Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There is a new type 4 wildland fire engine that is noted in the budget here under our list of capital projects under forest management. I am just not familiar with what that is, so I wanted to try and understand what that is before I approve its purchase. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will not be supporting this motion. I think retaining this fleet would be, unfortunately, equivalent to deciding to keep an albatross around our necks. This is currently an investment liability with increasingly low returns on that investment.

We know what maintenance costs are and they’re increasing. We know we have to maintain a huge parts inventory, and these are the sorts of commitments we’d need to retain this as a potentially useful tool. I mean, this is just for standby we’re talking here and the years such as this when we would take any help we can get. Of course...

Just to return to the Beaufort-Delta, I believe the last we spoke there was something that was going to happen in December or January of 2015, December this year, January, in terms of negotiations were supposed to be starting.

Perhaps I could just get some more specifics from the Minister on exactly where we’re at with the Beau-Del, given that Hay River is fully up and running and, I guess, this year it should be the Beau-Del. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services, and I’m really just seeking an update on where we’re at with the implementation of midwifery. Perhaps I could get where we’re at with Fort Smith and Hay River to start with.

Are those positions filled and are those programs fully up and running? Mahsi.

Indeed we have, Mr. Speaker. We in this House all swore an oath to uphold the 10 principles of consensus government. Principle number five states, “Except under extraordinary circumstances, Members of the Legislative Assembly should be made aware of and have an opportunity to discuss significant announcements, changes, consultations or initiatives before they are released to the public or introduced in the Legislative Assembly. Use of the element of surprise is inconsistent with consensus government.”

Is Cabinet aware of this guiding principle? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for Premier McLeod, following up on my statement from earlier today on related issues.

Recently, Cabinet announced that rather than pass on the true cost of power generated by diesel due to the hydro shortfall we are experiencing because of climate-change- induced drought in our hydro-generating system, the government would provide a direct subsidy yet again, this time to the tune of $20 million.

Public Works, of course, is replete with hundreds of examples of reducing energy costs through infrastructure with short payback periods.

Is there an equal...

Thank you. A key feature of this approach must be community participation that accrues benefits to communities. To achieve this, we must invest in community-owned energy systems if we want to build local economies, address cost of living and restore the environment. The time for a serious renewable commitment has come. If not now, when? If not us, who? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I see this supp includes a special warrant, which I appreciate. I think this is an important opportunity, obviously, for us to be commenting on special warrants when they come forward in supps like this. It’s an important opportunity for Members of this House to share their perspectives, and special warrants, as we know, are expenditures that are made on an emergency basis typically almost by definition when it has to be done and we really can’t afford to go through the process of approval at the time, but it does allow a retrospective look at things and public discussion...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just had one question. I see there was quite an increase from our capital estimates last year, I guess, the current year that we’re in, ’14-15, from the figure presented, $329,000 up to almost double, and I’m just wondering if I can get an explanation of what accounts for the increase from $329,000 to $657,000 there.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am just wondering: I am not familiar with wildland fire engine. If I can get some understanding of that since I am supposed to be approving this budget. Thank you.