Bob McLeod

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to recognize my wife, Melody McLeod, wife of 44 years, and I can remember that because it is my residential school number. Also, sitting beside her, I was going to say her sister, but she looks like her sister, Jane Dragon from Fort Smith, also the recipient of many awards. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents entitled "Progress Report on Implementation of the Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories, June to September 2017," "Proposed Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories, 2016-2019 (Revised)," and further to my Return to Written Question 24-18(2), the "Contract for Services between Government of the Northwest Territories and Earnscliffe Strategy Group." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Energy and high energy costs is probably one of the biggest areas which we share, and there is a very high degree of cooperation. Both Alberta and the NWT are committed to reducing community reliance on expensive carbon-intensive diesel. Certainly one of the areas that we are all very interested in is hydro development, and we see opportunities certainly with possibly the expansion of Taltson. We think that Alberta, like ourselves, is participating in the western Canada review of the potential for hydroelectricity throughout western Canada. We think we can be part of the solution and work with...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the honourable Member for his birthday present.

I believe, and it's been proven, that the renewal of the Alberta/NWT Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation and Development has benefited all people in the North. Specifically the communities in that riding I think have benefited as well, because it sets out how our two jurisdictions will work together. It has quite a wide range of areas that we share information on; specifically I look at trade, transportation, tourism, health and social services, fire cooperation, education, training, resource development...

Mr. Speaker, as we begin the final sitting of the second session of the Legislative Assembly, many people are looking back at the past two years and our mandate successes. We have many successes to look at, and we will discuss them in more detail during this sitting. Right now, I want to look in a different direction, Mr. Speaker. Today, I want to talk about the future of the North.

When I think about what the Northwest Territories will look like in 20 years, I see a healthy and prosperous territory built on northern strengths and advantages. I see residents who have good-paying jobs built on...

The Member is quite quick to put words into my mouth, but I'll set the record straight. We were a bit opposed to the process and approach that the Government of Canada took to impose a permanent moratorium and ban on oil and gas drilling in the Beaufort Sea. That's what we're opposed to. We have wanted a system that would be safe and protect the environment. We believe in balance, development, and to permanently ban oil and gas drilling without input from people most affected without any economic development strategy in place to offset the jobs that would be lost, to leave trillions of dollars...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize two Pages from Yellowknife South, Elle Mitchener and Drew Wolfe, and I thank them for providing services to the Assembly and also to all the other Pages. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 438-18(2): Empowering Local Governments." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'm a strong believer that, if we pontificate on something, we should make sure we get the facts right. In this case, it is a permanent ban and the Prime Minister has written to me to confirm that and, as well, he has stated that they would review the need for a moratorium every five years. I've also written to him expressing my concern about the fact that we have had no responses to our request to get on with a negotiation of offshore management. He wrote back and indicated that he has put together a reviewed team led by Minister Carr and Minister Bennett in which they will be undertaking a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There have been over 100 wells drilled in the Beaufort Sea and we have not had a blow-out like they have had in the Gulf of Mexico. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.