Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Next in line is Health and Social Services. We would like to leave Health and go to the Department of Transportation.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I have a question here with regard to the type of lab equipment. I seem to recall that we spent some money on the Taiga Lab last year. Because of devolution, we took over the lab, took over the federal responsibility.

Could I get an explanation, if my recollection is correct? If it is, what equipment are we upgrading and replacing when we spent money just last year on the lab? Thank you.

Good to hear that. I know that building definitely needs it. That helps me understand the expense.

The other question I have is the next item in the list and it’s public housing, or PH, public housing, housing replacement reserve. I don’t remember seeing that in other descriptions of expenditures. I wonder if I could get an explanation or is this a normal practice for us to have a reserve situation and what is this referencing in Yellowknife?

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I guess I could have held this question, but if the review has been completed, I have to then ask, when are we going to see an increase in this funding? There’s no projection that I’m aware of to increase infrastructure funding anytime soon.

To the Minister: How long are communities going to have to wait before they get some more capital dollars for their infrastructure? Thank you.

Thank you Madam Chair. Madam Chair, we wish to continue with Tabled Document 281-17(5), NWT Capital Estimates for 2016-2017, starting with continuation of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and, time permitting, Environment and Natural Resources; Industry, Tourism and Investment; Justice; Lands; Municipal and Community Affairs; and NWT Housing Corporation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to make a general comment and reiterate the comments I made in my opening remarks to the budget itself. In general, we don’t have enough public housing units in the NWT in any of our communities. Particularly here in Yellowknife, we have a huge wait-list for public housing, we have a huge wait-list for assisted living housing and so on. I would encourage the Housing Corporation to seriously consider finding a way to increase the number of units of public housing that we have. I know that we are losing money through the CMHC declining funding, but we need...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I don’t need any more information. By the time I get the information, we’ll be done with the budget. That’s all I have, Mr. Chair. Thanks.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the Minister, as well, for his explanation. As we go forward, the Protected Areas Strategy has been in place for a very long time. As the Minister says, the areas in that Protected Areas Strategy will continue to go forward. But this draft Conservation Strategy I gather takes the place of the Protected Areas Strategy. It’s got a new name.

Who’s going to be involved in dealing with this draft Conservation Strategy as we go forward? I presume there are partners. Could the Minister advise us who they are? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There is one item under this particular section. It’s to retrofit some office space. It seems like a huge amount of money to me to retrofit what seems to be a small office.

How big is this office and what kind of renovations are being done that are going to cost us $360,000 or so? Thank you.

Thanks to the Minister. I need to ask the Minister, there was a press release from the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines just yesterday, actually. It states: “According to the mine recorder’s office, 32 percent of the NWT is off limits to staking and exploration. That figure includes lands for parks, interim land claim withdrawals and protected areas.”

Can the Minister explain the difference between the 32 percent that the Chamber of Mines is talking about and the 14 percent that he just quoted? Thank you.