Michael Miltenberger

Mr. Speaker, I seek consent to proceed with third reading of Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Petroleum Products Tax Act. Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 69(2) and have Bill 1 moved into Committee of the Whole for today. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled Supplementary Appropriation No. 2 (Operations Expenditures), 2009-2010. Thank you.

We assembled an interdepartmental working group to look at this. We hope that by later this year we will be able to come forward with a plan for next steps. Thank you.

I believe, looking at the press and having been travelling around, most of the options are being exercised that are available to people. What we have is two different perspectives on an issue, and that is the challenge, and the government-of-the-day, the federal government, is going to make its determination of what it sees in the country’s best interest in balancing all these factors.

While there’s many that may not agree, that’s going to be the responsibility that they have. For those of us that want them to do more, we will have to continue to press them and we have to acknowledge, I think...

We’re taking the approach of making sure in our own area and our own bailiwick that we are being as responsive and responsible as possible to try to deal with this issue, investing, as I indicated, the money that we are, trying to change how we do business, how we’re delivering hydro and energy, generating energy. We have had discussions with the federal government. We’ve indicated what we’re doing, as opposed to what they’re doing. The federal government will be, at the end of the day as they want to do, making up their own mind. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled, Supplementary Appropriation No. 3 (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2009-2010. Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, we have been looking at this issue and recognize the policy and legislative framework has some gaps in it. It’s not as strong as it could be, so we are going to be looking at how we bring forward regulations that will allow us to close those loopholes and make a tighter framework. Thank you.