Mr. Speaker, it is no secret that we humans are wreaking havoc on our environment, yet we persist in ignoring the effect that our actions are creating and continue with behaviour that only

hastens the demise of our world. Last Friday, I had the opportunity to attend the meeting of NWT and Alberta government Ministers and officials. I was reminded of the lack of commitment to the environment that exists in our society. Simply observing the refreshments provided for the meeting highlighted this for me. How? Disposable coffee cups and bottles of water.

There are small acts of conservation that this government can take in regards to the environment which will demonstrate our commitment to help Mother Nature. If we use my example of what we can do, well this can be done.

At any government sponsored event, whether it is a meeting, a conference, a ceremony, we should demand certain environmental and recycling protocols of the caterer or the organizers. The provision of coffee and tea must be accompanied by recyclable mugs or cups. Water supplies must be non-bottled and accompanied by recyclable mugs or cups. If the supplier of the refreshments cannot agree to these conditions, then I am sure that there will be another business happy to take over the provision of that service. This approach should extend to all offices of this government, Mr. Speaker.

We need a policy regarding the use of bottled water, a policy which covers all departments and all offices in all communities. We are fortunate to live in a jurisdiction which has some of the best water in the world available to us locally just outside our door, in most cases. There is no excuse and no need for bottled water anywhere in the NWT. I have been here more than 35 years, Mr. Speaker, and I have yet to experience any ill effects from drinking river, lake or tap water. How many other jurisdictions in the world can make that same claim about their water? Not many.

The use of bottled water is an unnecessary expense both financially and environmentally. GNWT departments must be directed to refrain from providing bottled water in their offices, at their meetings, at their conferences. A policy banning bottled water would be a small step towards environmental savings. Let’s get started. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.