Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for those commitments. The GNWT has often whispered about a sales tax in the past. Is the sales tax going to be on the table for this government? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on the heels of a global pandemic and devastating floods, an unprecedented wildfire season forced more than twothirds of the Northwest Territories to evacuate. The roads were packed with cars while the largest airlift in Canadian history brought residents to cities some had never stepped foot in before. As Northerners, we are still coping with this collective trauma. In this House, we must also cope with the public's loss in faith in our governments and institutions. Communication leading up to and during the crisis was confusing and contradictory...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance.

What is the total net revenue from carbon pricing in the Northwest Territories since 2019;

What is the total amount of carbon tax rebates remitted to large emitters in the resource sector in the Northwest Territories since 2019;

What is the total amount of carbon tax rebates remitted to Northwest Territories residents through cost of living offset (COLO) payments since 2019;

What is the total amount of carbon tax revenue that has been shared with Northwest Territories communities through grants since 2019; and,

What is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Further to that, Yukon and Nunavut maintain their own rebate systems, including rebates to mines, yet they use the federal backstop for tax collection. Why can't we do the same in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too would like to recognize Chief Ernest Betsina and Chief Fred Sangris and also recognize that we are our proceedings today take place on Chief Drygeese territory. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker,

WHEREAS the Northwest Territories experienced a historic and unprecedented wildfire season in 2023 that displaced twothirds of the territorial population through emergency evacuations and that destroyed community infrastructure and private property in many northern communities;

AND WHEREAS the people of the Northwest Territories are still experiencing individual and collective trauma induced by the 2023 wildfires and subsequent emergency management operations;

AND WHEREAS the Government of the Northwest Territories is undertaking an internal review of its...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, BC's carbon tax is revenue neutral with all revenues going to rebates for clean energy programs or rebates to individuals. Why is our carbon tax generating net revenue instead of being revenue neutral? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Northerners keep getting told that our system of carbon pricing is more flexible than the federal model, but it seems to me that the only flexibility we have is to copy what they're doing in Ottawa when the dictates of Parliament come down to us. So can the Minister of Finance tell me, is the GNWT simply mirroring changes made to the federal backstop with our own carbon pricing regime? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, is the Minister it sounds like no additional resources are coming, so is the Minister contemplating a bill that can correct some of these timelines so we can ensure we're meeting them and we're not putting additional pressures on our staff that are just ensuring that the system fails? Thank you.

Thank you. Does the Premier believe that filling those vacancies will correct the issue, and we'll see the rates of timeliness improve? Thank you.