Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. How the estimates are done on taxes and why these things happen is a separate discussion, but in effect what we had here over the last number of years is an interest-free loan on which we’re now repaying the balance of the principle.

Madam Chair, clearly the government was part of the discussion in the Cabinet, the agreement for interim appropriation, the understanding being is we continue to fund the government to do the work it is doing until it gets us to the point for this new Assembly to build and put their fingerprints on the business planning process for this coming year. Our commitment is that we are continuing that program. It is a status quo budget. The work that is underway is still underway. This is not a blank cheque for Ministers or the Cabinet to make any changes. Our job is to keep the ship of state pointed...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. No, this will not affect our long-term borrowing or debt. Our current fiscal strategy will remain in place. All this gives us basically is a tool that allows us to manage the $1.4 billion that flows in and out of government in its very many different ways through the Consolidated Revenue Fund, as Mr. Kalgutkar pointed out. Recognizing how long it’s been since the last increase with the growth in government and the amount of money that now flows through there and some of the pressures that we’ve been managing as of late just with the economic downturn and a lot of the...

Madam Chair, the purpose of the interim appropriation was to give the government enough money to run so that we can go through the business planning process in the intervening months following this session to get us to the May/June budget session to have time for the committees to review all the business plans of all the departments. The debate and discussion about what should be in the business plans, what should be in the budget going forward, that’s a discussion we have to have. We’ve taken, as I indicated in my opening comments, basically a third of the budget and we’re putting it to use...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. From Finance I have with me Mr. Michael Aumond and Mr. Sandy Kalgutkar.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The work on the childhood family services committees is continuing. The work on the midwifery review will be concluded. I believe the third item, which I didn’t get a chance to make a note of, is also going to continue to be dealt with.

No, Mr. Chair. Sorry. Minister Ramsay I think would like to have some closing comments on this item. Thank you.

I do, Madam Chair.

We will be following up based on this discussion in this House. There are officials from all levels of government that listen closely to the debate here. I am completely and fully serious when I talk about the benefit and the ability for us to do this job properly being greatly enhanced within the next very few years and within the life of this Assembly, as a matter of fact, to be able to have that transfer over to the Government of the Northwest Territories so that we don’t have to have the discussion about a third order of government that has their headquarters in Ottawa. It’s very real, it...

We monitor and track what is being done. We work with federal agencies and officials to ensure that they take the right steps. There are the concerns that the Member has stated. We have, as well, our own officials, as I indicated, that will work with the federal government keeping in mind still that they have the lead role to play here. Thank you.