Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just on the dollars for additional engineering studies related to drainage and permafrost studies on the Inuvik runway, how much have we spent so far on that project, and were these unanticipated dollars or are we just trying to move things forward in the future? Thank you.

I would hope so. Thank you. Hopefully, we’ve learned that we have to get all departments working together, but I appreciate this Minister taking the lead. I have taken the opportunity to discuss wind with Diavik. The experts there say wind, diesel and batteries are cookie cutter now. They are not experimental. We are way behind the eight ball on this. The Power Corp has not touched wind in 40 years. I’m very happy to see the work that’s being done in Colville Lake with this model because this model can work with solar as well. So we are doing solar in Colville, which is appropriate; they don’t...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to follow up on my colleague’s questions and he actually asked most of the questions I had. Would the Minister know how many adults and children we have in care and what the total costs are that this amount is supplementing?

Thank you. I appreciate that. So, I would ask the Minister if he would indeed commit to, for example, approaching Diavik to learn about their wind project and how it might be considered in our communities, or some other model that they would recommend and how we can work with industry to establish standards that they must meet so that this isn’t a one-off thing that comes in towards the end of the life of a project. It is a requirement from the beginning, as the Diavik wind expert has recommended, and some of the other things that the deputy minister recommended, I appreciate sharing and...

Thank you, Madam Chair. The second one, I’m not astute enough to understand or have the context to understand that one, but I’ll explore that one maybe out of the House. Thank you for that response.

I also see the increase of operating expenses, and perhaps that’s included in the response I got, but operating expenses of about $600,000 and the Member’s pension expenses are about $400,000. I think that was part of the explanation I just heard. But the first one, are there some details I could have on that? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Very interesting, of course, to see this new division in the department, and maybe I could just start off by getting some clarity on how this department will work with others. I see an energy project-focused division that will lead the implementation of local renewable and alternative energy solutions in NWT communities. Obviously, we need community energy systems that would address the cost of living. That’s probably one of the biggest things along with greenhouse gas emissions. So we’re talking, to some extent, community energy systems. I have to wonder how this...

Is that work anticipated to be completed during the life of this fiscal year, so it doesn’t need to be part of next fiscal year’s project? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the end of this sitting nears, we are only six to eight months away from a territorial election and with it an opportunity for concerned citizens to take a leadership role in the governance of our people, lands and resources. We have all heard criticisms, frustrations and suggestions from residents and constituents. Now is the time for individuals to consider stepping forward to provide leadership and to put their ideas into action.

As John Todd, an alumnus of this House, was fond of saying, “If you don’t like the government policies, get elected.” Politics is not a...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I think this is where obviously there is a matter of scale here for the smaller communities. They’re not going to have the volume to be able to provide the same services and so there’s a real opportunity for government to plug in there and provide the subsidy needed. This is a cost recovery project for the government, and of course we will be enjoying some financial benefits from it, so it’s a good opportunity for us to make sure that the very best services can be provided and make even the smallest communities competitive and give them an advantage for participation in...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just had one question here. I know there’s so much expertise in this division, and I know the Minister is aware that we’re putting a Mackenzie Valley fibre optic line that’s meant to enhance the access to the Internet and opportunities for education and health and so on services. I wonder if I can get the perspective of this department.

First of all, has the department looked at that project? Are they providing advice on that project?