Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the response. That leads to my final question. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister explain how the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Inuvialuit Water Board work on transboundary water issues with the Yukon in areas that impact the ISR? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have an existing agreement with the Yukon that was signed in 2002. We are going through a process right now to update the agreement to align with the more recently completed transboundary water agreements. We will work with the Inuvialuit as we develop our position going forward, and we will continue working with them as well as the other Aboriginal governments across the Northwest Territories.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I will be asking questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Mr. Speaker, as we have seen in the main estimates, ECE has planned to cut $1.8 million from inclusive schooling. ECE has since confirmed to leaving $1.3 million alone and dedicated the rest to a specialized training group for PST teachers. Since this isn't reflected in the mains, where is the department going to find this money, whether it is internally, through a supplemental or presented to this House or both? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The $1.3 million, as we stated during Committee of the Whole, will be moved back into the inclusive schooling funding that will be provided to the education authorities throughout the Northwest Territories and distributed for the 201718 academic year. The remaining $500,000 is going to be used by the department for training of all NWT program support teachers, school principals, as well as classroom assistants in the 201718. Currently, right now, some of that training is happening here, in Yellowknife, this week. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank the Minister for his answer. I guess my question, though, and I understand that: where is this money? Is it still in the budget? Was it something from here? Okay, thank you.
The Minister has also referenced ECE commitment to seeing a program support teachers in each community NWT school. I understand from our discussions in Committee of the Whole that they will be funded through the health, wellness, and students line item. What dollar amount has been identified to get these positions filled and bring a PST to each NWT school?
For the 201718 academic school year, $9.6 million has been identified for approximately 72 program support teachers. The overall budget for inclusive schooling is over $25 million. In the health, wellness, and student support, the line item budget for that is over $3 million.
I thank the Minister for that answer. That is pretty exciting news, to see that that money is there. Can the Minister tell us how many schools already have at least one PST teacher in place? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Currently, all education bodies decide how to distribute their inclusive schooling funding throughout their schools to ensure that all schools have needed access to PSTs. We can get the number for the Member. Under our renewed inclusive schooling directive, we have made it mandatory for education bodies to look at prescribing a number of program support teachers based on the enrolment of students in each of their schools in the regions, so that sends a new directive from 2016. We can get those numbers for the Member, how many schools have PSTs right now.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for his answer. I look forward to that information. I guess, when he is providing that information, will the Minister commit to providing us how many new PST teachers will be needed for each school? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned, we provide the funding, inclusive schooling funding, to the education authorities, and they work out, based on enrolment, how many program support teachers that they need based on the enrolment and students that they have in each of their schools. We can get that information, working with our education authorities.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Premier, who signed the National Climate Change Framework on our behalf. It has been reported that federal funding would be made available to help meet the costs of governmental measures to reduce greenhouse gas production, such as the replacement of diesel generation. Can the Premier give us an overview of the funding transfers we can expect to receive and any details available at this time on the use of those funds? Mahsi.
Masi. The Honourable Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our officials have been having discussions with federal officials. We have no details as to those specifics. I expect we will have more information when the federal budget comes out later this spring. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you to the Premier for that response. Recent media reports indicate that the Nunavut government may be seeking an exemption under its carbon pricing for certain types of fuel, specifically heating fuel, jet fuel, and fuel for generating power. Obviously, action on climate change must be across the board and achieve the new carbonfree economy, which is the only solution to runaway climate change. Can the Premier assure us that we are negotiating a fullspectrum carbonpricing system to motivate replacement of all categories of fuels?
We are holding roundtables throughout the Northwest Territories. We have had very excellent feedback, and we are looking at all options. Certainly, we will do what is best for the people of the Northwest Territories.
I didn't hear an answer there, but maybe I will capture it in the next question. As I pointed out, the Mining Association of Canada has announced its endorsement of carbon pricing as the most effective and efficient means of driving emissions reductions. The mining industry in the NWT is both a major producer of greenhouse gases and, of course, a major contributor of revenue. Has our government reached out to the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines to enlist their partnership in transition to a carbon price? If not, will the Premier commit to doing so?
As people in the southern parts of Canada are wont to do, the Mining Association of Canada without any consultation went ahead and put forward their position on climate change. We understand that that’s not necessarily shared by the local Chamber of Mines. We are setting up meetings with them so that we will have very specific industry input and if we do our consultations.
Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you. That’s a very curious twist. My last question, Mr. Speaker, is that we recognize that carbon pricing is just one element of an array of measures that must be put in place. Can the Premier report on the current status of the climate change strategic framework and when we may expect to see this document, including a cost of implementation plan with timelines? Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, we are continuing with our consultations and we expect that will be completed by the end of March. We have committed to working with the Standing Committee on the Economy and the Environment, so I expect that it will be the fall. The federal has indicated that carbon tax or carbon pricing will be imposed in 2018. Our expectation is that we’ll have our strategies completed well before that.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’m going to apologize in advance if some of these questions are a duplication. I just sadly lost track a little bit of what my colleagues’ questions were being asked. I was focusing on something else, but my questions, however, are for the Minister of Finance. They might be similar in nature. I just wonder: can the Minister of Finance provide us with some degree of update on what is going on between our territorial government and the federal government on -- I won’t call it a negotiation, but discussions on a carbon tax and what regime might be being considered since the federal government’s announcement that we will be seeing a carbon tax sometime in the future? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Finance.
