Floyd Roland

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I’ve committed to the Member prior in question period, that I would undertake a review of this process of where it’s at today and be prepared to sit down with Members again once I’ve done that work. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour and privilege to stand here today as the Premier of the Northwest Territories. I appreciate the confidence and trust Members of this Assembly and people across the territory have placed in me. Along with the members of my Cabinet, we commit to all northerners that we will take decisions with a view to the future, anchored in a profound sense of responsibility for the kind of society our children and grandchildren will inherit. I am confident we will tackle the difficult choices necessary to position our

territory to have a prosperous and sustainable future, which...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we’re unable to table that concession agreement, as we’re working with the parties involved. As I’ve committed on the 19th, the Minister responsible will sit with Members around this project. He has done that and provided some information. But the concession agreement itself we’ll not be tabling in this House. The issue of the P3 subject, we’re working with Ottawa to come up with the final parameters of their program and that’s the funding source that was being looked at in that area. For dealing with the Financial Administration Act and the documents that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Deh Cho Bridge isn’t a new project. It has been in the works since the legislation was first brought in in the 14th Assembly. It has had numerous amounts of debate in this forum and, once again, in the 16th Assembly, we are having some discussion on that. I have committed to look at the process that was used and come back and sit down with Members and look where we go from there. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as in my initial response as Premier, I will undertake to look at this matter of where we have gone at that point, sit down with Members to see what the next steps may be that we may look at as an Assembly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if the conditions aren’t met, and there is a time limit to the conditions being set in place, if they are not met, then I will commit, as Premier of the 16th Legislative Assembly, before any further decisions are made on this that I will work with committee members. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is correct. If all conditions are met, then the Government of the Northwest Territories' liability, if we decided for reasons of our own as the 16th Assembly to pull back from that project, the liability can grow significantly if the liabilities or the conditions have been met by the other parties. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the area of the volunteer sector has played a prominent role within the government and a number of departments. The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs now has that area of responsibility and the Minister in charge has been working with a number of departments. So there are a number of initiatives that have worked their way into the system, maybe not to the level as groups would like, and if it’s the will of this Assembly that we re-look at that, where it sits, be prepared to review that scenario, I can say now that just because it would sit in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in response to the questions on the 19th of this October, looking at the issues there, as I responded, the liabilities on our government remain the same as long as the conditions hadn’t been made, there’s no final contract on this project when signed. They’re waiting for a number of factors to be settled yet. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled Northwest Territories Public Accounts 2006-2007. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.