Floyd Roland

When we initially looked at this to see what package we feel would best suit our needs, we felt the five-year would give us the flexibility in future years that would allow future governments borrowing room, still have room for borrowing. That is why we requested of them the five-year extension or adjustment. Now, we’ve yet to hear back if they will do the full five year and to what limit. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’ll deal with some of the comments that were made and requests for information and then I’ll hand it over to Minister Michael McLeod to deal with some of the technical aspects of the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation and the structures and Associated Engineering, all that side of it.

A number of things that we need to put out in, as Members have said, clear English, plain English for the record for the public of the Northwest Territories, the first one is that, I think Mr. Bromley stated, he’d rather not be here. I’ve heard other Members say that and I share their frustration...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Robert C. McLeod will be absent from the House today to attend the Northern Housing Forum in Inuvik.

I also wish to advise Members that the Honourable Michael Miltenberger will be absent from the House for the remainder of the week to attend to a personal family matter. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I don’t believe I responded to that particular question. The area of a government’s outgoing days, the Cabinet, its authority, seeing if there’s an emergency of some nature that always has to be taken into consideration, but I would say that because of a project like this and the nature of what’s happened from it, we would have to get a process, a commitment, that outside an absolute emergency that it be business as usual that would go on and I mean that’s payroll, that’s your programs and services in our communities that are ongoing day-to-day initiatives. So you’ve...

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, number one, the federal Finance Minister, as I worked in the previous Assembly as the Finance Minister in the first year of this government and developed a working relationship with Minister Flaherty, has been very straightforward in the sense of where he’s at when he says that he will work on certain issues with us, he has always delivered. When he says no, we’re unable to do that, he says it right up front and is clear with that. So following that discussion I had with him, the further commitment that I have seen that is evidence of that commitment is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled Supplementary Appropriation No. 2, 2010-2011 (Infrastructure Expenditures). Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess the first part of that is the weight I would place in the call that I had and the following actions from that call. February 27th I believe was the date. I had a call with Minister Flaherty discussing with him the fiscal situation we could find ourselves in as the Government of the Northwest Territories when it comes to the debt situation and the Deh Cho Bridge Project and the call of the lenders to assume that debt. At that point he said he would work with us to deal with that debt.

Following that, we have had discussion between Finance Canada staff and our...

Regardless of our debt situation as the Government of the Northwest Territories, even the bridge project aside, we are unable to, as the Government of the Northwest Territories, guarantee the debt of the Taltson. With drawing this down and bringing it into our books does not impact us that way. We’re going to have to find partners out there or have the federal government make an investment. There are a couple of funds that we have made application to try to help offset some of those costs.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just for clarification, he’s talking about the specific debt to the Deh Cho Bridge Project or the debt of the Government of the Northwest Territories, including the Housing Corporation?