Daniel McNeely

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to echo my colleague, the Minister, on recognizing the Algonquin band members from Quebec; I hope you had an enjoyable weekend in Deline. Also I'd like to recognize the three members from the alumni NHL who also participated in the celebrations in Deline; Dan Frawley, Shaun Van Allen, and John Chabot. Thank you very much for coming to see our proceedings.

That was leading up to my next question on progress reports and updates. I welcome the Minister's commitment to provide those reports on the progress during the transition. Maybe they can include, also, if there are any allowances for furniture for the new office there, please.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up on my Member statement, directed to the Minister of Transportation: as our government approaches the last month before break, what preparatory measures are under way for the pre-start-up of the new Department of Infrastructure in the Sahtu region? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The Government of the Northwest Territories is working on organizational restructuring proposals, as part of the ongoing efforts, to ensure it remains on a fiscally-sustainable path for the future. Proposals include the amalgamation of the department of Public Works and Services and the Department of Transportation into a single infrastructure department. The other merging of corporate services functions is currently carried out by the Departments of Executive, Finance, Human Resources, and Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations.

The GNWT previously announced...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up with my other colleagues here on Housing, my question to the Minister of Housing is on programs or additional programs. Cataloguing the survey is under way, and I suspect it will be followed by a review. On the idea of preservation of capital, is the Minister's office willing to entertain or have a loan guarantee program to high-credit applicants so that they can be eligible to own their own home, considering the life of the CMHC program is one-mortgage term? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Deline is the birthplace of hockey. I would like to recognize the community of Deline for their first Deline Men's Hockey Tournament this weekend. Deline is also known for birthplace of hockey and proud to announce that we have Bryan Trottier, who played 1,279 games in the NHL and is a member of seven Stanley Cup teams as well as a player and a coach and was also elected to the National Hockey League Hall of Fame. He played for the New York Islanders and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Tyler Kennedy played 527 games in the NHL with Pittsburgh, New York Islanders, San Jose, and...

I am glad to hear that the Minister is open to suggestions on how to better package and tailor programs offered to the communities. In this case, on the issue of capital preservation, I think it will be an entertaining suggestion to look at loan guarantees to be ironed out in the new strategy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. There are two members of the NHL Alumni team who are with us here today, and proceeding on to Deline, birthplace of hockey, to play a couple of games this weekend. I would like to welcome Bryan Trottier and Tyler Kennedy to our beautiful Northwest Territories. Also, recognize Mr. Tom R. Williams accompanying the Group of Seven, I believe it is, president of the Inuvik Housing Corporation. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just looking at the fibre optic link, if you total over the last few years, it comes out to roughly $30 million. The total project is $18 million and this year 2017-18, it doesn't really amount to that. Is the rest being identified as holdback until the completion of this project is done? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My question is on page 114, the implementation budgeted number that reduced a bit. Is there sufficient moneys coming up for this coming fiscal year for the implementation related to the Deline agreement? Thank you, Mr. Chair.