Michael Miltenberger

Thank you. I would suggest it’s had a marginal and probably positive impact on the overall broad cost of living in the Northwest Territories. This is entirely a voluntary fee. People do not have to use plastic bags or buy bags at the store. As well, we also know that we are extending the life of our landfills, which has a significant cost for all of us who are dealing with Municipal and Community Affairs. You look at the cost of maintaining landfills and putting new ones in place, it is significantly less burden on the environment, as the Member himself pointed out in his comments, where you...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A recent report commissioned by the Gwich’in Tribal Council has raised some questions about certain financial aspects of the devolution agreement-in-principle. The Government of the Northwest Territories does not agree with most of the conclusions of this report. We remain confident that the financial provisions of the devolution AIP are fair and reflect the best deal available. I rise today to set the record straight and address some of the confusion this report may have caused.

First of all I would like to point out that devolution is not just about money, it is about...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There’s been active involvement by the Member for Nunakput as well to make sure this project says live and on the rails. The intention is to be looking at establishing a tower this coming construction season and move this project forward, once again with the assistance of the Member for Nunakput to make sure we can have the community support needed to bring this project to fruition. Thank you.

I don’t believe so. I’d have to commit to get that clarified.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Housing Corporation pays the government rate which is not the same as the subsidized rate. It’s the full cost of power.

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Oh. I just read 3.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled Environment and Natural Resources Framework for Action 2008-2012: Status Report to December 2010.

The work we’ve done in this area has been I think very successful. There’s been significant consultation and the recognition that there are, in this particular issue, three types of bags that are clogging up the landfills and scattered across the countryside. Paper, while in some people’s mind it may be something that’s seen as what’s the problem, is very energy intensive, it’s bulky, it takes up a lot of waste that when you combine it with all the other paper product waste -- for example, the tons and tons of paper generated by business and government or the wastepaper products with cardboard...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When we looked at the lifecycle of the plastic bag, the paper bag and even the ones that are called biodegradable bags and compared it to the lifecycle of reusable bags, clearly all three were found wanting in comparison to the reusable, and that while paper may biodegrade in a landfill somewhat faster than other products, it takes more energy to produce and ship, it weighs more and in effect causes just as much waste or more than plastic because it’s bulkier. In fact, we have an initiative currently underway in its second phase where we are canvassing the North to see...