Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, February 18, 2010, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that, notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on Thursday, February 18, 2010, it shall be adjourned until Monday, February 22, 2010; and further, that any time prior to February 22, 2010, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as it has been duly adjourned to that time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My apologies. I inadvertently missed a portion of this, so I am going to read it in again.
I’ll call Committee of the Whole to order. Today we have under consideration Bills 2, 4, 7, Tabled Document 62-16(4) and Minister’s Statement 47-16(4), Committee Report, 5-16(4). What is the wish of the committee? Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The committee would like to consider the Department of Environment and Natural Resources budget along with, if possible and time permitting, moving onto the Department of Transportation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee agree?
Agreed.
Okay, with that, we’ll take a short break and then begin with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
---SHORT RECESS
I’d like to call Committee of the Whole back to order. We agreed to continue with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. At this time, I’d like to ask the Minister of Environment if he has any opening comments. Minister of Environment, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do have opening comments. Mr. Chair, I am pleased to speak to the 2010-2011 Main Estimates for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The plan proposes total operational expenses of $65.7 million for the upcoming year. This is an 8 percent increase over last year.
As Members are aware, the mandate of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is to promote and support the sustainable use and development of natural resources and to protect, conserve and enhance the NWT environment for the social and economic benefit of all NWT residents.
A range of activities are proposed to uphold this mandate and I would like to take this opportunity to highlight a few key investments planned for the coming fiscal year.
Mr. Chair, during 2010-2011, ENR, working in collaboration with federal and aboriginal governments, will spend $821,000 to finalize the NWT Water Stewardship Strategy and develop a plan to implement its actions. In addition, $200,000 will be targeted towards the development of a system for tracking the health of NWT aquatic ecosystems and an extra $115,000 to develop tools aimed at helping NWT communities protect their water supply sources.
The department will also continue working with the Department of Executive on the development of a land use framework. Implementation of the framework will require comprehensive geomatics, management and information support systems to provide access to complete, timely and accurate information. Support will also continue for the NWT Protected Areas Strategy. Combined, these initiatives are budgeted at almost $500,000.
Climate change remains a serious concern for the NWT and we are continuing to take action in this area. As a government, we have committed to an investment of $60 million over four years focussed on energy conservation and alternative energy sources. In 2010-11, ENR will focus its attention in the areas of biomass, solar hot water heating systems and wind energy for a total of $1.5 million.
The GNWT’s Greenhouse Gas Strategy will require renewal in 2011. Work on this initiative will begin in 2010, including consultation with the public, industry and other interested sectors.
This budget adds $100,000 to bring 2010-2011 funding for the Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Plan to $350,000. This investment will fund further work on the geophysical permafrost survey so a plan can be developed to help affected communities.
The government will expand and build upon the successes seen in the Waste Reduction and Recovery Programs. During the coming year, the government will not only evaluate the current list of recycling efforts, which include the 25-cent Bag Fee Program, milk containers added to the Beverage Container Program and the second year of the paper and cardboard recycling initiative, but will also investigate the feasibility of establishing an e-waste recycling program for the NWT.
Mr. Chair, the NWT Species at Risk Act came into force February 1, 2010. This important piece of legislation will help us identify species at risk, protect habitats and put in place processes to help species recover. This legislation was developed through a collaborative drafting process which saw land claim organizations working hand in hand with GNWT staff.
Building on this successful work, the GNWT will now begin implementing the new act and using this collaborative drafting model to help create a much needed and modernized NWT Wildlife Act. These activities will be undertaken through an additional investment of almost $800,000 in 2010-2011.
In response to the continued decline of barren-ground caribou, the GNWT plans to continue its work with neighbouring jurisdictions and land claim groups on acquiring additional survey data on both the Bluenose-East and Ahiak herds. In addition, a calf survival survey will be undertaken on all herds, including the Bathurst, during the coming spring. This work will be undertaken through a continued investment of $500,000 in the coming year.
Mr. Chair, traditional knowledge continues to play an important role in ENR’s mandate. During the coming year, $300,000 will be spent on the Traditional Knowledge Implementation Strategy. This will help us work with our aboriginal partners and further our efforts in incorporating traditional knowledge in our decision-making.
