Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Minister Beaulieu. Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Premier and have to do with our dealings with Ottawa. In the past we as an Assembly have gone en masse to Ottawa. We called it NWT Day. We broke into small groups and visited with Ministers. We went to Parliament Hill. We had a reception there. Everybody in Ottawa who met us thought we were really cool, but I don’t think we came home with much. I’d like to ask the Minister, in view of all of our government’s negotiations with Ottawa, when are we going to re-staff the Ottawa office to coordinate our efforts for the best results when we do...

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Aumond.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee has been considering Tabled Document 27-17(3), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2012-2013, and would like to report progress. I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. General comments. Seeing no general comments, we’re ready to move to the detail. I’ll ask the Members to turn their attention please to the Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2012-2013, and turn to page 3 of the document. The Department of Finance, operations expenditures, deputy minister’s office, not previously authorized, $250,000. Total department. Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. I’ve heard the sleight of hand phrase used several times in the House in last few weeks, and I think it really borders on unparliamentary because of the insinuation that might be imputing a motive about that, so maybe we should just be careful about the sleight of hand. Fancy footwork sounds a lot nicer. Minister Miltenberger.

The website is one way. There’s also a 1-800 number to call for an update. The Minister says that he expects it would happen. We would like to know that it is going to happen, because again, for years when I travelled on that road, the only way to really find out what was going on at Fort Providence was to call Big River Service Station in Fort Providence. That was the only really current information you could get about what was going on there. Could the Minister confirm he expects it would happen on weekends? Can the Minister confirm that there is somebody employed to ensure that information...

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard, for that comment. Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, operations expenditures, activity, public safety, not previously authorized, $200,000, total department not previously authorized, $200,000.

Yes, it is. Would you like to respond to Mr. Bromley? I am giving you an opportunity to do that.

Does committee agree?