Wendy Bisaro

Thanks to the Minister for his response. I can appreciate his rationale but I have to agree to disagree as, unfortunately, we often do. I think the chemicals need to be made evident to us and the public.

Could the Minister advise when the letter was sent, and was it e-mailed or was it mailed? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, thank you to the Minister for that information. I was not aware. Perhaps the Minister could advise us as to what was included in that letter. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a number of people today. Karen Wright-Fraser is a constituent of Frame Lake. Congratulations, Karen, on your award and welcome to the Assembly. I would also like to recognize the members of the Yellowknife Choral Society who are here and congratulate them on their award. Lorne Gushue, Ruth McLean, Constantina Tsetsos and Margo Nightingale, your hard work is obviously recognized. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we rocket our way towards devolution on April 1, 2014, and towards the millions of dollars of resource revenue which will be our reward, and if we’re to believe Cabinet, the panacea for everything that ails us from roads to rents, I’m very grateful that the 16th Assembly had the foresight and gumption to establish a Heritage Fund before it dissolved. That fund was established to capture and hold for our children’s children and their children’s children the revenue from the NWT’s non-renewable resources. But how much of those resource revenues will actually make it...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 134-17(4), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2013-2014, be now concluded, and that Tabled Document 134-17(4) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am especially pleased to rise in support of this motion. I would like to thank Mrs. Groenewegen for bringing it forward and I would like to thank Mr. Hawkins for seconding the motion.

I don’t know if it was mentioned, but Yellowknife has established a support group in the last couple of years, called Face2Face. I am very proud to say one of the founding members is a Frame Lake resident.

It’s appreciated that the male Members of this House are supportive. Mr. Hawkins has spoken in support. I presume other Members, and I hope other Members, will speak in support.

This...

Mr. Speaker, I do have questions for the Minister. I guess I don’t understand why he would deny this request for an investigation. The act is Section 4, I think it is, and the act is relatively clear. It states that residents may apply to the Minister for an investigation. I need to ask the Minister why he feels that this investigation is not merited. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. I would like to ask him about a letter that was written about two months ago. The NWT Chapter for Council of Canadians made a request to the Minister of ENR. That request was for an investigation under the NWT Environmental Rights Act. The letter said, “This letter asks you to investigate the likely release of contaminants not specifically named by ConocoPhillips Canada Resources Corp under the Type A land use permit and Type B water licence in the Tulita district issued by the Sahtu...

The government has already made up its mind. Without any contradictions voiced, their decision will be the one that is put into place. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister of Finance, who is going to be up on his feet again. Strange how that works out some days; one Minister gets them all.

My statement talked about Small Business Week and I mentioned a number of recommendations from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business to the Government of the Northwest Territories to try and help small business get ahead and to try and lessen some of the imposition on their bottom line. The first one was that our small business tax rate is one of the highest in northern and western Canada and...