Bob Bromley

I appreciate that answer. We need to know the total bill resulting from this incident. Will the Minister document these new costs, including replacement of materials, generating fuel, staff time, additional equipment charges, travel, charter, and so on – everything, basically – and report this total cost to the Assembly?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks for that response from the Minister. There are two main keys to achieving a reduction of greenhouse gas output and both of them also provide many opportunities for economic development reducing cost of living and so on. One is getting this government and our communities off carbon-intensive fuels and onto renewables. Another is requiring all future major industrial development to achieve carbon neutrality as a condition of approval. When will the Minister table a plan for achieving these crucial objectives?

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Will the Speaker request the Minister to respond to my questions, to answer my questions?

I guess we have a new protocol here. The Minister is asking me questions. I’m happy to take some time to answer those questions, as long as the Speaker will allow me. The first thing I would do is I would immediately get rid of the policy that says that we will allow our emissions to increase 100 percent by 2020 from some much earlier level when we were much lower when we know, and the Minister agrees, that the science says we need a 25 to 40 percent reduction in emissions by that time. It’s behaviour such as this government…

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are directed to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. I want to follow up on my earlier Member’s statement, a key priority of the 17th Assembly’s support of environmentally sustainable development, and obviously the public is on track here. Given our current policies, we’re not achieving that and we’re not able to achieve that. There’s no potential to achieve that. What is the Minister prepared to do in terms of improved policies and law to counter the threat to our people and environment?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During the last session while debating how best to act on climate change, discussion was sidetracked as a focus on rules obscured the meat of the debate. Nevertheless, recognition of the need for real action shone through. Public responses sent to Ministers, colleagues and myself showed overwhelming public support for GNWT leadership on a more responsible position to fight climate change.

Here are some sample quotes: “We’re in denial about what every major academy of science is telling us.” “The imbalance has wreaked havoc on the environment.” “Our behaviour is folly of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to item 15, notices of motion, on the orders of the day. Mahsi.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thanks to the Minister for that commitment. One has to question the care that was taken in the planning of these exercises to ensure protection of public safety and infrastructure. Has this government contacted the commanders of these exercises and requested assurance and a detailed explanation of measures being taken to prevent further harm to people and vital infrastructure or will we do that contact soon?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation and it’s my hope I can get answers beyond finalizing devolution as the answer to all of my questions. The hydro supply for Yellowknife and Behchoko was recently knocked out by the Canadian Military’s current exercises for our protection. We face a huge bill for one kilometre of transmission line repairs, elevated fuel costs replacing hydro with diesel power for at least 10 days, and associated expenses. Will the Minister be sending an invoice to the federal Minister of National Defence for a...

Thanks for that response from the Minister. I appreciate that. Will the Minister commit to immediately revising the Greenhouse Gas Policy to remove the policy of allowing greenhouse gas emissions to soar to 100 percent above earlier emissions by 2020 and replace it with a more responsible policy in line with the science with which he agrees?