Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Infrastructure, as Infrastructure is the department that handles our energy policy for this government. Earlier today the honourable Member for Yellowknife North spoke about nuclear energy as a potential solution to remote industrial operations in the high Arctic and as a solution for off-grid mines. I know that many industry actors who are operating in the Northwest Territories have been looking into the potential of nuclear technology. I haven't heard a lot from this government on its position on nuclear. Do we have one, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Nuclear is an interesting conversation. I think, if you read the documents, we are interested in all new technologies that are coming down the pipe to help us meet the energy crunch that is coming and the greenhouse gas reductions that we will have to meet. The Nuclear Board of Canada was at the Arctic Energy Conference in Inuvik to participate. They were there with constituency of a few people to pay attention to what's going on and the needs across the North. We continue to follow the nuclear technology as it improves across the country.
At PDAC, I ran into the federal parliamentary secretary who was having a meeting with the many nuclear people and how it could be implemented in the country, but it's a long ways off. This thing has to go through some strict rationale on how it is going to be used safely in our country, and I'm not quite sure if the technology is even there to be implementing it at this point, but we are definitely following it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you to the Minister for clearing that up. I am glad that this government is on the case. I think nuclear is one of those areas of energy that gets a bad rep because of some very high-profile global disasters, but that shouldn't persuade us away from looking at the potential. Canada has had nuclear reactors operators in southern provinces for many years, such as in Ontario, who has a famously successful nuclear program that hasn't had any major problems.
I would like to ask the Minister if he is aware of any territorial jurisdiction that could allow us to pursue our own nuclear program without the federal government having to design it for us?
I believe anything that pertains to nuclear energy in this country has to follow the jurisdiction of the federal government. As I have said, though, we are paying close attention to how this is rolling out. I have had a few documents that actually crossed my desk that people have sent me about it. As innovation comes along and technology changes, I am sure that is no different than the impacts of climate change. This is something that is coming. It is something that I think not just the Northwest Territories are going to have to have a look at as an energy needs as the future comes, but it is a global thing that I think many nations are going to have to look at.
Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, the industry has been looking at this technology, including industries working in similar conditions, and potentially in the Northwest Territories themselves. Does the Minister know if there are any industrial energy projects that the GNWT could potentially partner with and work with the federal government to move nuclear projects forward in the Northwest Territories?
I'm not aware of any large industrial components that are interested in doing this. As I have stated, I don't believe the technology is there yet. This is something that we are just keeping an eye on moving forward and how we can have it implemented in the future once it becomes a reliable source of energy.
Thank you. Final question. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for responding on an area that there is not much meat on the bones, so to speak. There is a public concern over the use of this technology. I think we are reminded of some public engagement that went on earlier in this term. Clearly, if this is the way of the future, and the Minister is confident that the industry is moving in this area, and the economy is moving in this area, is he willing to commit to put a discussion paper together or some talking points that could be shared with the public so we can get Northerners in on the conversation and allay any hesitation they have of embracing technology, which as he said, is on the way of being normative in western civilization? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
As I said, our energy strategy moving forward talks about all the types of future innovative and different technologies that are coming down the pipe. At this point, I don't think I want to put our resources into putting a paper into something that is probably quite a distance out, but we will continue to monitor it going forward, and if some more information that crosses my desk that I think is going to be relevant to the conversation of how we do the energy mix to lower our greenhouse gas emissions for the Northwest Territories, at that time I will look at bringing that out. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
