Kieron Testart

Yes, thank you. I would like to ask the Minister: what is the plan for the Prelude Lake Territorial Park boat launch replacement? My understanding is that both the marina and the boat launch have been ongoing for some time. I would like to know when this work will be completed. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. If there is a requirement for new telecommunications equipment or new hardware that goes into broadcasting technology, the microphones that we're using today, am I correct that that is therefore all handled by the O and M budget? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Some of my comments will be similar to my colleague's, the honourable Member from Frame Lake.

On the issue of the Power Corporation, the Power Corporation is now a de facto government entity, and I am not sure why. We have been told before, when this question has been probed, that the committee can make special arrangements to have the Northwest Territories Power Corporation appear and present its capital estimates and speak to any specific projects.

I think this is additional work, given that this is not an arm's-length entity anymore. The board is now made up of deputy...

I think the students expect more than just a plan. They want these programs to be retained, and also our own Skills 4 Success document wants these programs to be retained and effective. We need change now, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask if this contractor the Minister has hired has any experience with transforming educational institutions towards vocational skills, like taking a community college and turning it into a polytechnic or an institution of higher learning. Does this contractor have any experience with that, or are we just looking at an accounting review?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier today the honourable Member from Nahendeh talked about the fine work the Standing Committee on Social Development has done on the foundational review, and it makes me reconsider some of the Education Minister's comments from last week.

I wonder if he can answer this for me: what does he think the role of the standing committee is? From his statement, he seems to not address the fact that they are working on his timelines to provide the required advice. Further, he has gone on record saying that there was little agreement on what to do with the...

Mr. Speaker, as all honourable Members of this House know, I have been a consistent advocate of natural resources development and mineral exploration since I was elected almost two years ago. It is the life blood of our economy, representing almost 40 per cent of our GDP, and an important part of our heritage and the key to our future prosperity. Mr. Speaker, Northerners look optimistically towards the opportunities that future mining projects will create for our communities. Although we are all hoping for that next big discovery and see new projects at the scale of the Ekati or Daivik mines...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate what the Minister is saying, but, with all due respect to the Minister, I do not think they should have to make that decision when we have identified a $23million gap. I know it is tough economic times, but $23 million injected into local infrastructure projects is going to make an impact on local economies and help spur the economy. That has been the approach of the federal government, and we are looking at historic growth across Canada. I would encourage the Minister to look at ways to achieve equivalent growth through infrastructure spending in local...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. If they do not, what then? How do we support our communities that have been identified as being in need through the most recent Auditor General Report? If that does not work, what are we going to do? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to talk more about this funding gap. Out of this $27 million contribution to infrastructure, what is missing? What does the gap represent for, I believe it is called, CPI? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. On the information technology projects side, I'm just wondering where the infrastructure support comes for the Legislative Assembly's role in communicating with citizens. Is it through this budget or is it through the technological service centre, which would be a later issue to discuss infrastructure? Thank you.