Norman Yakeleya

Certainly. With the transition of the National Energy Board having a new employer in regard to the enforcement of the oil and gas exploration, would the National Energy Board be obligated, then, to follow the guidelines that the Northwest Territories Assembly as a whole would want to enforce in regard to the operations such as the hydraulic fracking method?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In regards to equality in the Northwest Territories, we see and I’ve read in the newspaper – the Yellowknifer – this morning, that the federal government approved another mine for the Yellowknife area, another diamond mine. So all its benefits, once this mine is approved, this region will see it.

I’m asking the Minister why we don’t have the same type of benefits in the Sahtu region that we know the hydraulic fracking can bring to us. I ask the Minister, would he then seek the guidance of the EDI, maybe working with the EDI committee members to go into the communities...

Mr. Speaker, with the technology of hydraulic fracking and understanding that there is a risk to the hydraulic fracking, we saw that in the Bakkens and we’re certainly going to see it in the Northwest Territories.

I want to ask the Minister what types of mechanisms are in place right now to limit, to address some of the risks that potentially could happen. It is no different than the people in NASA when they started out to put a man on the moon. There were risks associated with it. It is no different than what we are doing in the Northwest Territories with hydraulic fracking. How are we going...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Department of Health and Social Services certainly has put some of its infrastructure where it’s needed, into our regions. I continue to thank the government for the support on the new wellness centre in Norman Wells and the territorial long-term care facility that’s associated with it. I know that’s something that’s needed and certainly the people in the Sahtu and surrounding communities that have sent out their elders to Inuvik or the Yellowknife area and to Fort Simpson appreciate that one day we will have a centre in the Sahtu, where we can have our elders closer...

Our land is powerful and has many promises. What we do as keepers of the land will determine the quality of the life we live.

I call upon this government and our people to take the time to learn about hydraulic fracking and about the balance that we need to consider, and also about having the EDI committee play a role in the upcoming guidelines and public education involving hydraulic fracking in the North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

A quick question, Mr. Chair. A tank safety valve device that we are putting into our tank farm, I know there was some issue with the Fort Good Hope specific parts and it caused some leakage to the community, to the department, and we had some issues with that. Is that somewhat being corrected? We had some losses in terms of quantity of fuel being spilled onto the ground there.

No, thank you.

Certainly, the Minister is correct on the needs are addressed by the community that knows it best in those communities, and sometimes the infrastructure, sometimes when it gets into the community, it has to go through some growing pains. I appreciate the Minister having some flexibility as to say, well, we can help you out here and there. I’ve seen that already, where some of the communities want to take over an operation but just don’t have it yet in our means or our understanding or financially and because of the new technology, and sometimes that causes a hiccup for the community. But I’ve...

Thank you, Madam Chair. A couple of points I want to relay to the Minister. I do appreciate the need and the foresight to look at the seniors needs in Fort Good Hope. The Minister has responded by putting a seniors unit there for the people. I understand from the elders in Fort Good Hope that they appreciate they’re going to get a seniors duplex. They’re looking forward to working with the Housing Corporation.

I do want to say, in the seniors duplex, if there is a possibility of looking at an alternative to the heating facility, I know you have a solar panel in the numbers here, Madam Chair. I...

Thank you. As part of devolution and of devolving powers to the Northwest Territories, will some of the discussion look at the possibility of the Northwest Territories having its own type of a National Energy Board regulator, legislation, something that would be built and be worked on by the northern people and enforced by the northern people?