Thank you, Mr.

Beaulieu. The

Hon. Premier, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The

commitment that was made to transfer services from the South Slave to the North Slave region has been undertaken by a number of departments. As of April 1 this year we’ve had a number of the departments now servicing Lutselk’e through the North Slave region, and that would be Public Works and Services, the Department of Transportation, Municipal and Community Affairs. We’re working with a number of other departments to fulfill that commitment of providing service through the North Slave region.

[Translation.] I have a question

again. When are we going to get the status of the transition? When are we going to get the reports? I’m talking about the reports from Lutselk’e. [Translation ends.]

Mr. Speaker, if I’ve got the

question right, with the information we’re working on, we’d gladly sit down with the Member and go through the information that we pulled together for departments on how the processes will be working and what areas we have some challenges in. We’re prepared to pull that together and then sit down with the Member and go through that in detail.

[Translation.] Mr. Speaker, this is

the first time that we had transition from Fort Smith to Lutselk’e. They are there, but now it’s very difficult for them to do any management or paperwork. So I am asking whether they could have a government employee from our department second someone to come to Yellowknife and then work with them for a certain length of time. So if we could second someone from our department to Lutselk’e to work with someone in Lutselk’e for a certain period of time. [Translation ends.]

Mr. Speaker, I’d be prepared

to sit down with the Member, and if he’s got some

representatives from the community as well, to see where we can work together. I’m not sure if we can come up with a secondment, but I know we’re prepared to sit down and work through a number of initiatives and see where we go from that point as to further work in looking at the transition

Thank you, Mr.

Roland. Final

supplementary, Mr. Beaulieu.

[Translation.] Thank you,

Mr. Speaker. We have a government now. They are a self-government now. They have their own policies and legislation. But I would like someone from a department to go to Lutselk’e and assist them in Lutselk’e. Maybe they could go to Behchoko and sit down with the Behchoko government, and the government could pay for the funding to have the people from Lutselk’e sit with the Behchoko government. Thank you. [Translation ends.]

Mr. Speaker, if the discussion

is around, for example, the Akaitcho discussions and the transfer over at that level and how we deal with the boards and agencies or the Tlicho Community Services Agency, I believe, and that working arrangement and how it works, we’d be prepared to sit down with the Member and representatives to go through a process.

We know the overall discussions are still happening when it comes to self-government and a comprehensive claim process. But for the community, the transfer of services delivered in this day and age: I’m prepared to sit down about that and get some clarity as to what level we’d be prepared to go at and what is required at the community level. I’m prepared to sit down with the Member and put some support there to see what we can come up with. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Roland. Oral

questions. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr.

Speaker. My

questions are for the Minister of Transportation.

As I mentioned in my statement today, approximately two-thirds of the emissions of greenhouse gases in the Northwest Territories are derived from transportation. What is this department doing to ensure the adoption of modes of transportation that will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions?

Thank you, Mr.

Bromley. The

honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Department of Transportation clearly hears what Mr. Bromley is speaking about today in terms of the issue of climate change.

We have done a number of studies with various departments: NRCan, Environment Canada and Transport Canada. As a matter of fact, we initiated a pilot project to demonstrate the fuel efficiency of our vehicles. We have adapted heaters in our larger vehicles. We have upgraded the ferry at Tsiigehtchic in terms of fuel consumption.

We’ve done a number of initiatives and will continue to work with the different departments and agencies to continue to adapt and mitigate against the serious issue of climate change in all our transportation modes in the Northwest Territories.

Thank you to the Minister for that.

I understand that this is a very thorny issue, a very difficult one to address. It’s going to take a whole new approach, a whole new way of doing business. But a good starter is adopting, for example, the mileage rules in the state of California, which are being adopted by more and more states. It’s fairly progressive. It’s something we could easily do in the Northwest Territories. Will the Minister commit to considering adopting the California auto emission standards for the Northwest Territories?

Mr. Speaker,

the

Member raises a good point in terms of looking at other jurisdictions, other areas of the country where we could certainly see the transportation benefits on our roads.

I would commit to the Member that we will continue looking at the different models that are out there in terms of reducing our own consumption of fuel and looking at how we can better conserve our roads. I will commit to the Member that I will keep him informed in terms of raising this issue with the other Members of this House and in terms of how best to reduce the consumption of fuel and also to help us mitigate against climate change.

Thanks to the Minister for that

commitment. I’ll take that as a yes.

Is the Minister considering other major ways of transportation in the Northwest Territories other than the conventional truck and aircraft transportation, such as rail, that will bring us real reductions in greenhouse gas emissions?

Mr. Speaker, I welcome

the suggestions from the House in terms of how

best to have efficient modes of transportation in the North.

Since the issue being discussed is on the rail link, I’d like to say to the Member that I will be contacting CN, looking at the rail link. This discussion did come up in the past, and I’ll certainly bring it forward again as it’s been an interest of this House to look at the issue of a rail link into our communities.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Final

supplementary, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and mahsi

to the Minister. Will the Minister commit to a couple of specifics; for example, considering the establishment of a bicycle and walking path on the Ingraham Trail to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions in this area and to examining the Deh Cho Bridge and the potential for bringing a railroad across the bridge?

Lots of good ideas,

Mr. Speaker. We certainly looked at the different areas that the Member has raised. We are looking at the initiatives on which we can work with my colleague the Minister of MACA in terms of the bicycle trails. We have scoped out that concept, actually, with the realignment of the Ingraham Trail. We have to certainly put some numbers down in terms of that project.

We have looked, again, as I’ve mentioned, into the rail link. We certainly need to have some further discussions with the House.

We are looking at all ways of balancing resource development with the sensitive environment that we have in the North, especially our transportation system in the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Mr.

Yakeleya. Oral

questions. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr.

Ramsay. The

honourable Minister responsible for Justice, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The

Member indicated the equal shared.... We do have, also, the legislation that’s before us. The protection already exists, where family law statutes are gender neutral. The federal Divorce Act

and also the

territorial Children’s Law Act presume that children benefit from maximum contact with both parents unless it is not in the best interests of the children who are before us. We do, as a department and working with the various parties — Health and Social Services will be a partner — deliver programs to these individuals.