Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the GNWT, CRA provides a cost of living offset to individuals in the program to offset the costs of territorial carbon tax. Can the Minister of Finance look into implementing the cost of living to offset that IT provides Nunakput residents in the Beaufort Delta with the same assistance because it recognize their higher cost of living in a tiered system? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Minister responsible for Finance.
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 facing higher costs in this regard. So what I will commit to doing is looking at whether that is even possible. Negating the carbon signal is the issue that we cannot do, otherwise the federal system will come in and remove any ability that we might have for flexibility. So I will look into whether it's even possible to do that, Mr. Speaker, and will then get back to the MLA. Thank you
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And yeah, no, I'm just wondering if the Minister could work with our Minister of ECE to explore expanded home heating subsidy program for our Arctic region for our elders and people, private homeowners, that are in that system. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
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. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Looking back, I guess I try to cross the whole Northwest Territories, I think we should be talking to Canada now in regards to the carbon tax and why do we have to pay? We're small enough in the territory. We have 35,000 people. It's just going to draw more hardship on our families, our young mothers in social housing in regards to and our elders that are private homeowners. There needs be more money given out instead of being starting to try to claw back. Can the Minister commit to talking to Canada in regards to working with them to see if we could, you know, not have to pay; do we have to pay? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
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 raise the issue. And I appreciate the questions and the support that I think for the position of raising the needs of the North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Final supplementary. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we live climate change every day where we are from. I have shoreline erosion programs. I have so much going on. We have colder winters, more a lot less snow but colder, longer periods of time. You know that, you live up back in the Delta with us. Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day this carbon tax has to be really looked at and either make it help me help you. Put a tiered system in. Tier one Yellowknife, tier two Sahtu, tier three Beaufort Delta. Pretty simple. If they could do that and then talking again to talk to Canada, why do we have to pay? We're the most affected territory in the most weather compliant region in the whole of the Northwest Territories where I'm from. We can't keep going the way we're going here. I mean, it's tough for people to survive already. And here we're going to get dinged with another tax. Not right. Mr. Speaker, can I have the commitment from the Minister that she's going to talk to Canada and report back the House? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
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 number of different challenges across country on carbon tax and none of which have thus far changed the system. But the situation here, I get it, is serious. I will report back on what we hear. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.
