Michael Miltenberger

We’ve informed Members of what’s happening with the borrowing limit, that there’s a review underway with federal Finance and the three territories to review the borrowing limits that are currently in place, which are different between the three territories. It’s a common issue for the three territories. Our borrowing limit is currently $575 million. About $450 million of that is self-liquidating, because it’s being paid down through the Power Corp and the Housing Corporation, and the Deh Cho Bridge will be generating its own revenues. We have to recognize that. We’re looking for a review that...

I would like to, as well, recognize Verna Currimbhoy. Our time together -- myself, Premier Roland, the Member for Mackenzie Delta and the Member for Hay River South -- goes back to the last century.

---Laughter

Pre-division. We’ve all had the opportunity to work with Verna during some very interesting times in this Assembly. I’d like to wish her all the best, and as well best wishes to Gay Kennedy.

The point of the consultation and going across the land to talk about the Greenhouse Gas Strategy is to see what kind of consensus we can reach on the seriousness of the issue. The issue of targets will be there, clearly. We’ve set one, as the Member has indicated, as a government and if we’re going to set one for ourselves as a Territory, what will it be? Is it one target fits all or is it a target that looks at large emitters, small emitters, communities? It’s a complex issue, as I’ve indicated. It’s going to take a lot of creative hard work to come up with a consensus, but it is a journey...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Member telling me what I need, it’s very helpful. This issue has been before this House since the inception of this Assembly. I think it’s clear; it speaks to the process, not the content of what we’re going to do. There’s going to be information going out, there’s going to be consultation undertaken. What I did in this House today was to give an update on a significant process that’s a shift from the government looking at itself to looking at the Territory, looking at our carbon footprint, consulting with communities, business, industry, aboriginal...

I think it’s too early to say the worst is over. We have one herd that has shown something of a rebound. The other herds have plummeted and have bottomed out. Some big ones we’re still not sure what happened to them and we’re waiting to see what’s happened with the Porcupine. There has been some stabilization we think because of the measures that have been wisely taken by the co-management boards and the territorial government.

The issue of compensation has been, I believe, asked and answered a number of times by the Minister of ITI. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Wek’eezhii Renewable Resources Board came out with their report and recommendations, which we’re responding to, and they were very clear in terms of what they’re recommending in terms of harvesting and who should harvest and how much should be harvested out of the Bathurst. They made a reference as well to the Bluenose-East. So the new numbers, I’m sure, will be considered by the Wek’eezhii Renewable Resources Board, but at this point, those recommendations are being reviewed and will be responded to by the territorial government, as well as the Tlicho Government...

We have taken an official position on this. We’ve indicated to the Member in writing that we are committed to the process that’s underway with the federal Department of Finance and the other two territories. It’s clear for us. Now, if the Members are suggesting somehow that we should be out doing some kind of legwork for the Member of Parliament, then we can have that discussion. We were clear that the issue was dealt with. The Member of Parliament has a track that he’s on but we’re not involved in that. We have a process with the federal government and the other two territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member of Parliament indicated to us what his intention was, and as I indicated to the Member for Kam Lake, on the 20th of October the Premier wrote to the Member indicating to him that we had our own process underway with the federal government that we were fully engaged in and on a government-to-government basis with ourselves and the federal government as well as the other two territories to sort out our borrowing limit. Thank you.

I’m not a federal parliamentary expert but my understanding of the Private Member’s Bill process is that this process will take years. It will take until sometime in the new year to even get back before the House for further discussion before there’s even any decision made.

I can indicate to this House that there was correspondence from the Premier to the Member of Parliament on October 20th confirming what I’ve stated to this House, that we thank them for contacting us, but indicating that we have a process that we are engaged in with the federal government and the other territories to review...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I read the news clips with interest this morning and the comments from the Member of Parliament as he looks to the future in the Northwest Territories as a maturing political jurisdiction. On the other hand, I noticed the comment from the Member for Kam Lake that said this government is not ready, we’re not old enough, we’re not mature enough, we’re not wise enough to handle any more money, let’s throw out an anchor and let’s throw this whole process down, which is an unfortunate comment.

The Member of Parliament is elected by the people of the Northwest Territories in a...