Bob Bromley

I’ll look forward to that. I’m not on Social Programs, although it’s a keen interest, obviously, so I would appreciate that information.

I have a few comments on the early childhood development and learning and I believe that includes junior kindergarten, some I would almost say diabolically so. What proportion of the $8.2 million is going to the Junior Kindergarten Program this year? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just wanted to do our annual check on the Deh Cho Bridge here. The interest is $8.166 million. I don’t see that changing over years. Is that just something we pay in perpetuity here? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’m just wondering what’s happening with the Financial Administration Act, unless that’s been asked already. Thank you.

Mr. Chair, I don’t have any questions on this page, but I am going to say that I appreciate the reorganization. It seems to have been done here. Frankly, I can’t think of what it was like before, but I have to say that these sections in this division seem quite logical for me and a good response to the Auditor General’s general report and the folks of many of these comments. It certainly is in line with that which I do understand, so I appreciate that being done here. Thank you.

What would be the income before you would reach the maximum there?

Mr. Speaker, we are not like Manitoba or Saskatchewan. We have a duty to consult with our Aboriginal partners on every project proposed in the NWT. I would say, in fact, we have a duty to consult with all members of NWT society. An NWT energy board would make that process of consultation clear and transparent.

Why has this government chosen to switch from a public board model to a model that has no possibility for public participation in the decision-making process? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just wanted to follow up. I did find the document I was referencing. It wasn’t the Minister’s words, it was the program review office had looked at the payroll tax compliance and in a couple of reports they made reference to that. The first one, October 30, 2012, they said: “Growth in taxes” meaning payroll taxes here, “has not kept pace with growth in non-resident income. Suggestions: we may not be achieving desired results, may not be operating optimally, may require increased resources.” Perhaps that’s partly the compliance officer that Mr. Kalgutkar referred to.

I...

Thank you. I think that’s the reason why we went to a payroll tax is because we can’t just tax people that live somewhere else and fly in and out. That’s why we went to the payroll tax and that’s why we have this cost of living tax credit as you’ve just explained.

Why couldn’t we simply increase the tax and increase the cost of living tax credit to protect residents?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m happy to see devolution to start being implemented here and especially happy because my colleagues and I are able to ask questions and attempt to hold our government accountable for these decisions.

Following up on my earlier questions to ITI on taking over as the oil and gas regulator, I’d like to ask the Premier why is ITI the regulator when we know ITI interprets this role to be one of promoting and subsidizing industry. This is clearly a conflict of interest. Surely, the promoters should not be the regulators. Mahsi.

No, it isn’t, Mr. Chair, but I’ll see if I can dig it out. It wasn’t said today; I’m referring to before today. But within the last year, I think, the intent was to put the program review office to looking at compliance issues on the collection of the payroll tax, but I’ll try and dig that out.