Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Under the Young Offenders Special Allowance, we’ve got more fluctuation there from $3,000 to 25 now down to $5,000. Can the Minister provide detail on what the special allowance is and why it’s fluctuating? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I think I’m going to disagree with the Minister on that, but I wanted to move towards talking about how the department consulted with some of those user groups of the library. In fact, some of those user groups actually contributed towards the cost of the library over a number of years. As I understand the Law Society contributed $28,000 in 2014-15, 2015-16 it was about $20,000. The Law Foundation contributed $50,000 in 2014-15, 2015-16 the same amount. Can the Minister tell me what consultation was done with the Law Society of the NWT before this decision was taken as they...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Under the Nunavut exchange of services, I note that fluctuated between 2014-15 and 2015-16, around $1 million and now it’s back to a similar ratio. Could the Minister speak to that fluctuation and what those exchange of services are? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We’re cutting the library to save costs, but this new resource centre’s going to cost money as well. Is there any idea of how much this resource centre is going to cost in terms of online subscriptions, in terms of computer hardware, and other equipment that’ll be needed for it? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve often criticized this government for gloom and doom. It’s good to hear hope from the other side of the House. Can we get a commitment, though, rather than just hopes? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that it is a very costly project that doesn’t have the same benefits of, say, a hospital or a road so being fiscally prudent on capital certainly. We’re standing alone, I think, for the wrong reasons in some areas. I know the department sent a letter to the law society informing them of the change. Were other governments consulted in their library usage statistics because I wonder if we are alone in this decline? My sense would be that other jurisdictions, if the Minister is correct that major law firms are shutting their legal libraries down, perhaps it is...

Has the Minister reached out to other jurisdictions and learned what they are doing with open government policies? I know that the federal government has made a commitment to having open government policy by next year.

Thank you. I certainly appreciate the Department of Justice being responsive to the concerns of committee. Nothing further, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, year on year, corporate tax revenue has shrunk. I think that sends a signal that we are losing investment. Measures like this send a clear signal that the North is open for business, and we aren’t drawing much from our small tax, our small taxes anyway. It’s a sacrifice that will result in economic growth. It’s supported by many in the Northwest Territories, including our business community. I’d like the Minister to give a firmer commitment that it will be in the business plan for the fall sitting. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’m just a little confused to see wilderness programming under corrections as a contribution. I just asked a question about contract services under community justice and policing and was told that that increase was wilderness camp funding. If the Minister could just clarify? Thank you.