Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The paper bags have their own downside, but I listened carefully to the Member’s comments and statement and I’ve chatted with the Member about this before and I have met with the department about the need, after five years, to take a look at that particular program to look at revitalizing it and maybe fine tuning it. Thank you.

We know that it’s technically possible. We know that it’s practically possible. We know that there are examples of where it has been used and there has been success. The example that the Member has raised is one. They’ve also come up with some very, very interesting ones in other technological areas like health with the lab on a chip and the type of work where they’re going to create in the next few months an actual tricorder from the old Star Trek days that is actually going to work and do what people just thought about in the ’60’s.

We know that that process works. What we need to have is the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On that specific issue, since our last discussion there hasn’t been a lot done. The issue of looking at that whole process, I have read some interesting literature about the value of that kind of approach that the Member has raised, but in terms of finding $10 million and putting up a prize for the best scientific solution has not been seriously looked at.

We agree that the East Arm and that part of the country where Thaidene Nene is focused is a jewel for that part of the country. It’s spectacularly beautiful country and we are interested in making sure we come up with a plan that keeps northern control to the greatest extent possible and that we do it in a way that recognizes some of the concerns and the aspirations of the people from Lutselk'e. We want to work with them and eventually the federal government to make sure that we get that mix right but, above all, to keep as much authority and land under northern control as possible.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Member could expect to see another rate increase of single digits. The exact amount is not clear to me yet, but we protected against the rate cliff for four years and the price of diesel and the accommodation we have to make for that, the pressures have continued.

My understanding is the successful proponents in both of these cases could be run under the consignment model and they are reverting to a model that they have long experience with. We have consignment stores running across the land. Once again, we believe we have the capacity, where the systems are set up, with enough checks and balances and accountability to address the issues that the Member has raised. The issue or the concerns that should something go wrong that is totally unanticipated in all the processes and structures and consignment models that we now run, we have the ability to sort...

Mr. Chair, I am just harking back to the last government where there was a lot of work done on looking for savings and efficiencies. It took almost two years of discussion and debate. When there was a move to act on recommendations, we acted partially on some of the recommendations, not all. There was significant pushback from MLAs when we talked about inclusive schooling and people-teacher ratio, for example, and the re-profiling the overfunding that was going on at the time. When we moved to act on it, it was a hugely contentious issue, which I suppose speaks most clearly to the issue of...

We’ve been working extensively on this. There is projected to be some savings to the consumers in Yellowknife, and we’ll track all the liquor that goes through and all the money that’s made and we’ll be prepared to report back to committee after September when things kick into gear and we start getting some actuals to look at.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There is an ability to move funds between activities. There is a report that’s done on a regular basis, interactivity transfers where we have to account for all the money that’s moved, how it’s moved and to ensure that it’s moved appropriately. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The contracts in Yellowknife don’t come into effect until September, so we won’t see any actuals until probably the end of the fiscal year by the time they go into business and we start seeing what the numbers true up to be.