Caroline Wawzonek

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...

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...

Mr. Chair, let me turn that to the deputy minister, please.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I don't know that my thoughts are necessarily the ones that matter the most. I am not going to be the expert in the area but I was fortunate to be joined at this meeting, staff, technical staff from the Department of Infrastructure, technical staff from the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, and it certainly was an interesting opportunity to learn about all of the tremendous possibility that could exist within the use of airships in the North or other remote sites.

So, you know, as far as the viability, I think there is a probably a number...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I did not plan to be speaking to the Mineral Resources Act regulations development. But perhaps in the interest of getting some information, I will turn it to the deputy minister, please.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm not sure that we would necessarily have a final on that at this point. I mean, the system hasn't even been designed yet. So I mean, I can only speak to it from the perspective of knowing what happens over with ISSS that there certainly is some O and M that is associated with big technical projects. But, again, at this point, we don't even have the system actually designed. So it's premature for me to take an estimate. Thank you.

Mr. Chair, only to acknowledge that with respect to the Department of Finance more generally, I am aware that this is an issue that's come up. And I will, you know, speak with Minister Archie so that between the two of us, and then we'll be prepared to answer those questions in the course of the review of the capital plans in COW. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, again, Mr. Chair, some of the work that's occurring a lot of the work that's occurring has, indeed, been done through GNWT's public service. There are also some contracts with the entity that's responsible for LTOS platform, the Spatial Dimension Canada, which is involved there. I can't I don't have in front of me whether or not that's the entire amount that was referenced by the Member. But those would be the way that the money has gone, as I've said again, that there's the both internal funding that's been used for our own staff as well as for, again, the trimble...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I think that is a question that's looking at the entire capital budget that is being proposed. So let me take that back and when the Department of Finance is here, that might be the time to attempt a more fulsome response. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I mean, Mr. Chair, at this point I don't have I mean, this is, right now, the budget that we have here is already underway. So I can't say that I've received any particular money from the feds on this particular project. Now that said, you know, to the extent that there's yes yes, at this point, Mr. Chair, that's not where the funding is coming from. So thanks. Thank you, Mr. Chair.