Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Within the week we expect to be in a position to announce definitely, in relation to the Beverly and Ahiak herd off to the east. The Bluenose-East herd, the numbers are just being collated and there’s work being done with the department and with the co-management board looking at the numbers and looking at how the numbers break out in terms of cow-calf recruitment and calf survival and the overall numbers. That work will be finalized, hopefully, within the week, but if not, shortly thereafter. As soon as those are concluded, I will be in a position to make a public...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 3, Wildlife Act, be read for the third time. Thank you.

In fact, the thermal communities’ residential rates are pegged to the Yellowknife rate. There are no other subsidies in the hydro rate zone. I would be happy to have a more detailed discussion. If there is some work we can do and reviews of rates and information we can provide to the Member that would answer some of his questions and show him that there is no bias, I would be happy to have those discussions with him. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, that Bill 29, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2013-2014, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill makes supplementary appropriations for operations expenditures for the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 2013-2014 fiscal year. Thank you.

In point of fact, yes, we have pegged the residential rates in the thermal communities to the Yellowknife rate. So I’m not sure what the issue of bias would be when we are using Yellowknife as a benchmark. Thank you.

I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that Bill 30, Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2014-2015, be read for the first time.

As we move towards devolution and as we move towards the Government of the Northwest Territories setting up its northern-based regulatory regime, we will very certainly be meeting with industry, with the regulators, with the land and water boards, with the folks in the regions, in the Sahtu and other regions, and offshore as well, and absolutely, the issue of this type of damning report will be looked at carefully. We’re going to want to make sure that we’ll be able to provide comfort and certainty to Northerners that due process and due diligence and rigor has been applied to this issue, and...

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, that Bill 29, Supplementary Appropriation (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2013-2014, be read for the first time.

There are licences at play, there are remediation costs, and there’s a review to make sure that this issue is cleared up, the culpability is determined, and that the proper steps are taken to clean it up and make sure that we try to avoid those things in the future.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, November 4, 2013, I will move that Bill 30, Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2014-2015, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.