Bill Braden

Thank you for that information, Madam Chair. I won’t get into a discussion of that. I think that is outside of the bill, but I appreciate knowing how this is done.

The bill sets out quite a range of terms and authorities that the department and, of course, the airport manager needs to be able to run the place efficiently and effectively. What I wanted to probe a little bit here was the accountability of the authorities, the airport manager, to answer for and justify the kind of rules or regulations that they may set. Say in a municipality, and I guess in a very rough sense I equate the...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And reporting? The results? Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, the notes that the Minister gave us in opening this discussion suggests that we will, through this, minimize the risk of sudden price increases, because right now we’re buying it on the spot market and we’re subject to all those variables. I’d like to get a sense of what kind of risk there may be in taking this new measure. Is there a down side to it? A potential for something going wrong? Could the Minister outline that for us? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Minister for that context, but we’re looking to a situation where we may be handing off to the 16th Assembly, after the election in the fall of 2007, a situation where there will be no credit line, a big debt or cost of servicing that debt, and in fact the fiscal situation they inherit for the coming year will be that they’re over $460 million in debt. Way over the line. So I guess let’s ask this another way. Is there a plan B? How can we avoid passing on this kind of a gloomy situation? Thank you.

Along with my other colleagues, Mr. Speaker, a welcome to the full executive of the Union of Northern Workers and to my constituent, Todd Parsons, the president of the UNW. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Finance and they relate to the introduction of the budget, the 2006-2007 budget. I’m trying to focus on one area, Mr. Speaker, and that’s the area of long-term debt. As the Minister described, one of our priority initiatives with Ottawa is to get a new fiscal financing deal, and part of that is a modernized way of handling our debt. But we need to work with what we know right now, which is that $300 million limit, Mr. Speaker. With the forecast that is provided in the budget document, we see that we are going to be pushing our debt...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The budget address has given us a new platform and starting point. Just a couple of the highlights that I pick off the address that Mr. Roland has given us; we’re going to start the year with a forecast surplus of $18 million. I’m pleased to see this and that we’re going to be doing this within the terms of the fiscal responsibility framework, the fiscal responsibility policy that I’m a big supporter of, and I want the government to know that I’m happy to see that we’re staying within those terms and hope that we can continue to do so.

Mr. Speaker, we also note that we’re...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Friday, February 3, 2006, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Frame Lake, that "designated budget days" be implemented on a provisional basis; and further that Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of each week be "designated budget days;" and further that the House shall commence sitting at 11:00 a.m. on "designated budget days;" and further that the time of adjournment on "designated budget days" shall be 6:00 p.m.; and further that notwithstanding Rule 34(6), the time allotted for...

Yes, going to be wearing out lots of running shoes here, Mr. Speaker. Is it now official GNWT policy to give letters of comfort and certainty to all resource related projects that might come up in the future before having to talk with his colleagues on the other side here? Is this going to be the way we will continue now to develop letters of comfort, letters of certainty?

I’ll be putting in a requisition for a pair of new running shoes to make sure that I can keep up with this government and this Premier on the breakneck speed in which they fail, Mr. Speaker, to consult with us. This is a consensus government.