Frame Lake

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 34)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today, I spoke of the uncertainty and lack of transparency around how hydraulic fracturing seems to be taking place in the Northwest Territories. There doesn't seem to be any kind of monitoring program for abandoned wells and no funds from industry to help to do this or pay for any remediation that may be necessary. Alberta has an orphan or abandoned well system. Will the Minister responsible commit to developing and implementing a polluterpay system to ensure that there is monitoring, inspection, and the necessary funds to carry out remediation of abandoned wells...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 34)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The former Member for Weledeh asked about emissions, fluids and inspections at the hydraulic fracturing operations carried out by ConocoPhillips in 2014. There was a secrecy ban on the release of some information at that time. I asked again about it on the understanding that the secrecy period had now ended.

I will leave alone the issue of which Minister is actually responsible for the Office of the Regulator of Oil and Gas, as that one looks like a hot potato. Let's focus on what was said in the Premier's September 28th response: "Only 28 per cent of the load fracking fluid...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 34)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. We all know that the decision was made early on by all of us as Regular Members to hold a mid-term review, even before Cabinet had been selected. It was one of the first pieces of businesses in this House to establish or refer this matter of a mid-term review process to the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures, and I'm pleased to report that it was the first standing committee report tabled in or brought forward and presented in this House.

The Rules and Procedures Committee is an unusual creature in that we do have representation from our Cabinet colleagues on it and...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 34)

I appreciate the response from the Minister. I really look forward to bringing forward my ideas and suggestions when we finally get there, but the response by the Premier to my written questions tabled earlier in this session reveals a convoluted regulatory system that is not open or transparent.

Previously, we've heard the words "evolve" and "devolve." Can the Minister responsible provide any assurances that we will improve this and move to a co-management system as is currently in place for land and water, where openness and transparency are far greater?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 34)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to my colleagues. In conclusion, what this response to my written questions shows is a convoluted regulatory system for oil and gas, a lack of transparency, and the failure to ensure that we are not creating liabilities for future generations. This is not why we got devolution. I will ask questions later today for the Premier or whoever's in charge of oil and gas these days. Merci, Monsieur le President.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 33)

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I'm just wondering if the Minister can tell us whether this funding is for the legendary law resource centre that the department was building? Is that what this money is for?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I've been listening carefully to what the Minister and his staff have said about getting federal support for schools, and that's important, and collaboration and so on. But I want to continue to try to engage him on Ecole Allain St-Cyr expansion. This schools in my riding. I'm getting an enormous amount of complaints about the inability to work with the department in a collaborative fashion. People are stopping me in the streets, I'm getting phone calls, e-mails. Most recently I had somebody stop me on the ice while I'm playing hockey to complain about this. So something...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 33)

Thanks, Mr. Chair. So, yes, I guess I'm looking for a clear commitment from the Minister that he's going to provide to Regular MLAs utilization rates of the facility so that we can understand whether it was overbuilt or not as it goes into use. So could he commit to some sort of at least annual reporting of utilization rate of the facility once it starts to be used? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 33)

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Look, I don't want to drag this out any longer than I have to, but I have one other point that I want to pursue. As I understand it, the court order required the new gymnasium and two special needs spaces. It's the GNWT that's actually decided to work collaboratively with the francophone community to add two additional classrooms that are above and beyond the court order.

So I think I heard the Minister say that we're going to just do the basics. That's not true. What I know is that this has actually gone above and beyond what's in the court order. Going to Heritage Canada...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess we don't seem to have a very good track record for building correctional facilities in the Northwest Territories. We have a youth facility here that's not used, the one in Inuvik was closed. I'm just wondering what sort of assurance the department can give to me and the public that we're doing the right thing with this facility and it's been designed for the right capacity of folks and that we're heading in the right direction. Thanks, Mr. Chair.