Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. To the motion, Mr. Ramsay.

I just wanted lend my support to the motion that’s before us this evening, for a couple a reasons.

I’d like to get some more information. This is a tough one. I give a lot of credit to the Minister and his department for going out, and they are actually one of the departments that has done a fair amount in the area of reductions, and they are to be applauded for that.

With this one, however, there’s some concern over the amount of money that has been injected. I know we approved $300,000 in the interim appropriation for the Shell Lake area. I’m not sure how much more we’re going to need to spend there to get offices relocated from Inuvik out to Shell Lake. It’s something we need to spend a little bit more time on. I’m not sure if the amount that shows up in this motion of $50,000 is necessarily the amount of money it’s going to take to get us through to the fall so that we can, hopefully, get some more answers. I certainly would like to investigate a little more about what it’s going to cost in ENR to relocate out to Shell Lake and whether or not there’s going to be a presence in downtown Inuvik. Those are things that have been highlighted by my colleague from Mackenzie Delta.

Those are important things, and I think we need to keep those in mind, and we need to just make sure we are doing the right thing. In an effort to save some money we might have to spend a lot more. Again, I’m going to support the motion. I don’t think it’s going to end up being $50,000 at the end of the day until we come up with a solution. That’s my take on it.

Thank you,

Mr. Ramsay. To the motion, Mr. Hawkins.

I’ll support the motion. I just want that on record.

Thank you,

Mr. Hawkins. To the motion, Mr. Roland.

I just want to state, hearing a concern from the Members around this area and the operation, that the department, as the Minister stated, has done their work to try to meet their target and has done well in doing that and coming up with the right balance.

Just for the record, the Minister has made a commitment that the storefront operation will still be looked at in the actual downtown area of the community of Inuvik proper. As well, the $300,000 in the interim appropriation, just for the record, is to deal with the bunkhouse, and that’s to deal with fire crews and that operation. I just want to put that on the record. It’s not the deal with offices and moving of those offices. It’s to ensure that the bunkhouse is done. It’s a facility that’s been used for that for many years.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. To the motion?Question has been called. I will ask the mover of the motion to conclude the debate on the motion.

What I’m hearing from the Minister in regard to this storefront…. This motion basically supports that initiative. I think we can continue that initiative and make sure we have a presence.

I think this department is crucial to what’s going on in the Inuvik region. We have environmental screening committees that work in the community; we have regulatory boards that work in Inuvik. At the end of the day, we have to work with these other agencies, but I think that moving away from the downtown core of Inuvik sends the wrong message. If this government is saying they want to be involved in providing services and programs, to be involved in the oil and gas activities, talk about land management, environment management, it does not send the right message by way of government’s relocating outside of the core of the community.

When you are a regional centre, you’re there to provide services to Inuvik, Beaufort-Delta region as a whole and not to be having to go in to town, then come back out of town and then back in to town to meet with somebody else. I think the convenience of this is going to be felt by people who are trying to develop a working relationship with this department. But, again, the motion does support the effort that’s being recommended by the department, so I don’t think it should be an issue. If anything, it’s helping it by way of identifying these dollars for reinstatement.

So, Mr. Chairman, I would request a recorded vote.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The question has been called. A recorded vote has been requested. I will now ask all those in favour to please stand.

All those opposed, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand.

The results of the recorded vote on that motion: nine in favour, zero opposed, seven abstentions.

Motion carried.

We’ll return to

considering page 11-13, Activity Summary, Corporate Management, Operations Expenditure Summary: $10,094,000. Was that a question, Ms. Bisaro?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a quick question. I understand there are 11 positions that have been transferred from Corporate Management to Environment, yet when I look at the compensation and benefits figures for both of these sections, they haven’t really changed much. I just wonder if I could get an explanation. I would think one would go down and the other would go up.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Ms. Magrum.

Thank you,

Ms. Magrum. Follow-up, Ms. Bisaro.

Okay. I accept the explanation. It shows, I guess, in Environment, because the Actuals for 2006 were quite a bit less, but in Corporate Management it’s almost the same in value. Maybe I should get an explanation as to why.

Thank you,

Ms. Magrum. Further comments, questions? Page 11-13, for the record, Corporate Management, Operations Expenditure Summary: $10.094 million.

Department of Environment and Natural

Resources, Activity Summary, Corporate Management, Operations Expenditure Summary: $10.094 million, approved.

Page 11-14, Corporate Management, Grants and Contributions: $70,000.

Department of Environment and Natural

Resources, Corporate Management, Grants and Contributions: $70,000, approved.

Page 11-16, Corporate Management, information item, Active Positions. Questions?

Department of Environment and Natural

Resources, Activity Summary, Corporate Management, Active Positions, information item (page 11-16), approved.

Page 11-17, information item, Corporate Management.

Department of Environment and Natural

Resources, Activity Summary, Corporate Management, Active Positions, information item (page 11-17), approved.