Thank you. We have been having discussions with the federal government. We have agreed to work together to better understand the impact of their proposed carbon pricing in the Northwest Territories and, in our meetings we had down there, they understand the unique situation of the North and how it is going to have a wider affect up here than, I think, they expected. So we’re continuing to have those discussions and I will update committee as those progressions progress. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you to the Minister for his reply. I wonder if the Minister can share with us at this time, you know, we have shared our concerns with the federal government as it relates to what a carbon tax may or may not do as it relates to our cost of living. Can the Minister maybe provide us any insight as to what that discussion has been like with the federal government, and is there any consideration being given to the impacts that it’s going to have on the cost of living here in the North?
We have been having those discussions as an item. As I mentioned earlier, the federal government, we made them well aware of the actual effects of their carbon pricing and the effects it’s going to have on the Northwest Territories, so we will continue to have those discussions. We will continue to make our case. I have had assurance from the Minister of Environment Canada that they will recognize the unique situation of the North. Whatever that entails remains to be seen and I guess that’s part of the wider discussion that we plan on going with them.
I appreciate the Minister’s reply. I expect that, to some degree, we’re going to have the ability to do some kind of tweaking to whatever this form of carbon tax is going to be. We know that other jurisdictions such as Alberta have done some tweaks with regard to their carbon tax. There are some exemptions, Mr. Speaker. The oil and gas industry has certain kinds of exemptions. The agricultural industry has some certain kinds of exemptions. On our front here, are there any exemptions that we’ll be considering if a carbon tax is to come into play?
We’re very early in the process, and our exemptions could be one approach. We’ll also be looking at rebates or tax credits as approaches to mitigate the impact of cost of living, but we are early in the process. I do realize we had a briefing committee, but I would like to, once we do a bit more of the work. I would like to come forward and have an opportunity to meet with committee, give them some of our early findings, and get some feedback from committee as we continue to move forward. At our earliest opportunity, we will make the offer to committee to have a sit-down with them and have a discussion as we move forward.
Masi. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That’s well appreciated. We look forward to any information or presentation or briefing that the Minister can provide. That would be fantastic. Lastly, Mr. Speaker, I’m wondering what the intention would be with such a tax in terms of: are we going to neutralize this tax? Is this a tax that’s going into general coffers and then just spent as and where the territorial government feels it’s required, or is this something that’s going to go directly back to investing in reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and investing in developing and initiating alternative energy sources? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We haven’t determined that yet, but one other thing I could share with Members or share with this House is, in our discussions with Canada, they recognize our high cost of providing services up here and they have a green energy fund, I believe it is, and there are some opportunities for us to apply for money through that fund to help mitigate our emissions. Again, to our advantage is that they know about the high cost of living up here, the 22 or 23 communities on these. We’ve made that case. I believe that we’re working with Canada to try and access some of that green funding. Again, my offer before stands that, once we do a bit more work on this file and after we pass our budget, then we will have a sit-down with committee and have a discussion moving forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Mr. Speaker, work is under way to host a charette in Yellowknife in June hosted by Gwich'in Tribal Council with support in the Centre of Indigenous Aboriginal Resources. I’m going to ask the Minister responsible for Climate Change and Energy questions on that. Will the GNWT join those partners to help make the charette happen? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Honourable Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m looking forward to receiving a proposal from the Gwich'in Tribal Council. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The focus of the charette will be discussions and impacts and opportunities presented by the impending carbon tax and come up with a northern solution. Will the GNWT begin discussions with the group that is working on coming up with a charette?
The Government of the Northwest Territories is in the process of engaging with energy stakeholders as part of the development of the climate change framework and energy strategy. To date, we have held meetings in Nunavut, Norman Wells, Fort Smith, Yellowknife, and Fort Simpson. Next week, we will hold a session in Hay River. We have an upcoming workshop session in Behchoko. We have received submissions from Alternatives North and other energy consulting businesses and are considering those perspectives. We welcome the opportunity to hear from all interested parties and will work to integrate those comments and suggestions into our draft energy strategy and climate change framework, which we expect to table in draft form later this year.
In my Member's statement I spoke about the federal government putting $50 million aside for remote Indigenous communities to transition off diesel fuel. Has this government had any discussions with the federal government as to that $50 million fund?
We've had discussions with the federal government. The federal government has contributed $250,000 for us to hold consultations with regards to developing an energy strategy and a climate change strategy for the Northwest Territories.
Masi. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we all know in the House, small communities have lower incomes and there would be some impact from the carbon tax so this money that the federal government has put in place is very specific to transitioning Indigenous off diesel fuel. I was wondering if the Minister could advise us if there have been any discussions specific to that initiative. Thank you.
