David Krutko

Mr. Speaker, the information was provided to the Government House Leader this morning, when I had a discussion with him on this matter.

Again, as a government we are going through a deficit-cutting process here. Yet the departments are spending money for the following year, when we are telling people we have to cut our budget and we have to cut programs and services. But the departments continue to put out contracts for services they don’t need, almost, in some cases, two years down the road.

I’d like to ask the Premier: could he look into this situation? If this is a trend of the departments, I...

Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, appropriation authority required: $1,421,000.

Municipal and Community Affairs, $1,421,000 approved.

Municipal and Community Affairs, appropriation authorization request: $59,258,000.

Municipal and Community Affairs, $59,258,000 approved.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister touched the wrong button with that one. The Community Local Access Road Program as it sits right now only allows a community to access $50,000 a year to put a road in place, yet I notice in the capital plan there is some $500,000 for Nahanni Butte to put a road into that community.

I'd like to ask the Minister: knowing that there is only $50,000 a year and the program hasn't worked, will the Minister consider giving us the same offer that’s being made to Nahanni Butte, of $500,000 a year, to put a road in to the gravel source? Maybe we can do something with that.

I'd...

It’s been some time since the community of Aklavik has been endeavouring to get connected to the rest of the world via a connection to the Dempster Highway from the community of Aklavik.

There have been discussions over the years with the Department of Transportation, the hamlet, the municipality and the Association of Municipalities by way of motions that have been passed to investigate the possibility of connecting the community to the Dempster Highway.

A road to a quarry for gravel, such as the one at Willow River, is about 5 kilometres from the community, yet in light of the floods of two...

Prior to the break we decided to have the opening comments with regard to Bill 1, Interim Appropriation Act, 2008-2009. So with that, I’d like to ask the Minister if he has any opening comments.

Okay. We’ll take a short break, and we will begin with Bill 1, Interim Appropriation Act, 2008-2009.

The Committee of the Whole took a short recess.

I’d like to call the Committee of the Whole to order. We have Minister’s Statement 1-16(2), Minister’s Statement 9-16(2), and Bill 1, Interim Appropriation Act, 2008-2009. What is the wish of the committee, Mrs. Groenewegen?

Mr. Speaker, in regard to the new deal, I know the government still has some ownership or some control over certain things such as infrastructure, water treatment plants, and also maintaining and managing water treatment plants. Does the government have a plan in place as to exactly how they would allow the community to build capacity, take on those program responsibilities and also ensure that they have the resources to maintain and run the infrastructure in the future?

Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs in regard to the new deal that has been put out there over the last couple of years. There are concerns raised by the communities as to what happens over a five-year term we put on it. Is there going to be a suspension to this program? Exactly what is going to happen after five years?