Michael Miltenberger

Mr. Speaker, the intent of the Biomass Strategy is to do a number of things. One of the key areas we are interested in, of course, is lowering the cost of living in the small communities. We’re looking at heating; generation and distribution of electricity are two main areas. We are of the opinion that there is great potential and there is technology that is currently in existence. We know that the Member’s community of Jean Marie River has been very active in this area. We are very interested, should the budget be approved, to move forward to find a smaller community that could be used as a...

Mr. Speaker, I will make a commitment on behalf of my colleague, the Minister of MACA, that he would be looking at how this money would flow, working with the City of Yellowknife to make sure that we can access each and every one of these pots even though they may be project-based or would have to compete with other communities and provinces from across the country. Yes, we will make sure that we work with the City of Yellowknife to see what is possible. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are still waiting for the detail of how these many pots of money are going to roll out. Some are clearer than others. The Building Canada Fund, for example, is an existing program where we’re compressing the time frame. This Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, along with their Green Fund and a host of other smaller pots of money that we may be eligible for, we’re still awaiting the detail to see what’s possible for us in terms of the conditions and criteria, how they apply to us as a Territory and how they may possibly apply to municipalities.

We’d be prepared to look at that whole issue, as I indicated, with the Member, myself, and the deputy, recognizing that the budget is currently before the House. While there may be some latitude, we may also want to consider how we would best address this through the upcoming business planning process, which will be starting once this particular budget is passed. I am willing to commit to sit down with the Member to look at this issue in its entirety.

Mr. Speaker, I would just be restating or repeating the answer that I just gave to the Member. Clearly, April is a milestone date we have targeted to see where we go from here. The Tlicho model is a made-in-the-North model that we looked at and we think had applicability. Our initial concept was to move that forward and that is what we have done, recognizing and building in the milestone date of April. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The broad issue is board reform. If that is not the way forward, what is the way forward on board reform? If the decision of the House is that board reform is off the table in its entirety that is a significantly different and more fundamental issue than we don’t like a particular concept. But we think there’s some value to board reform and what is that direction going to take.

Mr. Speaker, in the work plan that we laid out over the next seven weeks, some of that basic initial work on the concept is going to be completed by then. The modelling, the finance, the costs, those types of things, we have folks working on. That will be part of the discussion when we look at what is concluded, complete and available for information in April as we collectively decide on the next steps. Thank you.

There were case management issues, there were efficiencies through administration and finance we believe are there and are the two key areas that we think would allow us to rationalize that. It would hopefully in the long term allow us to put more money into programs and tie up as little as possible on the administration and finance and policy sides.

The issue of efficiencies within the current structures have been looked at as we’ve done business from Assembly to Assembly, depending on the fiscal circumstances. We took this on and there has been 10 years of work. I’ve laid out some of the reports that have been done: the Strength at Two Levels, the Cuff report, there was a report back to the 13th Assembly, the Deloitte Touche report. This is some of the work that has been done all for many hundreds of thousands of dollars. We’ve, as well, brought this up in the House with statements, it was reviewed in committee. There has been a lot of...

The Refocusing Government Committee of which the Member is a party or sits on, there were some of the longer-term questions that we are going to have to resolve. This House will continue to have a very clear and defining role than it currently has. The main estimates will continue to be voted. The money will still be voted. Business plans will still be done. The regional boards currently are there already. They exist. We are talking about change, scope and mandate, but the role of this Legislature will continue to remain paramount. Thank you.