Yes, Mr. Chair, I move that Committee Motion 13-18(2) be amended by deleting the words "expand and." Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Sebert. The motion to amend is in order. To the amendment to Committee Motion 13-18(2). The amendment to the motion is being distributed. To the amendment to the motion. Mr. Sebert.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The wording change proposed by the committee is more concise and improves on the original text of the draft. The only issue of concern to the GNWT is the use of the word “expand” in reference to access to energy conservation and efficiency programs. The GNWT currently funds very generous energy efficiency and conservation programs, including the Energy Efficiency Incentive Program, the Commercial Energy Efficiency Program and the Alternative Energy Technologies Program. The Energy Efficiency Incentive Program provides incentives for products we use every day, including washers, dryers, refrigerators and stoves. Residents can receive up to $700 for the purchase of a wood pellet stove. The Commercial Energy Conservation and Efficiency Program is a program available to businesses. Rebates are available to businesses. Rebates are available for energy upgrades of up to $15,000 for qualified commercial energy efficiency products. The Alternative Energy Technology Program provides funding for renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and wood pellet heating. Applicants may receive funding of up to one-half of the project cost, up to $21,000 per year. Generally, many of our incentives are much more generous than one would find in other parts of the country. An undefined commitment to expand programs is not prudent at this time in view of the fiscal restraints we've heard about. The GNWT does support the inclusion of the words “improve access.” This is an ongoing objective of the Arctic Energy Alliance and the GNWT has funded the establishment of Arctic Energy Alliance regional offices in recent years to improve access to services in communities. Provincial and territorial governments continue to advocate for renewed federal investment in energy conservation and efficiency incentives. The federal government once played a more direct role in this area but has refrained from doing so in recent years. The GNWT will look for a renewed federal presence in supporting energy conservation and efficiency. For those reasons, we are proposing this amendment. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Sebert. To the amendment to the motion. Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

I do appreciate the Member opposite providing a good summary of the good work that Arctic Energy Alliance does carry out. I think part of the difficulty here with this proposed amendment to the motion is that it would basically take away one of the measurable targets or actions for this particular item in the mandate, and that's to expand programs. We haven't said over what period of time or even how much, but it's an inspirational part of this action in here to basically expand those programs.

We can debate and discuss how much and so on when it comes to the actual budget, but to remove that wording now in the context of this I don't think that's a wise thing to do. That sort of qualifier hasn't been added into a lot of other places in the mandate where the Cabinet did see fit to make commitments to do things that actually might cost money as well, so it's kind of curious that you want to take it out of this one, but there's other areas in the mandate document that might cost some money but you're prepared to stand by those. In any event, we've had a bigger debate and discussion around the fiscal context yesterday and I don't think this is a wise thing to remove this one word. It does create a measurable action and a target that we should all be striving towards, so I'll be voting against this. Mr. Chair, I actually would request a recorded vote. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. O’Reilly. I remind all Members to direct their comments through the chair. To the amendment to the motion. A recorded vote has been requested. All those in favour, please stand.

All those opposed, please stand.

All those abstaining, please stand. The results of the recorded vote are six in favour; nine opposed; zero abstentions. The motion is defeated. The motion to amend is defeated. The amendment to the motion is defeated. I'm sorry. To the motion.

---Defeated

To the motion. Seeing no more comments, I will call for a vote. All those in favour of the motion. Mr. O'Reilly.

Thank you, Mr. O’Reilly. A recorded vote has been requested. All those in favour, please stand.

All those opposed, please stand.

All those abstaining, please stand. The results of the recorded vote are nine in favour; six opposed; zero abstentions. The motion is carried.

---Carried

We will now continue comment to questions on the” Cost of Living” section. Mr. Vanthuyne.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'd like to make a motion. I move that Tabled Document 1-18(2), Proposed Mandate of the Government of Northwest Territories, 2016-2019, be amended on page 22 by deleting the words “We commit to assisting community governments as they innovate to address efficiency and conservation, address climate change by supporting the development of community government capital plans and asset planning, and ensure training recognizes the challenges of climate change” and inserting the words, “We will assist community governments to improve energy efficiency and conservation to reduce the impact of climate change by supporting development of community governments capital and asset plans to ensure training includes challenges related to climate change and enable community governments to set up revolving funds for energy efficiency measures.” Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. The motion is on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion. Mr. Vanthuyne.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Residents of the NWT are combating the impacts of climate change and are seeing the highest costs of living ever. Elders are seeing dramatic changes to the land they've known since childhood. Animals are following new migration patterns. Shorter, warmer winters, more severe summer storms, erosion and wildfires are just a few changes in life-long climate conditions that are currently faced by Northerners. I present this motion to enable this government to help people in our communities as they grapple with the impacts of climate change. In March of last year, both the NWT Association of Communities and Yellowknife City Council passed similar motions. Speaking on behalf of territorial communities, both these bodies urged the GNWT to consider amendments to territorial legislation to enable community governments to use LICs, known as local improvement charges. These LICs, in my amendment referred to as revolving funds, would permit communities to directly assist local homeowners and businesses to retrofit and become more energy efficient, and adapt to renewable energy technologies. Many municipalities across Canada are now using LICs to help their residents and businesses lower their energy costs and safe money. This may be through energy efficient retrofits, or the use of solar, wind, or other renewable energy sources. The territory will save money and reduce effects of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and will be supporting a real mechanism for reducing the cost of living. As directly requested by the NWTAC and the council of our capital city, this government can give our communities a direct tool to encourage energy efficiency and use of renewable energy and reduced costs of living. It's time for the GNWT to partner with our communities to give them the ability to implement these changes at the community level. These are my comments in support of the motion. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. To the motion. Mr. O'Reilly.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm going to be voting in favour of this motion for a number of reasons. Recently, Yellowknife MLAs did meet with the mayor and city council here in Yellowknife to talk about some issues of importance for them. The mayor has been on the public record as supporting changes to the Cities, Towns and Villages Act to enable the City of Yellowknife to use local improvement charges as one way to set up a revolving fund that would allow residents to access the capital costs of energy efficiency without having to put all the money themselves up-front. They can start to pay for the costs of the capital improvements on their homes through the energy savings that they would get right away. What this motion is doing is putting in our mandate that we enable local governments to do this. It doesn't say they have to do it, but it starts to establish this as a higher priority for us as government to enable our communities to put in place revolving funds that will allow residents to immediately start to save money and also save on greenhouse gas emissions. I do hope that our Members on the other side of the House are going to be supporting this. This is not a major change to the Cities, Towns and Villages Act, it doesn't force anybody to do it, but we have to give our communities the authority to be able to set up a revolving fund and local improvement charges to carry out this important work. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. To the motion. Deputy Premier McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'll use my Deputy Premier voice.

---Laughter

We're not totally opposed to this motion. Just a couple things. The motion, as I read it here, is basically something that the government already does in working with communities. I noticed that there was a motion passed in 2013 from the NWT Association of Communities. We've given the communities a lot of responsibility, and they've taken on that responsibility with the construction of a lot of their infrastructure in their communities to make sure it's energy efficient and all that, but I look forward to having further discussion with the NWT Association of communities during their AGM in May to confirm the motion that they made in 2013. But a lot of the items in here are something that we already work with the communities on doing. But as I said, we're not totally opposed to this motion. I just thought I should add a few comments. I look forward to having a further discussion with the NWT Association of Communities during their May AGM that's held here in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. To the motion.