Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Later today I will be tabling the NWT State of the Environment Report – 2010 Special Biodiversity Edition. The report celebrates the value of biodiversity and is part of the Northwest Territories contribution to the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity.

The State of the Environment – Special Biodiversity Edition presents the latest findings on the status and trends of biodiversity, ecosystem integrity and the status of traditional knowledge, growing trends in the sustainable use of biodiversity and trends in threats to biodiversity. The report is in collaboration with...

Thank you. I committed to the Member for Yellowknife Centre that we’d look at this and the timeline he suggested we agreed to, which is this coming fall to have something that would lay out and put a frame around this issue. I’d also point out that if we’re going to be spending that many thousands of dollars to replace a tank to keep a boiler going and then the boiler goes but you’ve bought this brand new $4,000 tank so you spend another $10,000 to replace the boiler, that we’ll be in a cycle that we’ll never get out of. We’re going to have to look at the cost comparison across the type of...

Mr. Speaker, I will discuss this issue with the departmental officials and we will be able to have a position paper on what we think is possible, if anything, and the issue of options if there is a plan to proceed. But I will commit by this fall that we will have something on this item. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, we have committed, as a government, $60 million to look at alternative energy. We have worked with communities. We have worked with individuals to put out notices to make sure people check their tanks, make sure they check the fittings so they are not leaking, check the age, and make sure they are located properly. We are focusing all of our attention on moving to alternate energy. This type of rebate program could possibly be considered, but it wouldn’t strike me as an alternative energy initiative. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, as well, would like to take this opportunity to first recognize and thank all the inductees for all the work they’ve done, those that are with us and those that are not, and all the people that are here with them. But specifically, I’d like to acknowledge and recognize my wife, Jeri; Vicky Ruben, the wife of Jerry Ruben who was just inducted into the Hall of Fame today; his lovely daughter Ashley Ruben; my baby brother Jean-Marc; and Brent Kaulback and his wife, Marilyn, from Fort Smith. Thank you for coming.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, May 20, 2010, I will move that Bill 11, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures) No. 3, 2010-2011, be read for the first time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following two documents: GNWT Traditional Knowledge Annual Report 2009-2010 as well as the GNWT Geographic Tracking of Expenditures: Expenditure Data for the Year Ended March 31, 2007. Thank you.

We can talk about the process. I would suggest that we have set a whole host of targets in terms of actual conversions to biomass, both within government and outside of government. We’ve targeted money, we’ve targeted resources, and we’re looking at projects across the land as it pertains to biomass and a host of other alternative energy ways mainly through the annual business planning process. Now, if there’s a need to put those numbers into a different form and possibly add to them, of course, we would be willing to have that discussion with committee. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There has been work done. Initially, our Climate Change Committee has been pushing on this. The departments have met. ENR has pulled together the initial discussions to lay out the plan for consultation that will occur in the coming months. I’d also point out that there’s some related work that’s going on that could have a bearing, given some of the topics of discussion.

As we look at the paper on the tax system and tax shifting, in that particular document we talk about and raise a number of issues that are tied to this particular Greenhouse Gas Strategy as well, or...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I agree with the Member that we want people to have the best failsafe products that are out there. I understand in Europe they do things considerably in a more advanced fashion than we do. The issue of double wall tanks, tanks with alarms to me only make good sense. I agree we don’t want to just replace a cheesy single walled tank with a new cheesy single walled tank. Thank you.