My last question to the Minister has to do with the waste management and waste reduction. Certainly when the Minister of Health and Social Services and possibly the Minister of Justice, Mr. Abernethy and I went over to Fort Good Hope, they talked somewhat of the water quality, the water waste coming from the Norman Wells oilfield. I’m not too sure if we got too far into that discussion, but I remember clearly Minister Beaulieu and I talked about the water and the source. Maybe one factor that may be causing some cancerous sickness in that community could be – I’m not saying it is, but could be – from the Mackenzie River from the Norman Wells oilfield. There are many other factors and if the Minister and his department, along with the federal government, have done some testing of some chemicals from the community, the community

wants to know of the various chemicals they are using in those oilfields that are possibly coming from those oilfields into the Mackenzie and there’s no type of high quality monitoring of them. Is there something like that in the business plans in the future that the Minister would look at for people in Fort Good Hope? This is my last question, Madam Chair.

The Member referenced earlier, I think in one of his previous general comments, work being done monitoring in Fort Resolution and Fort Smith. This summer we have identified the need to do the work above and below Norman Wells to provide that same kind of monitoring. Over time, as we set up our community-based water monitoring systems, we want to be able to work with the communities and our own skilled resources to provide that assurance across the North. But for this summer there is going to be specific work done to do some of the testing that the Member has referenced. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. We are on page 13-17, activity summary, environment, operations expenditure summary, $5.936 million.

Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I noticed that the expenditures on energy management, which is the backbone of climate change that my colleague was referencing here earlier, has been substantially reduced by greater than 50 percent. Unfortunately, it’s more than a match to 75 percent cut in the ITI energy work. I noticed later on there’s a $300,000 reduction in forestry resources, which is an important element of the Biomass Strategy and so on. Some examples here, the biomass energy has been cut from $1.55 million to $100,000, then energy from $400,000 to zero, Business Support Program, renewable energy from $300,000 to $200,000 and geothermal energy from $400,000 down to zero. I will be proposing a motion, but I suggest we deal with any questions there are on this section. So if you can put me back on for later. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move we report progress.

---Carried

I will now rise and report progress. Sergeant-at-Arms, would you please escort the witnesses from the Chamber? Thank you, witnesses, for your attendance.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee has been considering Tabled Document 3-17(3), Northwest Territories Main Estimates 2012-2013, and would like to report progress. I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Is there a seconder to the motion? Mr. Menicoche.

---Carried

Colleagues, I have some brief comments before we adjourn for the weekend.

The year 2012 marks the 60

th anniversary of the

reign of Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada. The Northwest Territories joins all Canadian provinces and territories, indeed all Commonwealth jurisdictions, in celebrating this historic event. Her Majesty took the throne on February 6, 1952, and her coronation took place on June 2, 1953. In the NWT, our relationship with Her Majesty is a special one. It was on April 21, 1994, that Queen Elizabeth II dedicated our legislative Chamber to all the people of the Northwest Territories.

Since February we have had two of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee flags displayed in our Chamber and another will fly from our flagpole this weekend, marking the coronation date on Saturday, June 2

nd .

This House passed a motion of congratulations to Her Majesty on February 7, 2012, and on the same day made the first presentations in the NWT to Diamond Jubilee medal recipients. The celebrations will continue, colleagues, with medal presentations happening in many of our communities during the remainder of the Diamond Jubilee Year. In fact, nominations are still open for those wishing to nominate someone for a Diamond Jubilee medal. The nomination form can be found on the GNWT website.

The Assembly has also housed a book of congratulations for all Northerners to sign. The book is being circulated to northern schools and will eventually be forwarded to Her Majesty in London.

Finally, colleagues, I would like to invite you and all northern residents to join me in the Diamond Jubilee planting of six amber jubilee ninebark shrubs to take place on Thursday, June 14

th , at the

rise of the House. During her 2010 visit to Canada, Her Majesty participated in a planting ceremony in Manitoba for this newly created shrub, which was named in honour of the 2012 Diamond Jubilee. The province of Manitoba has generously provided these shrubs to all provinces and territories and we will join the rest of the country as we find a place on

the grounds of the Assembly to plant these beautiful shrubs.

Thank you, colleagues. Now, Mr. Clerk, orders of the day.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until Monday, June 4, 2012, at 1:30 p.m.

---ADJOURNMENT

The House adjourned at 7:04 p.m.