David Krutko

Mr. Speaker, someone that drives along the Mackenzie River in the Mackenzie Delta between Aklavik and Fort McPherson can visually see how cabins are falling into the river. The riverbanks are eroding at such a fast rate that the communities are in the same situation.

I don’t think the Minister gets it. This is a serious problem. We have to do something to ensure that we shore up the infrastructure of communities such as Aklavik and Tuktoyaktuk. We’ve heard from communities such as Sachs Harbour where they’re seeing the banks on Banks Island. This is a real problem and I don’t think we can...

Now can we turn to page 3-2 with regard to the department summary. Finance, department summary, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $630,000. Agreed?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Environment in regards to my statement and realizing that the implications we’re seeing with climate change, and especially that records have clearly stated that the Mackenzie Delta is the most impacted with global warming, with high rising temperatures, but, more importantly, the effects we’re seeing in regards to melting permafrost and the erosion on the riverbanks on the Mackenzie Delta, and also the effects we’re seeing on communities that I mentioned, Tuktoyaktuk and Aklavik.

Mr. Speaker, we, as government, have to ensure...

Welcome, witness. As we agreed, we will begin with the Department of Finance. Please turn to page 3-2.We will defer that activity summary and move to page 3-4, Finance, activity summary, office of the comptroller general, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, zilch.

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 1-16(4), NWT Capital Estimates 2010-2011, and would like to report progress and that consideration of Tabled Document 1-16(4) is concluded and that the House concur in those estimates and that an appropriation bill to be based thereon be introduced without delay. Mr. Speaker, I move the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

Does committee agree that he brings in his witnesses?

The motion is in order. To the motion.

Okay. With that, we’ll take a short break and begin with the Department of Finance.

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Agreed. Does committee agree that consideration of Tabled Document 1-16(4) is concluded?

I call Committee of the Whole to order. We have several items in Committee of the Whole. We have Tabled Document 1-16(4), NWT Capital Estimates 2010-2011; Tabled Document 18-16(4), Supplementary Appropriation No. 2 (Operations Expenditures), 2009-2010; Tabled Document 19-16(4), Supplementary Appropriation No. 3 (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2009-2010; Committee Report 1-16(4), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the Information and Privacy Commissioner’s 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 Annual Reports; and Committee Report 2-16(4), Standing Committee on Government...