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

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Finance and it goes back to last week when the Minister provided to the House his fiscal and economic update.

One of the things that I read in there, with great interest, was continuing the current fiscal strategy allows the Government of the Northwest Territories to move away from the debt limit while still allowing for some minimal investment to support priorities identified by the 17th Legislative Assembly. I think

the financial situation for the incoming government is going to be quite tight. The first question I’d have for the Minister of Finance is: I know he talked about the borrowing limit in his fiscal update but he didn’t mention where exactly the discussions are with the federal government on that borrowing limit today, and I’d like to get an update from the Minister where exactly those discussions are at.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are currently discussions and work underway with Finance Canada and the three territories, including the Northwest Territories, on the basic first step of defining what is going to be meant by debt and the treatment that’s going to be given to different kinds of debt, which is in itself a very important, somewhat complex subject, but that is where we are. The intent is to try to have everything concluded with the three territories by the end of this fiscal year.

As we all know, we’re very close to that borrowing limit of $575 million. We have a number of capital projects on the horizon. We’ve just had a briefing at lunch time on the Tuk-Inuvik highway and our portion that we’ll have to come up with for that. There’s the Stanton Hospital here in Yellowknife and the upgrades for that. We can’t afford to wait much longer to get a reply or an answer from the federal government.

We’ve been talking about the borrowing limit and these negotiations now for about nine months, maybe even 12 months. I’d like to ask the Minister if they can put the pressure on the federal government to at least give us an answer so that

we can have some hope for finding some more dollars to accomplish the things that the next government is going to have to set out to accomplish.

We share the urgency of the Member in terms of resolving this issue. The capital plan for next year is $75 million for the whole Government of the Northwest Territories. The majority of that money is already subscribed to with multi-year programs. I agree we need to have this issue resolved. We’re working with the Department of Finance, the federal Department of Finance, and the Premier will be taking the opportunity when he meets with the Prime Minister here on Thursday to raise the issue, as well, to impress upon him the urgency of this and that the North stands ready to invest in a lot of the infrastructure projects in our future, including the Tuk-Inuvik highway, but we need the flexibility to be able to do that, to make other appropriate investments, which at the current time, with the current structure and definitions and limits, we don’t have that flexibility. Thank you.

I appreciate the Minister’s response. I know he understands the urgency in this. Obviously, there’s a great deal of urgency.

The next question I’d have for the Minister of Finance -- obviously, we are going to be headed into an election -- I’m just wondering what type of information is available on, like, a government-wide variance report or an exact fiscal picture, not only for Members of this House but potential candidates in the upcoming election, to see exactly where the territory’s finances sit on the eve of this election and into the election campaign. I think it’s important that that information gets out in as thorough a breakdown as possible, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

There are a number of documents that are out there. If the Member is talking about some type of, sort of, fiscal update that would be new and separate, I would be glad to have that discussion with him to see what’s possible. We have some information available on line. We also have whatever information and fiscal updates are provided here in this House in terms of the detail, some of the borrowing limit issues, the other pressures in terms of revenues and expenditures, and the broader economic landscape that we’re all operating in, which could have a significant effect on our revenues, for example. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I thank the Minister for that. What I’d be looking for is the more detail the better, a complete breakdown of the territory’s finances. I know we’re about not even halfway through this fiscal year but, like I said, a variance report, where we’re at at dissolution. I

think that’s important not only for Members here but potential candidates that are out there so that everybody gets an idea of what they’re getting themselves into. Thank you.

I’ll commit to have a discussion with the members of the Financial Management Board to look at what might be possible in terms of trying to meet the request from the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The time for question period has expired. Item 8 written questions. Item 9 returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to opening address. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to reply to the opening address with comments regarding progress towards creation of an Anti-Poverty Strategy.

Inside the Government of the NWT, progress had been very disappointing. Members are well aware of the call for an Anti-Poverty Strategy from 29 organizations including the City of Yellowknife and a who’s who of the NWT’s social justice advocacy groups. It’s perhaps unprecedented to see so many major groups come together with one voice on one issue calling so loudly for action by the territorial government. This is grassroots action at its finest.

Regular Members of this Assembly took up this call in a February 2010 motion calling upon the government to create a strategy in partnership with communities and business. The more than 80 participants at the October 2010 No Place for Poverty Workshop reinforced this appeal with detailed recommendations for how the government should proceed. That advice was largely ignored in the government’s response, with promise of the development of a discussion paper for NWT-wide consultations. That process has laboured along and I’m told the government’s next product will not be public until September or later, although insiders like us may get a look sooner than that.

The alliance of Anti-Poverty Strategy supporters is not letting this issue falter, despite government inaction. This morning representatives of the alliance unveiled plans to make this a major issue in the upcoming territorial election. They announced that they will be calling on all candidates to pledge their support to making an Anti-Poverty Strategy a top priority of the next Assembly. They will publicize the candidates’ responses, and when the next Assembly gathers, remind successful candidates of their commitments.

Promoting and supporting creation of an Anti-Poverty Strategy has been one of the major

priorities of my work in this Assembly. Through my committee work, statements and questions, support of our Anti-Poverty Strategy motion, and participation in the public events promoting this initiative, I have stressed my support for urgent government action. We must attack poverty as the root of the many social ills crippling our society. Our GNWT response must be integrated across government and developed in full partnership with our communities, non-government organizations, and business partners.

I congratulate the grassroots commitment of this alliance and will be calling for the creation of an Anti-Poverty Strategy to be included in the transition recommendations we make to the next Assembly.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to briefly comment on the current disturbing situation regarding the Sport North Federation. I will be speaking more on this later in the Assembly but there is some urgency to comment today. Because of the complex, unclear, and even undefined processes of the sports recreational council, the Sport North Federation’s current funding application has been held up and we are now almost six months into their fiscal year. The Sport North cannot survive without immediate resolution of this impasse. In speaking to the president of Sport North, he believes simply meeting with the Minister and his officials for one hour would allow the negotiation required to resolve the situation and allow them to continue their key service operations. Without that, their capacity to continue ends next month. I seek support from the Minister of MACA to meet with the Sport North Federation as soon as possible to deal with this pending situation.

I would also appreciate the opportunity to meet with the Minister of MACA to seek ways to resolve outstanding issues that create such situations, and thereby maximize our support to our youth and community residents.

That is all I have, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following two documents entitled Status Report to June 2011: Environment and Natural Resources Framework for Action 2008-2012; and 2011-2015, A Greenhouse Gas Strategy for the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bob McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled Agriculture Products Marketing Council 2010-2011 Annual Report.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for Justice, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled GNWT Response to Committee Report 3-16(6), Report on the Review of 2009-2010 Annual Report of the Human Rights Commission.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to table a series of documents in a package called No Place for Poverty: Everyone has a Right to Housing, Food and Dignity, Anti-Poverty Election 2011 Tool Kit, sponsored by Alternatives North and the YWCA. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to table a document entitled Proposal to Enhance the Promotion and Delivery of Sport and Recreation Activities to the Aboriginal Population in the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Item 15, notices of motion. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.