David Krutko

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Finance. One of the concerns that have been raised in regard to the AIP and devolution agreement is the formula being used for other net fiscal benefit and the government having a limit on the cap of 5 percent of gross expenditures under the agreement. I’d like to ask the Minister of Finance if we have taken into consideration mega projects such as the pipeline down the Mackenzie Highway. I think we’re looking somewhere in excess of $900 million. I’d like to know if the government has done an assessment on how this formula is...

Does committee agree that the Minister can bring in witnesses? Mrs. Groenewegen.

Again, I have to remind the Premier that we do have a legal and constitutional obligation to the land claim governments where the government clearly stipulates that they shall involve the Aboriginal governments in the development and implementation of a northern accord or a devolution agreement. That is on constitutionally protected land claims agreements. But yet, by submitting a letter with six outstanding issues that they wanted to address, which basically states that they are putting forward suggestions on how we can improve the agreement, and also include them in those discussions. So...

Thank you. There are no more general comments. As we agreed, we will go into main estimates. At this time I would like to ask the Minister of Department of Health and Social Services if she would be providing opening comments. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In regard to my statement, I made reference to a letter that was sent on April 19th to the Premier on six outstanding issues that the Gwich’in felt had to be addressed before they’d come back to the table. It clearly states that the Gwich’in were withdrawing, and also they were withdrawing the support for the signing of the agreement on May 19, 2007, because they felt it did not accommodate them in regard to the areas of concern.

Again, Mr. Speaker, it took almost seven months for the Premier to respond by way of a letter. Again, he commits to a lot in the letter, but it...

Next I have Mr. Beaulieu.

Does committee agree with that suggestion?

Does committee agree?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a petition containing 101 signatures, signatures identifying themselves as residents of the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, the petitioners request that the Government of the Northwest Territories revise the current rent policies to encourage tenant employment and to have base rent calculations on income after expenses and deductions, and that the Housing Corporation rent scale be graded at the first opportunity in the Legislative Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, another major concern was the whole area of the resources that excluded the Norman Wells revenues from the total NWT resource revenues under the agreement-in-principle. I’d like to ask, have we considered exactly how much revenues are there in the Norman Wells oilfield, and more importantly, the revenues that are generated out of Norman Wells, the amount of money that’s flowing to the federal government, and more importantly, is there any opportunity to reopen this. More importantly, can the Minister give us a breakdown on all these assessments and costs...