Michael Miltenberger

There are two fundamental approaches. There’s one where cell phone provision is seen as a business opportunity where the private sector will go in because there’s money to be made. The other approach, similar to the Yukon one, is where the government agrees they’re going to come up with a significant amount of money, because they want to have cell phone service across their whole jurisdiction similar to the Yukon which, I might point out, has far less geographic challenges than the Northwest Territories does in terms of distances to cover. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Members have copies of the five-year capital plan and going forward. Cell phone service is not on the list that I am aware of. What was once a luxury is now considered an essential service, but it’s not there.

I will also point out that we have also been told at different tables, look after your costs, control your growth, don’t grow government and don’t go too much into debt in this Legislature. Now we are told 911, cell phone service, we want more houses, roads and bridges and all good things, recognizing that there is a limited amount of resources and a far...

In my previous answer I indicated that the Joint Climate Change Committee had identified that as a priority and we’re going to be bringing back the current Greenhouse Gas Strategy and taking a look at it and start putting the process and pieces in place to look at developing what is going to be the next edition of the updated Greenhouse Gas Strategy. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today we commemorated the return of the 100 millionth container for recycling since we started the program four years ago and we have in the gallery some of the folks that have made that possible. We have Luke Groscoe, the owner of the Behchoko bottle depot; Archie Black, Behchoko bottle depot supervisor; and Nini Black; Adam and Donna Pich, owners of the Yellowknife bottle depot. Thank you for all your good work and welcome to the Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 9, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures) No. 2, 2009-2010, be read for the third time. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 9, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures) No. 2, 2009-2010, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill makes supplementary appropriations for operations expenditures for the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 2009-2010 fiscal year. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 9, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures) No. 2, 2009-2010, be read for the first time.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A little over two years and I’m still trying to give the Member an answer that she likes, depending on the circumstance. The Member is very well aware we have a capital planning process. It’s intensely participated in. There’s huge interest given now coming forward that after the two years of stimulus money, that the capital plan is not going to be as big as it has been over the last two years. So the challenge for us as a Legislature is to look at the priorities on that list and if we want to replace something, what is that? If we are going to collectively decide we...

Yes, Mr. Speaker. Work was done looking at that. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, everything we do that takes us from where we are to greater reductions is a step forward. It may not be as great as some people would like, but we have made significant strides. I’ll point again to the $60 million we’re committing to alternative energy. We did a presentation where the Public Works folks laid out a long list of government facilities across the land that are going to be converted to biomass, with the thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gas reductions. We’ve committed, as well, and I have done it now with the last two questions, that we’re going to be looking at...