Floyd Roland

Definitely, after going through this process, I think the Government of the Northwest Territories…. If we’re going to venture out beyond the typical tender or a fee process we normally go through, we will have to come up with a specific policy for dealing with projects of this nature.

For example, I’ve talked about the Mackenzie Valley Highway. There’s hydro potential in the North. None of those would be able to be done within our existing confines. Realizing what we’ve had to deal with through this process, I would absolutely agree. We need to develop an absolutely clear process so everybody...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In this whole scenario I’ve provided much information to the questions in this House: the dollar values attached, who is at risk, the fact of agreeing with the Members that, as the G.N.W.T., we are in fact backstopping this. But the banks are lending the money. They are at risk of lending the money to a project that is a go or no-go. So that’s not misleading the House, Mr. Speaker. That was stating a fact.

There are additional facts to this: that, as the Government of the Northwest Territories, as stated publicly in this House, this process is in place and that we as the...

Mr. Speaker, as I’ve sat here and listened intently, I’m sure they wouldn’t want to be brought up to this floor with next year’s public accounts or contracts over $5,000 and be reminded of that.

It is something we are looking at, as well as departmental travel.

Mr. Speaker, I’m very familiar with that one, so I can inform the Member and this House about that process.

In trying to establish a contract with a firm, looking at what kind of work you want done and what you’re hoping to get the message out and the delivery on, in those cases one would approach — in my case, anyway — the Premier of the day to ask for advice in this area regarding the work that’s going to be undertaken.

In some cases that type of investment produces a much bigger benefit. If we want to get into that, I can talk about the $50 million it’s saved us as the Government of the...

A number of these travel projects would fall under the department’s small capital allocations which would be bulked into a larger number but has come through in this as well for the detail. Environment and Natural Resources does patrol for illegal hunting, looking for potential spills in areas where work is occurring. They do have some older equipment that needs to be replaced from time to time. For specific details on this project, or this asset, I ask that we go to the Minister responsible, Mr. Miltenberger.

This section being “Capital” is actually for construction or infrastructure being put in place — for example, the bridges. The winter road construction would fall under O&M.

Yes, Mr. Chairman. To my right is Ms. Kathleen LeClair, the secretary to the FMB, and to my left is Mr. Sandy Kalgutkar, the director of budgeting and evaluation.

Mr. Speaker, to the amended motion.

We in cabinet agree with the principle of the amended motion as well as with the principles of the UN declaration.

One of the things we should recognize is that when you look at this work, in Canada itself and, in fact, in the Northwest Territories, as Ms. Bisaro stated, we already hold in high regard our relationship with aboriginal peoples in the country and again in the Northwest Territories. Look at the makeup of this Legislative Assembly. It’s just an example of the relationship we have with the people and the land here in the Northwest Territories.

We...

Mr. Speaker, yes, I do.

Mr. Speaker, the Ministers would work through their department, if it is work on behalf of the department — and I’d have to get a specific example. But through a department, the department can initiate that activity from direction given by the Minister, so I don’t get to review all of those areas for consulting contracts.