Floyd Roland

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Under the existing system that we are now under until the next agreement is signed -- and we expect we should have an agreement in place by the time the new federal budget comes around -- the interim formula financing arrangement we are operating under, we get to keep 100 percent of the revenues; or, if it slides the other way, we lose 100 percent. So in this case, there's no further adjustments to those numbers. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I stated, I am bringing forward a discussion paper to Cabinet/FMB. Once I have given them information and had some discussion as to how we will target this and bring it forward to what level of increase in that northern residents deduction we are looking for, then I would be happy to meet with Members and go over where we have come with this and begin a plan of rolling out from there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it’s not too often I get to stand up and get some good news out there. I’ll take this opportunity today to mention some good news for us here in the Northwest Territories, as well as for a constituent back in Inuvik.

Yesterday in New Brunswick the BDC honoured top young businesspeople from across Canada at the 19th Young Entrepreneurs Awards Ceremony. Out of the 19, the Northwest Territories was represented by one of our own out of Inuvik, Ms. Holly Norris.

---Applause

She started, along with her partner, a business called Delta Sun Services in Inuvik. It’s a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have looked at this area in more detail. In fact, I'm bringing forward a discussion paper to the next Cabinet/FMB meeting to look at this issue in a little more detail. We’ve looked at the costing of it. It will cost our government money as well by increasing our portion or share of it. So we are looking at that area, as well as looking at how we would work with other jurisdictions, not only the Territories but other provinces that would fall into that rate zone that we fall into as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled Public Accounts Northwest Territories 2005-2006.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the past the government has worked through that and I am aware, from the Minister of the Power Corporation, that, indeed, there is a general rate application going forward in November. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are beginning our plans in the sense of how we would communicate and what sort of support we could build across other jurisdictions. More importantly, before we can do that, we need to know and understand the parameters of our own decisions we go forward on; how large to increase or push for an increase in a northern residents tax deduction. That portion of it. So we have to build our case of what we would like to do and move that forward. So we are coming with a discussion paper to Cabinet to follow up on this, as well as to come up with a plan to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I stated earlier, we have, jointly through a number of departments, looked at the Apprenticeship Program and the training side to try to step up to the plate in that area and we are continuing the work on that initiative to try to see if we can bring something forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Territorial Power Support Program is aimed at residences, so 700 kilowatt hours per month. I might say, Mr. Speaker, my home in Inuvik with my family, I worked hard at keeping consumption below that because once you get above it you start paying your community rate and that can go up significantly. We do have a commercial portion of it. It is very small and it is application based. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Apprenticeship Program still exists and is operated through the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. However, as a new initiative, we are looking back at trying to step up the Government of the Northwest Territories in the area of apprenticeships and training. We’ve looked at that through all those departments, came up with a number and put it forward to FMB. Unfortunately, it falls under new initiatives. It would be future year requirements and would require some new funding in that area. However, the existing programs are still operated...