Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’re doing a number of things. We’re looking at, hopefully in the next number of weeks before the end of session, being able to come forward with a framework for a water strategy that is going to allow us to deal with a very crucial issue that’s directly impacted by climate changes and global warming in addition to the huge development pressures.
We’re also going to be working on a land use framework that will give us a clear base to look at issues such as the pace of development, where we develop, how fast we develop, is it in our best interest, and how does it fit with all the other demands and needs to protect the land.
We have our own Greenhouse Gas Strategy. Granted, it is somewhat inward-looking.
We’re going to be looking at a biomass strategy that’s going to look seriously at the opportunity to replace those diesel generators in communities that are now providing electricity with wood pellet generators.
We want to look at the hydro expansion in small communities, but we also want to take a look at the opportunity to redirect the transmission line that’s currently being planned to go around the East Arm. We want to consider the benefit of moving that closer to Yellowknife, which burned 18 per cent last year on diesel, to provide the electricity for the community.
We’re shifting over to electric heat in some of the communities. In the South Slave we’re switching over to electric heat to see how that works. In Behchoko we’re working, and in the North Slave Correctional Centre we put in wood pellet boilers.
So we have a number of initiatives. We’re committed. We have a wind strategy up in Nunakput. We’re committed to looking at the opportunity there to do a pilot project in conjunction with other alternatives to see what’s possible there.
So we have a whole array of things that we’re doing.