Mr. Speaker, we also have to make very serious efforts on implementing our building standards; tough northern energy-efficient building standards that are going to help us conserve. That is doable and it shouldn't just be for government buildings, we have to be able to do this across the North. We have to cut our reliance on petroleum products. Oil is $60 a barrel now. It may go down a bit, but it's going to continue to rise. There's a plateau that just keeps moving up.
In addition to putting in hydroelectric power where we can, clearly, conservation is going to be a huge issue as a way that we can help be more efficient, cut our greenhouse gasses and be a responsible citizen, a political citizen.
Mr. Speaker, there are targets coming, be it with this Conservative government or the next federal government. There is too much proof that we have to have targets to cut our greenhouse gas emissions. We have a plan now that is mainly paper and it's going to be time for us to put all these pieces together as we look at the budget and we look at our economy and we look at the challenges ahead.
Revenue issues, expenditure issues, we want a sustainable society and a strong economy. The challenge is there. The key for us always comes back to the big ticket item of devolution and resource and revenue sharing. If we get there tomorrow, it gives us a whole range of different options and control over the issue and
the problems and the solutions. If we don't, I would suggest that we seriously have to consider proceeding in some of the areas that I have outlined.
I think the people of the Northwest Territories recognize that we have to get together to deal with these tough issues, cumulative impacts, what's best for northerners, how fast can we develop and what is best for all of us and our children. We can no longer avoid that. We know how well the Caribou Summit worked when we brought everybody together. We did the front end work to give people a chance to identify the issues, see the information and come together to talk and look at resolutions. We came out with good recommendations.
I would suggest to you that while it may be late in the life of this Assembly, that the 16th Assembly, as one of their first courses of action, is going to have to ask those questions and lay out those answers so we can map out the road to the future. Thank you.
---Applause