Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Cathie Bolstad, a resident of Weledeh and well known by everybody, I am sure. Also, Elizabeth Portland with Ecology North and Natural History Group and other roles, and any other residents of Weledeh. Mahsi.

I very much appreciate the Minister’s commitment there. Part of the problem here is that nature does not run on a fiscal year basis. I’ve talked to the Minister about this. We’re delivering a $6 million agricultural support program on a bureaucratic cycle that won’t consider applications until months after the seed orders should have been placed.

This program has five years of dedicated funds we know are guaranteed. Applicants say they will have their plans for next year by January 1st. They plan ahead. Why can we not adjust this application contribution agreement process with the standard...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of ITI. I’ve spoken critically of ITI’s controlling, non-inclusive and delayed approach, not always intentional, I know, in delivering the Growing Forward Program at the community level, and its failure to germinate citizens’ enthusiasm and capacity to carry projects forward.

Yesterday I learned of one more example. Rather than turn granted money over to a YKDFN community garden for supplies, ITI made the purchases on the basis of the YKDFN supplied list. This stuff arrived and it’s the wrong stuff. Yet again the garden is put back...

Mr. Chair, again, it does seem like critical information to know when we’re talking about our students here. The Minister mentioned a couple of things why we want to be tracking our students. We have a lot of special needs students, as we know, across the Territories. I assume this means we’re not tracking these sorts of things, because we have a non-functioning system. When will this be up and running once we approve this budget? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just wanted to ask, the student information system that we failed to implement last year and we’re proposing to bring the money over into this year to implement this year, I understand that this is an important program. There is, you know, sort of an urgent need to get this done.

Can I get a little more information on that? What is the urgent need to get this done? What are the challenges to getting it done, and how are we going to work on this differently to make sure we complete this this fiscal year?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to just confirm that under the Housing Corporation we are talking about some additional fuel costs because we went to synthetic natural gas which is the most expensive, as I understand it, of the three gas options, and we had to do that because of the emergency there. I understand that the liquid natural gas is about one-third less expensive, and natural gas itself, again less expensive.

Inuvik has recently chosen the liquid natural gas option so I am anticipating that this is a one-year cost, or at least next year should be less. I would just like to get...

I will take that as a no, despite our Minister reporting being environmentally responsible, and that we do not have policies in place and that we have no decisions made on monitoring and follow-up.

There is nothing in their application on greenhouse gas emissions and mitigation management. We are going to support that going ahead without review. I am very disappointed to hear that.

As I pointed out, we have yet to set goals and limits on cumulative environmental impacts and thresholds. Regulatory mechanisms don’t exist. Unfortunately, adaptive management processes on which to base permits and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are a follow-up to my Member’s statement earlier to the Minister of ENR regarding fracking activities in the Sahtu and the permitting process. This Assembly has approached this new and controversial form of development on both sides of the House, to achieve better understanding of what fracking means for the NWT. EDI’s recommendations report clearly indicated the need for development of policy and regulatory framework, assembly of data, having thorough information and control before potentially damaging decisions are made.

Is the Minister committed to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Final comments are due today as the Sahtu Land and Water Board decide whether to refer to environmental assessment the proposal by ConocoPhillips to test horizontal, multi-stage fracking. I’m urging the board to issue direction for a review.

Only last year the board issued a decision referring a similar proposal by MGM to environmental review. In issuing that decision, the board noted that because this is the first proposal of horizontal fracturing in the NWT, significant public concerns have been identified. There is concern regarding the environmental effects of...

Mr. Chair, thanks to the Minister for that additional information. That does sound like important use of this system. I don’t know whether the Minister is aware or knowledgeable in this area, but covering the bases and this information obviously sounds so important that I don’t think we can really exist without it somehow. How are things being handled in the meantime until we do get a new electronic system in place?