Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we know that what happened last year in Hay River. There was flooding, major flooding. And we're looking at a cost of probably $175 plus million. And another issue that we seen happen last year was supplies not getting into northern communities and part of it, I think, was because of, you know, the harbour  access to the harbour in Hay River, and the problems with the coast guard grounding and other boats as well. So even though I didn't get these questions in advance to the Minister of Infrastructure, she's answered them prior anyways, so. I would...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think I'm going to ask this question again, and there's something wrong with my earpiece so I didn't hear the answer.

Will the Minister ask the federal government to consider exempting residents and businesses of the Northwest Territories from carbon tax, because I understand the agricultural sector is looking for that in southern Canada. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a question for the Minister of Finance. What in the federal budget will support an offset for the added cost of the carbon tax increase? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yeah, again, now I'm pleased to see this one as well because, you know, if we expect to increase the number of Indigenous people in the public sector, decentralization is going to be important. But when we talk about decentralization, we used to talk about it as, you know, moving a department or a part of a department. I think we have to look at, as it says here, as look at individuals and if we move individuals and they can still do the work, you know, we do have individuals working in southern Canada right now that, you know, that are seem to be it seems to be...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister of Finance also relay to the federal government the value that the Northwest Territories adds to Canada? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, before ever meeting Mr. Mercer, it was immediately upon my successful election to the Assembly that he contacted me to give me advice on an issue that was dogging me. And I knew from that first contact that we, as MLAs, were in good hands. And R.J. said I told you so.

Mr. Mercer's dedication to this Assembly for the past 20 years is very appreciated by myself and I think everyone here today. I wish him all the best in retirement while he works on his class 3 driver's license and his air endorsement. So, Mr. Bassett, you may have a truck driver in the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister of Finance confirm if she plans to meet with the federal government to relay this government's opposition and concerns around the carbon tax. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again, mitigation. Like, you know I understand that there's  you know, for private homes, raising the furnace, okay, that's fine, that's easy enough to do. And, you know, there's some other things they can do. It's mitigation for places like Cranberry, like the road. That's great. But we're coming into a season where breakup's going to happen here at the end of next month and we have done limited work within the town. If the same thing happened, people who had fixed up their houses are going to be in the same basically, you know, in the same...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate the Minister giving me a little more time here. And, you know, when I talk about putting those houses up, but these are properties primarily where there's agriculture going on, where this government has supported them through ITI and all of a sudden they're going to have to move, or something's going to have to happen. They've got greenhouses. And I don't expect those greenhouses to be 10 feet in the air. And so it's a bit of a different  different than just putting somebody's House in the air. So I think that that's got to be given some...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think it's important to note that how important that harbour is to Hay River, how important MTS is to Hay River, how important coast guard is to Hay River. You know, if we happen to lose those, basically Hay River's going to slowly disappear. And I think, you know  and also the service that it offers to northern communities for supply, to northern businesses, to mining companies, it's very important. So we have to ensure that that harbour is in good shape. And I know that in the past there when the dredging ceased, I think it was because they went to...