Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks, Madam Chair. I move that the chair rise and report progress. Thank you.

Yes, thanks, Madam Chair. Yes, and I want to thank my colleague from Yellowknife North. He's covered off a number of my concerns, particularly with regard to P3s being used increasingly by GNWT.

But the other aspect that the report goes into, and this was found in the audit by the auditor general, was that there was overspending on capital by $32 million during 2019-20. You know, the 50 percent mark was a certain figure, and we only generated a $46 million cash operating surplus but we spent $78 million on capitals using the fiscal responsibility policy.

So even though our government failed to...

Thanks, Madam Chair. So this project's actually in my riding, and it's something so I've been here six years and I've never really understood how we owned the old hospital and then it was given to somebody else to renovate and then we leased the whole thing back at a cost, and then we get it back at the end of the period when it's been rented to us for 30 years. I've just never really understood that arrangement. It just boggles my mind. And I don't understand why the government didn't keep the building, renovate it, and then we used it for longterm care and extended care, which is I guess...

Thanks, Madam Chair. Yes, just briefly, I do want to acknowledge that the Mineral Resources Act when it was being developed there are provisions now in the act for benefit agreements to be negotiated prior to production licences. I think that was a good thing to do. I think there's still some details to be worked out in that regard. But I think that was a good start in acknowledging that there's a need to share greater benefits with Indigenous governments from mining. Yes, thanks, Madam Chair.

Merci.. Our government inherited a mining fiscal regime from the federal government at devolution. That regime has never been through a thorough public review. Why is this important now?

Government revenues from mining have accounted for a significant portion of our spending, particularly since devolution. Exactly how much remains to be seen due to a lack of transparency but these funds do help support our programs and services such as housing, education and health care. It is very important that our government gets a fair share for this onetime natural capital, and that it is shared with...

Merci, Monsieur le President. I wish to table the following four documents entitled Motion 483(2): Testing of Cruise Missile in Canada Excerpts from Hansard dated September 2nd, 1983; Motion 1586(1): Cruise Missile Testing Opposition Excerpts from Hansard dated March 5th, 1986; Motion 1189(2): Low Level Flights in the Northwest Territories Excerpts from Hansard dated November 1st, 1989; and Motion 2012(5): Condemnation of the Continuation of Cruise Missile Testing Excerpts from Hansard March 2, 1994. Merci, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. I look forward to a call on New Year's Day from him, a personal call. But, yes, look, we can do a lot more on heritage.

You know, I've mentioned that there's a revenue review underway, and I'm just not sure that it's actually going to result in any significant new funding. You know, I think the much more likely route for us to get more funding is go to the federal government and build on COVID relief or a tourism product development.

Can the Minister tell us the status of this revenue review and whether there's any likelihood...

Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. In my June 4th, 2021, statement, I noted the old name of the museum here in Yellowknife. I've been raising this issue now for about six years in this House. I don't understand why we just don't change the name to something that embraces reconciliation and our northern reality.

Can the Minister tell us why the name of the museum has not been changed and what the obstacles are to moving forward with a name that reflects our northern realities? Merci, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Monsieur le President. Look, I realize I'm the only thing standing between a pizza party and my colleagues here so I want to recognize and thank the Minister of Finance for the collaborative discussions that led to concurrence in Committee of the Whole to proceed with an appropriation bill, and I meant that.

However, this is the largest ever capital project for the Northwest Territories at $502 million. In short, we are overspending on capital and not spending enough on the right priorities, in my view.

There is a relationship between capital and our programs and services. It's called...

Thanks, Madam Chair. Although I wasn't a Member of the GOVOPS committee in the last Assembly, I do want to acknowledge that there has been some improvements made in the public accounts in the six years I've been here. There's kind of like a plain language user guide that's available now. P3 reporting has improved. I think that's also a reflection of evolving accounting standards throughout the world.

So anyways, there's a number of other recommendations that had been adopted that I just can't think of off the top of my head, but there had been some significant improvements in the public...