Bob Bromley

WHEREAS diversification of energy sources away from increasingly costly and unpredictably priced fossil fuels is essential to controlling our citizens’ costs of living and business costs, fostering strong local economies and protecting the environment;

AND WHEREAS ministerial mandates direct that a new NWT Energy Plan be developed with the objectives of stabilizing energy prices in communities and reducing the cost and impacts of energy use upon the environment, and direct Ministers to take action to promote community-based alternative energy systems;

AND WHEREAS electrical energy prices alone...

Again, thanks to the Minister for that commitment. I assure him I am not asking to put big holes in walls or anything like that or take up valuable government space. To a large degree we do have artwork here and there on our walls but not necessarily NWT artwork. Hopefully the majority is. To actually display local artists would be a real service and in line with government philosophy. I like the idea of the Minister working with other ministers appropriately. I wonder if he could also maybe work with artisans across the NWT and get some input there. I’m not suggesting he travel to every...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Public Works and Services today. I’d like to address a question of how we can support our arts community across the Northwest Territories and in particular through a display of art in our GNWT infrastructure. In every community this government has buildings that are frequented by our public and by visitors. It’s a real opportunity to display art and add some benefits both to the economic side and to the identification of the Northwest Territories. I’d like to start by asking the Minister whether or not we have a policy that promotes...

That’s it for now. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’ll look forward to that update. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I’d like to ask a different one. I’m sure the Minister is aware of Discovery Air’s plans of acquisition of aircraft. I’m wondering what work the department is doing to prepare for the operational safety and reliability issues associated with airstrips. We’ve got about a year and a half, according to the last news release, on the Discovery Air plans. Maybe there have been changes and updates. About a year and a half/two years from now, we are expecting to have airships occupying the airspace in the Northwest Territories and using our facilities, I presume. I’m wondering...

Thank you. Is that in terms of timing or whether they would be qualified on a national, meet the national standards for qualifications? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, colleagues. Thank you, Minister Ramsay, for those comments. I don’t think I have said the words we shouldn’t build the Inuvik-Tuk highway. I am talking about maintenance of our highways here and balancing it with going aggressively after large, uncosted new projects. The Minister is on record as saying that he would like construction to start this spring or this fall, which I am all for enthusiasm and stuff. I am hoping the Minister won’t try and put words in my mouth and didn’t mean to do that, because I have not ever said that. Thanks for that...

That’s very good to have those stats. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So these people have become residents of the Northwest Territories. I am wondering if we know where roughly, by region or something like that, if we have that sort of information and are monitoring that. Thank you.

I’d like to pose my question now that I’ve got confirmation that that’s where that is. The maintenance of the existing network of highways is purportedly, according to the department presentations, priority number one, and I think most of my colleagues would agree that that’s an appropriate policy, a correct approach. Unfortunately, we have fallen far behind on maintenance of our highway systems and abandoned that responsibility to a large degree, especially in this budget this year, in favour of accelerating new projects and at an unwarranted pace, as was referenced by the deputy minister.

The...

I’m happy to leave it at that. I do understand that we’re not going to do everything at once here. I do understand that these things take some ramping up. I’m not a big fan of throwing a huge amount of money at something and then have the dollars slack off as we learn how to spend them most effectively. We need to be appropriately thorough and comprehensive as we develop these programs, and I’ll look forward to having more discussions. But I appreciate the clarity that we are on the same wavelength there, and as I say, I will look forward to further discussions on this. I’ll leave it at that...