N.W.T. legislative assembly resumes today for budget session

The winter session of the Northwest Territories legislative assembly begins this afternoon with Finance Minister Michael Miltenberger unveiling this year's operations and maintenance budget Thursday.

The sitting starts a week after Premier Bob McLeod's latest request to the federal government to more than double the territory's borrowing limit, to $1.8 billion dollars. 

There's little doubt the government needs the money. Where the territory will spend the money is another question.

With education, housing and cost of living concerns across the territory, there's no shortage of big issues facing this government as it enters its final year.

The finance minister and premier say an increase to the borrowing limit could help kick-start some big-ticket infrastructure projects, such as new roads and highways.

"If the debt limit does increase, we do know that infrastructure makes it easier for industry or even the GNWT to move forward some of its resources, to export its resources, a lot easier, at a lower cost," says Alfred Moses, the Inuvik Boot Lake MLA. 

But not all members believe the money should go to transportation infrastructure.

"I appreciate that we need more room to borrow. I'm somewhat leery about the projects that we may borrow for. I already feel there's too much emphasis on transportation in the budget already,"says Wendy Bisaro, who represents Frame Lake in Yellowknife.

"If we're going to take a great deal of our borrowing room and put it into finishing the Mackenzie Valley road — yeah, it needs to be done, but at what cost?" 

This session of the assembly will last until March 12.