Jane Groenewegen

I call Committee of the Whole to order. Members, what is the wish of the committee? Mr. Menicoche.

Well, I do have Mr. Patterson’s permission to discuss this in public on the floor, because we have exhausted every other possible avenue. Mr. Patterson has come here. He’s met with the Minister of ITI. I have sent numerous correspondence, letters, texts and e-mails to Mr. Miltenberger about this and I have not got satisfaction. This is where we are today out of desperation, because we cannot get a satisfactory solution to this problem.

Last week Mr. Patterson called me and offered to cobble together a $15,000 payment on this outstanding debt if he could just get out there, get this approved and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At the expense of starting to sound like a broken record, let me again ask the Minister, I don’t know, ITI, ENR, I don’t know who wants to answer this question. First of all, let’s confirm that Patterson’s ability to go out and cut timber this winter is being denied on the basis of a debt owed to this government of less than $120,000. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Abernethy.

Thank you. General comments. I have Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you. Next on the list of general comments I have Mr. Bromley.

Thank you.

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Thank you. Does the committee agree?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It will be short. I’d like to ask the Minister of ENR is there not a policy, a program, a loan, a fund, anything within this government that could bridge the gap so that Pattersons can go to work, harvest timber, partake in the pellet mill future, which is on the horizon. This is not like a business that has no prospect for the future. It’s the only one we have in the Northwest Territories. Is there not, in this government-wide system, anything that could help the Pattersons? Thank you.