Daniel McNeely

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Further into my statement on landfill disposal, Mr. Speaker, this is a joint effort. In preparation on an affordable shipping schedule, Mr. Speaker, this winter, Husky Energy will be delivering a winter closure project in the Tulita area. My first question to the Minister of ENR: in cooperation with MACA, Infrastructure Department, and Husky Energy, can the Minister commit to working with our regional office to coordinate backhaul arrangements from the landfill to licensed disposable sites in the south? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is not a question, but I will help the Ministers office here, help by coordinating the contacts or supplying the contacts in preparation for the trucking season. Having seen the landfills in some of the communities during my summer visits, I can really tell that they're getting overstocked with these waste objects, so I'll provide that information, any way I can help. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'm glad to hear that from the Minister. That leads me to my next question: will the Minister direct his regional office to work with the Industry company, in this case it's Husky Energy, on identifying backhauls that could be loaded up with some of the landfill materials from the five communities in the Sahtu region for this coming winter season?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Waste recycling is a continuous and community effort. These efforts can be measured by the tidiness and organized appearance of community landfills.

Mr. Speaker, ENR delivered in 2009 a waste landfill audit per community. This audit included a recycling cost. The inventory included such items as household appliances, barrels of waste fluids, batteries, tires, et cetera.

Mr. Speaker, ongoing arrangements were made since the study was delivered, but as we know, waste is an ever-generating one and the opportunity of disposal.

Mr. Speaker, solutions for improving the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up to my statement, my questions are to the Minister of Infrastructure.

Last June, I was very pleased to witness the $140 million in funding that is dedicated to the development of an allweather highway in the Mackenzie Valley. Can the Minister of Infrastructure provide us with an update as to what work is currently being done? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My last question, Mr. Speaker, is: will the Minister offer my office a schedule of upcoming events? Say, for example, if there is to be a community consultation in Tulita or Norman Wells or various impacted communities, will that schedule be provided to me so that I can accompany the project team? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks to the Minister for that reply. My next question, Mr. Speaker, then: the GNWT already had an environmental assessment under way with this project through the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board. What is the plan for continuing with that, what are the next steps, and when can we expect to see the environmental assessment move ahead? If you can condense that into one reply, please.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Notwithstanding the last spike, Mr. Speaker, realizing the Sahtu potential and the area as a major economic contributor towards the territorial and national GDP.

Mr. Speaker, allseason road access to this region's 26 per cent of the NWT land quantum is essential to our NWT's resource development initiative, while reducing the cost of living.

Mr. Speaker, while ongoing discussions of investment confidence in forming the Arctic Policy Framework and modernizing regulatory reform is strategically complementary, fundamental to any project is financing.

Mr. Speaker, with the...

Thanks to the Minister for the continuation of where our government was leading off in the past. My next question: I am glad to hear that things are moving ahead. Who has the department met with to date to discuss the environmental settlement for the Mackenzie Valley Highway?

Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Minister, please introduce your witnesses.