Rylund Johnson

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. I would appreciate, on this area, getting a sense of that. When we pass $167 million, it's usually not us actually passing that because there is a bunch of federal dollars attached, so I would just like to have that figure. In question period today, I heard that, essentially, our deferred maintenance was at $465 million on all of our assets, and we're spending about $5 million a year. By my calculation, it will take us 93 years to catch up on all of our deferred maintenance. Can somebody just help me understand that figure? I would like a little bit more...

Yes. Thank you, Madam Chair. I recognize there is this tension with every jurisdiction and their power corporation and the power corporation supposedly having to run rates that keep their power consistent and allow them to maintain their infrastructure. Then, consistently power corporations do not want to raise rates, so they just do not maintain their infrastructure. Then, the government has to bail them out. Hence, we are subsidizing the Power Corporation, which we have done multiple times and are continuing to do here. My question, though, is: when we build all of these new upgrades and...

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that, on Monday, November 2, 2020, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that, pursuant to rule 92(1), the Legislative Assembly hereby establish a Special Committee on Reconciliation and Indigenous Affairs. And further, that the following Members be named to the special committee: Mrs. Lesa Semmler, the Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes; Mr. Steve Norn, the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh; Mr. Rylund Johnson, the Member for Yellowknife North; the Honourable R.J. Simpson, Member for Hay River North; and...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm just going to ask that question one more time a different way. I recognize we're sending this project for approval. It may go to environmental assessment, in all likelihood. We need to have a lot of detail. Is part of the plan to include extending power lines? Obviously, this would require running them up the Ingraham Trail and then down the road, which would be another huge project. I want to clarify whether the project as defined to Lockhart Lake includes transmission lines. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am glad to hear the Minister commit to reviewing this. In my experience, I am confused what this clause does because we fund plenty of tourism businesses through SEED, and to me, every time we fund one, they are disrupting the market in comparison to their competitors. I helped one of my constituent fishermen get SEED funding. Then another complained that they did not get a government subsidy, so I had to go help them. It seems that, every time we give government grants, we are disrupting the market. To me, that is the goal. Is the Minister willing to just accept that...

Thank you, Madam Chair. There have been a number of different assessments of this road and benefit-cost analysis. One of the problems is many of the ones I have seen, they do the analysis based on there being hydro, based on the road going to Nunavut, based on the port existing. I have yet to see a business case for just Lockhart Lake road, which is what we are proposing to build. We're proposing to build a road that doesn't get to the diamond mines, that doesn't have hydro. Is the Minister willing to go and do the business case for just that? Funding for this is ultimately up to political...

I am glad that the Minister is working to find that top-up internally. We are hearing this year that there is $4.3 million of demand for SEED applications. I can only imagine that this demand will continue next year. Really making sure that our entrepreneurs can find that capital in these tough times, I think, is central to our recovery. Is the Minister willing to increase the SEED funding in next year's operations budget?

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm happy to do we are doing this in phases. I recognize it's not our decision whether it goes to EA. I don't think it's much secret that it probably will go to the environmental assessment. I want to get the sense: say we get regular approvals; we get those in 2024, let's say past the life of this Assembly; say we're approved, and we have funding for just phase 1 of Lockhart Lake. Will we build the road to Lockhart Lake, start construction, or are we going to wait to get regulatory approval and funding secured for the other phases? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thomas Friedman writes, "In a world where so many people now have access to education and cheap tools of innovation, innovation that happens from the bottom up tends to be chaotic but smart. Innovation that happens from the top down tends to be orderly but dumb." Mr. Speaker, I am concerned that, far too often, the GNWT is orderly but dumb, but our entrepreneurs are prime example of bottom-up innovation. Our economic supports must do more to foster that kind of growth. I will have questions for the Minister of ITI how we are making sure our economic recovery is chaotic and smart, as opposed to...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Can I just confirm that? I understand we are going to do the project description report; we are going to do a developers assessment report; and then we are going into environmental assessment. Are we entering environmental assessment just from Highway No. 4 to Lockhart Lake, or are we entering environmental assessment for the entire road, two of the three phases? Can I just get a sense of what we are bringing to the land and water board? Thank you, Madam Chair.