Michael Miltenberger

At this point the best answer I could give would be: in the fullness of time and in due course.

Laughter.

There is preliminary work that has to be done in terms of just determining where we would do the pilot project, the kind of other work such as the net to chargeback power. We have to work with NTPC to hook it up so it’s compatible with diesel. There’s a lot of actual logistical work before we have the systems in place, but that’s one of the pieces, and the Member is very accurate in pointing out that we need all these pieces in place to proceed over the long term.

Before the end of this fiscal year.

The work that's been done in terms of the caribou numbers has been done in full partnership and co-operation with the aboriginal governments and the various co-management boards that exist all the way up north, with Inuvialuit, Gwich'in, Sahtu, now with the Tlicho. We have consulted as well in the North Slave.

It’s very critical, and we have an obligation and an absolute necessity to make sure we consult with the aboriginal governments, and through the co-management boards, we've done that.

The various co-management boards have reviewed the data that's come in to them and made recommendations...

Mr. Speaker, this is a very complex issue, where there are a number of key factors, including things like the changing climate, resource development, predation, increased insects, hunting. We are very concerned, as the Member is. We are going to continue to invest the funds to do the monitoring.

I’d like to point out that we are the only jurisdiction in, I believe, North America that is doing the amount of work that has been done on caribou, to try to come to a better understanding of what is happening. Clearly the signals are there. We have to pay attention and adjust the things that we can...

Recycling waste products is a way for all of us to help reduce the impact we have on the environment. It means we use fewer natural resources, use less energy to make new products, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save money.

Under the Waste Reduction and Recovery Act, government can develop programs to recover and recycle products and materials rather than put them into landfill.

In November 2005 we implemented the Northwest Territories’ first Territorial-wide waste recovery program: the Beverage Container Program. This highly-successful program continues to enjoy a high level of public...

What I will commit to is that through the energy coordinating committee we would be prepared to work with and report back to committee on the work that we’re going to do and the plans that we’re going to lay out to try to advance this initiative in a way that is going to allow full engagement at the community level, as well as with other governments, like the federal government. They need to buy into this process and hopefully put in some resources and lay out some of the steps we would have to take in terms of the infrastructure as well as whatever other legal requirements may be there to do...

There is work underway as we speak. There have been wind monitors put out to do wind mapping to check the patterns of the wind across the North, there is a Wind Energy Committee, and as well, Minister McLeod is the chair of the energy coordinating committee.

For the government, in this issue of responding to the recommendations that came out of the Wind Conference in Tuktoyaktuk, one of the things on our agenda…. NTPC has the RFP ready to go, to move on this subsequent to the discussion that we are going to be having here in the next week or so with the energy coordinating committee. So there...

We, as well, consider this to be a good program and with a laudable intent. I am aware of the concern raised by the Member. There has been some correspondence over the lack of choice.

I have indicated, and I'll commit in this House, that I will be prepared to review this particular program — it’s been running now for a year or so — as well as to talk about this with committee in terms of whatever other amendments may be deemed necessary, looking back, now that we've had some time to see how effective this program and others are.

There have been ongoing discussions with the Yukon. They’ve tried to do the surveys during the summers. The last three years have been unsuccessful due to a number of circumstances, be it forest fires or inclement weather. The pressure is on them again this year to do the work. They know it has to be done. We sit on that board, and we are very concerned that we do get an up-to-date census.

Mr. Speaker, back in 2005, as the Member indicated, there was work done, and we were asked to redo it, just to confirm it. We made sure that we used local people. We worked with various co-management boards, and they in effect confirmed that there has been, in all the herds that had been surveyed, right from Cape Bathurst to the Bluenose, west and east in Bathurst, significant decline. We have done a small amount of work with the Beverly and Dolphin caribou, and initial concerns are there as well. It is anticipated that there will be Porcupine as well that have not been surveyed for about four...