Bill Braden

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Finally, does this estimate include the cost of decommissioning and cleaning up the old facility? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. To this item, the aspect of repairs and maintenance to fuel tank farms is something that is pretty well established. We’ve got considerable familiarity with this over the years. Something that’s unusual about this is a project of this size, just over $1 million, comes to us as not previously authorized. The maintenance and placement of tank farms is usually something we can plan on quite normally through the business planning process. Why does the Sachs Harbour project appear on this more urgent basis? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, could the Minister advise what kinds of programs or projects or initiatives are being contemplated here by the Fort Smith Metis Council? I’m trying to get a sense here of where public funds are going and if there is a well-thought-out plan and a way of measuring and reporting back on what this money has done. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Were any of these damages covered by insurance? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Those are all very good reasons and programs like this need some kind of criteria. It all makes sense from an administrative point of view, but we do have a seasonal situation to deal with. People come and may not be coordinating with our administrating purposes. Can the Minister go back and have a look at that regulation, see if it can be retuned to allow for some consideration for the timing when this is needed? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the resources of the Northwest Territories and the value of those resources are leaving our territory at unprecedented and increasing rates as we continue to negotiate. Does the negotiating framework have any trigger mechanisms or ways in which we can force a conclusion in the event that our regular or agreed-to or hoped-for timelines are not met?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can appreciate that and certainly, in general, I support the protection of a mandate when there is a negotiation going on. That will certainly be something that committee can consider is the opportunity or the offer made by the Premier to have a look at this mandate, but I would like to explore it a little bit more. I’m wondering if the Premier could talk a bit about what are the principles that have gone into the mandate. What are the criteria by which the mandate has been set? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would like to today echo and endorse the comments of my colleague from Range Lake regarding the Workers' Compensation Board of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Indeed to compliment them on hosting the National Youth Conference that's about to get underway, but also to the point of the mandate that the WCB has to assist and look after those workers who, for whatever circumstance, have experienced injury and now have to go through a process of adjusting their life and coping with whatever the conditions that may have resulted from their accident or their workplace...

So we had something that hadn’t been anticipated. Is this a repair or refit, Mr. Chairman, or does this advance the whole project in its entirety for replacement?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In an earlier debate in this session we talked quite a bit about accountability and debt and the requirement of government to monitor and keep track of where these funds are going to ensure that at least they’re going into the purpose originally intended. On this one here, like all others, I would like to ask if there is a way we are indeed monitoring, showing proof, and that we have a way if things don’t go as planned that we can recover or have some recourse to getting back these funds. Thank you.