As Members are aware, a large part of the department’s budget is spent on the prevention, detection, monitoring and suppression of wildfires in the Northwest Territories. This work is undertaken through the department’s Forest Fire Management Policy. During 2010-2011, the department will finalize its review of this policy and update the definition of “values at risk.” Mahsi cho.
That concludes my opening comments for the department’s 2010-2011 Main Estimates. I would like to thank you for the opportunity to appear before committee and I would be happy to answer any questions that Members may have.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. At this time I would like to ask the Minister if he will be bringing any witnesses. Mr. Miltenberger.
Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Does the committee agree that the Minister may bring in his witnesses?
Agreed.
Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses in.
For the record, Mr. Miltenberger, could you introduce your witnesses, please?
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With me are Gary Bohnet, deputy minister of Environment and Natural Resources, and Ms. Nancy Magrum, director of finance, shared services for ENR and ITI.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Welcome, witnesses. Are there any general comments regarding the Department of Environment and Natural Resources? Does committee agree to go into detail?
Agreed.
Okay. Turn to page 13-7, department summary. Can I get some direction to defer that page to after consideration of the rest of the detail?
Agreed.
Moving on to page 13-8, Environment and Natural Resources, information item, infrastructure investment summary. Questions?
Agreed.
Page 13-9, Environment and Natural Resources, information item, revenue summary. Questions? Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I know Members have been interested in supporting the department’s negotiations with the federal government to increase rates for fishing licences. I believe the department was planning to act on that. I’m wondering where things are at on that one.
Minister of Environment.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We have initiated correspondence and put in the request to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to look at their fishing permits. At the same time we’re also looking at our own hunting permits and looking at bringing those up as well.
I’m just wondering when we might expect an update on that and when we expect to have things concluded.
Deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We’ll be bringing in the new rates July 1st of this year for the hunting licence fees and the increase in vendors’ fees.
Is something happening on the fishing licences end? I think we were actually not that interested in upping the rates on the hunting licences. Just for clarification, are rates going up on our hunting licences and where are we at on fishing licences?
Yes, we’ll be increasing the hunting licence fees also here in the Territories on July 1st. In regard to the fishing licence, it takes some federal regulation changes and we’ve been in contact with DFO and they are presently working with us. We hope to have something in place for the next fiscal year.
Mr. Bromley. Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. How big of an increase on the hunting licence?
Deputy Minister Bohnet.
Yes, thank you. We’re basically looking at doubling the hunting licence fees.
Just for clarification, I believe the question was how much. Do you have the actual amounts?
Mr. Chairman, I do not have the actual amounts with me. We can get them for you.
I would appreciate that if he could get that back to all Members what it would cost our constituents for the new hunting licences.
Thank you. Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We’ll get that information and share it with committee members.
Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m wondering what additional services we’re providing to our hunters with the doubled fees. Obviously this is kind of a tough time to be doubling fees when our main wildlife are down in numbers.
I know there has been a recognized need for a long time now to start implementing a hunters training course and perhaps it is something that should be developed and introduced as mandatory for a certain age group to start ensuring that we have... It’s a more complex world out there these days. There’s not the same connection with our fathers and traditional harvesters of the past. ...(inaudible)...the way they were. I think there is a bigger role now for the department. I am wondering what the thinking is on that, what additional services we’re contemplating with the doubled licence fee. When was the last time we adjusted licence fees? Perhaps it is time. Thank you.
Mr. Chairman, last year we were asked to come back with a plan to bring up our fees. So we are working on that. We will be glad to share that plan with the committee, with the Members. Part of the focus that we have talked about in that the farmers invested a significant amount of time and effort as a whole area of conservation education and hunting education so that we can work with parents, traditional knowledge, elders, to make sure that people have the proper respect both for the land and the animals that they are harvesting. I will let the deputy minister speak a bit more to that and possibly give an idea when the last time hunting licences were increased.
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is noted over the past several years that the hunting and fishing licence fees in the Northwest Territories were by far the lowest in Canada, in fact, unusually low compared to any jurisdiction in North America. That is something we were asked to investigate and bring back a fee raise for consideration. Part and parcel of the thing is we are looking at administering a public education...(inaudible)...and specifically hunter education program that could be brought into place after we finish designing it knowing that the fees for these particular items, licence fees and all that go back into general revenue. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Mr. Bohnet. Mr. Bromley.
