Merci, Monsieur le President. I just want to set this up. Cabinet's climate change plan or approach is really made up of the energy strategy, the Climate Change Strategic Framework, and the carbon tax. My questions are to the Premier as Minister of the Executive and intergovernmental affairs. I'd like to know: how can the NWT possibly achieve the Pan-Canadian Greenhouse Gas Reduction targets when 44 percent of those reductions are to come from the mega-project Taltson expansion, and there's no money to build it; no confirmed buyers either north of the lake or into the provinces? How can we achieve that target, Mr. Speaker? Mahsi.
Masi. The Honourable Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Taltson project is important for many reasons and, as the Member knows, we received considerable support from the federal government to help with the development of this project and the overall business case. As we told the Prime Minister, we want to be part of the overall solution in dealing with climate change. I think that the federal government recognizes, as does our government, the potential of the project as part of the overall climate change efforts.
The reality is that remote mines make up 50 percent of our emissions profile and need to be part of the solution now and in the future. Taltson is best positioned to reduce industrial emissions and stabilize the costs of energy, north and south of Great Slave Lake. If the project proceeds, we can certainly achieve our greenhouse gas emission targets and provide clean energy to resource development for the next 50 years. This is a major project, however, and we are in the early stages. The Minister of Infrastructure is leading the development of the business case, and several discussions have already taken place with the Canada Infrastructure Bank. I think that it is fair to say that they have considerable interest. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I want to thank the Premier for raising the diamond mines, which is really my next question. Cabinet's carbon tax proposal, released in July 2018, is really unfair, as the largest emitters, the diamond mines, will get everything back. Individuals, families, and small businesses will subsidize the required GNWT contributions, the Taltson expansion, and the limited investments into renewables. Can the Premier tell us why the diamond mines will get all of the carbon tax that they pay back as rebates and grants from individualized accounts?
I just want to correct the Member, as what he stated isn't quite accurate. The approach announced in July 2018 only applied to non-motive fuel, not the carbon tax that the large emitters would pay on motive fuels. I wouldn't want the public to be under the impression that the large emitters wouldn't be paying carbon tax. However, as the Member would be aware, the approach to carbon tax that we developed needs to be consistent with the federal backstop. The federal backstop has an approach to large emitters that charges the carbon price on their output. I think that we would want to make sure that our approach aligns generally with the approach that Canada has taken, but reflects our northern realities.
We have always said that we want to mitigate the impact of the carbon tax on the cost of living. That is why we are exempting aviation fuel, rebating the carbon tax on heating fuel, and introducing the cost-of-living offset benefit when we implement the carbon tax. Our made-in-the-Northwest-Territories approach will help mitigate the impacts of the carbon tax on residents, on small business, and on those larger industries that are classified as large emitters.
I would like to thank the Premier for that announcement of changes to the carbon tax proposal on the floor of the House. The Auditor General's finding on our failed climate change leadership has not really been addressed. Cabinet has made no changes to provide the required leadership and authority to take real action on the climate change crisis. Can the Premier tell us why Cabinet has rejected the calls for a climate change act, mandatory consideration of climate change implications in all of our spending, and infrastructure submissions that prioritize projects that show the greatest GHG reductions as part of the efforts to deal with the climate change crisis?
Our government went through a very long consultative process and responded to what we heard. Through a review of climate change programs in Canadian jurisdictions, it was evident that the most important factors in the success of these programs were leadership and the authority to act.
Addressing climate change is a priority of this government. We have developed both a Climate Change Strategic Framework and Action Plan, which is linked to our work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the energy plan. Further, we have organized ourselves so that climate change is considered in all programs and at all levels of authority; director-level, ADM, deputy minister, and ministerial committees have been established. This leadership structure will focus government efforts as we move into the implementation phase of these strategies and plans.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Premier for that response. I don't think that committees are going to cut it. There has been one new committee established. The standing committee that reviewed the Climate Change Strategic Framework asked for a climate change act, some real action. That is not what we have.
While we have the students here in the gallery, we need some new leadership, vision, and action to deal with the climate change crisis. What would the Premier like to say to our youth to instil hope and confidence that the NWT is doing its part to meet the climate change crisis? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Addressing climate change is a priority of the 18th Legislative Assembly. Within the life of this government, we have developed both a Climate Change Strategic Framework and Action Plan, which is linked to our work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the energy plan. The Government of the Northwest Territories is now poised to take real action over the next five years and make progress on our transition to a lower-carbon economy, improving our knowledge of climate change impacts, and building resilience in adapting to climate change. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
