Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks to the Minister for that information. Of course, I'm glad that section 35 rights, our government respects them, but we've also supported in this House the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Can the Minister commit to review the Project Assessment Policy to fully incorporate the concept and practice of free, prior and informed consent?

Merci, Monsieur le President. I would like to recognize three of the nursing and social work students from my riding, in the gallery: Jennifer Pitt, Meagan Shuparski, and Samantha Heatherington. I would also like to recognize two dear friends and former residents of the Northwest Territories, Chris O'Brien and Deborah Molvasie, who are joining us in the gallery, as well. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I don't have any further questions. I want to thank the Minister and her witness for answering all my questions really well. Thank you.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I don't have to bother the Minister anymore then about that one with Christmas analogies. I'm sorry; I didn't really follow the discussion about what level of funding is actually contained in here. There's been no increases whatsoever for the municipal capital funding in this budget over last year; is that what I heard?

Because in last year's budget, as I recall, I think there was a small, maybe it was a 2 per cent increase or something, but there was a gain for municipal governments in the capital budget last year, so this is the exact same funding they got last year or has...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I sort of feel like Prancer now. I'll be prancing more once we get the plan and a supplementary appropriation, but I encourage the Minister to keep working on this really hard and I respect her efforts on that.

I want to turn to municipal funding, capital funding now, and I recall that the NWTAC worked closely with communities and the department to carry out a municipal funding review and that, rather than just a straight formula, it was going to be much more of a needs-based approach. Does this capital spending move us any closer to that new arrangement? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Look, I understand the Minister is committed to 911 and I commend her for doing that and making that step. That's a very strong political commitment that was made in this House. I know that the fall started yesterday, so are we looking at before Christmas we're going to get a present with this plan for a 911? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. First off I'd like to thank the Minister of Finance and his staff for the work that has gone into the capital budget, but I do have some concerns.

I guess a couple of matters in terms of what's in, or what's perhaps not in, the budget. First off, I couldn't find any discussion about the fiscal responsibility policy in the document, and specifically there is a set of calculations that the department goes through to sort out what the envelope is that's available for capital expenditures, and I didn't see those calculations in here, either. I think this has been raised with the...

Thanks to the Minister for that. Unfortunately, I didn't hear a commitment that they were going to be reviewing the policy even though he says that we still support the declaration. I'm not prepared to review the policy, but maybe I'll try a different slant here.

In my statement earlier today I pointed out the inconsistency between the lofty and courageous principles in the Project Assessment Policy and how a GNWT interdepartmental committee may operate in assembling technical advice and evidence.

I will just give an example here. If government scientific experts produce evidence that...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister for the commitment of millions of dollars across the Northwest Territories. I pointed out that there are three visitors' centres elsewhere that were created with our funds, GNWT funds, including work like leasehold improvements in Dawson City, $1.8 million in construction costs, but what's being done here in Yellowknife?

Doesn't Yellowknife deserve at least equal treatment for a year-round operation? Will the Minister begin work now to commit a proportionally equivalent amount of money to the construction of a permanent visitors' information centre...

It's great to hear that, but I'm actually learning more about what's going on through the newspaper than the regular updates from the Minister. Can he explain what support, if any, is being given to the city to temporarily deliver visitor services to March 2018 and how that compares to support that was provided to the Northern Frontier Visitors' Association?