Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to indicate at the outset that I am in support of this motion, and then to the principle of the motion that has been mentioned by my colleague before me.... I think I’d like to make some comments, though, in relation to some of the arguments that have been presented already and try to counter them.

I also feel that there should not be an increase to registration fees in small communities, and I don’t believe that’s what this particular motion presents. It presents, simply, the possibility of implementing a tiered registration system. It does not say that...

Again, thanks to the Premier for his comments. He’s mentioned some of the things that we need to do, that we are doing, to try to mitigate the costs to all of our residents of actually living in this particular part of the country. I would like to ask the Minister specifically what actions are being undertaken to try and lower the cost of living for our residents in the short term. By short term I mean within the next six to eight months, over this winter.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Premier. As I mentioned in my Member’s statement, the Premier believes that subsidies lower the cost of living. As I mentioned in my statement, I don’t agree with him.

All the Members in this House I think have expressed concern recently about the expected increase that we’re going to experience in home heating fuel. Some have suggested that the government must implement a subsidy to assist residents. I’d like to ask the Premier how a fuel subsidy will reduce the NWT cost of living.

I understand the difficulty in giving me a time frame. Can I get a rough idea of whether it’s between three months and three years, or three months and one year? I won’t hold you to it, but an estimate would be helpful.

I guess I just have one last question. Mr. Bromley sort of alluded to the fact that there’s a bit of a discrepancy here, and I’m having the same difficulty. In the capital budget for ’08–09 we approved $800,000 for this current year, and it earmarked $15 million for this project in ’09–10. Now that $15 million is gone, and there is nothing for that particular school project in the ’09–10 budget. I’m having difficulty understanding how — I think it was February we passed the capital budget — in February of this year we expected, I would presume, construction with a $15 million tag to start in...

Thank you for the answer. I guess that leads nicely into my next question. How long does it generally take to develop an education program, and when was this one first started?

I don’t know how to rephrase that question. I guess my last question would be relative to…. Well, it kind of has to do with planning, but if money were available, could construction start in the summer or fall of ’09?

Thanks for the explanation. To the time required to develop and design.... So we have an educational program at the end of this year. We know what the technical upgrades and requirements are. What is the time period to get to a working design that can be used for determining construction?

Okay. Thanks for that answer. We approved $800,000 for this particular project in the ’08–09 capital budget; February, I think, we approved it. My understanding was that was planning money. So if we’re going to have an educational program done at the end of this month — I think that’s what the Minister said — I wonder when planning for renovations can take place. If the educational program is there, we know what’s required in terms of the technical requirements, building envelope, upgrades and so on. When do we expect that planning is going to start to develop some sort of drawings for this...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’d like to return to a discussion of the delayed, deferred school project in Hay River. I’d like to follow up on some of Mr. Bromley’s questions that he listed and a few of my own.

I know this project’s been delayed. I have heard that the education program — or lack of one or the need to plan for one — is the reason for delay, but is that the only reason that this project was delayed two years?