Robert C. McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to update the Members and residents on our fiscal situation. The passage of the first budget of the 18th Legislative Assembly in June, just four short months ago, was the start of our commitment to three objectives in our fiscal strategy. First, we need to ensure we demonstrate discipline in our spending so that our expenditure growth is aligned with revenue growth. Currently, this is particularly challenging as most of our revenues are based on federal transfers that are expected to have little growth in the medium term.

Seco...

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I am well aware that the $150 million was removed from the mandate. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I share the Member's concern with employment in the small communities, and I do agree that creating employment in small communities is one of the better ways to help with the social ills. It's not the only answer, there's other parts to it. We've seen prime examples of that, especially with the Inuvik to Tuk Highway, I can use that as an example, because I know from my past portfolios that our income support numbers went down, revenue went up with the housing collection. There was opportunities for training. I spoke of the numbers before, and there was great opportunity there for...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have conversations with my colleagues in the other departments and it is a very important initiative that we do try and spend strategically all across the Northwest Territories, the larger centres, and then we recognize that in the smaller communities any investment we make I think is a real plus to that community and it does create some employment. So the quick answer to the Member's question is yes, I have had conversations with my colleagues and we do plan on any infrastructure investment to spend it strategically so it benefits all residents in the...

We recognize that the proposed carbon pricing is going to have an effect on people across the Northwest Territories. Having said that, we are going to undertake our regional public engagements this fall to inform the development of both the new energy strategy, get some feedback from residents, and I believe it's starting on October 25th and 26th.

There will be a schedule that would be made public, if it's not already. Also we have an on-line survey on the Department of ENR's website to get some public feedback. But we are having five regional workshops, regional public engagements, and we will...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to recognize my wife, Judy, who's had to put up with me for 37 years so you all know that she's extremely strong. I would also like to recognize a constituent from Inuvik and my official agent, Mr. Denny Rodgers, and seated next to him is Jiri Raska, I think, with Inuvialuit Development Corporation or Regional Corporation. Welcome to the gallery. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following four documents entitled "Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 142-18(2): Status of Regional Recruitment Program," "Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 143-18(2): Impacts of GNWT Job Losses," "Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 158-18(2): Aboriginal Representation on the GNWT Public Service,: and "Follow-up letter to Oral Question 270-18(2): Reform of the Canada Pension Plan."

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, to the Member's question on the technical team, they're coming up in a couple of weeks. We're not quite sure the makeup of the team or what their schedule is at the moment. However, as we become aware of their schedule and who's part of the team, we will communicate that with the Members. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe this is going to be an issue that we're going to be faced with more of in the future as more traffic is travelling through the Northwest Passage, so I think it's good planning to have our governments ready to deal with any situations that might arise, and we're hoping that they don't.

Our staff from Inuvik and Yellowknife, we've been involved with the federal science tables, which the Government of Canada agencies with authority to respond to these types of incidents. We're not the lead in this, but we do provide, we will provide support to Canada...

No, they haven't. They do have a technical team that's coming to the Northwest Territories within the next couple of weeks to meet with our technical folks to have some discussion, and as I stated earlier they have said to us that they recognize the uniqueness of the Northwest Territories and they will take that into consideration. As far as a mechanism, though, they are going to meet with our folks. Once they have some discussions with them and then we have our public engagement, then we will see what the pricing mechanism may look like.