Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have some questions here with regard to caribou management and caribou quotas and so on. I heard the Minister say when he responded to opening comments where he talked about the resident harvest and that there’s a possibility the resident harvest might be opened up in the fall of this year, of 2013. I didn’t hear him say anything about an opportunity for outfitters to have tags in the fall of 2013 or fall and winter 2013-14.

I am really concerned that our caribou hunt outfitters are in great distress. I know that they have had some assistance through the Sport Hunt...

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 9-17(4), NWT Main Estimates, 2013-2014, and would like to report progress with one motion being adopted. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

Mr. McLeod seems to have a particular skill at taking the long way around to come to a yes. I thank you, Minister, for the yes. I’m smiling when I say that.

I appreciate that the Minister referenced gas tax money and, absolutely, there’s gas tax money, but I think the Minister also knows that community infrastructure needs are huge. I think Yellowknife’s alone – and I don’t have the exact figure – is millions and millions of dollars. I appreciate that he’s willing to entertain a proposal. I will certainly pass that information on to the city.

I know that this year’s budget is done, but I would...

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. We are on general comments. Next on my list is Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would also like to recognize Mr. Brian Chambers. He’s been an acquaintance for a long time, and a colleague. We worked together on municipal issues when I was on city council. Welcome to the House, Brian.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’ve just got a number of things that I want to mention in no particular order. I don’t think it will be any surprise to the Minister to hear me talk about the cost of electricity and what we are doing about it or not doing about it. I am particularly concerned about our subsidy program. It’s a great subsidy, it’s keeping my bills down and I’m happy for that. But I am extremely concerned about what happens when we get to the end of our subsidy for the increased power rates that we’re now experiencing. What are the next steps, is where my head is going. What plan do we...

Thanks for the explanation, Ms. Magrum. So am I right in seeing, then, that there’s $2.3 million or so? As a closing balance that would be what the surplus is I think. What sorts of things do we use this for? That’s a fair bit of money. I understand we use it for something, but could I get a couple of examples of what we use it for? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m done.

Thanks to the Minister for that. My other question has to do with our Protected Areas Strategy. It’s been moving along. We’ve been adding sites and approving sites over time. I wondered if the Minister could indicate, first of all, the number of protected area sites. I guess I want to know between 2010-2011 and 2011-2012. Have we approved, has there been a trend, a downward trend or an upward trend, I guess is what I’m trying to say, in the number of protected areas and number of sites that we’ve added to our strategy?

Thanks, Mr. Chair. A couple of questions here. The first has to do with municipal wastewater and federal regulations which seem to be downloaded, so to speak, to municipalities. I’m not sure; I presume, since this is water, I can discuss this here. My concern has to do with the need for communities to adhere to regulations or whatever has been imposed upon them by the federal government. I’d like to know from the Minister whether or not there is an agreement between the NWT and the federal government to require all NWT municipalities to adhere to the new and updated regulations regarding...