Bob Bromley

Thank you, Madam Chair. I find a lot of my comments are the same as Ms. Bisaro’s. I don’t find the response from the Minister at all helpful. We are raising concerns here and he’s just stating what the budget is.

I think the message here is that we’re not happy with this budget. So going through very quickly here, this is a very unbalanced, disproportionate budget. It’s way over-weighted to highway, Department of Transportation highway projects, and primarily new highway projects.

I’d like to quote the Minister: “The GNWT is facing the difficult challenge of maintaining existing assets...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. I don’t see a coordinator as being what I’m talking about here. Policy analysts are a very specific breed of cat and they have a specific focus and they get into the intricate examples of conflicting policies and weigh out the solutions. So I’m wondering: Has the work to date profiled issues such as these, other than a few examples provided by my colleagues and myself? What mechanism is being contemplated to ensure these policy conundrums are captured and brought forward for resolution so they don’t recur? I don’t think, again, a coordinator is...

Thanks to the Minister. I appreciate the Minister is seeking support or input from the wider community on this and that he’s committed towards moving things forward towards implementation of the action plan.

The poverty traps I mentioned have been discovered by people trying to access the system. Obviously, these constituents are not policy analysts, but their experience highlights the need to research such policy issues and propose solutions. So can the Minister say how the action plan will tackle these needs?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to acknowledge the passing of respected elder Michel Paper of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation.

Just two weeks away from his 100th birthday, Michel loved sharing stories about the incredible changes he had lived through. From pre-contact times to trading with the Hudson’s Bay Company, seeing an airplane for the first time, even colour TV in Detah, his experience spanned generations.

Michel was a man of faith and generous spirit. Every time we talked, he would say how he appreciated my work and that he was praying for me. This is just the kind of person he was.

I...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My colleagues have recognized that today is the United Nation’s International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. The NWT No Place for Poverty Coalition has been working hard with our government to produce an Anti-Poverty Strategy. We look forward to an action plan that will generate real changes for people in poverty.

As one of the richest regions on the planet, the NWT has constructed a social safety net that is well funded, with a significant part of our budget dedicated to caring for our people. Sadly, though, we still have Weledeh families who are homeless.

In spite...

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 107-17(4), Capital Estimates 2014-2015, and I would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. I just want to remind everybody that we are talking about the capital budget here. Minister Miltenberger, do you have any remarks?

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Miltenberger, would you like to reply?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister Miltenberger, any comments?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate all my colleagues’ comments here and my colleagues who have brought this forward. I will be supporting this motion as well.

I frequently hear from constituents that we should be making this connection between dollars coming in from certain sources and issues that are related to that. That seems to be very problematic for government. I realize that. But here I think we are getting a common voice that reflects what we hear out on the street. So I’d really appreciate it if we can get this done. I will be supporting it. Mahsi.