Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my statement earlier today I talked about how people in the NWT are concerned about fracking, and my questions today are for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.

Many people are concerned and for good reasons. I would like to know: Has the Minister heard these concerns? Does he understand that people are concerned or that he least acknowledge that they might be concerned?

As I mentioned, both trucks carrying highly polluted and toxic water rolled over very close to rivers. Fortunately none spilled. The ConocoPhillips site has had to shut down after a worker was seriously injured, and several holding dams and tanks have failed already.

People are concerned and they have every right to be. Many people are talking about a moratorium on fracking, but at a very minimum we need to do environmental assessments on these projects to respond to people’s concerns. Mahsi.

Yes, thanks, Madam Chair. Sections 1 and 104 are interesting in that initially the ENR Minister will be providing staff to the Inuvialuit board rather than the board hiring its own staff, then at some point 104 will come into force and they can hire their own staff. I am just wondering why do we have to go through these steps. Can’t we just have the board do its own thing right away? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. I’d like to note that our current Greenhouse Gas Strategy was released in 2011 and runs until 2015. According to the document, the GNWT is going to start work on a new Greenhouse Gas Strategy in 2014.

As we begin this work, could the Minister tell us how the success of the past plan will be evaluated?

The next few days would be great. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am wondering again why the Inuvialuit have their own water board at the same time the government is doing away with the regional land and water boards in the Mackenzie Valley. I would like to note that members of the board also get to nominate their chair, section 14, I believe it is, unlike the MVRMA where the chair is selected by the Minister. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Constituents are saying their home heating and power bills are higher than they’ve ever been. Just last week I tabled a petition from residents of the NWT calling for more action on climate change.

Government expense is increasing with increasing damage to infrastructure. We all know that oil is just going to get more expensive and that climate change is going to get a lot worse before it gets better. It is our dependence on fossil fuels that is creating this crisis.

The Chinese character for crisis is a combination of the symbols for danger and opportunities. Today I’d...

That would, I think, be appropriate and add some transparency and predictability that would support the public in its oversight role.

My last point here is there doesn’t again seem to be mandatory requirements for closure and reclamation plans. Could I get a comment on that? Thank you.

That’s fine for a legal person to say, Madam Chair, but we’re talking here in this House about what’s right and what’s wrong, I think. How will that be handled if there’s an improper contaminant being released legally, that would, I assume in some court of appeal I could argue is a real thing and that’s what’s meant to be dealt with by the Environmental Rights Act. By now negating the Environmental Rights Act, you’re leaving our public hanging when injustices are, in fact, happening. How do we deal with that?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise at the earliest opportunity after reviewing unedited Hansard from yesterday to raise a point of order against Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Miltenberger said to me in my proposed amendment to a motion, and I quote from yesterday’s unedited Hansard, page 50: “…if it’s not outright duplicitous, it’s friggin’ double standard. And I withdraw the friggin’.”

Mr. Speaker, House Rule 23 states it’s against orders of the House, under (i), to impute false or hidden motives to another Member; under (j), charges another Member with uttering a deliberate falsehood; and, finally, (k)...