Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Minister what juncture are we at right now in terms of having any tangible affect on the expansion of the tar sands in the Fort McMurray area at this time? What tool is at our disposal to have an impact? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are a number of projects that are included as part of the tar sands, some of them that have just come to the forefront within the last year. We have been in contact with the proponents in that area. The Government of Alberta has put forward, for the first time, a water management plan for the Athabasca River. We have signed a framework for all the different waters that flow into our jurisdiction. I think we have a lot of issues to deal with and I don't make any bones about it that we still have a lot of work to do. Having said that, we've done a lot in a very short time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Another question then, Mr. Speaker, for the Minister. We have scientific data today that would indicate that our river and lake levels are lower than they have been historically. Can the Minister tell the House, is there any correlation between the activity that's happening in the tar sands and those lower water levels; and if he can't tell us, how can we obtain the research that can tell us what the correlation is? We need to know those answers.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are looking at some of the possible affects that are causing the low waters. Mr. Speaker, I can only point to the most recent study that was done, that was done in 2004. The Mackenzie River Basin Board released its State of the Aquatic Ecosystem Report which showed that the overall surface water quality was fine and that it was capable of supporting all the aquatic life and plants and animals. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to follow up on my Member's statement. As the Member for Thebacha would say, all these issues are interrelated. So, Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Premier if the pipeline goes ahead, will the public purse of the Northwest Territories be held accountable for the increase in our greenhouse gas emissions, or will industry be held responsible? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. I'm going to rule that question out of order. That's a hypothetical question, Mr. Hawkins.

---Ruled Out of Order

Oral questions. Do you want to rephrase that question or ask a supplementary question, Mr. Hawkins?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what will the Premier be doing to ensure that the industry will be paying for their own greenhouse gas emission problems? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, currently it is the federal government who issues the permits and certificates for the conditions on which the pipeline would be built, if it's built. We have made, and will continue to make, interventions on any further public hearings with regard to the recommendations for permits and certification. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, how does this government plan to deal with these emissions? If the Premier says the federal government is in control, do we ignore this or what are we doing to make submissions to the federal government about making sure that industry is accountable for the emissions that they create? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A lot of these issues are questions that are being considered right now by the joint review panels, by the federal government and, I'm sure, by industry themselves. So there is no definite answer of how the company would be held accountable, if they are and in what ways. Mr. Speaker, our approach now is to make interventions wherever there is the opportunity holding that the industry should be held responsible. Mr. Speaker, I might say, as well, that we have been in negotiations with the company and the federal government, we've had discussion with them, on the concept of using hydro energy instead of gas from the pipeline for their power needs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Speaking of emissions and working with industry, Mr. Speaker, on the same issue, what is this government doing to ensure that the Mackenzie Valley gas project hooks into the Bear project so we can ensure that we can keep emissions as low as possible? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, the discussions have been ongoing for some time with regard to the Bear River project. Given the current schedule of the pipeline if the Bear River project even were to move ahead today, would not be there and in place in time to provide energy for the start-up of the pipeline. So our discussions will be more for supplementing the initial needs and then also to meet the needs of what are referred to as infill stations. Mr. Speaker, those negotiations still have to continue with the company. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, Mr. Speaker, the Mackenzie gas pipeline SEA has already been signed and I didn't see any provisions in there to ensure that we could work to get emissions as low as possible or anything else. What is the Premier doing on the moral fabric, or moral legislation that he has as Premier to say we need you to commit? So what is the Premier doing for leadership to ensure the Mackenzie Valley gas project will either sign on to the Bear River project or to commit to ensuring we have the lowest emissions possible? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Handley.