Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to speak just briefly in support of this motion. I would like to thank the Members that are sponsoring and seconding the motion. I think it has the full support of the Members on this side. It's a very straightforward and well laid out motion, Mr. Speaker, and it has very specific recommendations in the end.
Mr. Speaker, I don't know, I guess the longer I'm in this business I think some people might think with all the problems and big picture items and small issues that you have to deal with, do you not ever get down about it, and I do not. I really believe in the possibility of leaders and possibility of politics to get things done. I think the climate change issue brings us fresh challenge and new challenge for one that we need to address and one that I think that we can get action on.
Mr. Speaker, as many Members have mentioned, we live in a very interesting place and interesting time. The NWT has unprecedented resource development potential, as well as a natural environment that's second to none. I think that we can be the leaders and we can show the way for the rest of the world on how we can balance resource development with environmental protection. I know it's bigger than probably what a small jurisdiction or small population that we have can address and we may feel like that sometimes, and we may feel like we don't have all the jurisdiction and power that we need, but I believe if we look hard enough and think hard enough, there's a lot we can do to be the leaders in this area. Reducing greenhouse gas is one of them, and making changes into little things is one of them, and making everybody who works and lives and creates jobs here and who have lived here forever, you know, we are all part of this and if we work together I believe we could find an action and make changes in this regard.
I think climate change overall is a global issue. I know it's a hot topic and I know sometimes it may seem overwhelming, but I really see this as a great challenge and great opportunity and, as the saying goes in the other side of the world, every crisis is an opportunity to do good work. I really believe in that in this regard and I look forward to seeing what this government could come up with in terms of the recommendations we're making here.
Another thing I want to add that I haven't heard mentioned here is that whatever we're doing on this strategy, we must involve all stakeholders and that must involve the industry sector as well. Today in the news, Mr. Speaker, the chairperson of Canadian Council of CEOs, Mr. Tom d'Aquino, spoke about the businesses getting involved in the climate change issue, and, of course, businesspeople
are always smart people and they like to always get in front of the issue rather than behind the issue and I think that's a good discussion to have. I know the resource industry sector in the NWT are not just the ones that may produce most greenhouse gas for the work that they do, but they are also impacted negatively by climate change and I'm sure they want to take a leadership role in how we address this. An important principle that we have to go with is the balance. We need resource development as well as protection of the environment. I think that if we put our collective heads together and sometimes we have to bow our collective heads together when we haven't done enough. In terms of protecting water and protecting environment, with all the discussions and focus and time and energy we have spent on developing resource projects, I think we could all agree that we have not gone far enough in coming up with principles and position on this side of the equation. Thanks to many Members in this House and what's being talked about outside of here, we're doing that and we're doing exactly what we have to do. I guess talking is not enough. We're looking for action and this motion is showing that. For that I'm happy to support this motion and I look forward to working with all the Members in this House and outside in making progress. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause