Floyd Roland

The process we are under does not have to legitimize the GNWT. The fact is, we are, in this forum, elected by our constituents in this forum, and we’re receiving a salary to do the job paid by taxpayers from the country as well as the people of the Northwest Territories. So I would say the NWT Act, although held by the federal government, puts us in place and that’s why we have the pleasure of representing the people across this fine land we call the Northwest Territories and our home. So the work that we’re doing is one that takes the next stage of development of the Northwest Territories and...

The only changes that would occur in the NWT Act -- and that being under the control of the federal government -- would be following a final agreement signing, that would change things and transfer authorities over. That would amend some of the deliveries. At this point there would be no changes required.

The processes we would undertake following a signing of that agreement, following those discussions and what was agreed to, would potentially change some of our own legislation here in the Northwest Territories as well as those under existing federal control today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Sandy Lee will be absent from the House today and tomorrow to attend to a personal family matter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The criteria used, again, we’ll get that information for the Member. There is work ongoing in that Stabilization Fund. Applications did go out and I believe they’re near making decisions as to where that would go. As well, I am informed that in November of this year there will be a forum for NGOs to go through some of this work. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t have that information at hand. I will have to get that and get back to the Member. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I will get the information necessary to show the parameters of that project, what it means, the idea. That is why this government is putting capital funds in place to help offset that initial cost. We will get the additional information and provide it to the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue of the wind turbines is one that we’ve been watching as the discussions have been ongoing about purchasing power back through to the Power Corporation. We will continue to monitor that. If the requirement is if there’s call about providing additional information, we will commit to doing that and see what we can do to help have all the appropriate information so that the community can make the right decision. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I couldn’t agree more with what the Member just stated about creating a sustainable economic environment in our communities and trying to provide the necessary tools to allow that to happen.

Just the other day, Minister Bob McLeod had responded to some of the initiatives that we are undertaking in our smaller communities through his department to establish subsidiaries. For example, that would bring jobs to the community and maintain some of those jobs. The support we give through a number of other departments, for example, on the traditional harvesting side of the equation and the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The sustainability of our communities is an important initiative. One of the parts of our vision and goals of the 16th Legislative Assembly is to try to create an environment of sustainability. So there are a number of factors that we have engaged with during the life of this government and one of them is going to be the Electricity Rate Review and the adjustments to our delivery of electricity. The other is in the area of the economic side, under the Minister of ITI, has been, for example, the SEED program, the agricultural program, investments being made in that area...

Early on in our discussions at the regional leaders table, the idea of a constitution was brought up because the Dene Nation has raised it as one of their efforts. The regional leaders felt that we needed to work on some of our own issues first, and then a constitution would be the overarching piece. As well, when we look at our own history in the Northwest Territories, following the Bourque Report, there was the Constitutional Development Steering Committee that did its work through the 12th and into the 13th Assembly -- I believe those were the dates -- and then the Constitutional Working...