Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of ENR. You know, many would applaud the decisive measures that the Minister took to protect the caribou and this was not an easy decision, I am sure of that. However, some people out there are unhappy with the decision and feel that people were not properly consulted and that, in fact, this is an infringement on treaty hunting rights. So, Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister today if he, looking back at the situation, can see any opportunity where things could have been done differently that would not have us at...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am going to take a little different tact here when it comes to the Department of Health and Social Services. I think we have a system that can be adjusted, that could do better, I am sure. Every community should have a nurse and everybody should have access.

But overall, in general terms, as a government we are spending $326 million on health and social services for 42,000 people in a remote and often rural part of Canada. It is a very big challenge, but I think for the most part we have a Cadillac version of health and social services here in the Northwest...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just one more point of clarification then. This temporary ban that is in place on this particular herd in this specific area, how long does the Minister anticipate that will be in place before the Wekeezhii Management Board will then put measures in place to protect this herd? Just so we put that in context as well, not saying that someone else being responsible for the management at this regional level is going to solve all the problems facing the caribou and the impacts that are causing them to decline, but just as far as this government’s role in having to step up...

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The committee today would like to proceed with general comments on the budget legislation.

What is being done currently today, as we speak, to be proactive as a government to look at the potential economic benefits of the Avalon Ventures play at Thor Lake to have this Territory recognize the maximum benefits from that project? What is this government doing right now to put together an assessment of those benefits?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I didn’t know that question period was going to be extended today, but I had so many questions after my question to the Minister of ITI after I sat down that I have to ask more questions. His answers actually gave me more questions. I am still shaking my head, because when you look at the royalties issue and the federal jurisdiction on oil, gas and minerals, if that was an argument not to help find power supplied to keep secondary processing over the rare earth minerals in the Northwest Territories, then we wouldn’t put any money into the pipeline, we wouldn’t put any...

I believe that the power purchase agreements that are contemplated for the diamond mines are outside of the regulated process because it is being sold to business, it’s not being distributed to consumers. The purpose of the PUB is really to protect the interests of consumers, usually considered on a broad scale. Why would the power purchase agreement framework or model that is contemplated for the diamond mines not be appropriate in the case of the purchasing power for a processing plant for Avalon Ventures at Pine Point? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. My questions today are really wanting an update on where this government is at in terms of supporting the activities of a very exciting mining project that has a great potential and could positively impact the South Slave. Communities like Hay River did realize some benefits from the diamond mines, but we were really geographically kind of on the periphery of that. The Avalon rare earth minerals at Thor Lake is something that potentially has a processing or secondary processing opportunity in the...

Mr. Speaker, I wasn’t ready to make a Member’s statement before until I heard Mr. Hawkins Member’s statement. Now I’m ready to make a Member’s statement.

---Laughter

I’m sure he was deafened by the sound of his own applause there, but…

---Laughter

...Mr. Speaker, he was the only one applauding, because I would like to thank the government for responding to the many requests…

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think that we need to take a very similar look at the rare earth minerals as we did with the diamonds. They weren’t mining diamonds in Alberta or Saskatchewan at the time that we got into it here. I don’t think that they will find a deposit such as has been identified here in the Northwest Territories in any other jurisdiction any time soon that I’m aware of. So we have a unique opportunity of something that is located in the Northwest Territories that I would like this Minister to commit to the House that we will place the same emphasis and priority on maximizing...