Bob Bromley

Mr. Chair, I appreciate those comments. I know the Minister has concerns in this area and we’ll be going after things. He listed quite a number of initiatives that we hope to do. All of them have costs to them. I guess I’m disappointed that here we have $6 million that we are reducing in subsidies and no attempt to increase our efforts in the direction that the Minister has indicated. I will leave it at that, Mr. Chair. That’s all I had on this page. Thank you.

I appreciate getting the full range. I have a good series of yesses going here. How about a plebiscite? Our Elections and Plebiscites Act says that, on the recommendation of the Assembly, the Commissioner can order a plebiscite take place, but that recommendation must come from this House. Will the Premier commit to supporting a plebiscite that will allow meaningful public participation and debate, and a sense of ownership in this historic agreement before signing the final Devolution Agreement?

I’ll leave it at that. I’m not worried about the amounts too much right here.

I believe I understood from the Minister’s remarks that we have more opportunities for, say, on how things go and where priorities are, although we still have difficulties on where the money gets put, or issues. So after one year, is this a good deal?

That’s all I had. Thank you.

I want to use this opportunity to ask for an update from the Minister on, I guess, are we one year yet into our new 20-year contract with the RCMP? I know we’ve had a lot of discussions about that, leading up to it. It got signed and I, of course, didn’t hear about it again, but what are we finding after a year of working under this new agreement?

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just wanted to ask with respect to the Minister’s opening comment on page 2 of 4 at the bottom, the increased operations and maintenance funding and water/sewer funding due to population growth, explaining some of the forced growth funding there. I believe we actually are in negative or stable on population. I’m wondering what that was about. Is it people moving into the centres or what would that be about? Are costs going down elsewhere, where people move from?

I recognize magic when I see it. I have no further questions.

I think the Minister has defined the problem. We think that most of them are somehow caught, and I would agree with that statement. I’m trying to speak for those that aren’t caught that this sort of haphazard approach leaves vulnerable to being built and put in place without inspection. Yes, indeed, the NWT Association of Communities has raised this with the Minister a number of times, as has the Association of Architects and so on. And I know the Minister is aware of this situation.

Given that we are not able to say confidently that all of them do get inspected, and I think the Minister...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I notice we are a half a million down for youth justice services. I wonder if the Minister could tell me what that’s about.