Michael Miltenberger

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Boot Lake, that Bill 6, Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2010-2011, be read for the first time. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document titled Northern Voices, Northern Waters, Draft NWT Water Stewardship Strategy, November 2009. Thank you.

While we are not directly involved, there is a significant project with Industry Canada in Vulcan in terms of delivery of broadband high speed services to the communities. It is a very important project. There is phase one that is in the works to be completed and there are significant dollars for phase two. We are working very closely with all the partners in that arrangement to make sure that, hopefully, will get done. That will give the service that the Member is talking about.

We already invested heavily in the digital communication network. Our schools, our health centres all have that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There has been a significant amount of money that was put into the digital communications network to provide the digital backbone to have computer and Internet hook-ups. We have done some work on cell phone service in terms of assessing the market and some of the challenges. At this point, cell phone services seem to be within the purview of the private sector. There are companies out there like NorthwesTel. Of course they want money to go into the small communities, but at this point we have been treating it as a private sector business opportunity. Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Speaker. I think that has potential. As well, as I indicated in my early answer, the municipalities have the authority, as well, in their jurisdictions to pass the bylaws about if there is going to be bottled water allowed or not at public events and those types of things. I will talk to my colleagues. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we’re spending millions of dollars to make sure that communities have good potable water. We have recycling to encourage people to return their containers and they’ve been going down south. There are abilities there for communities to pass bylaws about water. There would be an ability for this Legislature to send out the message that we’re not going to have bottled water at any of our functions.

The Member raised a lot of the very critical statistics in terms of the impact and cost of energy for bottled water. I agree with her that we have some of the best...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, water is fundamental to life. Clean and abundant fresh water is essential to the social, spiritual, cultural and economic well-being of all NWT residents. We rely on our clean waters and healthy aquatic eco-systems and recognize it as one of our most valuable resources.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and designated representatives of aboriginal governments, partnered to develop a draft Water Strategy. Later today, I will be tabling the draft NWT Water Stewardship Strategy, Northern Voices, Northern...

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Boot Lake, that Bill 6, Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2010-2011, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill authorizes the Government of the Northwest Territories to make infrastructure expenditures for the 2010-2011 fiscal year. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Wherever ENR has a role to play, it’s my understanding that we are complying. If there are other departments involved in terms of monitoring the employment and those types of things, I’m not in a position necessarily to speak to that. But I know, as a government, our intent is to fully comply and monitor where we have an obligation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We can provide a detailed accounting of the cost of the trip and in one of the supps coming up we could come back, if necessary, with a negative supp.