Joe Handley

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think if people think back, they shouldn’t be 100 percent surprised by this decision because when they hooked up, they knew it was going to happen someday. Mr. Speaker, we are looking, as we negotiate on the pipeline, the feasibility of connecting communities to gas from that pipeline. Mr. Speaker, even that will run out some day. I will go back to my favourite fuel and that is hydro fuel. I think we have to, in the long term, look at hydro generated power that is there as long as the rivers flow, and that is going to be our long-term source, Mr. Speaker. But...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As well as the concerns by the residents in Norman Wells, we also have some issues that we have to deal with ourselves as a government and that has to do with the school, the health centre, the airport. We have a lot of government facilities there, so we are working on that side.

With regard to the Power Corporation, we should be fine until 2010. We have a diesel generator there, but after 2010 if we had to produce our own power, then it may be necessary to add another generator in there. Of course, with community-based rates, that would have to be borne by the users...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If the Government of Canada would just turn their one-third share over to us, it would be much easier to resolve this. But, Mr. Speaker, I can’t speak for the federal government and where they are on their share. I expect that Imperial is the operating partner and the majority partner, so they are calling the shots. Mr. Speaker, I will be getting more information on this one. We will be talking with Imperial on it; we will hear what they have to say and at that time decide when, where and how we should meet with the Town of Norman Wells. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Certainly, we want to meet with the town. I understand the town has hired a consultant. I understand our Department of Municipal and Community Affairs has been dealing with other departments in our government to figure out what’s the best solution for this problem we could face in April 2008. Mr. Speaker, in terms of Imperial Oil’s involvement, yes, we will let them know. I will raise this with them when I have opportunity and we will insist that they come and provide an explanation. I assume, Mr. Speaker, that they’ve already planned to do that in Norman Wells...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize all the Status of Women delegation and particularly my wife, Theresa. She’s not the boss's wife; she is the boss.

---Laughter

But without her support it would be very difficult to do my job and I appreciate that. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The appropriate government departments are already discussing this within our government along with the Power Corporation. It’s not as urgent with the Power Corporation because we do have a purchase agreement up to 2010 that’s firm, but we still have to look further ahead down the road. Mr. Speaker, I can assure the Member and this House that we are taking this seriously; we are collecting information and at the appropriate time, once we have our information, then we want to meet both with Imperial Oil and also with the Town of Norman Wells. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the deadline Imperial gave us, of course, is determined by the amount of gas that’s there. We know the Norman Wells field is a field that is gradually being depleted. That’s the challenge with fossil fuels, is that at some point they run out. So, Mr. Speaker, we will be asking Esso for more information on why it’s necessary to cut back on the supply to the town. My understanding is that they are providing fuel to the Power Corporation. However, Mr. Speaker, the alternatives are complex. We need to get more information and I’m sure that the denouement of this...

Mr. Speaker, our government signed a memorandum of understanding with the Government of Alberta on the development of a Bilateral Water Management Agreement in March. This agreement, once ratified, will ensure the integrity of water flowing downstream from Alberta into the Mackenzie River Basin.

The GNWT has long been a proponent of the Protected Areas Strategy. To date, approximately 20 areas of interest have been identified across the NWT. The federal government recently announced an additional $10 million would be invested to create or expand protected areas in the NWT. This funding...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What is of concern to the stakeholders north of the Mackenzie River is the amount of the toll and what that is going to cost them. That's the bottom line for them. In terms of the detail of all the financial information and how it's being financed and so on, that's something that I will see if we can share it with the committee, but keep in mind it is the Bridge Corporation's contract not ours. We're paying a toll and we're paying, in addition to the toll, an amount to make this work including the ice crossing and winter road. But, Mr. Speaker, it's the bottom line...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me, first of all, clarify that responsibility for the bridge project now rests with the Minister of Transportation. But, Mr. Speaker, I'll answer the question since it was directed to me. Yes, we are going to move ahead. We'll move ahead carefully, but we'll move ahead with solidarity. We're not going to slow down on this one. Mr. Speaker, I wrote to the Prime Minister this week, asking him, reminding him of his commitment and that this is part of the national highway system and we fully expect to have that. Mr. Speaker, keep in mind that these negotiations...