Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, committee. Again, if you can return back to page 53 for total infrastructure. Municipal and Community Affairs, total infrastructure investments, $28.002 million. Does committee agree?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Historically, environmental remediation costs have been handled as a post-year and supplementary appropriation by this government. Given our new-found post-devolution powers as stewards of the land and environmental cleanup, this current practice of seeing an appropriation for the annual accrual for such liability is a direct violation of current public accounting standards of practice. According to the Office of the Auditor General of Canada, these new accounting standards require these remediation costs to be done up front.

Can the Minister of Finance confirm that the...

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Stewart.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. General comments. Since I don’t see any more general comments, does committee agree to proceed in detail?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. How worried should we be about our financial future as a government? Well, if you listen to our Finance Minister, he’ll try to reassure that his department restored the balance between revenues and expenditures. But did they? He’ll tell you this administration works on paying down their short-term borrowing debt and focuses on building their cash reserves. But do they? All I can recall is that our short-term borrowing limit was increased by this administration from $175 million to $275 million less than two years ago and we were told last week they want another $25...

Thank you, committee. If I can turn committee’s attention to page 57 of the expenditure capital items expense under Housing Corporation. We’re going to actually defer page 57. I’d like to go to page 58, finance and infrastructure services, information item. Any questions? Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. General comments. Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. Mr. Guy.

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. I’ll allow the Minister to reply. Minister McLeod.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Williams, welcome to the Chamber again. Committee has indicated we are on municipal and corporate affairs. According to our protocol, we are going to forego opening comments and be going directly into general comments. Mr. Blake.