Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The press release on the Deh Cho Bridge last Friday capped off a depressing few days for me. I can’t say I was too surprised to learn that the bridge project is now officially over budget. Projects the size of this one often encounter delays and cost overruns, so an additional $15 million was not unexpected.

No, the depressing part for me was confirmation of my nagging doubts about the viability of the bridge project and realization that the concerns I’ve harboured about it since I began work in this Assembly two years ago were validated. I’m especially frustrated...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I had a question here with regard to the review of the Property Assessment and Taxation Act. When we discussed business plans I believe there was some information about that, that a comprehensive review was coming at some point in time and that we were doing discreet amendments much closer, I guess, in time. Anyway, if I could get an update on when the minor amendments or discreet amendments are coming forward and when a full review of PATA is coming forward. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Only to say that it doesn’t seem very fair.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a question here with regards to the review of the operations and maintenance funding for communities, which I understand was being done sometime in this fiscal year. Could I get some information from the Minister as to whether or not that review has been done and what the results were, maybe in a nutshell? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a question with regard to... We’re on page 6-38 still, I presume? Thank you. I have a question with regard to the contributions for water and sewer services funding. Could I ask the Minister to advise whether or not all NWT communities receive some of this water and sewer services funding?

Thank you. There are occasionally advantages to being a woman, perhaps.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just wondered, then, on what basis was the increase to community government funding based. The increase that’s in this budget, I presume? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am frowning because I don’t really understand how bringing early childhood children into the schools is going to deal with the enrolment issue, but that is another issue. I just would like to have the Minister confirm for me, he mentioned that he wants to hear from various school board authorities and I presume also operators of daycares and child cares. Does that mean that he is open at this point to comments from these particular groups, agencies and individuals? Thank you.

Thanks for the explanation. I guess we have to agree to disagree. I’m not so sure that telling people to go to a website to find out what funding is available is the best way to make sure that the money gets where we want it to go.

I would like to ask the Minister why we have funding for youth corps in two different places in this particular budget. It’s on page 6-34 for $825,000, and it’s again on page 6-39 for $500,000. The descriptions are exactly the same. What’s the difference between these two? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, thanks to the Minister. I appreciate that it is preliminary and that it is probably in discussion stages, but if I can get a little bit more information. Early childhood can span a fairly large number of years. Is the Minister talking about early childhood such as pre-kindergarten or are we talking about early childhood such as from zero to five years of age? Thank you.