Michael Miltenberger

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I had the opportunity in Fort Smith to attend the installation of the new bishop for the Mackenzie–Fort Smith diocese, Bishop Murray Chatlain.

We also at the same time celebrated the retirement and dedication of years of service of now Bishop Emeritus Denis Croteau. Bishop Croteau will be staying in the North. He will be working in communities in the North as well. He is going to take his vast experience in compassion and caring to the fields of the Lord outside of Canada.

I’d like to take this opportunity to recognize and welcome Bishop Murray Chatlain into his new role...

Mr. Speaker, clearly, once this spill was discovered and the notification was made, there was a full response from ATCO, Northland Utilities, ENR, and all the other involved government agencies, to make sure that it was handled in the most appropriate way. There will be a debriefing and review of this whole incident once remediation has been dealt with, and all those issues and items raised by the Member will be addressed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My understanding was that the fuel tank in question was a double-walled tank, which is supposed to preclude the need for a berm. Clearly, there was a failure not with the tank itself but the connection from the valve to the tank and from that valve to the hose.

Clearly, the Member has raised some good points. Environment and Natural Resources is dealing with the cleanup, but we’re going to be working as the government, with ENR as the lead agency, to do a debriefing and review to make sure, in this circumstance, what happened and why, to preclude that it ever happens...

Mr. Speaker, I’m a Member of this Legislature, I’m a member of Cabinet. Clearly we have to…. There’s a process. We want to engage with the Members, with the Climate Change Committee. We want to identify some of the priorities. We’re continuing to look at some of these other issues, as well, and to the Energy Coordinating Committee and other committees. Some of the things I’m talking about, for example, biomass, I believe, would have a direct impact on the cost of living in communities, both to individuals and businesses. So the initial point of call will be the structuring of this committee so...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’re doing a number of things. We’re looking at, hopefully in the next number of weeks before the end of session, being able to come forward with a framework for a water strategy that is going to allow us to deal with a very crucial issue that’s directly impacted by climate changes and global warming in addition to the huge development pressures.

We’re also going to be working on a land use framework that will give us a clear base to look at issues such as the pace of development, where we develop, how fast we develop, is it in our best interest, and how does it fit...

Mr. Speaker, every year we join together to celebrate North American Occupational Safety and Health, or NAOSH, week. This year NAOSH week was May 4 to 10. First marked by an agreement between Canada, Mexico and the United States in 1997, NAOSH week focuses on creating safety cultures at home, at work and at play. It reminds us of the importance of preventing injury and illness.

This year’s theme, “Start Today, Live it Every Day!” expands on last year’s theme of making a lifetime commitment to safety and health. It is never too early or too late to start learning about and practising safety.

As...

I will commit to sharing that information, as it comes ready, with the Member and with the appropriate committee, so that we can all have our input into this particular situation.

Mr. Speaker, I’ll check on those specific details and provide that information to the Member.

I will commit to put that on item number one at the top of the agenda for our committee so that we can, in fact, do the proper groundwork to have a coherent clear message we want to bring forward as a Legislature and as a government. As we move into the business planning process, we can give the government a chance to gear up and give a chance for full input from the members as well as, of course, my Cabinet colleagues.

We’re in the process of working with Priorities and Planning to set up a joint climate change committee. One of the things that will be on there is the work plan. We have existing strategies, like the Energy Plan, the Greenhouse Gas Strategy, that are going to be there for review. Clearly, that was done in a different time; it was done along with the energy strategy to access funds for other projects like mini-hydro and the Taltson project. Collectively, working together, we’re going to have an opportunity here, early on in the life of this Assembly, to revisit some of those policies and those...