Floyd Roland

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I guess it’s one thing we can say in the North and the rest of Canada is that the diamond industry is small in our jurisdiction and the word and rumours spread fast about what’s happening. We’re aware there’s significant interest with the operations. As well, the way it’s been working through a court appointed receiver, the receiver will have to make those contacts, look at what the results of those contacts can bring and then advise us of what the potentials are. If there’s a deal to be had, they would recommend a movement on that and whatever deal is...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank the Member for that question because it will help clarify the terminology being used. It would be the Yellowknife rate that would be worked with, not the base rate, as the Member has clarified, that exists now in the rates that are adjusted and established by the PUB. It would be the Yellowknife rate and adjustments from that. That’s the policy decision that we’re following. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, that’s not the formula we use. In fact, within FMBS, we go through a zero-base exercise. It’s quite a process and we’ve made a new binder to bring forward just on that aspect alone. The difference that we see here is that it’s difficult to compare actual dollars to main estimate, but we’ve also added responsibilities in this year going forward. We know we will require more travel and that’s why we’ve kept it at the same amount, but there are additional responsibilities and there’s going to be an additional requirement to travel, especially if we continue...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Member is right; as we initially met, I referenced the fact that we were waiting on waivers to be signed. As has it, with lawyers involved from a number of different parties, that hasn’t gone as smoothly as we would have liked it to. But they will be executed today. Once those are executed, then the receiver can once again go out there and seek other interested parties or return contacts that other interested parties have made. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It’s not in conjunction, but that information will be very useful as we go forward. Mr. Braden has touched on an area that is something we are beginning to look at overall. The subsidy programs and what we have available, there are quite a number of them, as he stated, that better coordination would definitely be an asset to those who access the program and for ourselves as accounting and for identifying the kind of support we give residents of the Northwest Territories. But the work that’s ongoing right now within FMBS around the Territorial Power Support Program is...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, a comparison of the 2003 actuals to main estimates is one that’s difficult. For example, if we went back a little further than that to the 2003-04 mains, at that time we would have seen an identified travel budget in the area of $194,000. So the actual mains, as they were built at that time, we were estimating travel to be in the area of $194,000. Actual dollars used at that time were $64,000. From that point on we’re going from mains to mains, 2003-04 mains to 2004-05 mains. We’ve budgeted a lower amount in 2003-04, recognizing that there was going...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the funding that we required to cover the rest of the loss that was identified was found from other program areas within FMBS where we had lapses. We would have turned that money back over to the consolidated revenue fund, but, realizing this loss was there, we then applied that money to the loss instead of turning it back over to the general revenue fund. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, as the program exists today, elders who own their own homes and are paying the power bill do qualify for a subsidy; the same subsidy that’s available to all residents in the territory. For a rebate of that nature, if the committee felt strong enough for the government overall to look at establishing something like that, we would look at it. But under the review that is happening, it’s around the existing structure, the rates, what’s driving those rates, and the cost to go up and look at that side of the equation. We have other programs out there. As the...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have to apologize. I didn’t catch that last question.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I agree with the Member; it is a significant move that we are undertaking as a government to go back to somewhat of a way of doing business that was done prior, where we have human resource service centres. It is very different though from what was known previously as the Department of Personnel. The human resource service centres are a way of pooling our staff and bringing them together so that, one, we can be more coordinated in how we deliver the program, ensuring that all departments are following and have the same understanding of the rules that we work with. I...