Wendy Bisaro

MACA’s discussion paper refers to the carrying capacity of an area. That is the amount of use a lake or a landmass can sustain. It is one of the concepts used for the study recommendations. But how can MACA accept the consultant’s recommendations without any idea of current use without any baseline data to measure the impact the addition of the new lots will have on the area?

A second most alarming issue is the inability of MACA to monitor and control land use in the study area and enforcement of the leases that they will let. The department has neither the manpower nor the equipment to do a...

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Chairman, that’s all I have.

Sergeant-at-Arms, would you escort the witnesses into the Chamber?

Mr. Miltenberger, could you introduce your witnesses for the record, please?

I think so. Thanks to the Minister. The other concern that’s been expressed is that we are making a very large repayment of our corporate income taxes. I think it’s $65 million that is coming due. It is, though, a corporate income tax overpayment on the part on the federal government from quite a number of years ago. I think I’ve lost the actual year in my brain. I’d like to know from the Minister why we are making this balloon payment at this point. Is the fact that we’re having to make this income tax payment the reason that we have to change our borrowing act or is there another reason why...

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The Member is seeking unanimous consent to return to opening comments on Tabled Document 1-17(2). Are there any nays? I hear no nays. We will return to opening comments on Tabled Document 1-17(2). Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m struggling to understand the explanation. Purchased services I can understand, but my understanding is that many of the contracts reference programs and services are delivered to our people. Many of the contracts are with non-government organizations. I fail to understand how some organizations will get 100 percent funding at the beginning of the year and other ones will not. If I could get a bit more explanation from the Minister, that would be helpful for me to understand what’s going on here.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the things that were brought up loud and clear at the public meeting that I attended was the overuse of the infrastructure at the Vee Lake landing. There is a pier there. There is a boat launch there. They are both extremely overused and they are both funded on a volunteer basis by the users of the lake. So I am glad to hear the Minister mention that maybe the department is willing to look at infrastructure. My question to him is whether or not the government is going to take some responsibility for the infrastructure at the Vee Lake landing, garbage, boat launch...

So, to the Minister, was this money that he states was approved for devolution? I do recall that, but is this increase due to the fact that this money was approved as a supplementary appropriation? It wasn’t in the mains for 2011-2012. Is that why we’re seeing such a difference from one year to the next?

Thanks to the Minister. I’m really pleased to hear that we’re going to look for a perfect product. I think that’s great. One of the concerns that I’ve expressed is the land issue, but there’s also the issue of actually doing some assessment of current use of the lake. That really can’t be done certainly for summer use until sometime at least after July, I would think. Will the Minister commit to delaying this report until after there has been an evaluation of current use of the lake and, well, actually, I should say the study area, which includes the Walsh, Banting and Jackson lakes? Thank you...