This is page numbers 3523 – 3556 of the Hansard for the 17th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was going.

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Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’ll try to take that on a positive note and not parts of it and say, well, it’s a bad budget but it’s not that bad, as opposed to it’s not bad in the colloquial vernacular meaning eh, it’s pretty good.

In regards to the hydro – in fact we indicated this before Christmas – we have work underway both for a technical review as well as a business case review of the power system plan, if the route is technically feasible, getting some solid cost estimates and then working on the business case once we have some of those numbers in.

Further work will be done on that process but, once again, just to reinforce the fact that it’s all a moot point if we are unable to successfully conclude our discussions for a $1 billion increase to our borrowing limit.

I appreciate the Member’s comment that we’re prudent in our planning for devolution, and the $9 million which at one point was more than that, but has already been eaten into as a contingency fund as things have come up that hadn’t been anticipated to help offset that.

There have been a number of references – the Member has a fondness for the term when she’s talking about Cabinet – any money that’s not allocated is a slush fund. That is not the case. It’s there, most times coffered and identified for specific use. If it isn’t, then we have to come back and report on it.

I appreciate the idea of the support for the initiative to increase the population and look at these key areas. Yes, there is lots of detail to come. We’re building support for the idea. There’s support there from industry and the chambers as well as some of the Aboriginal governments that we’ve talked about it with. We look to fully engage, as well, with committee. As Mrs. Groenewegen said, she had

many ideas of her own that she thought would be beneficial.

The issue of the reallocation for kindergarten, you referenced lack of consultation, and the Minister has indicated that they worked closely with the board superintendents along the way to minimize the impact and try to carry out this initiative. I’m sure there will be more detailed discussion when Education’s budget comes before this House.

We struggle for efficiency as a government. Yes, we do have cost overruns and government continues to grow in size – we have well over 5,000 employees – but there is also considerable demand and pressure to grow. The governments that I have been involved in, in the nearly 40 years now that I’ve been in the workforce, it is much easier to grow government than it is to shrink government, unless it’s a traumatic experience like 1995, where you wake up one day and you’re $150 million short and then we have to be draconian. It’s an experience and there are only two of us remaining in this House who lived through that as MLAs, so we’ve tried to hit the middle ground.

The discussion over kindergarten in terms of the allocation and the lack of consultations sort of typifies the process we go through when, in theory and abstract, we want to look and be efficient at the internal reallocation, but it’s a process that has its own very in-depth scrutiny once it’s done. Then you hear from a different constituency, usually the providers or the folks that are involved – in this case Education – and there’s money moved around. So it’s a challenge that we continue to try to address.

With regard to the process, maybe our second-last August together it might behoove us to gather around the table in Hay River and have that discussion. Thank you.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Moving on with general comments, I have Mr. Hawkins.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.I move that we report progress.

---Carried

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

I will now rise and report progress.

Report of Committee of the Whole
Report of Committee of the Whole

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Can I have the report from Committee of the Whole, Mr. Dolynny.

Report of Committee of the Whole
Report of Committee of the Whole

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 22-17(5), Northwest Territories Main Estimates 2014-2015, and would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you.

Report of Committee of the Whole
Report of Committee of the Whole

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you. Do I have a seconder? Mr. Ramsay.

---Carried

Item 23, third reading of bills. Madam Clerk, orders of the day.

Orders of the Day
Orders of the Day

February 9th, 2014

Principal Clerk, Corporate And Interparliamentary Affairs (Ms. Bennett)

Mr. Speaker, orders of the day for Tuesday, February 11, 2014, at 1:30 p.m.:

1. Prayer

2. Ministers’

Statements

3. Members’

Statements

4. Returns to Oral Questions

5. Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

6. Acknowledgements

7. Oral

Questions

8. Written

Questions

9. Returns to Written Questions

10. Replies to Opening Address

11. Replies to Budget Address

12. Petitions

13. Reports of Standing and Special Committees

14. Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills

15. Tabling of Documents

16. Notices of Motion

17. Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills

18. Motions

19. First Reading of Bills

20. Second Reading of Bills

21. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of

Bills and Other Matters

- Tabled Document 4-17(5), Northwest Territories Electoral Boundaries Commission 2013 Final Report

- Tabled Document 22-17(5), Northwest Territories Main Estimates 2014-2015

- Bill 6, An Act to Amend the Medical Care Act

22. Report of Committee of the Whole

23. Third Reading of Bills

24. Orders of the Day

Orders of the Day
Orders of the Day

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until Tuesday, February 11th , at 1:30 p.m.

---ADJOURNMENT

The House adjourned at 5:29 p.m.