Michael Miltenberger

There is activity; there is a proponent for a wood pellet plant that has done a lot of work. The issue of the supply of waste timber in the yard that the Member for Hay River South has raised has been raised with the proponent. At some point it may have that value, should the project go ahead, but at this point that is probably two to three years away. At this point the proponent had indicated that he was not in a position to buy that product in anticipation of his mill possibly going ahead. We are aware of it. We’ve looked at it. We’ve tried to consider it. We’ve talked very directly to the...

It speaks to the issue of getting money to fund contracts for child care facilities for purchased services. Some we can do on a quarterly basis or do it for three months and renew as we go. Others, where there are full-time programs running and some certainty needed in terms of funding would be we’d be looking for the full amount. Once again, as well, to have funding available for those specialized purchased services that are demand-driven.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are a number of timber licences. There is an existing operational licence for cutting firewood, I believe. Thank you.

That’s the additional money that was approved for devolution and to fund the process and negotiations and all the ongoing work that is picking up speed as we move forward here.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The two positions that are in question in Human Resources have existed. This is an internal reallocation of funding to account how they’re paid for, and the positions have been re-described, so the bottom line of the Department of Human Resources has not been changed. They’re not asking for money; they’re just reflecting that particular change. We could have waited and done it in the business plans and just put it in there as an organizational change, part of the internal workings and business of the department, but it was brought forward this way so it was clear and...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This bill that’s before the House is before the House because this Borrowing Limit Authorization Act is a piece of territorial legislation that is controlled by this Legislature. It’s to deal with, as I’ve indicated before, short-term borrowing. It’s a type of line of credit. This has nothing to do with the federal government. We are having our discussions on our borrowing limit with the federal government which will be concluded, our long-term borrowing limit with the federal government that will be hopefully concluded here by the end of March.

The Member also had a...

Madam Chair, the child and family services committees, there was a commitment made that is being honoured. The work is being done identifying up to five. That was the ongoing commitment going from the last Assembly. Student financial assistance, there is work being done. There is an existing policy in place that will be applied as it now exists until such a time as it is decided by this Legislature that there is going to be a change, to use two examples.

This appropriation is the money to allow the government to carry on programs and business that now exist. It is not a rubber-stamp or a blank...

It was not an oversight, but I will let Mr. Aumond lay out the plan as we’ve dealt with this particular issue.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Member has raised a number of pertinent issues, pertinent for the review of the budget. The main budget is the development of the business plans. No Minister is ready or available to respond to requests or increase the programs or addition of positions, new capital items. The intent here today was to give us the bare amount of money we need as a government to operate for three months so that we can in fact have that fulsome discussion about the budget through the committee process, and not be in a position here where individual Members are asking for commitments on...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This borrowing limit is, in effect, an operational line of credit. It’s up $75 million. We have a very specific need in this particular instance. As the Member has noted, it hasn’t been touched since 1995. The government has grown significantly as has our budget. The short-term borrowing cycles in and out, literally tens of millions of dollars a week moving in and out of government coffers and bank accounts as we manage the complex business of government.

I want to as well speak briefly that there are no hiring freezes. If folks are saying there’s no money, then it...