Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of ECE on the Languages Commissioner. I’m wondering: given the report that we’ve seen, where budget wasn’t spent and communities weren’t visited, what kind of oversight does the Minister have? What sort of oversight role does he play in the performance of the commissioner’s duties?

Thank you. Was there a question there, Mr. Hawkins? I don’t believe there was.

Recognizing that our Speaker did not enable us with the capability to work after 6 p.m. today, I think I’ll assume there’s no question there. Thank you.

So we’re on page 6, Health and Social Services, Operations Expenditure, not previously authorized Health Services Programs: $17.32 million.

Bill 9, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 4, 2007–2008, Health and Social Services, not previously authorized: $17.32 million, approved.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Ms. LeClair. Mr. Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee has been considering Tabled Document 37-16(2), Main Estimates 2008–2009, Volumes 1 and 2; Bill 11, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act; Bill 9, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 4, 2007–2008; Committee Reports 4, 5, 6 and 7; and would like to report that Committee Reports 4, 5, 6 and 7 are concluded and that Bills 11 and 9 are ready for third reading.

Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Minister Roland.

Recognizing the clock, does the committee agree that consideration of committee reports 4, 5, 6 and 7 is concluded?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister acknowledged Imperial, which, of course, is part of the largest profit-making machine in the world. Northerners are paying the cost once again. Our foundations are disintegrating. We’re losing our species. The polar bears are having problems in some areas, and there are much more dire predictions and so on. Will this Minister commit to looking at and aggressively pursuing some compulsory requirements for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by large industry?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to highlight again some of these costs. These are often considered hidden costs and not brought into full-cost accounting processes. This sort of thing is probably the tip of the iceberg when we’re dealing with a fuel that is also toxic and harmful in other ways to the environment. It takes extra care and responsibility, but it certainly takes a lot of dollars and takes dollars away from other things that we could be doing that would actually be beneficial to achieving our goals. That’s all I wanted, was a brief comment to highlight the millions of dollars...

Thank you to the Minister for that response. Our people are demanding that this government respond to the situation and not slough this off to the federal government. We’re also not talking policy; we’re talking about compulsory measures, which requires legislation. The MGP will triple our emissions. The diamond mines almost doubled them. How is the Minister planning to mitigate these impacts, which are on the backs of our people, as they walk away with their large profits?