Michael Miltenberger

Margaret Melhorn, deputy minister of Finance.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories has followed up in writing on the McCrank report. A number of weeks ago we were in Ottawa. We met with Minister Strahl to talk about the issue of regulatory reform. We talked about the board appointments, a clear definition of mandates, clearing up policy overlap. Where there are grey areas, we avoid things like the Giant Mine. We met again in Calgary a week or so ago. We raised the same issue very well and passionately by myself, by Minister McLeod, by other northern folks that were there. It is a political issue. The federal government...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Deh Cho, that Bill 2, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2009-2010, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill authorizes forgiveness of debts owed to the government and public agencies. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don’t often get this opportunity, but I would like to acknowledge two of the Pages that are serving in the House today, two fine upstanding young men from Fort Smith: Mr. Kyle Payne and Mr. Randall Maidl. I thank them for their work that they have done and they have been good ambassadors for the community of Fort Smith. Thank you.

This issue is being looked at. It has also been dealt with in Yellowknife, where the rates are 160 parts per million for residential and 340 parts per million for industrial, when they looked at areas like the old Con Mine and such. So I don’t think we should get ahead or predetermine the outcome of the work of the consultants and the stakeholder committee. I just want to reassure the people that this is being looked at. All the appropriate people are involved and we are looking forward to the results of that work. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the attempt to deal with what has been identified as naturally occurring incidents of arsenic in the soil, there has been a working group struck. There have been consultants brought in to examine the issue, to do the testing. There are meetings going on this month. Work has been done, things are being analyzed as we work towards getting enough information to determine what next steps should be in terms of remediation and other steps. Thank you.

The issue is about choices and resources that we have and decisions to put the money to the best use for the maximum number of people. That is what we’re talking about, and we are. We are making a conscious effort in some areas to go into debt, there is no doubt about that, on the short-term basis to fund some of our capital to keep our priorities moving.

In this case, we’ve made a choice to look at putting the money to get max amount of involvement by seniors at the regional level and I think it’s a good focus and the more seniors we keep active, the better.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Government of the Northwest Territories provides tremendous support to seniors. We have some of the best seniors’ benefits in the country. The Minister of Health and Social Services has indicated a willingness to work with the NWT Seniors’ Society to look at a regional type of games that would maximize the ability of seniors in the communities to actually get out and take part in an event much more egalitarian, much more widespread. That’s the focus, and business plans will come forward reflecting that commitment. The Minister has already made that commitment in...

Mr. Speaker, I believe every Member in this House gets it. I think every Northerner gets it when it comes to climate change. We’re not sloughing off anything. We’re spending tens of millions of dollars with communities to deal with their infrastructure issues, the issues and challenges they’re facing from nature. Some things we’ll be able to mitigate, some things we’re going to have to adapt to. In some cases Mother Nature will have the final say. We have to be prepared for that. But we are on this with communities and we all get it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In regard to the issue of what are we doing to mitigate the impact of global warming, climate change, we, as a Legislature, have committed to put $60 million into alternative energy to be able to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, to look at expanding wind, biomass, hydro, possibly geothermal, all with an aim towards reducing our greenhouse gasses and doing our share as global citizens and being responsible. When it comes to actual on-the-ground issues, we are spending millions of dollars in communities to deal with things related to permafrost, related to shore...