David Krutko

Does committee agree that Bill 16 is ready for third reading? Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. I’ll allow for all the individuals to make general comments and then we’ll go to the Minister for responses. Next I have Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Thank you, witnesses.

Okay, the next bill we agreed to deal with is Bill 18, An Act to Amend the Public Utilities Act. At this time I would like to ask the Minister responsible for the act if you have any opening comments. Mr. Bob McLeod.

Committee concur?

Okay. Turn to page 1, clause 1.

---Clauses 1 through 13 inclusive approved

Sergeant-at-Arms, escort the witnesses in.

For the record, Mr. Minister, can you introduce your witnesses.

To the bill as a whole.

As we know, we have aging housing stocks in the Northwest Territories. A lot of it does need upkeep, and that’s where I’m trying to focus my question on. Those units need some improvements such as painting and the possibility of doing minor renovations and also replacement of, say, electrical fixtures. I’d like to ask the Minister if he could get his department to look at what is on the business plans for capital investment in those different communities and see if some of those investments could be used for the tenants in those units to maybe do some of that work and work off their arrears by...

Mr. Chair, just in regard to the Premier’s comments, he just said a couple minutes ago that there’s no money in there to bring other people to the table at this time. So how can he state now that, oh, you can come to the table anytime you want? Technically, there’s no money in this budget to have the people come to the table. That’s what he told us. There’s only money there for two groups and not for the other groups to take part. That’s the point I’m trying to make, is where is the money to ensure that those groups that have an ambition to take a second look at this have an opportunity to...

Highways, not previously authorized, $1.729 million.