Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a shared responsibility with the federal government. We have a responsibility for those sites that are on Commissioner’s land. The majority of contaminated sites are on federal Crown land. So if the Member has specific questions about those that fall directly within our jurisdiction, we can talk about those in detail.

The broader issue of contaminated sites is one that part of the negotiations for the devolution in taking over of authorities. It’s a significant part of that discussion. As well, one of the concerns, as I’ve indicated earlier, is that we understand...

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

We are looking at, for example, some of the smaller communities possibly in the Deh Cho or Nahendeh for a pilot project for use of biomass for heat; hopefully, if the technology evolves, for electricity. We are working with communities to see about the viability of doing local wood chipping or wood pellets so that we can support some type of biomass initiative. We’ve used solar in a whole host of different places. In Ulukhaktok we’re doing all sorts of energy retrofits. In Fort McPherson we’re doing work in the Chief Julius School, at the health centre, in residences. As an example, some of...

I would hope to have this concluded by the end of June. Thank you.

The request was made to defer this project for a little longer by Public Works. Now that Public Works has assumed responsibility for maintenance of these facilities and we’re also working hard to promote alternate energy, this project will now be turned over fairly soon to Public Works for management, and alternate energy would be something for consideration.

We’ve been doing a lot of work on a P3 policy and that work is coming before us and will be shared with a committee based on the work that’s been done to date, the feedback from committee and it will be that policy that will guide us as we move forward. The Member is correct; the $75 million that we have planned for 2012-13 is very modest, especially when you look at the $1.1 billion that we put on the ground over the last three years. So we’re going to have to use our collective ingenuity and creativity to come up with ways to supplement that. Things like the private/public partnerships are...

Thank you. Deputy Minister Margaret Melhorn and Sandy Kalgutkar, deputy secretary to the Financial Management Board. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What we’ve done is bring in one very qualified individual, working under the guidance... They will have their arm’s length ability to do the work necessary, but brought in to work through the department. His name is Dr. Douglas Perry. He is a practicing emergency medicine physician, a senior health administrator from Alberta. He’s served as a senior provincial clinical advisor with Alberta Health and Wellness. He also has emergency medicine practice in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Misericordia Hospital in Edmonton. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We don’t have that detail with us today, but if it would assist the Member, we can provide that to him subsequent to what we conclude here.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, that Bill 10, Northwest Territories Heritage Fund Act, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill establishes the Northwest Territories Heritage Fund. The Heritage Fund is a trust fund for the benefit and use of the people of the Northwest Territories, and the Financial Management Board serves as trustee. Excess funds will be received into the Heritage Fund but nothing can be transferred from it for 10 years in order to build up the principal, which is to be retained and invested. Transfers of income from the...