Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The myths and facts of carbon taxation need some discussion. A recent roundtable on a carbon tax in the NWT sponsored by the partnership of Ecology North, Sustainable Prosperity and the GNWT and involving diverse representatives from across the Territory has contributed to that discussion.

First, why a tax? Well, first, climate change through carbon emissions is destroying our planet, as we heard from my colleague, especially the North, leading to high costs from cultural loss to loss of building foundations.

Second, we are at the mercy of rising and volatile oil prices which drain dollars from our economy and increase uncertainty. Traditional life, the prosperity and safety of our children, our hopes for economic stability all are at risk until we reduce our carbon emissions.

Other jurisdictions have taken action by putting a tax on carbon emissions. This government has consulted on a carbon tax option, with some questions and positive feedback. Let’s examine the costs and benefits, the facts and myths.

Myth: Carbon taxes hurt economies. Not true. Three provinces and many European countries have introduced carbon taxes with no negative effect on their economies. In fact, stable energy prices and deriving renewable energy locally has boosted some economies.

Myth: Carbon taxes are felt most by individual consumers, especially low-income earners. Not true. A smart carbon tax is typically offset by reducing rates of income and corporate tax. Taxes can also be carefully constructed to protect people who don’t enjoy a tax savings in wages. We know how to protect our low-income residents in remote communities.

Myth: A carbon tax will drive away industry. Not true. By cutting the corporate tax rate to offset the new tax, there’s a zero cost change to business. The carbon tax is an efficient tool for creating business incentive to cut costs by investing in energy efficiency and promoting energy diversification.

The biggest myth is that we can do nothing. Our main fuel, oil, is constantly jumping in price. Delay in taking action on climate change also means rising costs of climate change impacts later when

we can least afford it. For the NWT to lead will set an example that will be noted by the world and influence concerted action.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Mr. Speaker, change is difficult, but a smart carbon tax will create the economic incentive to take action. Places that have acted have benefited. Like shopping bag fees, the hoopla has disappeared shortly after these changes have been implemented. Let’s get it done. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to speak to the matter of a hotel tax again, as I did a few days ago in my Member’s statement.

The concept of implementing a territorial hotel tax was first proposed back in 2000 and has been raised in many forms ever since. Mr. Speaker, even in October of last year it was once again raised and supported in the discussions hosted by the Finance Minister‘s revenue consultation. In early 2010 even the NWT Association of Communities passed a resolution asking the GNWT to grant municipal authority over the hotel tax issue. As many will recall, even a motion was supported by NWT Tourism on this particular matter.

The vision being proposed is quite simple, Mr. Speaker: one, the hotel tax revenue earned in a municipality would be used for local tourism marketing and development; and two, collection of the tax would not reduce GNWT’s contributions to tourism but, rather, enhance the work that’s already being done.

Although I prefer the drafting of this particular authority be drawn up the Department of Finance, however, I know very clearly that a small amendment could be made to the municipality legislation to allow them to do so. Such an amendment would empower municipal governments, if they so chose, to implement a progressive tax opportunity to enhance their tourism activities.

As stated the other day, a hotel tax is a very common thing across Canada and if a tax was implemented in the Northwest Territories at 1 percent, last year it would have garnered over $200,000 of new money, Mr. Speaker.

Municipalities in partnership with NWT Tourism know best how to attract tourists to their communities. Mr. Speaker, this type of levy would

enhance that activity to let them do so. Many of our municipal governments have proven themselves time after time that they have the ability and certainly the know-how of how to manage their own affairs better than anyone else. Accordingly, this government should find ways to work to empower these communities in a manner that allows them to find new revenue sources rather than hold them back.

Mr. Speaker, clearly, providing legislation to allow municipalities to collect a hotel tax is a good thing, so, Mr. Speaker, let’s give them the choice. I urge the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs to put forward a progressive opportunity to allow legislation to be amended that would allow them to have the authority to make a hotel tax if a municipality so chose to. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Item 4, reports of standing and special committees. Item 5, returns to oral questions. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize the well-known Dick Abernethy, a Member of the Weledeh riding and the father of my colleague Mr. Abernethy. I’d also like to recognize Weledeh constituent Ryan McCord, a well-known musician and known also for his fearless sky walking at great heights. Also, I’d like to recognize Della Green, the victims services coordinator. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize in the visitor’s gallery today my new friends Peter and Tony from Haliburton,

Ontario. They’re on a very long road trip. They have had careers in police work and in forestry and they’re here visiting us today. We welcome them to the Assembly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to welcome Stephanie Heidl to the gallery, formerly of Inuvik, I think now taking a social services course here in Yellowknife, I believe. Welcome.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. I’d like to recognize Wendy Morgan in the gallery, a former defector of Hay River now living in Yellowknife.

