David Ramsay

Mr. Speaker, I’m not sure when we had the discussion collectively on pupil/teacher ratios. I don’t recall that discussion taking place, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister, is the Minister saying today that by the end of the life of this government in September -- that’s three years that this Program Review Office was up and running -- this government would have made one decision in regard to work coming out of that office. One decision in three years. Is that going to be accurate, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the budget address the Finance Minister talked about streamlining government operations and improving effectiveness and efficiencies within government. After that statement is made in the budget address, there are four bullets. The only bullet I can find that actually speaks to those words that I just spoke is $300,000 for implementing the Shared Financial Services Model. I’d like to ask the Finance Minister where is the other work on streamlining government operations and improving effectiveness and efficiencies within government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is never easy putting together a budget to try to cover off everything and be everything to everyone, but there are a few things in here that I just want to comment on, if I could.

There is a lot of good news in here too, but there are some things here that I just have to provide a little bit of comment on. Like my colleagues, as we go through the detail and we get into the budget session, I will have much more to say on these things, so I am going to get going on some of these highlights.

Again, health care spending for me has been an issue for a number of years. We...

Mr. Speaker, it just so happens the government is $35 million short of its current, I believe it is a little bit more than that, but if we had to book the one loan we have in the Opportunities Fund, I believe that was $35 million. What would that do to the Territory’s finance if the federal government came back to us and said that we have to book that as a debt, and what would that do to our ability to borrow any more money for the other things that the Minister had mentioned in his budget address today? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the signing of the AIP and eventually a final agreement with the federal government on devolution and resource revenue sharing is absolutely a game changer here in the Northwest Territories. I think going forward, coming up with a vision prior to the signing of the AIP and even the thought of us having a final agreement, that vision would look much different than a vision that I think we can come up with today that is post-devolution, post-resource revenue sharing here in the Northwest Territories. I would like to ask the Premier, that’s changed, and how can we articulate or how...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some questions for the Premier today. It is getting back to my Member’s statement where I talked about the signing of the AIP and what the future holds for our Territory. I also mentioned in my Member’s statement that I am a member of the Northern Leaders’ Forum and I have some questions to the Premier about the future of the Northern Leaders’ Forum and whether or not the Premier sees that as a vehicle to try to bring Aboriginal leaders and other leaders from across the Territory to the table so that we can talk about what the Territory is going to look like post...

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think it’s things like that that will go a long way to helping people to come to the table. If you look just recently, the numbers on exploration dollars spent in the three territories, we’re $60 million behind exploration money spent in the Yukon, we’re $180 million behind Nunavut, we need to be looking at opportunities to get investment in our Territory, and I think investment in our Territories means something for all governments here in the Northwest Territories, and I think as much information we can pull together, the better off we’ll be in these discussions. So...

Mr. Speaker, I have always been supportive of the Northern Leaders’ Forum and trying to come up with a common vision, a way to work together with other governments in the Territory to move this Territory forward.

During my Member’s statement and also the Premier in his sessional statement today alluded to all the good things that can come out of this agreement. I think we have lost so much, Mr. Speaker, in fighting with the federal government, fighting with ourselves for the past 20 years, and at some point in time I think we have to start putting numbers on paper, talking about what the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As well, business development, especially in our smaller communities, growing our economy has to be our primary focus, Mr. Speaker, and giving opportunities to our people. We must unlock the potential we have as a Territory and provide these opportunities for the people who live here.

We need jobs, Mr. Speaker. We need a strong economy and we must move forward. I can’t stress it enough that we must find a way to work together. Our fight shouldn’t be with ourselves, it should be with the federal government, and finally we should find the way forward.

Again, I encourage...