Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. We’re going to go back to Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I apologize to Mr. Yakeleya. He asked a question about energy and all the sunsets. In fact, as the Member pointed out, the end of March is the end of all that $60 million we’ve devoted to alternative energy over the last four years. One of the things we are as a government working on to be ready for business plans and for the main budget is to see, given our very tight financial circumstances, what we can do to look at the various initiatives that were underway. It’s the same with strategic initiatives. There are a number of initiatives that are sunsetting. We are looking at how do we manage to put money into these critical areas, given, as I indicated, some of the cost pressures we’re under. Some of the work that was done on strategic initiatives and in energy I believe everybody would concur needs to continue. Our challenge now is to be able to come forward through the business planning process with trying to identify funds, if available, and try to address some of those issues. That work is underway. It’s not concluded but we are gearing up to be able to have that discussion because those are two critical areas of concern and interest. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Your final question, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to thank the Ministers for a good response to my

questions. My final question would be for the devolution, what funds have you received from Canada to date on this issue here, and a comment to the Minister on the forest suppression needs for funding up front. Mr. Chair…(inaudible)…and I will have to apologize for my ignorance on this. The Minister talked about the aircraft services. Are we entering into new contractual arrangements with them or do we need to have that discussion yet? These funds are advanced. I understand why they need to be there in time for the forest fire season. My understanding is clear on that. I guess these are the types of things that we need to have some further discussions yet. I’m not going to stay too long on that issue here.

I do appreciate the Minister’s response on the nurse practitioners. They are a valuable piece of human resources that we need to have in the Sahtu communities, or the Beaufort-Delta, or Deh Cho, or Tlicho, or wherever we need to have that type of service of these nurse practitioners there. I’ll leave it at that there, and hopefully the Minister can help with these couple of other concerns I had.

I understand that some of the operations within NGOs or the government, they have entered into multi-year funding and contracts. That’s why some of them have to be honoured. We heard for many years that multi-year funding is the way to go with the NGOs, so that’s something that needs to be honoured also. I do think that should happen. The Minister does know about my concerns on these issues here, so thank you for allowing some flexibility on his part to explain it to me.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Final comments, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just quickly, in regard to the ENR fire budgets, as has been pointed out by Ms. Bisaro a number of times, we know from history that the fire budget will be almost fully expended by July regardless of what happens, and we’ll be coming back for supplementary appropriation. That’s a different discussion. But we do have some long-term contracts, fixed-wing and rotary, with Buffalo Airways, with Discovery, with some of the other aviation outfits. Hence the request.

With regard to the devolution question and the federal contribution, I’ll ask Mr. Kalgutkar if he can provide the Member with some information. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Mr. Kalgutkar.

Thank you, Mr. Kalgutkar. Does the committee agree we have completed general comments?

Thank you very much. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. A motion is on the floor. It is being distributed now. The motion is in order.

Question has been called.

---Carried

We are going to go back to item 11, Transportation, operational expenditures, interim appropriation, appropriation authority required, $29.848 million. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I just wanted to thank my colleagues for their support as well as the Minister of Transportation for addressing my concerns with regard to improvements to the Liard Highway No. 7.

I am satisfied with the written commitment that the operation and maintenance concerns will be addressed and some of the carry-over capital funding to be expended with that. I’ve got no further questions or comments on this line item. Mahsi cho.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Any comments from Minister Miltenberger?

No, Mr. Chair. Sorry. Minister Ramsay I think would like to have some closing comments on this item. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Minister Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, colleagues. I just wanted to say that we appreciate MLA Menicoche’s determination in defense of Highway No. 7 and trying to address the

concerns that are there for his constituents and for the riding of Nahendeh. We will do whatever we can as we move forward to identify funding to get the much needed reconstruction done on Highway No. 7. Again, I appreciate his efforts. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Ramsay. Item 11, Transportation, interim appropriation, 2012-2013, operational expenditures, appropriation authority required, $29.848 million.

Since this concludes the proceedings, thank you committee. We’d like to thank the witnesses here today, and if I can get the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort our witnesses out. Does this conclude our consideration of Tabled Document 1-17(2), Interim Appropriations 2012-2013?