Thank you, Mr.
Chairman. I agree with the Member about the need.... I think it has all been identified, the issue of deferred maintenance both for buildings and equipment and the cost that there is built up if we don’t do it right. As the Member indicated, the 20 year needs assessment will be reviewed and revamped on an ongoing basis as some projects follow up and get built and other ones come on.
Just for the record I would like to note that the money going to communities is the $28 million from the capital formula that is being proposed and another $6.1 million under the Building Canada fund, $14.6 million under the gas tax for a total this year of $48.7 million going to be allocated to communities on that base plus formula. In the case of the Member for Tu Nedhe, that will give the Fort Resolution community $1.2 million and Lutselk’e $1.1 million. So it gives them funds that they never had and an opportunity to do some planning with the recognition that they will get money.
The Member and I have talked about this as well, and I have referenced it in my comments. As we come forward with the O&M budget, the issue of funding that we are going to bring forward, proposed and targeted for alternate energy projects, is going to be an important piece. Clearly, one of the items that as the government we are interested in working with the Legislature on is the whole issue of mini hydro. It is our hope that when the budget is approved, we will then have the resources to, in a very concrete, meaningful way, approach some of those projects with resources to advance them significantly.