Statements in Debates
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I guess there are two items that I am hoping I can hear from the Minister or his staff about. First off, like my colleague had mentioned, I understand this is a complex area, but we have got to find a way to more effectively communicate this in general. Secondly, how are we working with people to try to encourage them to file their taxes to take full advantage of this? I didn't see any campaign around this during the last tax filing season, so what are we doing to encourage people to file their taxes to take full advantage of this new benefit? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, and I want to thank the Premier for that commitment that those items are going to be dealt with. On March 1st, the Premier promised to provide a carbon modelling and pricing reports of the Standing Committee on Economic Development and the Environment. Can the Premier explain why this report has not been shared and when he intends to provide it to the committee and to the public? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
I appreciate the briefing that we are going to get, but it is not public, as I understand it. I guess we will wait and see. As I said in my statement, the federal government recently released a technical paper on its backstop carbon pricing scheme that will apply to all provinces and territories. What is our government doing on the issue of carbon pricing, and when will that be shared with Regular MLAs and the public?
Merci, Monsieur le President. It is another sitting of this House and time for my third statement on carbon pricing. The federal government released its backstop plan for a national carbon pricing scheme on May the 18th. It shows that a national scheme would see a carbon tax on the most commonly used fuels in the Northwest Territories at no more than about three cents per litre in 2018, going up to no more than about 16 cents per litre in 2022. The federal plan is laid out in a transparent and understandable manner that lets Canada meet its international obligations and make significant...
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, I want to echo my colleague's comments on the need for improved communications. This is very complex area. It was sort of triggered by the Canada Child Care Benefit being brought in by the federal government, and then our government decided to follow up with the NWT Child Benefit, so the relationship between the federal program and the new territorial program and income assistance took a lot of time and effort on the part of both the department, I guess, and Regular MLAs to understand this.
I think there's a lesson learned there in terms of how to improve communications...
Thanks to the Premier for that. I appreciate that we are finally going to get a discussion paper going on carbon tax here in the Northwest Territories. Can the Premier just give us any sort of insights into what will be in that paper? Will it discuss different forms of carbon taxing and what we actually do with the revenues? There are a couple of different ways of looking at the revenues. One is to rebate part of it back. The second is to invest some of it into renewables. Can the Minister explain whether that discussion paper will consider the issue of what to do with the revenues raised...
Merci, Monsieur le President. The Premier has made statements in the past resisting any form of carbon pricing but later signed on to the pan-Canadian framework on clean growth and climate change. Can the Premier tell the public and the Regular MLAs the Cabinet's current position on carbon pricing for the Northwest Territories? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
I would like to ask the Minister of Executive and Indigenous Affairs, then: what role did the joint advisory committee, that is supposed to be Regular MLAs working with Cabinet members, play in the development of these offers and the letter that went to the Dehcho First Nations?
Merci, Monsieur le President. Earlier today, the Minister of the Executive and Indigenous Affairs made a statement about the tabling of a couple of new offers with regard to negotiations for the Northwest Territory Metis Nation and the Akaitcho Dene First Nation, and there has apparently been some sort of a letter sent to the Dehcho First Nations. Can the Minister describe for us what kind of involvement there was on the part of the Regular MLAs in the development of these positions and letters or offers? Merci, Mr. Speaker.
Again, I thank the Minister for his strong words there, and I'm happy to work with him on that. We've just got to make sure that, as the federal government moves forward with the federal treasury board's submissions, the replacement money is part of that.
During the meeting last week there was a lot of concern and frustration over the lack of a coordinated response to off-site arsenic contamination throughout Yellowknife and the surrounding environment. Recent media reports seem to show that our health staff do not seem to get information from Environment and Natural Resources. Can the Minister...