Debates of February 2, 2006 (day 21)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today, after having listened to the Premier take on Mr. Braden yesterday, I think I’m going to keep my questions to the Finance Minister today.

---Laughter

I learned something yesterday, Mr. Speaker.

---Laughter

A touchy subject, and that is the government’s participation in the Mackenzie gas project. I know the Finance Minister spoke of the project on page 6 of his budget address today and I wanted to ask him a few specific questions on one sentence in particular, Mr. Speaker. That sentence was, “We will participate fully and actively in the Mackenzie gas project to ensure that if the project proceeds, the needs and concerns of our residents will be addressed.” With the proposed $500 million socio-economic fund that was announced and is pending, it’s for the communities along the pipeline route. I’m just wondering if the Finance Minister can let me know, and the rest of the residents in the Northwest Territories, how the Government of the Northwest Territories proposes to address the needs and concerns of all the residents of the Northwest Territories? We call ourselves a public government. How are we going to address all the needs in all the communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 321-15(4): Mackenzie Gas Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we proceed the next few weeks through the budget process, we’ll be able to show how already the money that we received from Canada and our own sources, that we are spending it across the board to deal with all individuals in the Northwest Territories. More importantly, on the work that’s going ahead now on the Mackenzie gas project, our involvement from the broad perspective of all the residents of the Northwest Territories is going to go through our representations of the JRP, or Joint Review Panel, as well as NEB, the National Energy Board, and what we feel we can achieve through a socio-economic agreement with the proponent to the project. That’s going to be where we will look at all pieces and how we fit from the Northwest Territories in taking advantage of this type of development. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 321-15(4): Mackenzie Gas Project

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to state, for the record, that I am a big proponent of the Mackenzie gas project and I wish the communities well along the pipeline route that are hopefully going to be able to access this $500 million socio-economic fund. My concern, Mr. Speaker, is the fact that 80 percent, 75 to 80 percent of our residents live in communities that aren’t going to be able to access any of this $500 million. I want to ask the Minister of Finance what evidence there is that the Government of the Northwest Territories has the wherewithal and the ability to address socio-economic concerns in a community like Yellowknife, in a community like Hay River, or in a community like Fort Smith. What evidence is there? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 321-15(4): Mackenzie Gas Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think again as we go through the budget process and lay out the details of that budget in each department, we’ll be able to show what we can deal with with the tools we have right now. That is one of our concerns, we need more resources to be able to deal with those things and ultimately that will be through a better fiscal arrangement with Ottawa and a royalty revenue sharing agreement that would see a net fiscal benefit to the Northwest Territories, which then we can take those funds and share with the rest of the people in the territory. If this project is to proceed, the corporate tax, the payroll tax, and the property taxes from that development will come to this government and we’ll be able to, through that process, distribute it through all parts of the territory. Thank you.