Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your uncle had trouble with Thebacha, too. He used to call it Tobacca.

---Laughter

God rest his soul.

I’m pleased to stand here today. I would like to recognize in the gallery, of course, my wife, who is up today and will be joining us for supper tonight. I’d like to thank her for coming and sharing some time with us and with me. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise on a point of order under Section 23(k) where it speaks to the use of abusive or insulting language of a nature likely to create disorder. Section 23(l) speaks disrespectfully of Her Majesty, any member of the Royal Family, His Excellency the Governor General, the Commissioner, the Assembly, or any Member. Section 23(m) introduces any matter in debate that offends the practices and precedence of this Assembly.

Yesterday during the debate in this House during Members’ statements as well as during question period, Mr. Bromley used the term that I think contravenes...

This government intends to follow through on the work that’s been laid out in a recently concluded Greenhouse Gas Strategy, and the path laid out in that strategy to look at how we will set targets and meet our obligations as a territory within Canada, of course, and as inhabitants of planet earth. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In regard to Highway No. 7 and the red flag list, I can assure the Member and this House that if there is an opportunity to put more money into capital through a bump up to our borrowing. We want to look at targeted infrastructure in the capital planning process and the committees will be fully involved. The work that’s been done up to date, the red flag lists will be put out there and we will have that discussion both in terms of the amount of money and how we move forward to put the money that we have available to work strategically. So, yes, I will confirm to the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The science as it pertains to climate change is not under dispute or question by the government. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As we indicated in a previous response, we are talking to the federal government about their commitment to the road, $150 million, and when it could flow and how it would be sequenced to see if we could, in fact, put their money to work as soon as we can while we sort our own circumstances out.

I’ve noted the comments on the schools in YK, but clearly, with a $75 million budget, there are far more needs than we have resources

The small cap budget hasn’t increased, but Health has made the case that there should be a separate amount of money put aside for their very...

As we pursue the work on our borrowing limit, we’re also pursuing our discussions with the federal government about the $150 million. We’re trying to find out what the opportunities are in terms of how that money can flow and can their money flow before it first, as we sort ourselves out. Those type of questions have not yet been finalized. I would once again ask Mr. Neudorf if he has any further detail in addition to our own resources other than the million dollars.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate the Member’s comment about the Capital Asset Retrofit Fund. We do have all the particulars at Public Works and Services in terms of the savings and costs and how we plan to move forward with reinvesting that money.

I can tell the Member that pre-division, 1999, the budget for the whole combined Northwest Territories was about a billion dollars. Post-division both budgets very quickly approached a billion dollars each and our current budget is almost $1.3 billion, almost $1.4 billion in total.

With regard to your question about the borrowing limit and when...

Madam Chair, I am here to present for the committee’s consideration the 2012-13 Capital Estimates of the Government of the Northwest Territories.

The estimates outline appropriations for government and community infrastructure investments of $124.2 million in the 2012-13 fiscal year.

The estimates do not include appropriations for housing infrastructure proposed by the NWT Housing Corporation in 2012-13, totalling $13.2 million. The appropriation for these investments will be sought during the review of the 2012-13 Main Estimates. The NWT Housing Corporation’s proposed 2012-13 Capital Plan...

We would be pleased to appear before committee and do a full briefing on the work we’ve done in terms of crossing the North and educating folks on the process, as well as lay out the process, some of the history and some of the questions and concerns that are existing in regard to this process. Thank you.