Michael Miltenberger

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.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the Member’s comments and support and his strategic, broad view of the project and how it’s going to fit into the broader road development and how we are cutting our teeth and earning our spurs on this particular project, when we work things out, and we’ll be taking that experience with us. Thank you.

It’s a cost that the government bears. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The written correspondence we have from NTPC was September 25th. Oh, sorry. August, August 25th. Sorry.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The final accounting is not done. We do have now a final number and we’ve provided the preliminary base numbers to committee, but there will be a requirement to come back for an additional $3.9 million in the winter session.

The annual comprehensive review and debriefing of the fire season that we’ve just finished is being done. We anticipate early in the new year being able to share that in detail with committee and the Legislature. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We will wait and respond to the Member’s questions as best we can when she raises them when we get to detail. Thank you.

The current contract was a negotiated contract, and I’d ask the Minister about the future years and what the intent of the department would be.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the Member’s concern. As the Member is going to be tracking and worrying about the upcoming snowfall and winter and then the coming summer, so too are all of us as we look at the level of drought and what kind of water we can expect this coming spring and summer and hope for the water levels to go up to have a wetter season in the southern part of the territory. There’s little in the short-term we can do to mitigate that, but clearly, as we look longer term at climate change, global warming, we have to continue to strive to do our part to look at...

As I indicated, this money is new money. It’s not money coming out of the various school boards. Should the money not be approved, then Education, Culture and Employment would be absorbing that cost from their existing budget.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have with me Mike Aumond, deputy minister of Finance; and Mr. Olin Lovely, director of the Management Board Secretariat. Thank you.