Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As the Minister mentioned, Green Light was recently released. It does highlight a number of different initiatives that DOT is already doing and/or would like to do as part of improving our environmental management practices or seeking to minimize our impact on the environment. So it does talk about doing climate change research and we have mentioned yesterday about some research we want to do around climate change or are doing. It talks about cleaning up existing environmental liabilities and we are working with that. We have recently hired a term position to help us address some of those deficiencies. In the budget here there’s also forced growth to seek funding for another position, another environmental analyst position, which would help to lead the corporate culture. So some of the things we need to do internally to promote ourselves and promote the environment a little bit more. Assuming this budget is approved, then we would hire that position and just take the next step to keep moving forward on that agenda.
Debates of Feb. 17th, 2010
This is page numbers 4281 - 4332 of the Hansard for the 16th Assembly, 4th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was communities.
Topics
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Russ Neudorf
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Russ Neudorf
There’s no formal budget for implementing Green Light. It does seek to highlight a bunch of initiatives that DOT is doing around the environment, some of which I have just mentioned. There is additional forced growth funding being sought for one position in environmental affairs. That funding is $115,000.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Bob Bromley Weledeh
Obviously we can have plans up the gazoo, some strategies and so on, and if there’s no budget to implement them, they’re not even worth the paper they’re written on. In fact, that’s an environmental impact in itself. I’m sure a lot of paper was used up here. I’m wondering when there will be a budget in place for implementing this program. Let me start with that.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Russ Neudorf
I think I mentioned that Green Light does highlight a number of things that we’re doing already, including addressing the environmental liabilities which we do have money for. It does highlight our desire to implement best
practices around environmental management. That means all the processes we have to follow to obtain permits, you know, with our capital funding, with the program initiatives that we have in place. That is being implemented already. Green Light just highlights that good work. The one new additional funding that we’re seeking in this funding is for the one position. That will be used just to help promote the culture within DOT to improve practices, and then, if we have the opportunity as well, to begin working with industry to see what can be done with the transportation industry as a whole.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Bob Bromley Weledeh
Why am I not developing any confidence in what’s being said here? If we have the opportunity, we’ll do this and a plan with no budget. I haven’t heard of any evaluation that’s associated with this plan. Is it going to achieve whatever lofty hopes are in there? Apparently there’s nothing rigorous about it. I wonder if the Minister could explain to me what use at all this document is.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Russ Neudorf
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I believe I mentioned a number of different things that the department is doing. Green Light will help us focus those activities to ensure that there is an ongoing commitment on behalf of the department. We are seeking funding for an additional position, so that is something real. We are cleaning up our environmental liabilities. That is something real. We do have money for Build Canada Plan, research and development under climate change. That is something real. We are working with ENR as they look to update the Greenhouse Gas Strategy. So that is another thing that we’re doing. Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Bob Bromley Weledeh
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I don’t really hear anything meaningful here. I guess I would ask the Minister to put some rigour into this process. The sorts of things that the deputy minister mentions are all good and they’re all common sense; they all are responsible things everybody should be doing. It doesn’t move anywhere towards the environmental responsibility we should be taking on these days. Dealing with liabilities sounds great, but what that deals with is when we make mistakes we’re going to try and look after. No, no, we want progressive action here that moves forward in a progressive way. I want to hear about reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from the operations of this department, how they’re preparing for electric vehicles in the future or
whatever, how they’re going to increase the mileage of our vehicle fleet in the Northwest Territories, something real real. So I guess I’ll leave it at that. That’s just a comment, unless the Minister would like to make such a commitment. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Michael McLeod Deh Cho
Mr. Chairman, of course we would commit to providing and doing a more in-depth action than what we have here. There’s a lot of work that we’ve agreed to embark on in areas of what’s best practices within our own organizations. We are looking at bringing in another position to help us develop a long-term plan. There are many parts to the Green Light, some with other departments. If the Member feels that we are falling short, we certainly would accept any recommendations he has and move it to a move rigorous process, as he’s indicated, that would satisfy the Members of this House.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
The Chair David Ramsay
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Committee, we’re on page 11-13, corporate services, operations expenditure summary, $9.705 million.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
The Chair David Ramsay
Page 11-16 and 11-17, airports, operations expenditure summary, $27.318 million. Ms. Bisaro.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a couple of questions here in regard to the Yellowknife Airport. One is that the business plan referred to investigation of an alternative governance for the Yellowknife Airport. I wonder if I could get an update on where that project is at, please. Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Michael McLeod Deh Cho
Mr. Chairman, discussions on a new governance model for the airport have not moved or has not progressed any further since the last time we had these discussions.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake
Thanks to the Minister. I guess my next question, then, is what are the intentions of the department? Will this be looked at some time in the future and if yes, when would that be? Thank you.