Thank you, Member. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. For that detail, I will ask the deputy minister. Thank you.
Deputy Minister, Ms. Kelly.
Thank you, Madam Chair. For clarity, the action plan was developed in collaboration with Indigenous governments, industry, and many other partners and contains actions that had been put forward by those groups that are priorities for them related to climate change. It is our intention that the Climate Change Council will work with us to prioritize part 2 actions. With respect to funding for individual actions, much of the work is being done by staff within the GNWT. The Member would receive information on ENR staff who are working on many of the action items in there, as well as staff from other departments, because the action plan is for all of the departments in the NWT, the climate change action that they are taking. There are many, many actions that are listed in there. All of those actions come together through a very large engagement across the Northwest Territories. Just the summarize, the Climate Change Council will help us to prioritize those actions. Whatever funding is available, if it matches up to actions in that action plan, we are jumping on that funding. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Deputy Minister. Moving on to Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. When can we expect to see air regulations in place?
Thank you, Member. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Presently, we are having difficulty staffing that position. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I will take that as "when we get a person to staff the position," then we can go from there. I guess my question is: do our air regulations have any plans to regulate the amount of CO2 emissions?
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. It is still under discussion. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. My concern is that the Auditor General, one of the specific things is that we seem to lack any clear authority of responsibility for climate change. If we know that the energy strategy is not going to get us to meet our targets and we know that we, as a government, are not reaching our targets, which I think, considering we are disproportionately affected by climate change, really is not showing that we are a leader -- we are a relatively small jurisdiction. I recognize that, but I think we all have to do our part. If we know that we are not on track to meet our targets, does the Minister of ENR have any ability to do anything about that?
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We have offered to do a technical briefing as well as to get a technical briefing with the energy strategy. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.
Listen, I get that I am probably not going to get the Minister of ENR to commit to a legislated target that is enforceable right now in this question period, although that is what I would like to see. A number of researchers have suggested one of the best ways from the Northwest Territories, given the remoteness of our communities and the difficulty of getting off diesel, is simply for us to purchase carbon offsets or to acquire the Power Corporation or other large emitters, industrial people, to purchase carbon offsets, which would then allow us to meet our carbon targets by funding other green projects. Has the GNWT ever purchased carbon offsets?
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. No, we haven't. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Interestingly enough, we, as Members, are actually allowed to purchase carbon offsets through our CWAA to save for any flights we may take. Just an interesting fact for Members. I would like to see the GNWT look into that. Will the Minister of ENR -- I recognize that perhaps Finance, I don't know where exactly this would lie -- be willing to look in the possibility of GNWT utilizing carbon offsets as one of the many tools in fighting climate change?
Thank you, Member. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. That would be a question for the Department of Finance. I would encourage the Member to reach out to the Minister of Finance to ask that question. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you. I assure you I will reach out to the Minister of Finance and give her some more work to do. Sorry. No further questions at this time, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Moving on to Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Mahsi cho, Madam Chair. I am just looking at a page 77 line item here with the Interim Resource Management Assistance Program. Just a quick question to the Minister: this line item here, there doesn't seem to be any increases for the last little while, the last couple years. Can I ask the Minister why hasn't this been increased? Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. It is the money we are getting from the federal government. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Mahsi cho, Madam Chair. What is his department doing to contribute to this program? Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Member. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We are administering this program for the federal government. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I think this is important because it does affect Indigenous communities for unsettled land claims with help with their land and resource management. Is there any appetite from that department or from the Minister to lobby for more money, because it is important to help Indigenous governments in unsettled land claims? Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Presently, we were doing the review on this; then, we will go from there. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you. Would the Minister report back to one of the committees with the findings? Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister of ENR.
Yes, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for the responses. Just one last quick question on this area: which committee would he be reporting to? Thanks.
Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I believe we would report to Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment, SCEDE. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Are there further questions on this item? You still have questions? Okay, sorry. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, I just have a couple of quick questions, actually. With the conservation, planning and implementation, page 76, I see there is an increase here in funding to $5,263,000. Yes, it's the federal funding, some of it, but I know that Thaidene Nene and, forgive me, this is not my mother tongue, but Saoyu-Ehdacho are two candidate areas that were established, so I know that some of that funding will go there, but there are also seven candidate areas that are left to be established. What is the plan going forward with those seven candidate areas? Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. For further detail, I will turn to the deputy minister. Thank you, Madam Chair.