If we’ve missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to the Chamber. I hope you’re enjoying the proceedings.

Item 7, acknowledgements. Item 8, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are directed to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs in regard to the emergency measures plans we have in place in light of the storm that hit the Beaufort-Delta and Sahtu last week. I think it should be a real eye-opener for ourselves and municipalities and the people that we serve that we are going to see some severe challenges.

I’d just like to ask the Minister, has your department, working through the local governments and the different affected departments, Transportation and also Public Works and Services, and more importantly, NorthwesTel in regard to the effect that this storm has had on not only the communities but the whole service provider, considered forming some sort of a working group to do an assessment of that storm, the effects that it has and what can we do as governments and municipal governments and our service providers face these challenges realizing that this storm is probably something that we will see more of going forward? Is the department in communication with those other groups? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I blame that lapse of concentration on age. We will continue to monitor and work with the local municipal governments to deal with some of

the affects of the storm that has been had on their communities. Obviously, now that this is over, they can go over the situation and see where improvements can be made. But I can commit to the Member that we will see what we can do as a department to do our part and work with the communities to ensure that they are well prepared in the future. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I for one feel that it is critically important that we do formulate some sort of a working relationship with all of the parties that were affected by the storm. Like I say, the winds were clocked at 167 kilometres at James Creek. That was where they knocked out the NorthwesTel communication system which totally knocked out communications in the Beaufort Sea/Mackenzie Delta and even the Sahtu. Also, by road closures and everything else, the cost it is going to take to reopen all of these roads are costs that we weren’t really aware of. I would just like to ask if the Minister can formulate some sort of a working group between those different government agencies and possibly look at consideration of adapting these types of situations to our emergency measures plans.

Mr. Speaker, we have had our share of storms in the past. This seems to be a more common occurrence. It is one that I think communities will have to take steps in addressing. I have always been impressed with the resilience of a lot of communities that are able to dig their way out of a storm immediately after it happens. I will commit to the Member that I will have a discussion with senior management and we will see what we can do about forming a group to take stock of the situation that happened and how we can best be prepared for it in the future. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, also in light of the loss of life in the storm that affected a resident who was lost in Colville Lake. I think also a lot of our residents were stuck or trapped in other locations, either going to Inuvik or basically getting in and out of our communities, where it came so fast people just weren’t able to get back home and they were stranded in a lot of different communities. More importantly, even the airline companies couldn’t get in and out of our communities and the same thing because of the road closures. As part of their review, could they consider the whole response in regards to responding to communities, making them aware that these storms are coming, and work to ensure that we are able to respond to these various storms well ahead of time so that the warnings are out there and people are aware that we are going to be hit by a severe storm? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I will commit to the Member that we will look at all the different situations. In a lot of the smaller

communities, I think we rely a lot on the elders that are in there, because they seem to know before anybody else that a storm is coming and they warn folks. I can assure the Member that a warning system could be one of the issues that is looked at by this working group. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This storm will also probably put us straight on financial resources of municipalities, government departments and whatnot. I would like to ask the Minister if he could possibly come back with a cost assessment of what this storm has cost by way of costs to basically not only react to the storm but also the cost to dig ourselves out. The Department of Highways I know were having to put Cats and everything on the roads because graders just couldn’t cut it. I would like to know if the Minister can look at the financial implications of the storm. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, we will be able to have a fairly good idea of what it may have cost in the communities themselves and municipal governments to do a lot of the work that happened as a result of the storm. Clearing the snow and that are part of their daily activities that they would take care of after any type of snowfall, but I will do what I can to try and get the numbers as to what it may have cost the municipal governments after this particular storm and relay them on to the Member. Thank you.