Michael Miltenberger

We’re doing a number of very critical policy pieces. We’re working to bring into this House tomorrow a framework document that’s going to lay out a plan for a water strategy.

Very shortly thereafter we want to bring forward a land-use framework that’s going to, as well, allow us to better deal with the issue of resource development — how, where, when — for maximum benefit for Northerners.

We have also set up a joint committee on climate change that’s going to allow us to look at the Energy Strategy and the Greenhouse Gas Strategy to see what we can do better. We’re working with the Energy...

Mr. Speaker, clearly, I appreciate knowing the Member is there for me. I look forward to maybe sitting down with him before the end of session to talk about some specifics we could move on collectively.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 15, An Act to Amend the Workers’ Compensation Act, be read for the first time.

Mr. Speaker, fundamentally and initially, this is a federal responsibility, but ENR tries to be as responsive and as involved as possible. Of course, I would defer to the superior knowledge and expertise of my colleague. If he has any specific suggestions in anticipation of the coming fall, I’d be most happy to sit down and talk to him about that.

Mr. Speaker, even Imperial Oil, from what I’ve been reading, is getting enormous pressure from its major shareholders to be more environmentally responsible. We recognize and we have to make sure that business does not get by on the backs of Northerners, that they acknowledge the impact of what they’re doing in terms of development. While it may not be a perfect system, we are moving more and more down that path to not only a recognition, but as I indicated to the Member, we’re going to be developing the policies with the help and guidance of the MLAs and the climate change committee, for...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is one of the issues on the list that we have to come to grips with. The federal government has come out with their own suggested plan. Now they’re indicating they’re prepared to look at alternative suggestions. It’s a discussion, as a government, that we have to have. Some of our existing policies, like the Greenhouse Gas Strategy, are mainly focused on how government does business, how we’re going to control our own emissions. But as we look at development, existing and to come, it is an issue that we’re going to, as a government, have to put our minds around in...

Mr. Speaker, we have about 1,200 days left, so we’re not talking years here. We’re going to be moving fairly quickly. When we do, I look forward to the Member’s support to push this forward and help us deal with all the potential obstacles.

While the Member may think it’s relatively simple, it does take time. If we stood up today and said we’re going to get rid of plastic bags, we have to plan how you’re going to do that, how much lead time, and make sure you have it laid out very clearly. You want to make sure we consult with committee and do this right. We want to do this so that it will...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d just like to point out that I think ENR has provided fairly significant leadership. If you think back a couple of years, when we first rolled out the recycling program, it was with considerable consternation, because the plan wasn’t complete enough. We forged ahead anyway, and now we have a very successful program. We continue to work on that program. We’ve been doing consultations, and we plan to come forward here in the next number of weeks with a plan that will look at some fairly significant improvements to the waste reduction and recycling program. On our list...

I would be happy to commit to the Member that I will come forward, along with our Cabinet colleagues, with a paper that outlines those policy implications and the jurisdictional issues and lays out the landscape as we plan to move forward collectively here at the Legislature, and how can we best do that to address the issue that Mr. Bromley has raised.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to point out that we are moving to occupy a field where some would question the issue of jurisdiction. I’m speaking specifically about the area of water. We’re moving forward — in a very proactive way, I think. We have a framework that we’re going to be taking to committee here. The Premier’s mentioned that. We have a broad land-use framework that we’re working on, and we intend to work with committee. We have a joint climate change committee that’s going to give us advice on how to move forward on this.

This is an issue that has work required to be done. We don’t have...