Sandy Lee

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as Members, we get so much information that we are not always certain if we might have just missed something when something comes up. I believe the consensus in AOC is that this whole issue has not been brought to the committee yet. We are well aware that the government is moving ahead with centralizing human resources sections of the government, which is what most of the Members in this House wanted. Going by what people are saying on the street, it is moving forward. I am really thinking that any changes to the appeal process should be part and...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If you look at the budget for 2003-04, the budget for the fuel was $320,000, but the actual expenditure was $620,000. That’s $300,000 more. It’s almost 100 percent more than what was budgeted. For power, the budget was $440,000, but the actual rate was $1.018 million. That’s $578,000 more. That’s more than 100 percent of what was originally budgeted. I think maintenance costs are maybe two-thirds of a PY more and one could see that as something that could happen, but for heating fuel and power, we are talking about 100 percent more than was originally thought. This...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as many Members are aware, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As it has for the last 13 years in Canada, and for the 11th year in Yellowknife, CIBC Run for the Cure was held on October 3rd of this year. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to also advise you that this year CIBC Run for the Cure was held in many of our northern sister communities including Inuvik, Iqaluit, Hay River, Rankin Inlet, Norman Wells, Fort Simpson, and Fort Smith. Once again, Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report to you that Yellowknife has kept up with its reputation for breaking...

Thank you. I appreciate that because I know that the Members have talked about the rising incidents of violence and vandalism, and there are lots of schools in Yellowknife that are subject to all sorts of incidents of nuisance or violence or vandalism. There are lots of windows being kicked in, or where there are youth roaming around and stuff. I have had the occasion to talk to the school boards about the increasing costs and I know there is some concern about not only extra insurance premiums you have to pay for the extra cost of covering those damages, but also preventive measures they...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On this topic I would like to know more detail about what caused this increase in the premium first. Thank you.

Okay, thank you. Am I correct in thinking that currently the GNWT is budgeting $9.5 million as the potential liability, the settlement of this litigation, and that the department was able to find $7.253 million but it was deemed that it was short $2.247 million? So in order to top that $9.5 million we have to now appropriate this $2.247 million extra. I just want to know if I understand that correctly. Where does that $7.253 existing funds come from? Is that money that we have already allocated over the years? Thank you.

So is this another case of one of those not real money things? You’re keeping it on the books. Is it a $3 million liability we are putting down, or $2.769 million we are putting in the books, or maybe it’s $3.231 million? I don’t know. Keeping it on the books there is a liability, or is that money we have paid out?

Thank you on that. There is $231,000 for the loan guarantees associated with the default on the loan guarantee agreement with Sirius. Could I just get the Minister to state again why the government had to incur this $231,000 in expenditures?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We are not able to find page 5, some people on this side. Is that the page that says budget and evaluation, is that page 5?

First of all, Mr. Speaker, I think what the Minister said about the fact that there is a union member in the appeal process, I think the Minister knows that that union member or whoever sits is not there to represent the employee who is going through the appeal. The union member is there as sort of a prop to make sure that the employee…They have a very negligent role to play, which is a complaint of the union. Second of all, Mr. Speaker, this government has not been forwarding a lot of legislative proposals. It hasn’t been a crowded agenda. I believe that Members here are always ready. A...