Bob Bromley

Thanks for that response. My last question is: Given the ongoing climb in utility costs and environmental costs, and I believe this government has committed to addressing both of those, has the department set out a schedule for converting all of our infrastructure to renewable energy like some annual targets and a long-term plan? I know we’re working by guess and by golly, and as we have resources and so on, but obviously, a bit of a methodical plan and some goals might help direct the resources needed to actually achieve this sort of thing. I guess I’d ask the Minister, do we have such a...

Mr. Chair, thanks for that update. I knew it was coming but I guess it’s not here yet, the new ones. In terms of the lifecycle renewals that we do, are they designed typically to meet those standards, as well, when we go in and bump up a building? Do we use those same standards for that work? Thank you.

It just seems a little bit caddy-wonky. On the surface it seems right, but given that there’s nobody there that can take advantage of those six homeownership units, they’re not really part of the public housing stock. Obviously, there’s a need there to replace the units where people already are. So I’ll just leave it at that. I don’t want to take up too much time on this, but I look forward to this Community Needs Survey that we’re getting a briefing on in the next week for further discussion. So I’ll leave it at that. Thank you.

Thanks to the Minister for that. Yes, that, I think, will be a key document and I’ll be very curious on what that shows for the communities I represent.

My last question here is how many homeownership units, I believe I heard the Minister say some of them were being converted to public housing recognizing that people don’t have the capacity to take advantage of those homeownership units. That’s certainly been the case in Detah and Ndilo. In Detah and Ndilo, how many public housing homeownership units have been converted to public housing over the last couple of years? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate this opportunity. Again, please forgive any overlap. I would like to start by just joining in on this love fest a little bit. I don’t want to be left out. I know the Minister is not used to these words, but all kidding aside, I think this department has really shown some progressive work and move to really tackle the issues. I think there has also been a happy coincidence with the return of housing to its proper home that has helped with collections and so on. I know the Minister fought hard for that under another hat. I think that has been a little bit...

I appreciate the Minister’s intent, but we are looking for performance here. We are talking hundreds of millions of dollars here in liabilities, and history, yes, we have history up the gazoo, Mr. Speaker, on failed collection of securities.

The two shortfalls I referred to in my first two questions exposed the GNWT to liability, as I mentioned, and amount to a backdoor subsidy to industry and a proven risk – a proven risk – to taxpayers. These securities are levied to cover real liabilities.

Will the Minister commit to vigorously pursuing these two outstanding, legally required securities and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. According to Tabled Document 127-17(5) – and my questions today are for the Minister of Lands – Canadian Zinc’s Prairie Creek Mine has a shortfall of $6 million in the amount of financial securities provided, evenly split between the environmental land use permits and water licence. The same tabled document indicates GNWT has failed to collect the startling $170 million-plus in securities related to the water licence related to Dominion Diamonds’ Ekati mine.

Can the Minister explain these shortfalls and indicate when the required security will be forthcoming? Mahsi.

Mr. Chair, the term I actually used was lifecycle renewals, a term I pulled out of the document, but essentially that is it. I’m just wondering: under our maintenance work that we are doing, the sort of catch-up to try and reduce our deferred maintenance, do we subscribe to those standards? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just had a couple of things. The first one is I am wondering where we are at with energy standards. I always bring that up. It is nice to get a progress report. I know that there has been some consideration at the national level to instigate new standards. I’m not exactly sure where we’re at with that. Maybe I will just start with that.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think the Minister’s offer might be of interest to the Members, too, but just on those older units, I’m assuming they are beyond use, would we be expecting replacement units to be on the capital plan in the near future? Thank you.