Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Transportation on highways. I’ve noted that people driving to the Yellowknife Airport can now see the work on realignment of Highway No. 4 around the Giant Mine site is underway. I understand that the work will include not only the creation of a safer and better road that avoids the Giant Mine site, but some improvement to the highway onward to the Yellowknife River Bridge might be included.

On behalf of the public and my constituents, can the Minister provide us with some information on the extent and schedule for the work?

Some people, obviously, would call this agreement with China selling out the farm. Obviously, from our recent visit to China that the Premier mentioned, there is no lack of interest. I don’t see the need to sell the farm in order to generate business with China.

In terms of the European Trade Agreement, other provisions would also limit territorial and provincial jurisdictions’ abilities to legislate local purchasing preference, exactly what our BIP, for example, was created to achieve. These were enabled under the NAFTA provisions to protect these provisions.

Has the Premier written, or will...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The legal consequences of the China-Canada Trade Agreement will be irreversible by any Canadian court or others for 31 years after the treaty is given effect. To sue a Chinese company requires only a minority share in a Canadian asset, and they’ll be able to challenge Canadian federal, territorial, provincial, et cetera, decisions outside of the Canadian legal system and Canadian courts. Our ability to ensure local benefits under socio-economic agreements or set out environmental conditions that diminish profits is questionable.

My question is for the Minister of...

Thanks to the Minister for that response. That was a good response to my question. I appreciate his perspective. My experience, as I mentioned, is a little different in terms of what we experienced on the ground. We were told what would be achieved with the dollars. It wasn’t, and they came back for more dollars. That is a concern for the project in its entire extent that we will be monitoring and that we will bring that perspective to the table for any final decision, I would expect, as I would expect Cabinet would want to consider as well. Thanks much to the Minister. That’s all the...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I know the major project under consideration here. We’ve had some discussion in the House on it already today. I’d like to ask what is the total amount expended on this project to date over the current and previous fiscal years not including this amount.

I have to say thanks to the Minister, but there is something faulty with the reasoning there, because there’s not much activity in our health care costs that we’re going to repress our businesses even more. I’ve mentioned the burden our businesses already have. I have a constituent, as I mentioned, with employees in Class 7, whose rates have leapt from 48 cents to 58 cents per $100 of payroll. The government claims this is a 6 percent, whereas my Grade 3 arithmetic says this is a 22 percent increase. What is the truth here? Obviously, this is a massive increase, but how can the government...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week I spoke several times in support of our small businesses. We know that our small businesses are facing many costs, but what are they faced with today? This government has professed its commitment to supporting our small businesses and residents by helping with the cost of living and dealing with the basic costs for business. And what are those? Those are things like heating fuel, electricity, red tape, and WSCC employee issues and assessment costs. What are they experiencing in these areas that we have professed to be helping our businesses in, Mr. Speaker?

Let...

Thanks to the Minister for those remarks. There are electricity generating systems based on biomass and renewables all over Europe. We’re learning now the Maritimes are doing it through wood gasification. The possibility in Fort Liard for geothermal, thanks to the private industry there in the community pushing it really hard. There’s even electricity generation from biomass in Senegal, but where is the priority listed in the Biomass Strategy? I think it’s item number 12 or the item for 2012, this generation of mine heat and power in a community in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are to the Minister of the Environment and again in follow-up to my Member’s statement earlier today. I noted the impact of increasing energy costs on the cost of living and our vulnerability to these costs is increasing, an anticipated jump in the cost of living as electricity rates soar almost 30 percent in the next few years, despite the injection of $65 million.

Why does the government, that claims a commitment to fiscal prudence, not spend money for renewables now to stop the hemorrhage of tax money and save our citizens from rocketing energy costs...

Thanks to the Minister. I guess I would ask the Minister to commit to investigating that because, obviously, if the rate has gone from 48 to 58 cents, that is not a 6 percent increase and neither is it a 15 percent increase. So I hope the Minister will seek the truth on that.

The Safe Advantage program is meant to be self-funded and independent from the claims budget. It’s a separate budget. However, my understanding is that penalties income is less than rewards paid out. There’s also rewards paid out, not just penalties in the Safe Advantage program. That’s resulting in a deficit. We’re paying...