Rylund Johnson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm looking here at a $500 million capital budget, and I think the question we all need to ask ourselves is how are we going to pay for this?

We know our fiscal responsibility policy allows us to pay for 50 percent of this with debt and based on all of the previous public accounts, it's quite likely that 50 percent of this will be paid for by debt.

It's worth noting that about $200 million of this is federal dollars. I think that fact is important because it shows that we are still largely driven by federal priorities. But also the allure of 75-cent dollars is largely a...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to thank my colleague from Great Slave for perhaps pushing the parameters of questions on this area.

Most recently, the Department of Lands in remediating Giant Mine kicked all of the commercial fishermen who store their boats there off. A few of them were forced to make a late run to Hay River, which allows people to store boats. A few got creative and put them on barges, a couple have illegally put them on government dock in Yellowknife.

I just think it's one of those things we try to support local fishermen and spending $15 million on a plant while at the same...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm debating whether to move an appointment for the chief electoral officer or make Mr. Dunbar work here another week. But, Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure that.

WHEREAS the Elections and Plebiscites Act provides for the appointment of a chief electoral officer, who has the responsibility to exercise general direction and supervision over the administrative conduct of an election and enforce, on the part of all election officers, fairness, impartiality, and compliance with the Elections and Plebiscites Act.

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the Honourable Member for Hay...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm happy to hear that breakdown.

I guess, you know I often think if you actually want to get government to do something, getting the accountants to change some standards is some of the most effective ways do that. But I'm curious to the extent that which now tracking this liability, does it actually put any obligation to us to follow it.

You gave the example of sewage lagoons. I know that most of our communities' sewage lagoons are not in compliance with their water licenses. Most of them are run by community governments and not at all in any condition to be maintained...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess I'll start by saying I actually this is I do like this line as opposed to I understand why the Minister of Finance does not, but I think this goes to a public accounting standards I've asked governments to do because there was just billions of dollars of liabilities around this country in old asbestos buildings and hazardous materials. Traditionally in our territory, they've ended up in landfills where they probably shouldn't. There's been a long history of not making sure buildings and capital projects are properly disposed of, and I think the more accurate...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess, importantly, the last time I looked at our debt ceiling and the debt projections were getting pretty close. Does this $70 million count towards the debt ceiling.

No further questions, Madam Chair.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Wednesday, November 24th, 2021, I will move the following motion: Now therefore, I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Hay River North, that this Legislative Assembly, by virtue of section 5 of the Elections and Plebiscites Act, recommends to the Commissioner the appointment of Mr. Steven Dunbar of Yellowknife as the chief electoral officer for the Northwest Territories for a term of four years commencing on November 25th, 2021. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess, you know, there's a couple of things that have happened over the years. One is leasing was largely across all departments and they were slowly moved into the Department of Infrastructure. A lot of our leases are from the federal government. We have over actually 90 leases for various periods of time, many of them short three-five year periods. And the reality is you can't go to any northern landlord and say build us a new building or, you know, buy an asset without giving them years' notice. By the time we get to the end of a three-year lease, we just simply...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I spoke about earlier today, we've ended up in a situation where we're giving $20 million a year to one company in Yellowknife. And, really, looking at the fact that the GNWT averagely occupies a building for 20 years, some of them we've been in for 40 years continuously, we're talking about hundreds of millions, if not a billion dollars of contractual obligations here. And, really, when looking at how this happened, there is one policy. It is the leasing of improved real property policy that was written in 1986, Mr. Speaker. And it speaks to trying to create...