Daryl Dolynny

This is a substantial improvement from the last time we asked this question. I’ll ask my third question: What was the amount owed to us back in June of this calendar year when this was brought up in the House?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The cost of money costs money. What I mean by that is that whenever we have to finance a dollar, it costs the GNWT a lot of money.

Back in Committee of the Whole last session we were doing an extensive review of some of the expenses and supplementary estimates. We came across what I thought was a fairly alarming finding, and that was the money owed to this government from one of our sister territories, the Nunavut government. Upon requesting a review, later on we did get some information from the Minister and my question would be for the Minister of Finance. Because of...

I do appreciate the Minister’s offering. In fact, we’ve already had the offer within the backrooms of our offices. I’m trying to get this information out into the public, and the only way I can do that is when I’m asking forthright questions, and I’m asking the Minister to be forthright back.

I understand what the amount is today. But I think it’s because we’ve brought some light onto the subject a couple months ago and now we’re getting current, and I can’t say that number out loud, because that number’s not public yet, and that’s a hard thing for me to ask. I’m asking the question what that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I should reiterate my question a bit better here, I guess. That was the amount in June that was owed to us that was over six months old; not the total amount but what was six months or older in June of this calendar year. When this issue is brought forward in terms of high debts of finance cost to this government.

That is quite an alarming number. Anybody who has a mortgage, who owes money, knows that $2.9 million being financed does have a cost to it. That cost is borne by you and I. It’s borne by the taxpayers. At the end of the day, it affects programs and dollars we don’t have. We don’t have the ability to finance large sums of money like that at any given time. More alarming than that number is the fact that there’s a substantial amount of money that is debt owed to us from a long period of time. Can the Minister indicate, out of that number, how much is owed to us that is over six months old?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Welcome back, Mr. Speaker and my fellow colleagues from across this great territory, as we roll up our sleeves for a very energetic and hopefully productive couple of weeks.

With all the recent municipal elections and school board action in the past month, I am really looking forward to harnessing all the new focus and new ideas that were shared amongst so many great civic leaders. From Iqaluit to Whitehorse, from Fort Smith to Inuvik, the North was a myriad of topics that were all designed to improve our everyday lives.

We wish to take this time to thank the many brave...

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. To the motion. Ms. Bisaro

Does committee agree?

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. To the motion.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I do appreciate the complexity of the project. However, will the Minister commit to publishing publicly all findings in the next round when we meet back in October? At the next time of session, would he commit to publishing all findings so that the public can see clearly what Members are seeing so they are, in fact, informed as we head down the rabbit hole on this very expensive project? Thank you.