Bob Bromley

I think I will leave it at that. I think again that is something that committee might want to talk about, is what the rules are here, if there are any, in terms of transfer of operational funds. This is a stand-alone cost, albeit it is software and we buy lots of software, but it is a stand-alone cost within Finance and that’s quite a significant contribution from operations, presumably in the Department of Finance, to this project. So I think, again, it could stand a little discussion in committee so we’re doing this with full cognizance. That’s all I have. Thank you.

So now this project is up to $225,000, putting those two figures together, and $175,000 being moved over from operations in ’15-16. I don’t know what our operations budget is, but is that the normal course for capital purchases? I know it is possible to transfer between, but I thought it was usually sort of a supplementary thing as opposed to 80 percent of the cost.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thanks for that response. I think it will be very interesting to have a discussion at some point on what our portfolio of investments is. This may not be the right forum for it, but it’s something I don’t recall. Perhaps our committee on Gov Ops has had that, but that might be an interesting discussion.

Just on the other project, I see it’s a completion of the implementation of the PeopleSoft financial…(inaudible)…sourcing and so on. Are we on budget with that? I don’t see a prior year expenditure on this, although I know we seem to invest untold millions into this...

That’s all I had. I’ll look forward to that detail. It was the increase from the $450,000 to $1.031 million. A substantial increase there, 115 percent, roughly. I appreciate the Minister’s offer. That’s all I had for general comments.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I don’t disagree with many of the concerns that are being brought up, but I am having a hard time shoe horning such comments into a discussion of the capital budget with the Department of Finance given that we will have these discussions in another forum at another time, and we can’t make any decisions here. Although I do have to reply to a couple of things that I heard the Minister say.

MLAs that lay out the priorities, certainly MLAs don’t lay out the priorities during this government. Albeit, it’s probably because this side of the House has chosen not to use their...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of the Environment. Just a couple of questions on the cost of the Giant Mine Remediation Project now that the environmental assessment has finally been completed.

On August 11, 2014, the responsible Ministers, including our Minister, finally approved the measures coming out of the review report, and fundamental changes were made including, for example, research and development into a more permanent solution and a community-based oversight body. Those are great things, and I thank the Minister for any role he had in getting that done.

My...

It’s a complex project, so we are not going to approve it and we are going to lose all these benefits.

Some say that NTPC is monopolistic. Perhaps this philosophy is based on some legitimate concerns that need to be addressed. For example, money that is tied up in the power diesel generation infrastructure, infrastructure that may be rendered obsolete when more economical and environmentally friendly power systems such as this are introduced to our communities.

What role does stranded infrastructure play in this and ongoing Power Corporation reluctance with this government’s endorsement to...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just given the comments the Minister has heard and the fact that this is probably one of our biggest deficits in infrastructure and for years now we’re refusing to acknowledge that and respond despite the Members’ input, what is the Minister’s plans to come forward with a much more responsible capital budget next year, or at least recommendations for the 18th Assembly? Once again here we’re leaving the 18th Assembly with all these deficits because of our failure.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up with my statement earlier today. Recently, Borealis GeoPower in partnership with Acho Dene Koe First Nations of Fort Liard and the federal government developed a geothermal power project, the feasibility of which was confirmed by a third-party review. The company met with every obligation for a Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board permit. The failure of NTPC to provide a power purchase agreement stopped the project.

Let me start with one specific. What was GNWT’s investment of taxpayer dollars and funds into this project? That is, including third...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess, once again, our second largest department budget-wise, operations is relegated to 2 percent for the third year in a row of our capital budget, 2 percent. This despite repeated and ongoing requests of MLAs to help set the priorities, the Finance Minister mentioned, year after year, to put more capital dollars into this department to reflect our regard for education as the number one priority and capital being an important part of that.

Sissons, of course, in Yellowknife, I heard the Minister just say our approach is to focus on schools that badly need it. Well...