David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. General comments, Bill 16. If there are no further general comments, clause by clause?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to speak today about how the Government of the Northwest Territories is dragging its heels on legislation that directly impacts the lives and the livelihood of northerners. Mr. Speaker, I would equate the government’s history on developing legislation is as slow as molasses going uphill. Examples are the Wildlife Act, the Species at Risk Act and the long-awaited Liquor Act. With large pieces of legislation taking as long as they do, I am left wondering where, oh where, on the government’s radar is legislation on locksmithing and massage therapy.

Most other...

Thank you, Minister Bell. Any further general comments to Bill 16? Mr. Braden.

Agreed, thanks, committee. General comments on Bill 16. Mr. Pokiak.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. I'm wondering now if you'd like to bring in witnesses.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In terms of the annual report, I’m just wondering, will that come out as a supplement to the Power Corporation’s annual report or will it be separate and distinct from the Power Corporation’s annual report?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Committee has been considering Bill 4, Northwest Territories Hydro Corporation Act; Bill 5, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act; and Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act. I would like to report progress, with one motion being adopted, that Bills 5 and 16 are ready for third reading, and that Bill 4 is ready for third reading, as amended. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank Mr. Voytilla for that. If we are looking at a loan guarantee -- and that’s probably what it will end up being -- there will be a cost associated with that. I don’t know whether you want to call it a subsidy or not or whether or not we’ll get those costs back or not, I mean those are things that are going to be worked out into the future, but the federal government recently increased the NWT’s borrowing limit from $300 million to $500 million. I’m wondering if the GNWT does have to backstop and sign some loan guarantees for the Taltson expansion, what will...

Thank you. Bill 16 is now ready for third reading. Thank you, committee. At this time, I'd like to ask what is the wish of committee. Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to welcome the Minister and his staff that are with us this afternoon to discuss Bill 4. I want to provide a few opening comments if I could.

First of all, I wanted to publicly thank those individuals in the communities we visited for coming out and providing us the input that they did on Bill 4. It was much welcomed. A couple of other things Madam Chair alluded to in committee’s remarks was an issue over compensation from the initial Taltson development still weighs heavy on the minds of many in that region. I think it’s something that needs to be taken...