David Ramsay

I’d like to recognize Carol Beck, a constituent that’s with us today, as well as everybody else in the gallery.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 93(4) and have Committee Report 7-16(3) moved into Committee of the Whole for consideration today. Thank you.

---Unanimous consent granted.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure is pleased to provide its report on the review of Bill 6, Species at Risk (NWT) Act and commends it to this House.

The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure is pleased to report on its review of Bill 6, Species at Risk (NWT) Act.

Bill 6, Species at Risk (NWT) Act, set out the processes to identify, protect and recover species at risk in the NWT. The proposed act will apply to any wild animal, plant or other species managed by the Government of the Northwest Territories. It will...

Sticking with the federal investment in our Territory and opportunities to do so, I’m wondering if the government has any proposals before the federal government on the Growing Forward Initiative, which is a $1.3 billion fund that the feds have set up to spearhead some investment in agriculture in this country.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some questions today for the Premier. It goes back to my Member’s statement where I talked about the federal government and investing dollars in Northern Canada. I have to say, the other day I was really impressed that the Yukon government looks like they’re getting $71 million from the Government of Canada to invest in the Mayo hydro facility enhancement and stage 2 of the Carmacks-Stewart Transmission Line. It got me thinking whether or not our government has had any discussions with the federal government in terms of coming to the plate on the Taltson...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to speak about the Government of the Northwest Territories’ efforts in securing federal investment in our Territory. For four years we heard former Premier Joe Handley tell us the Deh Cho Bridge project was contingent on the federal government coming forward to help us pay for that bridge. We waited and waited for that investment and, obviously, none came and the government decided we would pay for it ourselves. Mr. Speaker, we will be paying for that bridge upwards of $4 million a year every year indexed for the next 35 years.

Mr. Speaker, why didn’t the...

I thank the deputy minister for that and I do look forward to the renovations that are going to take place there and the work that’s ongoing. Just as an aside, I think if there is an issue out there -- and I’m not sure if other Members have heard the same issue -- maybe we do need to look at staffing levels at that office and make sure that we do have it staffed adequately to service the public. That’s a discussion we can have down the road in the fall during business plans. Thank you.

Sorry, Mr. Chairman. I was just wondering, I had a question on page 17, I was wondering if we could go back, seek your indulgence to go back to 17 for a quick question.

I’m wondering if we can get a commitment from the Premier today to in fact inject some new life into the effort to deal with these jobs that are located in Ottawa and Gatineau and southern Canada, and working with our colleagues in Yukon and Nunavut, to make sure that we have a united front to the federal government to again ask them. I know we’ve asked them in the past, but if they’re looking at locating a Northern Development Agency in the Northwest Territories or in one of the other two northern territories, there’s talk of Arctic sovereignty, there’s talk of renewed effort on behalf of the...

I’d like to ask the Premier if the federal government has come any closer to announcing a location for the Northern Development Agency. I know it’s at the Prime Minister’s desk now, but when are we expecting a decision on where that office will be located?