Brendan Bell

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d have to go back and look at my earlier response, but in terms of people that have some aspect of their job related to the Mackenzie Valley pipeline or the Mackenzie gas project, I would think there are at least 20 people. We know we have regional petroleum advisors, one in Inuvik. We have other positions in RWED related to environment or business development that support a pipeline and support resource development. We know we have positions in MACA that work to develop community capacity. They are also being dispatched to help our effort to work on this file....

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me first thank the Member for the statement that he made today in the House and past statements he’s made on this issue. I think it highlights the need and allows us to discuss the need for additional resources in terms of oil and gas readiness up and down the valley. I certainly won’t deny that there’s an immediate and urgent need in the Mackenzie Delta. Obviously the place for that most specifically would be in Inuvik, where it would be best suited. I certainly have committed to come forward with a strategy for resourcing oil and gas development. I’m looking to go...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In response to my correspondence, the Natural Resources Canada Minister did indicate that he appreciated the invitation to meet and come to the Northwest Territories to meet with the people in the Sahtu to discuss this issue. I am going to have a chance, I believe, prior to that -- hopefully, in April -- as we set out meetings in Ottawa and look to arrange meetings. I am certainly going to attempt to arrange meetings with the Natural Resources Canada Minister and the Environment Minister. This is at the top of the list for discussions, so I will be able to engage...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have had discussions over the past months with both Minister Efford, the Natural Resources Canada Minister and Minister Dion, the Minister for the Environment, related to contaminated sites and their cleanup. Most recently, the Member is aware, I have reiterated these concerns in writing to Natural Resources Canada Minister Efford. He has agreed to start a process and ensure that the agency responsible for nuclear waste meets with the community of Tulita to begin a process and discuss options for the permanent removal of these contaminated soils from the community...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I’ve indicated, it’s my intention to come to the Governance and Economic Development committee and, obviously, I think that committee will want to involve all Members in that and I can personally make sure that the Member has a copy of that work as we get there. As I’ve said, right now I’m hoping almost immediately to go to Cabinet with a conceptual approach and a strategy and as we firm this up in the coming weeks, I’ll sit down with the Member personally and we’ll certainly go to GED with this work. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve talked about the nature in past questioning of our minerals, oil and gas unit here at headquarters. The reality is that we have three dedicated positions to oil and gas. One is a term position that is being used to help us navigate our way through the NEB intervention and process that’s underway and the other two are some that we have. One has been just recently filled, but the fact of the matter is we don’t have enough resources, we are spread too thin, we do need some coordination resources here at headquarters, notwithstanding the fact that we obviously need...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is a very good question. I think our strategy and approach has been, through the devolution negotiations, to make sure that the federal government owns up to their responsibility for the cleanup of past contaminated sites. I think we have identified something in the neighbourhood of 700 sites in the Northwest Territories that are not our responsibility. They are a federal responsibility to clean up. They have identified monies recently -- $3.5 billion -- to start to move forward on some of this cleanup. We want to make sure that there aren’t sites out there...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can’t give you the exact process that the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission is proposing to use at this point. They have indicated to me that a precursor to the development of a long-term waste management strategy for the soils is to sit down and define the waste volumes and ownership and some other issues around the site. The Minister has assured me that it is his goal to clean that up and make sure that the low level radioactive contaminated sites are dealt with. I want to, again, assure Members and the public that the Natural Resources Canada Minister has...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know that’s how Members of this House feel. I know that that’s how residents of the Northwest Territories feel. We do need an EDA agreement. I’ve made that very clear to both Minister Blondin-Andrew and Minister Scott. Minister Blondin-Andrew agrees, as well. What we have right now is this economic development money for the next five years. Minister Scott has made the point to me that we need to talk about how to best use this money and make the compelling argument that he can take back to the Treasury Board that says this was money that was well used...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There’s quite a bit of history here; a number of meetings and discussions at several levels in our government with federal colleagues. I also had discussions with Minister Blondin-Andrew and Minister Scott. Collectively the three territories initially believed, and there’s probably still some belief, that the money should be turned over to the territorial governments, there should be bilateral contributions. We believe we have the vehicles to deliver the program funding. The federal government was insistent this was a federal program, they weren’t prepared to devolve...