Michael Miltenberger

I believe we – myself, the deputy, the Minister – have given some pretty specific areas where there are areas of potential dispute if we would have chosen that path. Things like the very specific things he just mentioned about who should pay, if we dragged it out another year who would pay for the ferry service, who would pay for the ice road. Those type of things. Change work orders, scheduling issues. We’re not in a position, nor would it be appropriate, to be dissecting contractual arrangements that, in fact, had potential for litigation in this House in a political forum like this. We want...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I request unanimous consent to proceed with first reading of Bill 4, Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), 2012-2013.

Thank you, Madam Chair. If the Member will recollect, there were two tracks. The one track is the one he’s asking about right now. Why don’t we just sort of move on and sort out the project, and then when it’s all over we’ll spend months, maybe years in court in litigation over claims, or the tact and approach that we are taking which is, let’s nail down the deal, let’s nail down a timeline that’s three months out and a dollar figure that’s going to take all those other extraneous, complicating issues off the table. Those are the two tracks. We’ve moved on one of getting the project done in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled “NWT Carbon Tax Discussion Paper, Department of Finance, May 29, 2012.”

Thank you. The Member is correct. At the benefit of being able to borrow money at a very low rate now, we no longer have the Opportunities Fund, we no longer have that benefit.

Yes, Madam Chair.

We made one loan of any significant size and that was to Discovery. That interest rate was part of a broader package of negotiations that included the movement of headquarters positions and those types of things. The interest rate was in the range of about 10 percent.

Yes, Madam Chair.

This line is tied to the winding down of the Opportunities Fund. Thank you.

At this juncture it’s over the next four years.