Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Housing Corporation pays the government rate which is not the same as the subsidized rate. It’s the full cost of power.

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Oh. I just read 3.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled Environment and Natural Resources Framework for Action 2008-2012: Status Report to December 2010.

The work we’ve done in this area has been I think very successful. There’s been significant consultation and the recognition that there are, in this particular issue, three types of bags that are clogging up the landfills and scattered across the countryside. Paper, while in some people’s mind it may be something that’s seen as what’s the problem, is very energy intensive, it’s bulky, it takes up a lot of waste that when you combine it with all the other paper product waste -- for example, the tons and tons of paper generated by business and government or the wastepaper products with cardboard...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When we looked at the lifecycle of the plastic bag, the paper bag and even the ones that are called biodegradable bags and compared it to the lifecycle of reusable bags, clearly all three were found wanting in comparison to the reusable, and that while paper may biodegrade in a landfill somewhat faster than other products, it takes more energy to produce and ship, it weighs more and in effect causes just as much waste or more than plastic because it’s bulkier. In fact, we have an initiative currently underway in its second phase where we are canvassing the North to see...

Mr. Chairman, we work closely with the federal government in terms of estimating and the targets that are set and we have a standard approach that is agreed to by jurisdictions across the country for the benefit of consistency and certainty. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, there are two main areas of discussion. We have suggested how our debt is treated is the debt that is what is called self-financing be treated differently from our normal borrowing practices. By self-financing debt, of course, we mean the money that is owed by the Power Corporation and the Housing Corporation and the bridge when it comes on-line will be mainly self-financing. That is one area. The other issue and area of discussion is going to be when you have a number, is it better to have a specific dollar number in legislation or an agreement or is it better to have a formula...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Margaret Melhorn, deputy minister of Finance; Mr. Jamie Koe, director of policy and planning.

Mr. Chairman, I am here to present the Department of Finance’s main estimates for the 2011-2012 fiscal year.

For 2011-2012 the Department of Finance is requesting a total operations budget of $100.784 million. This is a $9.316 million decrease from the 2011-2012 Main Estimates and represents an 8.5 percent reduction to funding levels. The items that effect this change are highlighted as follows:

Excluding the contribution funding provided to the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, there is a net increase of $203,000 proposed for the Department of Finance’s operations budget. This...