Kevin O'Reilly

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.

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...

I'd like to thank the Minister for his response, and I would welcome the opportunity to have this House work with Regular MLAs to develop a position on an apology and compensation and, I think, a motion on it. But I'd like to know whether our government has a position on the replacement of lapsed funds from the first two years of operation of the board. That money should have gone into the Giant Mine Oversight Board's research program, so can our Minister tell us what our position is on the replacement of funds and whether he has formally raised it with the federal Minister of Indigenous and...

Merci, Monsieur le President. Last week, the Giant Mine Oversight Board held its first public meeting in Yellowknife. There were over 80 people in attendance, including Chief Edward Sangris of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation and all of the board members. A presentation was followed by questions and answers, real answers, Mr. Speaker.

The recommendations in the board's May 2017 report include:

performance measures and timelines should be set for the Giant Mine Remediation Project;

improved communications are necessary;

a federal response to calls for an apology and compensation;

need for a...

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?