Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, committee. We will commence after a brief break.

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I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. The Speaker has listed some of the things that are before Committee of the Whole today. What is the wish of committee? Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’ll be very brief. There’s been reference made in these general comments and this discussion to our revenues by way of our transfer payment, which is somewhat based on the population of our territory and our government’s desire to attract more people to live in the Northwest Territories to curb our declining population. My question, I guess, and comment for the Minister is, if you were listening to the debate and discussion amongst us about this at any given time, you would think that every potential job in the Northwest Territories was a Government of the Northwest...

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister Miltenberger.

Agreed, thank you. I will ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to escort witnesses to the table.

For the record, Mr. Miltenberger, could you please introduce your witness.

I will call committee back to order. We are dealing with Tabled Document 115-17(5), and we are going to start off with the Department of Finance. I would like to ask the Minister of Finance if he would like to bring witnesses into the Chamber.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Does committee agree?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In August Prime Minister Stephen Harper was in the South Slave to announce new funding for northern agriculture. The Prime Minister announced $2 million in funding to help establish a permanent campus for the Northern Farm Training Initiative in Hay River – in Hay River, I like the sound of that – and up to $2 million to launch the Northern Greenhouse Initiative.

The Territorial Farmers Association has been working on a permanent campus for the Northern Farm Training Initiative since 2012. The association has operated market gardens, built greenhouses and found...