Bob Bromley

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...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, and I want to follow up on my Member’s statement in which I said I was very impressed with the way the Economic Opportunities Panel heard and documented our citizens’ grassroots visions for the future of our economy. We have the input and now we must put it into action.

Can the Minister explain the process and timing for bringing this input to a final strategy and confirm that the strategy will include an action plan of costed, concrete measures to put the ideas into action? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks for the Minister’s comments. The renewable energy development to cut the costs for families and businesses were also emphasized by the public. At a time when electricity rates are guaranteed to increase by 7 percent per year and heating costs have soared, how will the Minister ensure that the strategy reflects an emphasis on shifting from expensive imported fossil fuel to renewable energy? Mahsi.

I’d like to thank the Minister. I’d also like to thank very much all the public, our citizens who took the time to participate and contribute to our ideas.

A major point raised in the continuing economic drain of fly-in/fly-out employees from other jurisdictions has been raised before. We have socio-economic agreements with hiring targets, but the targets aren’t being met and government isn’t being firm, insisting on better results.

How does this government intend to move now to call the big companies to book on their performance and up their proportion of NWT resident employees? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Economic Opportunities Panel report is affirmation of our citizens’ grassroots priorities for economic development. My thanks to all those who took time to contribute and share their views.

In reading the report, it often seemed I was reading my files of correspondence from people across the NWT or, indeed, in entreaties from this side of the House.

A few highlights:

widespread interest in more agriculture, recognizing the importance of small subsidies and empowerment of local capacity;

strong support for development of commercial fisheries, recognizing unused...

I’ll look forward to a lot more fleshing out in the weeks to come here. For our community residents, mega projects clearly aren’t the priority, though. Our citizens stress the benefits of locally controlled, sustainable businesses that will take us through boom and bust. Yet this government’s focus continues to be the huge developments local people can least control, and as we see from fulfilment of hiring targets and fly-in workers aren’t delivering full benefits here.

I’m wondering: How does the Minister intend to really take this input to heart and turn the super-tanker approach of...