Michael Miltenberger

Mr. Speaker, we have an understanding that we have confidential briefings with committee. We share information. It should be respected. The Member is clearly aware that there are processes and negotiations underway. This information was shared last night, yesterday morning and Tuesday night. My point of privilege is that by disclosing the specifics, the scenarios and all the various things that we are trying to talk about as we try to resolve this issue are bringing forward into a public forum, from a confidential forum, information that was agreed to be kept confidential until we concluded...

The Minister responsible for Public Works laid out all the steps that are currently being taken to make sure that this project goes ahead. It’s 50 percent complete. It’s had some challenges, but it’s going to be, at this point we hope, the final costs will be about 10 percent over the budgeted amount. We are going to work closely, as the Member indicated in his own statement, to stabilize this particular project, where it is right now, sort out the current challenges and then take a critical look, along with the Members, about what we’ve learned from the exercise, how do we go forward and what...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the debt or the $15 million that’s being requested is equivalent to about 10 percent over the initial cost. So that will be $15 million added to our cost as a government. So with the $15 million factored in, as we’ve said, it will shrink our borrowing limit by that equivalent amount. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We have some initiatives underway. For example, if we bring forward and all agree to a rate restructuring that will lower the cost of living in the smaller communities through lowering power rates, then we will be in a situation of being able to positively affect the whole food basket. I also would suggest that we are better off to leave this money in the budget where it now is, and the Minister has indicated that most of it is going to go to the communities and he has indicated his willingness to work with committee on this. I think it is important that we consider...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document titled Northwest Territories Public Accounts, 2008-2009. Thank you.

Tonight, at the rise of the House, I think at seven o’clock, there’s a big public meeting over at the Explorer in the Katimavik Room, sponsored by the Dene Nation. That will be our next event as it relates to caribou. We have our folks on the lines with the Yellowknives or trying to get hold of the Yellowknives to see what their thoughts are on the offers that are on the table. Thank you.

We did get it right. We made, I believe, the necessary decision to protect the Bathurst caribou herd during this time when they are in great need of our support. They need to be able to recover and we need to come up with a longer term plan. So we did come up and make the right decision. We are committed to continuing to work with the Yellowknives on accommodation and that process is still underway. Thank you.

All the consultation we do, and have done, and will continue to do, is considered meaningful. In this particular instance there was a compressed time frame. The circumstances were such that we did the consultation that we were able to in the circumstances and had to proceed with a decision, because it was considered to be an emergency conservation issue.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Northern history stretches back over thousands of years, a rich and full history. Through that history, rich and full as it is, the caribou and the aboriginal people march over time, over the centuries linked together, as my colleague Mr. Lafferty indicated. It is very critical that we recognize that fact. As a government, we are aware of that link, of the need to respect that and we intend to do that, but there has never been a time in the past as there is right now where the pressures on caribou, on this Bathurst herd, are so great. The caribou need our help. We have...

Mr. Speaker, late September we had a press conference over here in the meeting room when we had the results that came in from all the work that has been going on doing the herd census. At that point we indicated at the table with the grand chief of the Tlicho as well as the national chief for the Dene Nation, the Tlicho chiefs, and we raised the issue and put the numbers on the table, that this herd was in critical condition, that by the end of December 31st, we had to come up with some clear measures that we are going to protect the herd to allow them to survive. The plan was to have the...