Robert C. McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is all as a result of forced growth with community O and M funding and the water and sewer funding and grants-in-lieu of property taxes so it’s all forced growth. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Have we jumped ahead to public safety, or are we still on the directorate?

We don’t know exactly what AANDC’s budget was to run their operation. I mean, we do know that we received $67 million from the federal government as part of the devolution and the positions that we were going to be inheriting. As far as exactly what their budget was, we don’t know that. I suppose if we dug around we could find that.

Mr. Chairman, our federal contribution has not really changed much over the years, but the federal government is actually starting to help with some of the travel costs of sending our athletes to the games, like the Arctic Winter Games. The North American Indigenous Games, my understanding is that they have decided to assist with travel costs to get our team down to Regina. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Our plan is to table them during the May/June session.

Thank you. I don’t think it’s a question of 86. The workload is going to be different. There’s going to be some changes. We’re inheriting the 33 folks, so we’re inheriting folks from MACA. So the workload will be different. So I can’t say or agree that it’s going to be 86 that came over doing exactly the same work. You’ve got to look at the quality of work. I mean, there could be a number of different reasons. So we’re making sure that we’re prepared to hit the ground running and not try to learn this on the fly, but I think there’s a difference there. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The capital budget we just passed, I think there were two units that were allocated for one of the Member’s communities, and there was an additional nine with the replacement of the Joe Greenland Centre in Aklavik, so that’s 11 that we have for this year. As well, through the Modernization and Improvement Program, which is a major retrofit, we’ve got 19 units scheduled for the Member’s riding.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak today on the Department of Lands’ role in the new regulatory regime in the Northwest Territories post-devolution. The NWT Devolution of Lands and Resources Agreement will bring significant changes to the Northwest Territories. The Department of Lands has a key role in ensuring that the sustainable use of public land reflects the priorities and values of Northerners.

The Department of Lands will support, manage, protect and administer the sustainable use of public land in the Northwest Territories. It will assume land management responsibilities being...

With the decline in the CMHC funding, it’s getting awfully difficult for the Housing Corporation to put in other units, so we have to replace the ones that are already there. We have a lot of units that are old and that need replacing. The two units that I spoke to before, we’re doing our initial allocation for the market housing and the money that we had received through FMB and the Legislative Assembly to try and provide housing for professional staff in the community. We’re doing our initial allocation. I think there are a few that are earmarked for the Member’s riding. As well, next year...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize Mr. Damon Crossman who works for our sport and recreation division and a man that can find you anything when you go to the Arctic Winter Games. I’d also like to recognize and wish good luck to Jamie Koe, who is going off to the Brier, I believe it’s this weekend, and if you need someone to pack your brooms, I’m available. Thank you.

---Laughter