Thanks for that response. The last question I have is I believe the deposit on oil drums has been removed and no longer is in place and I think that’s causing some issues. Well, I know that’s causing some issues for cleanup and a lot are being left out on the land and so on.

People that are in the business of cleaning up sites are no longer bringing them back, because that $50 deposit enabled them to do that. Is there any contemplation of this division for going after that issue and seeing what can be done about it and re-establishing some sort of deposit and ensuring that those materials are cleaned up? Often they’re, of course, left out there with fuel in them and they are a risk, contamination risk and so on. The great thing about the deposits was that it enabled the cleanup companies to go out there, drain all of those out into a few barrels, bring them back, deal with those contaminants and it was paid for by the deposit they got back on the drums. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This issue was touched on a bit yesterday with some of the questions in the House and it’s on our list that we’ve been working our way through and we’re not there yet.

We recognize the need, the same as we had this discussion with Mr. Hawkins on things like shredders for tires and vehicles. Mr. Yakeleya raised the issue of cleaning up all the old vehicles that are scattered across the North and it’s a question of time, resources and capacity. Just this rollout of the electronic waste issue, for example, has taken a considerable amount of time to get operational.

So we recognize it, we’ve got it on our list, but we are not in a position to be acting in the near future on being able to move forward on it at this juncture. Thank you.

Thanks for the Minister’s comments there. Perhaps there’s another way to deal with this issue. I mean, I understand Mr. Hawkins, but those are drums that are in our possession. These are drums and contaminants that are being left out on the land in remote situations that by law are, I’m sure, supposed to be cleaned up but aren’t, simply because of this mechanism that’s been removed. Perhaps there’s another way the Minister could conceive of dealing with this in another section of this department. I’ll leave it at that. I’m just raising the issue and it sounds like it’s not going to happen in this division anyway in the near future but, meanwhile, it’s an accumulating liability. I’ll leave it at that.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. I’ll take that as a comment more than a question. We’re on page 117, Environment Fund, information item. Any questions?

Thank you, committee. Page 118, Fur Marketing Service Revolving Fund, information item. Any questions?

Thank you, committee. We’re going to combine pages 119, 120, 121 and 122 under the title of work performed on behalf of others, information item. Any questions?

Thank you, committee. I will ask you to turn to page 89, Environment and Natural Resources, department total, $85.981 million. Agree?

Thank you, committee. Does committee agree that consideration of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is completed?

Thank you, committee. Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just request a moment of the committee’s time as we wrap up our final budget of Environment and Natural Resources. As we’ve been doing, we appreciate all the questions and feedback and support from Members. As I’ve been sitting here in the House and at the table again, I’ve been thinking I’ve been doing this, this is my 20th budget, my 14th as a Minister and my ninth as Environment Minister. I’ve served with some of you four years, some eight, some 12 and my longest-serving travelling companion, Madam Groenewegen from Hay River South, 20 years.

I just wanted to reflect that I’ve been thinking back over those years, the up and downs, the peaks and valleys, and there’s a Welsh word that comes to mind that captures this little moment, if I may request the indulgence of the House, and it’s hiraeth, a type of homesickness for somewhere you can’t return to, the nostalgia and grief for lost places of your past. I think back to some of the things that Mr. Bromley said and I can remember in my life up here when the days of caribou were plenty, when life was different. We’ve moved on to a whole new world and there has been enormous change over time. Sometimes we look back and all we can think about is some idealized version of what we remember about the places that really never were. I think if we look back through the lens of reality, we’ve done a lot of good work and I’ve always appreciated the support that ENR has got in this House. I wanted to express that gratitude on behalf of myself and the department. As we look forward to the 18th Assembly, I look forward to that continued support to the department when we next appear before this Assembly and this august body in this wonderful place of the people. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger, for those fine closing remarks. I’d like to thank you and your department, as well, for your stewardship. Mr. Campbell, Ms. Craig, thank you for joining us. It’s always a pleasure to have you in the House. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort our witnesses out of the Chamber. Thank you.

Continuing on with committee’s wishes, we will start the Department of Lands. With that, we’ll turn it over to the Minister responsible for the Department of Lands for opening comments, Minister R.C. McLeod.

I am pleased to present the 2015-2016 Main Estimates for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. Overall, the department’s estimates propose an increase of $4.02 million, or 3.8 percent, over the 2014-2015 Main Estimates.

Highlights of the proposed estimates include:

• funding of $48.3 million to provide for community government operation and maintenance costs and $17.6 million for water and sewer costs, a total increase of $2.27 million from 2014-2015;

• forced growth funding of $2.939 million is comprised of $469,000 for Collective Agreement increases, $613,000 in community government operations and maintenance funding and an increase of $1.857 million in water and sewer operations funding;

• a decrease of $474,000 as a result of departmental reductions. This includes the repeal of the Extraordinary Funding Policy and the reduction of water and sewer forced growth.

In addition, last fall the Legislative Assembly approved the commitment of infrastructure contribution funding for community governments totaling $28 million. The department will also continue to administer the Gas Tax Agreement on behalf of the federal government. These two programs will contribute $43 million towards community infrastructure in 2015-2016.

The proposed Department of Municipal and Community Affairs’ Main Estimates continue to support the priorities of the 17th Assembly. Some specific activities in support of these priorities include:

• $1 million in new funding to provide support for the community selected to host the 2018 Arctic Winter Games;

• an increase of $350,000 related to the transfer of funding from the Executive for the delivery of the Non-Government Organization Stabilization Fund;

• funding of $400,000 to enhance community capacity in the areas of ground ambulance and highway rescue;

• funding of $1.275 million to provide for recreation, sport and physical activity programs in communities across the Northwest Territories;

• funding of $1.425 million to provide community governments and youth serving organizations with support for various youth development projects; and

• funding of $1 million to support the training and development of senior community government staff.

That concludes my opening remarks. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Minister McLeod, I am thankful for correcting the chair. We are doing MACA, so you’re on the right track. I said Lands, but it’s MACA.

---Microphones turned off

No, we’re not going to start over. We’re doing MACA.

---Laughter

Minister McLeod, do you have witnesses you would like to bring into the Chamber? Thank you.

I would, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Does committee agree?

Thank you, committee. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the House, please.

Minister McLeod, please introduce your witnesses to the House.