Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled Northwest Territorial Capital Estimates 2011-2012.

Mr. Speaker, I also wish to table the following document entitled GNWT Response to the Standing Committee on Government Operations Report 5-16(4) on the Review of the 2008-2009 Annual Report of the Human Rights Commission.

Mr. Speaker, further to Return to Written Question 13-16(5), I wish to table the following document entitled Growing Forward: Canada/Northwest Territories.

I also wish to table, Mr. Speaker, further to my Return to Written Question 14-16(5), the following...

Thank you. The Member is overdramatizing, I believe, the circumstance. We’re not throwing anything away. We have been part of this process from the start. It was agreed to many years ago, the role of the JRP, the role of the responsible Ministers, and its recommendations we are looking at and are going to respond to. I’m saying to the people of the Northwest Territories they should continue to have full trust in the Government of the Northwest Territories in this area and all the other areas that we deliver programs and work to protect and advance their interests, and this will be no different...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member forgot unambiguous as well.

---Laughter

Anyway, Mr. Speaker, there is a process underway. The Joint Review Panel has played a key role and did the initial report. The initial response was done. We did our duty to consult, we consulted with all the aboriginal governments. We are involved. We shared that information with the Joint Review Panel. They came back with a letter. The Member is referring to it. He said he would table it later today. That letter is now being thoroughly and fully reviewed and looked at. We are still in the finalizing stage of the report...

Thank you. It’s a good thing that after 15 years I’ve got a thick political hide when he says “will I now act with the honour people expect” implies that up until now I have not been, and I would, of course, take grave exception to that.

I stand here very, very committed, as I’ve indicated, to looking to the interests as a Minister of this government to people of the Northwest Territories and it’s something that consumes me just about every waking moment that I do have. Yes, we will do, and we are doing, and will continue to do all the things necessary to protect the interests of the people of...

Thank you. We are looking at the report, or the response from the JRP. Ourselves, as representatives of the Government of the Northwest Territories, representing the people of the Northwest Territories, as well as the federal government, and I can indicate to the Member once again that we are hard at work looking at all that information, the response, the recommendations, issues of concern by the JRP as well as other folks. We received feedback under the agree to consult, for example, and that we will be concluding in the next few weeks the report and we will be putting that out to the public...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Many good things come out of Fort Smith and one of those good things has joined us in the gallery today: Mr. Whitford.

---Applause

I haven’t done a full count, but it is my bet that there is no other Northerner that has had as many jobs tied into this Legislature as Mr. Whitford, as an MLA, as a Minister, as a Speaker, as the Sergeant-at-Arms and as our Commissioner all tied into this Legislature and the place that he has devoted a lot of time that he has upheld the honour of and that he truly loves dearly.

I, as well, over the years, since I came here in 1995 have taken...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled List of Interactivity Transfers Exceeding $250,000 for the Period April 1st, 2009 to March 31st, 2010.

Thank you. We have, firstly, there’s been an enormous amount of work put into this whole issue. There is a significant incentive, the ban is in place and will stay in place until we have something to replace it with. So the plan is -- and the parties are all aware of this -- that we want to apply ourselves to come up with an agreement. There have been very strong signals, not only signals, but so far the cooperation of the Yellowknives and we intend to keep working with them along with the Wek’eezhii and the Northwest Territories Metis to come up with a plan. While it may be an interim...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Many people had a hand in the developing of our Water Strategy, Northern Voices, Northern Waters. We have some of these fine folks in the gallery today and from INAC I’d like to recognize Teresa Joudrie, director of Renewable Resources and Environment; Sevn Bohnet, technical coordinator; Tricia Melander-Forde, senior communications officer; Carole Mills, former manager, water resources division, now working for the Government of the Northwest Territories; and with the GNWT we have our stalwart deputy, Mr. Gary Bohnet; Mark Warren, assistant deputy minister of ENR; Megan...

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Deh Cho, that Bill 10, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2010-2011, be read for the third time. Thank you.