Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, we are later well, I guess in 2023, facing a prospect of the federal government having changed the carbon tax system. As such, we are in a position having to amend our carbon tax system to be compliant. It is going to have an impact on residents in the North notwithstanding the fact that we are not wellplaced to respond to carbon tax changes and respond to the need to reduce GHG emissions as other jurisdictions in the south might be.

I am particularly cognizant, Mr. Speaker, ridings such as Nunakput, are especially going to be hard hit. They are already...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can't necessarily speak to what might be happening mine by mine or project by project. Certainly what I can say, Mr. Speaker, is that indeed, yes, at the Nechalacho Project, Deton Cho are, indeed, the miners of that project. They are the ones running the contract and doing the mining. That is, I think, perhaps maybe a first in Canada; certainly a first in the Northwest Territories. And I can't agree more, this is the way of the future, and it is you know, I think it is something where we are starting to see access to equity change, access to whether it's...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, let me just quickly start by saying that I certainly haven't shut the door on the possibilities around the diamond mines, that there is still exploration happening. And while it looks likely that at least one of them will be on its closure date, the others are, you know, I'd like to say that let's just not shut that door just yet. My hope is a little more positive and optimistic.

But as for metal mining, Mr. Speaker, we do have a mineral development strategy. It does need to be updated but it is there. It was developed in conjunction with industry. It is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, you know, that's a responsibility of all Ministers certainly to be engaging with our counterparts. We all have been engaging with our counterparts. I am more than happy to make the commitment to raise quite specifically, you know, what the Member from Nunakput has said around the impacts of climate change on the North and then the impacts of the carbon pricing system which is within the responsibility of the Department of Finance. So I'll certainly carry that message forward. Again, I'm not don't know how much of a response I will get. There have been a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, again, much of a similar response in that I'm certainly happy to work with my colleague. Obviously, you know, we certainly do have responsibility under the carbon tax in the Department of Finance but then the subsidy rests with ECE. So I know that there's some work happening with the income assistance review, and so we will ensure that the two departments are speaking to one another about the perspective impacts of the carbon tax issue and then looking at how that might be addressed, if possible, under programs under another department. Thank you, Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a fairly new roll out. There certainly has been funds available prior to now but it was ad hoc whereas now there is a more formalized process by which interested parties can apply. There are, you know, maximums and some eligibility requirements. But in short, Mr. Speaker, it is meant to be a fund that formalizes an opportunity. So precisely as is asked, that governments and organizations can apply, have money to attend conferences, to attend training, to bring training into their communities and to their people. It is being run as a pilot. And I just say that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to speak to this. I mean, obviously just, you know, noting firstly that the NTPC obviously is responsible for managing its own affairs. That said, I do have the opportunity to meet with their officers and staff and the Minister responsible, and it just so turns out that the Minister responsible and myself are on the steering committee for the Taltson hydro project. So lots of opportunity in that respect to ensure that all the right parties are alive and aware of what projects are in the region, the timeline of the various projects in the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is a situation of jurisdiction at hand and the federal government does have a jurisdiction. There's been challenges by other jurisdictions around carbon pricing and carbon tax systems. I certainly will commit to continuing the conversation. I want to make clear that there have been conversations between officials from the Department of Finance but as well as officials within other departments who are also taking a lead on climate change or climate change impacts here in the Northwest Territories. But Mr. Speaker, I most certainly will continue to...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, there's been no ask to me with respect to any visitors centre. What we do have, as I've said in the last response, was that the North Arm Park, there's a significant amount of capital proposed to build a kitchen shelter and campground, so would very much like to pass this capital project first to get that project underway and complete this campground which has been built under the Tlicho infrastructure cooperation agreement. So it has gone through that very unique process of working with the Tlicho government with that agreement for the procurement of the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So there yes, you can actually go out and buy these kind of systems, but it's certainly not a small procurement that takes place. Right at this point it is internal, and so that's where you recall that there were transfers as between the Department of Finance, which is where ISSS, Information and Shared System Services resides, over to ITI so that internal work by GNWT public servants can take place. It will ultimately go out for contracting so that it can go to someone to an entity that is specialized in the delivery of the construction of a program like this. And, yes...