Michael Miltenberger

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

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

Thank you, Madam Chair. The agreement we currently have is to 2018-19. It’s tied to a number of escalators. They are adjusted as you move forward, things like provincial and territorial expenditures, tax efforts. For example, if there’s a significant downturn in all the provinces and territories and they all cut back spending, there is going to be a consequential negative impact on our arrangement, as well, because one of the escalators in there is tied to that factor in the provinces. Thank you.

When the federal government put $150 million on the table towards the Tuk-Inuvik highway, we indicated to them that we were in no position, with their existing financial arrangements and borrowing limit, to even be able to contemplate partaking in that project in addition to all the other cost pressures we had. Was it a factor in the discussion when we talked about the borrowing limit? Absolutely. We’ve laid out all the conditions, all the checks and balances that have since arisen and been committed to in this House through myself, through the Minister of ITI, through the Premier, but yes...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following three documents, entitled “Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 7, 2010-2011;” “Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures, No. 4, 2010-2011;” and “Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2012-2013.”

As well, I wish to table the following document, entitled “A Review of Cost Pressures Facing the Northwest Territories Power Corporation, March 2012.”

We do have a Sustainable Development Policy. Work is underway for the Land Use Sustainability Framework which will incorporate that sustainability policy into a broader land use framework. We do try to strike the balance across the North in terms of land that is open for development and land that has been put aside for conservation and protection purposes. That figure ranges anywhere from 45 to 50 percent. It has to be unencumbered, 50 to 60 percent. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. We have a list of protected area strategies at different stages. In the Deh Cho we have the Edehzhie, we have Sambaa K’e, Ka’a’gee Tu, the Buffalo Lake, river and trails at K’atlodeechee, the Jean Marie River cabin cultural conservation area which is step five. They are all in step five. Then we then move on to the Sahtu and the Tlicho.

I am aware of the restrictions in the House of reading excessive detail. I would point out that we have had discussions with the Minister of Environment for the federal government, who is committed to trying to continue to include the...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. No, we haven’t done a lot more work on returning that particular amount of money. What we have done is put our minds to trying to expand this whole fund and recycling effort to now include electronic or e-waste. That was where we’ve been trying to focus our attention with the resources we have available. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. At this juncture the majority, over $3 million, is water.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We’ve had some money added to our base to do this on an ongoing basis so that we’re not always in a position of reacting or trying to come back for funding periodically that we recognize there needs to be work done on an ongoing basis. My recollection is that to do all the herds this year, harkening back to my Minister’s statement, is in the neighbourhood of a million dollars plus.