Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I spoke earlier today about the rising cost of carbon and the need for us to establish a plan that is made in the North. My questions are for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. I would like to ask the Minister to explain how is the GNWT working with other territories to develop an approach to carbon pricing that works for Northerners? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We work very closely with our northern counterparts because the carbon pricing mechanism that Ottawa came up with is going to have an effect on the three territories. We managed to get it into the architecture document that is going to be considered by the first ministers at their upcoming meeting and we also made it quite clear to our counterparts and the federal minister the effect that proposed carbon pricing is going to have on the Northwest Territories. They've committed to recognizing the uniqueness of the Northwest Territories as they move forward.
Thank you to the Minister for his reply. Can the Minister tell us what the GNWT is doing to reach out to our residents to communicate with them about climate change and the potential for a forthcoming carbon tax?
We recognize that the proposed carbon pricing is going to have an effect on people across the Northwest Territories. Having said that, we are going to undertake our regional public engagements this fall to inform the development of both the new energy strategy, get some feedback from residents, and I believe it's starting on October 25th and 26th.
There will be a schedule that would be made public, if it's not already. Also we have an on-line survey on the Department of ENR's website to get some public feedback. But we are having five regional workshops, regional public engagements, and we will make the dates known.
I appreciate the reply from the Minister, and I also appreciate that the Minister has indicated that there is ongoing communication going on with the federal government with regard to the potential for some mechanism for carbon pricing or carbon tax. So I just wonder if the Minister can elaborate. Has Ottawa given any detail about the model that it plans to put in place if we don't have our own?
No, they haven't. They do have a technical team that's coming to the Northwest Territories within the next couple of weeks to meet with our technical folks to have some discussion, and as I stated earlier they have said to us that they recognize the uniqueness of the Northwest Territories and they will take that into consideration. As far as a mechanism, though, they are going to meet with our folks. Once they have some discussions with them and then we have our public engagement, then we will see what the pricing mechanism may look like.
Thank you to the Minister for his reply. This will be my final question. Would the GNWT, if in fact we have to consider a carbon pricing, would the GNWT consider a carbon pricing approach that would reinvest revenues into renewable energy technology?
The federal government has given an indication that any carbon pricing mechanism used, the money would actually stay in the jurisdiction where it is generated. So there could be opportunities there for some investment in infrastructure, and in our meetings with the federal minister we talked about the fact that we have 22 of our 33 communities on diesel. We need to get them off diesel. There are opportunities there for some federal investments through the green infrastructure and any other pots of money that we may be able to access to help us reduce our emissions. So we are looking at all options, and I can guarantee to this House and to the public that's listening, whatever option that we can get for the Northwest Territories that's going to benefit the Northwest Territories, we will go after. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
