Wendy Bisaro

Thanks, Mr. Chair, and thanks to the Minister and Mr. Anderson for the explanation. This identifies it as one unit. Generally, when I see one unit referenced in the Housing Corporation information I think of like a two-bedroom apartment or a house or something. In this building, which is this non-residential building, is it the whole building that’s being upgraded and what’s the size of the building?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There is just one section, the infrastructure contributions to communities here in this department and I have to state, I think I stated in my opening remarks to the budget, as well, and I have stated here in this department, that communities have been funded for their capital infrastructure at the same level for far too many years. If I look at the background information that we are provided, the government is proposing to keep communities at the same infrastructure funding level for the next two or three or four years to come. That is a real concern for me.

Our...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table a document, entitled “Draft Ombudsman Act for the Northwest Territories.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the Minister: I can appreciate that we’re in a tight fiscal situation; however, $28 million in a 1.6 or 1.7 billion dollar budget is a very small percentage. I know communities are not going to get a doubling of the infrastructure dollars that are shown in this budget, but I think our communities, if we expect them to continue and if we expect our residents to continue getting the municipal services that they need – dogs, ditches and dumps, as they say – if that’s going to continue, we’re going to have to give them bigger infrastructure dollars. So, I strongly encourage the 18th Assembly to...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Thanks for the explanation. I understand, from a security perspective, that we need to make sure that our staff are secure no matter where they’re working, but could I get a sense of the scope of this renovation, because $360,000, I could buy a house for that. I am just trying to understand. Is it just within this office that we’re doing renos or do we have to blast through a brick wall to put another door in or something? I’m not sure. Thank you.

Thanks again to the Minister. So, we’re talking 14 percent that is going to be totally prohibited, but there’s another percentage which is going to allow some development. I’m wondering if the Minister could try to advise me and the public what’s going to be allowed in this other percentage. I think it’s 20 percent, is what I’m advised, another 20 percent that is going to allow development.

What sort of developments or lack of developments will be allowed? What kind of conservation are we imposing on this other 20 percent of our lands? Thank you.

Thanks to the Minister. I appreciate that, that we need two vehicles. But it would seem to me that we’re not sending two vehicles to Behchoko every day, so can the second vehicle that is here not be a bit more of a light-duty vehicle? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It was done in conjunction with the Protected Areas Strategy, which has been in the process, in development since 1999, so that’s a very long process. It’s been many years of work and also many partners involved in the Protected Areas Strategy. I’d like to ask the Minister some questions about this draft Conservation Plan which came out, what some of the changes are, what it is intending for our territory, in terms of conservation.

I’d like to know first of all from the Minister, I know that we have lands right now which currently prohibit any and all forms of industrial...

I think I may have forgotten my question. Oh, we have two vehicles, as I understand it, in Yellowknife, two sheriff’s vehicles in Yellowknife. So I understand that this one that is being replaced is the one that is used to transport the court party. Does the other vehicle need to be of the same size and the same expense, or is it a bit more of a light-duty vehicle for travel in and around Yellowknife? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Later today I will table a draft act to establish an office of the ombudsman. You and all Members will know that I have been pursuing the issue since I was first elected eight years ago. It’s not a new issue by any means. MLAs have been talking about establishing an ombudsman office since 1992, five Assemblies ago. The general public has been looking for such an office long before that.

There have been numerous motions passed in this House recommending the establishment of an ombudsman office. The Standing Committee on Government Operations was mandated by the House to...