Michael Miltenberger

As it pertains to the conversion to biomass, people have made their own determination in many cases, businesses have made their own determination. There is a migration to that alternate heating source. There is, we understand development of a private industry there in terms of supplying pellets. In terms of access to these particular assistance programs for alternative energy changes, those are there. I will follow up with the staff, with the deputy, to make sure the folks in the region are aware of the Member’s concerns. All of that is happening as we speak and we will work with the...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We are working through the Environmental Studies Research Fund, which is funded in part by industry, to look at baseline information for wildlife as well as baseline information as we do groundwater mapping. There is, in fact, a workshop going to be held in Norman Wells in November, and we’ve applied for money and we see this as an ongoing process that’s going to take some time. As well, industry has indicated a great interest in sharing all the information that they have acquired over the year as part of their various environmental assessment review of their projects.

This issue is regularly on the agenda for the Ministerial Energy Climate Change Coordinating Committee and we’ll monitor those issues and those requirements. We recognize the unique nature of the challenges faced by the community of Norman Wells and the people who are converting. We will also continue to invest millions of dollars to make sure that our infrastructure, as well, is converted, but I will commit to the Member that that issue will be reviewed at MECC as we gather for our next meeting. Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to rise on a point of order under clause 23(k) with regard to the use of insulting and abusive language and (l) speaking disrespectfully of Her Majesty, any member of the Royal Family, his Excellency the Governor General, the Commissioner, the Assembly or any Member.

I rise on that point, Mr. Speaker, because I listened with great interest and intensity to the exchange between Mr. Hawkins and Minister Beaulieu yesterday. I listened carefully to the volume, tone and content of the exchange. I am of the opinion that when you look at those three items with the type...

Our focus has been to put our resources not into those types of tax cuts or credits but to look at putting training programs in place that we can be there to assist communities, individuals and businesses so that they actually have some place to go. So it’s just not a credit but more of a structure, a bigger critical mass that allows us to provide a broader range of service across the North.

As a government, we haven’t raised income tax, corporate taxes, business taxes for well over a decade, and we intend to hold the line on that as well. We have been working very hard not to increase the cost to do business. The tax rate in the Northwest Territories is 4 percent, and that’s worth about $4 million a year. The issue, as we’ve heard in this House as we debate things like capital and the lack of revenue, that if we’re going to consider any kind of revenue offsets lost because of tax cuts, we have to, before we do that, anticipate where we’re going to get that replacement revenue or...

Thank you. As we’ve done our work, first with the Water Strategy – Northern Voices, Northern Water – we have, at every step of the way, worked with the Aboriginal governments. We have an Aboriginal Steering Committee with representatives from the Aboriginal governments that have been working with us both in the development of the Water Strategy as well as being involved in the negotiations and providing oversight on that very complex process.

The Alberta agreement, which is nearing completion, there will be about a 90 percent similarity between the key points and elements that are being...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Back in 1997 there was a transboundary master agreement signed between a number of jurisdictions: the federal government, the territorial government, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon. One of the conditions in that agreement was that there were supposed to be bilaterals negotiated between all of the jurisdictions. We are hard at work and very close to completing our negotiations with Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C.

The only bilateral that exists is the one between us and the Yukon government, and I’ve been in recent discussions with the Minister of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of course, we’ll work with committee and this House to provide all the necessary numbers we require to make the most informed decisions in terms of the costs and benefits and the risk and rewards for the work in the Sahtu. The numbers and the requests the Member has made will be factored into that information that is going to be pulled together as we move forward. Thank you.