Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I certainly would consider that. And Madam Speaker, I just wanted to acknowledge that, you know, it's thanks very much to the ideas presented by committee that the department can go back and take some time and see if there are other ways to try to mitigate the increases to the federal carbon tax. One being a tiered system by region but at the same time looking at, you know, that as I said earlier, home someone who owns their home, someone who doesn't own their home, even within a region, there's going to be differences in what someone pays. So we do...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the money that is being sought for appropriation here is for up to 20222023 or, well, for this year in terms of what we are anticipating. Certainly, obviously can't see into the future of what might happen in the spring and would certainly note that this doesn't account for whatever amounts we may then ultimately get by the federal government under the disaster assistance policy. We certainly are hopeful of an advance and then ultimately hopeful to see a full 90 percent coverage. But neither the first of those might arrive this fiscal but it may well be that it's not...

Yes, please, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chair, let me turn that to Mr. Courtoreille who I expect will have the most up to date numbers.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I do have that information. I was just trying to see if I could pull it up quickly to provide that sense. I certainly can say, Madam Speaker, that quite unfortunately the communities in the riding of Nunakput are likely to be facing some of the highest impacts from the change to the federal carbon tax rate. And Madam Speaker, I'm not sure it does much good at this point to try to guess at those numbers. But they certainly are facing some of the highest increases certainly in the Northwest Territories as a result of the change to that carbon tax rate...

No, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, if I could just confirm first, so we're doing infrastructure expenditures. I have it as 74719(2)?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, the current agreement is in effect, as I said or this portion here, now we do have until 2023. There's an agreement that I believe has been reached up to March 31st of 2032, and it will then be built in for the Department of Justice in their main estimates so that in future years it will be reflected through the usual appropriations process. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the expression of interest allowed for an opportunity to do some costing and to understand the potential costs of installing cell towers along the highway. With that information in hand, that was the position that we were able to then give, which I think they were spoken to the House, that it looks at notwithstanding the capital expenses, which are themselves significant, there would also be an operations and maintenance expense of $500,000 approximately every year and no other known source of funding other than that of the GNWT. And so in knowing what...

Madam Speaker, I wish to present to the House Bill 60, An Act to Amend the Petroleum Products and Carbon Tax Act, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Madam Speaker.