressed with some degree of urgency by this government.

Mr. Speaker, currently there are three mines -- Diavik, BHP and De Beers --operating in the Tu Nedhe area....

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess my next question would be with the development of the negotiations or how they’re proceeding. I know they’ve been going on here for the last year or so, and there doesn’t seem to be any tangible results coming out of the work that’s being done. Given the rising energy costs, it would seem more attractive to the mines that they would hook up into something that would be beneficial both environmentally and on the revenue side for them. I just want to ask the Premier if he would be willing to get his team, the deputy minister and these four other individuals, to...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is also directed to our honourable Premier, Joe Handley, in regards to the Taltson expansion project. I know the government has recently approved something to the tune of $1.4 million toward the environmental and geotechnical work that the Taltson expansion project is to undergo. I just want to ask the Minister, I guess, from his last dealings with industry with respect to getting them to hook into this Taltson expansion project, what is the status of those current negotiations today, and where does the government stand on that issue? Thank you, Mr...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My question, Mr. Speaker, is to the Honourable Joe Handley. It’s just a question on some Northern Strategy dollars that have rolled out in the last couple of months. I just want to ask the Minister if any of these Northern Strategy dollars have been accessed by any of the communities in the NWT to date. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess in Yellowknife, for example, there are quite a few squatters out on the Ingraham Trail and squatters do pay property taxes, as a matter of fact. But they just don’t have any legal title to their property, whether a lease or what have you.

I guess just to get away from that, it’s not so much the squatter issue, but I’m more or less concerned about the issue we have today about property taxes and outstanding arrears in the communities that haven’t been properly assessed and all that. Are we just giving these responsibilities that the government had to fix the...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Minister. I just want to get this stabilization fund straight. I know in the past when some communities paid a little more than they would have had to offset the higher cost of fuel in some of the other communities, that wouldn’t affect the stabilization fund at all, or it shouldn’t. What criteria are used to get this stabilization fund implemented to a community? Is there some kind of cost ratio that is used to determine when a community needs some of the stabilization money to offset the high price in retail gas prices? How does the government...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was just wondering, I know the communities probably don’t want the government to decide how they’re going to spend these dollars because the autonomy has gone to the community level anyway. But I just wanted to ask the Minister if the government would propose or consider an option of being mediator to a lot of these community governments that are having problems with each other in developing good comprehensive plans on how they’re going to spend these dollars and where their priorities should go. Is the government willing to entertain a position of that nature? Thank...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Premier, for that. I guess the proposal that this House will be debating, are we going to bring that proposal forward any time soon and get the debate over and done with so that communities can access these Northern Strategy dollars? Thank you.