Thank you, Mr. Chair. I mentioned in my opening remarks that I would be asking about climate change adaptation plans. As we know, the Northwest Territories is extremely vulnerable to

climate change. We can easily be overwhelmed by the pace of the change, if the predictions are anywhere near true. So far, they’ve been underestimates of what’s occurring. It’s going to take a real organized adaptation effort in an attempt to minimize the social, environmental and financial losses.

In the North, as everybody knows — this department certainly — there are many agencies and governments and players at the table. Some are not at the table. Adapting to climate change will include a major coordination challenge. Given all these things, we need an early start and we need a regional start, a regional effort, because we have a jurisdiction the size of which is unequalled by anybody but Nunavut in North America, and we have many climates. But we need a regional component to this. The coordination is also important, because many agencies offer opportunities for various degrees of funding. For example, I know the Government of Canada announced $14 million for northern territories for climate change adaptation, so there are opportunities out there.

In a report in 2007 by the National Assessment of Climate Change, it was recognized that NWT communities can expect about $420,000 in costs to infrastructure due to damage from melting permafrost. It could be less if we go after it aggressively early on. But this figure did not even include damage to roads, water reservoirs, sewage overruns, or the need for all-season roads — which we are about to hear about soon — and the costs associated with that. Nor — I have to point out, unfortunately — did it include the current cost of fuel, which has gone up about 40 per cent since that report was written.

I’d like to ask the Minister if he’s started on regional planning climate adaptation plans. I know, from my earlier work in a non-government organization, that they have some work going in two regions, the Deh Cho and Akaitcho. But I’m wondering if MACA…. I see MACA is playing an essential coordinating role, so I’d appreciate any comments on that.