Tom Beaulieu

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to once again speak about homeownership repairs for elders in Tu Nedhe. I have spoken on numerous occasions in this House and, if I ask the elders in my riding, there seems to be very little happening in the way of getting action for them on this matter.

Another winter has almost passed and many of the elders who own their own homes have endured another winter with inadequate homes due to much needed housing repairs. In many of these cases, the elders live alone, have limited income and limited education...

Mr. Speaker, considering the difficulties, I believe that this expansion or the partners in this expansion are going to have to go through the area, the eastern route, to negotiate anything with the Lutselk'e First Nations. I can’t see any of that being settled ahead of the land claim, and I can’t see that being settled after the land claim because of the position as taken and the value that Lutselk'e First Nation considers on the land. I would like to ask the Minister what examination has occurred for other potential users insofar as in relation to where the transmission line runs, actually...

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, too, will talk about the Taltson expansion. I’ll try to ask some questions that are different than the questions that the Minister responsible for the Power Corp has already answered. My first question is: what is the GNWT’s overall management role in the Taltson Hydro expansion? Who has the lead management role in this expansion? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister tell me if the Taltson Hydro expansion has potentially viable partners? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, another question I have for the Minister: what is the GNWT’s long-term financial plan insofar as the Taltson Hydro expansion goes, including any corporation owned by the GNWT aside from and including the diamond industry? Thank you.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]

Mr. Speaker, today I weigh in on the proposed Deze project. I realize we are just in the process of approving the Deh Cho Bridge costs by taking over the debt as the GNWT. Furthermore, the revenues that flow from the Deh Cho Bridge are largely predicated on the fuel haul to the diamond mines. Meanwhile, we are contemplating the Deze proposal, which will reduce the need for that fuel in those same mines. In addition to that, Mr. Speaker, I understand the route favoured by Deze is not acceptable to the Lutselk'e First Nations.

Mr...

Will the Minister commit to further working with the Minister responsible for Seniors with the specific mandate of looking at revising all of the seniors support programs?

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I talked about unofficial home care services provided by adult children and grandchildren who live with elders. In many of the small communities it’s quite common for elders to have their adult children and grandchildren living with them. The government needs to recognize and acknowledge and do all it can to support this important community situation.

I have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Will the Minister agree to review the current seniors fuel subsidy program and policy so that it properly takes into account the services...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I make the motion because I don’t view this debt as something that appears to be a regular type of debt. It seems that our other debt we’re able to move on it quickly if we choose to do so. We use our infrastructure money surpluses in order to reduce our overall debt. At the end of the year, we always have the option to put money into our debt if we wish to do so.

This Deh Cho Bridge debt is not the same. We can’t pay it down. If we pay it down then we’re going to pay penalties. The 35-year term, like I indicated in my earlier statement, at 3.17 percent is fairly...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, if 3.17 percent is buying some certainty for the GNWT for the long term, I’m okay with that. I think that’s actually not a bad interest rate even in today’s standards. So I guess my only question is that my fears now are not so much. I mean, I have fears about the cost. That’s something I have already talked about. My fears are the impacts; the impact of removing the short-term dispensation from the federal government for five years. When that gets removed and if this government is not in a position at that point to be able to assume the roughly -- I...