Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our government has a clear position on the borrowing limit and as with the Member of Parliament, we both think there’s a need to have our borrowing limit adjusted. We are working on a government-to-government basis with the federal government to in fact engage and conclude that process hopefully by April. At the same time, the Member of Parliament has a private member’s bill that is now before the House of Parliament raising the same issue, but we are continuing to focus our attention on trying to conclude our arrangements and discussions with the federal government. Thank you.

Thank you. I’d just like to ask the Minister maybe if he can explain that to the public that’s out there. What exactly composes our current debt limit? I think it was about almost $500 million right now. Thank you.

Thank you. Our current borrowing limit is a specific number. It’s $575 million. The $575 million is good for another four years after which it will revert at this point back down to $500 million. Of that money, about $350 million is what we call self-financing debt, which is

debt of the Housing Corporation, Power Corporation and the bridge when it comes on-line. It will be paying a majority of its own way as well. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Should this bill pass, what would be the benefits to our Territory as a whole? Thank you.

Thank you. As we fully intend to conclude the discussions with the federal government hopefully by next month, that’s the target date that both our government and the federal government have agreed to. Similar with intent to the private member’s bill, it would see a revised borrowing limit that will reflect the fact that we are a mature and responsible government, and we are now on the path of devolution with the agreement-in-principle and that we need the flexibility in our borrowing limit to be able to manage our affairs more effectively. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Your final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. This bill will also be long term. I would presume it would necessarily cancel out our previous agreement with the federal government of a borrowing limit. Thank you.

Thank you. The route for a private member’s bill is fraught with many challenges and hurdles to clear. It has made some fairly good progress. It’s now before a committee after second reading. If, for example, a federal election comes, then the bill will die on the Order Paper. In the meantime, I think we want to keep our attention firmly fixed on the work that we’re doing with the federal government in terms of trying to resolve the borrowing limit. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs getting back to my Member’s statement where I talked about Northland Trailer Park located here in Yellowknife, home to 1,100 people. Approximately 600 children live there as well. They’ve had intermittent water service in that trailer park for the last three weeks. Sometimes the water comes on for a couple of hours a day. There’s no set schedule. Some residents of that trailer park have been without water for one week -- a full week without water. We’re talking about elderly people, disabled people, day homes. The situation is getting dire, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister of MACA what exactly is MACA doing to stay in touch with the federal government on

accessing the necessary funding to see the infrastructure get replaced at that trailer park. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Through the Infrastructure Minister, he’s on three occasions raised the issue with his counterparts in Ottawa and I know that Minister Bob McLeod has raised the issue. The answer they got back was the projects were still being looked at and if they decided to proceed with the projects, then the organization would be given a formal response to submit the formal application. Thank you.

Thank you. Obviously, time is of the essence. It looks like there might be a federal election sometime in May. I’d like to ask the Minister what plans are in the works to ramp up the efforts to ensure that that federal funding does become available so that we can get the infrastructure replaced in that trailer park this coming summer. Thank you.

Thank you. It was the City that submitted the proposal and we as a government had supported the City’s proposal. We, as a department over at MACA, had supported the City’s proposal. So we would have to be in contact with the City and see if anything is being heard or what’s the status on the proposal. Thank you.

Thank you. The situation at that trailer park is very serious. The frequency of line breaks is happening more often and, again, we’re probably only months away from a catastrophic line failure at that trailer park. I’d like to ask the Minister if he would entertain even talking to his federal counterpart in Ottawa or even going to Ottawa himself with pictures and stories of people who have been without water at that trailer park for three weeks, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister if he’d take that challenge on and try to get this federal funding for the City of Yellowknife and for the residents of Northland Trailer Park. Thank you.

Thank you. It’s unfortunate of the situation out in Northland. I had an opportunity, earlier this winter, to meet with the residents out in Northland along with MLA Bisaro and Mayor Van Tighem and we had a very informative meeting. They outlined very eloquently the amount of problems that they’re facing out in Northland and we understand, I mean they understand it’s a privately held corporation, but we as a government are doing what we can to support the City’s application for accessing some of the funding that could be available. But I will assure the Member that I’ll do what I can to try and send word to Ottawa or meet with my counterparts in Ottawa and see if there are any opportunities there to advance the application. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Your final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m wondering if the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs has considered any alternative funding that our government might be able to provide to the City of Yellowknife so that the infrastructure can get replaced at that trailer park this coming summer. There’s got to be another approach. Have we thought of everything that we possibly can in order to get that done? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Municipal and Community Affairs doesn’t have a mandate to fund condominium corporations. I mean, we recognize the fact that they are facing some challenges out there and we’re working with the City to try do what we can to advance the proposal that they’ve sent down to Ottawa. Again, it is a privately held corporation and we understand that there are a lot of issues out there and we’re hopeful we can do what we can to help the residents of Northland access some funding so they’d be able to get on with some overdue and needed repairs. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we’ve done our work around the previous draft Hydro Strategy and beginning to look at that strategy once again, the issues of connectivity in the grid, to greenhouse gases, to helping reduce the cost of living are all those pieces that will be looked at as we look forward to a solution that will work for an expansion to the Taltson.

I appreciate those comments from the Premier. I think it’s a better way of going about business, a good comprehensive approach. I’ve noticed that many of our development projects that are proceeding are happening slowly, often with five to 10-year time frames, perhaps even longer. With this is an opportunity for suitable hydro development options to be proposed and considered and assisted. Yet we seem to either go for the huge, get-rich-quick schemes, like the Taltson to the mines, or we sit idly by and allow time to pass so that they’re finessed into using diesel generation. Will the Premier commit, will he direct our Hydro Corporation, our Energy Corporation to start assisting in identifying options for these projects on the appropriate scale that will ultimately leave a legacy for our communities?