Robert Bouchard

I do realize we are going to be having this discussion because I think on this side we are determined that that 25 percent is something we need to see for the future generations of this Northwest Territories. These resources are being taken out of the Northwest Territories and won’t be available for the future generations.

The 25 percent, Madam Speaker, is what we’re debating. They’ve indicated that we won’t get the money until 2015-2016, yet we are going ahead basing capital budgets on that money.

Can the Minister explain to me how we are doing that if we don’t have that money yet? Are we...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I was just going to bask in the green glory here, but I do think I need to follow up with some questions that my colleague MLA Bisaro brought up to the Minister of Finance about the Heritage Fund and budget issues.

My question to the Minister of Finance is: He indicated that if Members on this side want to put 25 percent into the Heritage Fund that we’re going to have to find that money. I’m just wondering why the Minister of Finance feels we need to find that money. This heritage resource revenue sharing money is brand new this year. Why are we finding money that is...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. It’s definitely a Green Day. Thanks to all the Members for wearing green today. This morning I’d asked Members of this House and residents of the Northwest Territories to join me in an Olympic send-off to Hay River biathlete Brendan Green.

Brendan is in Sochi, representing Canada in his second Winter Olympic Games. Born and raised in Hay River, Brendan started skiing at the age of three and became a biathlete at six. He long dreamed of becoming an Olympian at a young age and set out to achieve this goal. He competed at the Hay River track meet on a regular basis and...

I think we’re looking at terminology. The Minister indicated that we are looking to borrow a billion dollars. The indication that he said that we might have been misled is the fact that we indicated that we’re actually going to reduce our debt. This budget says we are going to reduce our debt and that’s what they have been selling, but in this budget they are also talking about borrowing another billion dollars. So I’m just wondering where the Minister sees the difference in that. We’ve talked to the communities about reducing the debt, but now in this budget we are actually taking on more...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Finance on his new release of this year’s budget.

I would like to ask the Minister, if he had done his tour of the Northwest Territories, how he can justify as the amount that we are supposed to put into the Heritage Fund when we have clearly heard other numbers such as 25 percent and 50 percent?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I started yesterday, I indicated that we were in an exciting time here, and the Minister of Finance’s presentation of the budget today is no exception to that excitement. We’re going to show a $200 million surplus. He’s indicated that there’s a bunch of indications for Hay River’s opportunity: midwifery, obviously the biomass industry is of great interest in the Hay River area and the South Slave, and also investment in the fishing industry.

Devolution brings a lot of excitement. We’re seeing $59 million for new employees, revenue of $27 million. Everything should be...

Thank you. Another area of interest in the budget is the discussion of the regional positions. The Minister’s presentation indicated that there’s going to be 52 positions in the regions. I’m just wondering: how many positions are we putting into Yellowknife with devolution?

I know the Minister did attend Hay River and he indicated that Hay River supported the 5 percent. At the same time, the Minister indicated that we were reducing debt and he’s indicated in our budget here that we are looking at borrowing another billion dollars. So I mean, I think Hay River is supportive of 5 percent plus paying down the debt. I think the 25 percent that we’re looking on this side for is a cost-savings. The community of Hay River is looking to save more towards the future.

I wonder how the Minister justifies this when he indicated that we’re going to reduce debt but we’re...

Our Minister of Finance has been travelling through the Northwest Territories and he’s indicated to the public that with that resource revenue sharing money we’re going to put some money into the Heritage Fund, we’re going to pay down debt. But, really, we’re not paying down debt. We’re looking at taking on another billion dollars’ worth of debt.

The general public supported the concept of putting money away, and I think the way we put money away is through our Heritage Fund, and we should be putting money away at 25 percent per year, not 5 percent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is great to be back here, and I welcome all my colleagues back to the Legislative Assembly. We have a long six weeks ahead of us, and going into this type of thing there is anticipation, there is excitement, but there is also concern. It is just like getting together with your family. We know that we are going to have a long session together, and we know sometimes with that type of length we are going to get into some arguments and some debates, so I apologize for anything I say to them over the next six weeks.

I would also like to mention that you opened up this...