Bob McLeod

I’m quite prepared to commit to that because we do that as a matter of course. Certainly this is an area where we want to see development proceed and certainly we’ll work very hard to make this happen.

The NWT Power Corporation owns and generates the power. What I was talking about was, based on the current schedules, it’s basically who comes first.

Thank you. We have been meeting with the federal Ministers. We’ve also been meeting with the oil and gas industry executives and we’ve been discussing how we can work more closely together.

One of the messages we get from the federal government is that we need to speak with one voice. Also, we’re hearing: where is the chorus of support from the Northwest Territories? They say, “what are you hearing from certain individuals or organizations that they support the pipeline,” but we don’t have the whole Northwest Territories indicating their support for the pipeline. So I think that we recognized...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, I would like to express my appreciation to the honourable Member for travelling with me to Calgary.

---Laughter

MLA Ramsay for travelling to Calgary with me. It reinforced to the oil and gas industry executives the importance that this government places on the Mackenzie Gas Pipeline project. I think this is a very important question, because I am getting concerned that too many people think that this pipeline is a sure thing now that the Joint Review Panel report has been released. It is an important step, but there is another important step which is the...

Mr. Speaker, we have reached a crucial milestone with the Mackenzie Gas Project.

On December 30, 2009, the Joint Review Panel released its long awaited report assessing the environmental and social impacts of the MGP.

What I will talk about today is what this government is doing, and has done, to ensure our work on this project is timely and efficient. And I will talk about the potential benefits this proposed project, if done in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, could bring to the Northwest Territories and to Canada. But I am not here today to focus on this report and the...

Thank you. I think that if we can somehow get the federal government to recognize that all of the people in the Northwest Territories support the pipeline and feel it’s an important project and priority for this government and Territory, that that would go a long ways. Also, I know the 15th Assembly had passed a motion in support -- I think it was unanimous support -- for the Mackenzie Pipeline and I think that probably would only help to reinforce it if this 16th Legislative Assembly did the same. Thank you.

Thank you. Our government has been very active in promoting a Mackenzie Pipeline. We have done a large amount of work outlining the significant benefits, not only to the Northwest Territories but to Canada. We pointed out to different provinces that the largest beneficiaries would be the provinces of Alberta and Ontario. Our Premier has met with the Prime Minister on a number of occasions. I know a number of our Ministers, every time we go out to Ottawa we take the occasion to talk about the pipeline. The pipeline is our biggest priority and this is something that we want the rest of Canada to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Mr. Larry Elkin and his wife, Cappy. Mr. Elkin is a very long-time deputy minister with the Government of the Northwest Territories. He commented to me the other day that he had a letter of thanks from 40 years ago for intervening at the Mackenzie Gas Pipeline hearing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, want to recognize two long-term Yellowknife South constituents, Adam and Donna Pich. Business must really be picking up because they had to go back right away.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document titled Creating a Brighter Future: A Review of Electricity Regulation, Rates and Subsidy Programs in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.