Michael Miltenberger

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, that Bill 35, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2014-2015, be read for the second time.

This bill makes supplementary appropriations for operations expenditures for the Government of the Northwest Territories for 2014-2015 fiscal year.

I can talk to the Power Corporation. I can’t speak to the NUL, which, as well, is a distributor. I know we work hard to keep the price of energy as low as we can. As we move forward, as I’ve pointed out publicly, we’ve subsidized the Power Corporation over the last three years directly over $50 million to soften the blow and protect rates because of the increasing diesel costs, the fact that we haven’t raised diesel prices for five years to help offset the low water here in the Snare system. We have moved past the point of where it’s strictly a for-profit, you have to live off your revenues...

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 39, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 4, 2014-2015, be read for the first time.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The underlying concern, of course, in some quarters, is that the Power Corporation has no interest in encouraging people to reduce and conserve because they are profit driven and they have to survive on their revenues. In fact, if that was the case, it no longer is. As we will see over the course of the next few days, there is going to be discussion about the Power Corporation, our Crown corporation of which we are the one shareholder, of how it can better be a vehicle for the energy policy of the Government of the Northwest Territories and the people of the Northwest...

Mr. Speaker, I moved, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, that Bill 35, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2014-2015, be read for the first time.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, November 3, 2014, I will move that Bill 39, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 4, 2014-2015, be read for the first time.

I also give notice that on Monday, November 3, 2014, I will move that Bill 40, Appropriation Act, (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2015-2016, be read for the first time.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m going into my 40th year both in working for the government and being in this Legislature, and I spent a significant amount of time when I was in government as a manager, and I have been a Minister for a while, and I can tell you that the direct appointment tool is absolutely critical for meeting the objectives of this Legislature. I can tell you that if we were sitting here and we had every position filled and no vacancies, we could be having, maybe, a legitimate conversation about direct appointments. But when we’re sitting here with hundreds and hundreds and...

I wish to table the following document, entitled “Traditional Knowledge Annual Report 2013-2014.”

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, November 3, 2014, I will move that Bill 35, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2014-2015, be read for the first time.

I also give notice that on Monday, November 3rd, I will move that Bill 37, Financial Administration Act, be read for the first time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to quickly recognize the two Pages from Fort Smith, Mackenzie Villeneuve and Pyper Rehm, and Ms. Rehm’s mother, Gladys Rehm, who are here for the week, and I thank the Legislature for the opportunity to have them here.