Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Petroleum Products Tax Act, be read for the third time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Margaret Melhorn, deputy minister of Finance; Mark Aitken, director of legislation, Department of Justice.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to introduce Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Petroleum Products Tax Act. This bill will address the ambiguity with the definition of the type of equipment that is subject to the motive diesel tax rate when consuming diesel fuel in its operation.

The new definition will clarify the intent of the Petroleum Products Tax Act that, with some exceptions, the motive diesel tax rate applies to all mechanical mobile contrivances including motor vehicles, cranes, excavators, backhoes, and drills on tracks if they are self-propelled when powered by diesel fuel.

The...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled, Supplementary Appropriation No. 3 (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2009-2010. Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, we have been looking at this issue and recognize the policy and legislative framework has some gaps in it. It’s not as strong as it could be, so we are going to be looking at how we bring forward regulations that will allow us to close those loopholes and make a tighter framework. Thank you.

We will continue to, we think, be the voice of reason, speak to the examples, point to the urgency in the Arctic, not only in the Northwest Territories but in all the circumpolar countries and, like many of our circumpolar neighbours, we will be making the case that we are paying the biggest price, we’re feeling the most and greatest impact and that we have to take the steps necessary. We will continue to state those points of view. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government and this Legislature recognize climate change as one of the most important issues facing us. It has an impact on everything we’re trying to do as a government almost everywhere we look, whether it be with wildlife, with our communities, with transportation, with permafrost issues. Not only are we committed to reducing greenhouse gases, we are, in fact, spending tens of millions of dollars to put in infrastructure to actually reduce our greenhouse gases, as we speak, with biomass. We’re going to invest in wind, we’re going to invest in mini-hydro and all...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled Supplementary Appropriation No. 2 (Operations Expenditures), 2009-2010. Thank you.

We assembled an interdepartmental working group to look at this. We hope that by later this year we will be able to come forward with a plan for next steps. Thank you.