Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to begin by thanking Mr. Bromley for moving the motion. I’ve been working with Mr. Bromley now for over a year and a half and I’ve become much more cognizant of the environment and the issues surrounding the environment -- alternative energy sources and how we can become greener. I’d like to thank Mr. Bromley and other Members, too, who have brought a green focus. I know the Minister of ENR, Mr. Miltenberger, also brings that green focus. I think if anything is going to turn around the slumping economy on a global scale, it’s going to be this shift to alternative energy sources and government around the world looking at different ways of doing things. I think that’s going to help turn things around globally.
Here in the Northwest Territories I think we need to, as other Members have said, do our part when it comes to addressing issues of climate change. We don’t have to look very far in our own territory for examples of climate change. Last summer I was up in Sachs Harbour and Banks Island and we were out with some community leaders in a boat. You could actually see the island falling into the Arctic Ocean or the Beaufort Sea. It was really something that stuck in my mind. This is happening not only on Banks Island, but in other parts.
In Tuktoyaktuk there’s a lot of shoreline erosion there as well. We have much more prevalence of species that aren’t native to the Northwest Territories: the white-tailed deer and there’s coyotes in Yellowknife. When I was a little boy growing up in Yellowknife, there were never coyotes here. They’re here now in big numbers.
Also, I think I’ve mentioned this before, but last summer at the golf course there were frogs. As a little boy, too, we’d always look for frogs. There were the little wood frogs that you’d find on occasion, but now we have these aquatic green frogs that are taking up residence here in Yellowknife. That’s because of climate change and the effect that climate change is having on the environment.
I certainly do support the motion. I don’t think the motion is about changing the fuel that we use. It’s
about looking at where we purchase that fuel from and making sure it’s from an operation that is environmentally friendly. I think there’s nothing wrong with looking at this and doing our part.
Again, I want to thank the mover for the motion. I think it’s very important that we all understand our role in trying to make the world a better place and doing our part for the environment. I thank the Member and I thank the other Members who have spoken in favour of the motion.