Michael Miltenberger

We have a number of documents that are currently available in terms of the energy planning. The Power System Plan for the Power Corporation and, as well, the final formal response to the Energy Charrette, which was in fact the most recent way that people could get involved, citizens could get involved in providing feedback and advice, to which they did in a very quality way that we’re going to look at responding to.

A lot of what we’re going to do is then going to be predicated on the final outcome of our borrowing limit, which will dictate how much we’re prepared to invest in the critical area...

As we discussed in this House previously, one of the areas that we are carefully considering as a government is the request from the Town of Hay River in regard to their franchise agreement to see if we would consider putting a bid in on that. That would have a direct impact on potential structure, distribution structure. We’ve already committed publicly that once our borrowing limit is set, we would be prepared to invest money, significant money into the generation side once again here in Yellowknife.

For example, in Inuvik you could put in, an example would be some of that wind power that’s...

If this House represented by the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning writes to us as a government, to me as the Minister of Finance saying that it is the will of this Legislature that we look at adjusting the prices of alcohol to be more favourable to the producers of the alcohol, then of course we will look at engaging in that discussion. But I would point out it will not just be focused on the business opportunity that may be provided by providing some kind of tax incentive to a micro-brewery, that I would suggest that it would become a much more fundamental policy discussion.

The direction that has been chosen by the government consistently over the many Assemblies that I’ve been here and prior is to see the need to try to control the abuse of alcohol. One of the ways we’ve chosen to do that is to put a tax on it that would be a disincentive to use, in addition to all the education and all the programs we have trying to work with communities for healthy babies and smart choices and active living.

So, we have two issues. The Member wants us to have a very modest tax regime to encourage the production of alcohol, and I’m saying I think we have a broader societal...

I once again recollect flying down, having the benefit of being able to take a tour of partway into Doi T’oh Canyon into Godlin Lake with the Member, and it is truly spectacular country. You can see the remnants from World War II. That is still a federal area. As the Member has pointed out, there is a considerable amount of remediation that has to be done. When that is done to the satisfaction of all parties, then the territorial government will look at taking over the remediated site. Thank you.

If my memory serves me correctly once again, I do recollect the Member sending me pictures of the site, which I sent to the department. We’re aware of the circumstance, but there’s been no active ability to put funds towards the cleanup at this point. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, with more than 4,338 interrelated species and counting, the state of biodiversity in the Northwest Territories provides us a rare chance unavailable in most other regions in Canada or the world: the ability to proactively plan a healthy future for land, water, wildlife and people. Our land, rich in biodiversity, contributes to the high quality of life we all enjoy in the NWT. Our food security and traditional economy rely on maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem integrity in the North. Making sure land in the NWT remains healthy for future generations is a priority of the...

No, not that I’m aware of.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have with me the deputy minister of Finance, Mike Aumond; the director of the Management Board Secretariat, Jamie Koe; and Ken Chutskoff, legislative counsel from the Department of Justice.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am here to present Bill 12, Northern Employee Benefits Services Pension Plan Act, which is legislation that was identified as a priority in the 17th Legislative Assembly.

The Northern Employee Benefits Services Pension Plan, or NEBS, is a defined benefit plan similar to the one Government of the Northwest Territories employees have designed for public sector and non-profit employees working throughout the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

There are 42 NWT employers now active in the plan supporting their staff to make retirement plans that will meet their needs. In...