Debates of March 1st, 2017

This is page numbers 2075 - 2114 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 2nd 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 work.

Topics

Oral Questions

Members Present

Prayer

Yellowknife Airport Evolution

Progress Statement - Education and Training

Canada's Outstanding Principals: Education, Culture and Employment Milestone Statement

Commitment to Action on Climate Change

Protection of the Bathurst Caribou Herd

Dead North Film Festival

Proposed Carbon Pricing Charette

Impacts of Climate Change on Transportation Systems in the Sahtu

Northern Carbon Pricing Regime

Deh Cho Boreal Caribou Study

Member's Statement on Inuvialuit Water Board

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Inuvialuit Water Board

Inclusive Schooling Funding

Northern Carbon Pricing Regime

Proposed Carbon Pricing Charette

Industrial Activity Green House Gas Emissions

Protection of the Bathurst Caribou Herd

Notification of Northern Carbon Pricing

Proposed Carbon Pricing Charette

Tabled Document 307-18(2): Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 4-18(2): Report on the Review of the 2014-15 Public Accounts Tabled Document 308-18(2): Follow-Up Letter for Oral Question 505-18(2): PeopleSoft Public Service Human Resource Reports Tabled Document 309-18(2): Follow-Up Letter for Oral Question 606-18(2): Status of Transboundary Water Management Agreements

Tabled Document 310-18(2): We Can Do Better: Housing in Inuit Nunagut Report of the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples, Senate of Canada, March 2017

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Deferral of Corporate Management Activity

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Deferral of Environment Activity

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Deferral of Water Resources Activity

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for Environment and Natural Resources

Report Of Committee Of The Whole

Orders Of The Day

Committee Motion 70-18(2): Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Deferral of Corporate Management Activity, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 2101

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you for that answer from the witnesses. Is it an opinion of the Minister that we have a capacity to host our own industrial research chair here in the Northwest Territories to be of the lead on climate change research for Canada's North? Thank you.

Page 2101

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister McLeod.

Page 2101

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, as far as the capacity goes, we can look into that but I take the Member's point though about the - I mean we have a lot that we can share with the rest of the country. We should be leading that as far as climate change and that goes. I mean I will commit to the Members that we will do what we can to ensure that we take a leadership role in this and build our capacity where we're able to do host these type of events. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Page 2101

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Testart.

Page 2102

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that commitment. It's not just about sharing knowledge too. It's about encouraging research opportunities and bringing more funding into the North. I know that the Royal Research Institute does a lot of that work and although that's not this department, it is related to our research opportunities in the North. I just think that if we pursue those kind of opportunities such as installing research chairs, we can greatly increase the amount of funding and research opportunities that come into the North and potentially find another avenue of economic -- well, not economic development necessarily, but every dollar counts, and giving people from across the country and the world opportunities to study and learn in the North, and having a vehicle for that learning would be a great benefit to us all. I think, again, the Northwest Territories has proven itself as a leader in understanding how climate change affects the circumpolar world. I appreciate where the Minister is coming from. I'll just leave it at that. I welcome that approach. I hope we make progress on this sooner rather than later, especially in regards to the new climate change plan that the Minister is working on through this Department. Thank you. I have nothing further.

Page 2102

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister McLeod.

Page 2102

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I appreciate the Member's encouragement to the department to try to go out and get as much money as we can. I can tell the Member, though, and I think we get to it later on in the budget document that there is a lot of money that comes into the Northwest Territories through research projects, and we continue to try and explore every opportunity to have money come into the Northwest Territories to do research on climate change and mitigation. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Page 2102

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Ms. Green.

Page 2102

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would like to ask the Minister a couple of detailed questions. I'm looking at page 72 and there is some money allocated to the Sahtu land claim beneficiaries to establish baseline data, which seems like a great idea. It prompted a couple of questions for me. The first is: is baseline data being actively collected now in any other region of the NWT? Thank you.

Page 2102

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Green. Dr. Kelly.

Page 2102

Dr. Kelly

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Baseline data is being collected in all of the regions across the Northwest Territories for multiple purposes; for water, forest management, wildlife, all of the main items that we work on at Environment and Natural Resources. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Page 2102

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Dr. Kelly. Ms. Green.

Page 2102

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's good news to hear. Is there baseline data also being collected on climate change with respect to things like erosion? Thank you.

Page 2102

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Green. Dr. Kelly.

Page 2102

Dr. Kelly

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Data is being collected on an ongoing basis related to climate change. Much of that is on water or wildlife or forest management because that's where we're seeing the changes. My understanding is that there have been studies on erosion, but I wouldn't say specifically baseline data collection. There has been study work done on it. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Page 2102

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Dr. Kelly. Ms. Green.

Page 2102

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that water and wildlife are important things to measure, but I wonder about the erosion. I've heard my colleague from Nunakput talk about the erosion in Tuktoyaktuk, for example. Is that being studied by other agencies? Thank you.

Page 2102

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister McLeod.

Page 2102

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I think the erosion in the communities are being looked at by MACA. I could be mistaken, but I do know that the community of Tuktoyaktuk works very closely with MACA on the erosion. As far as the rest of the erosion, I would have to find that information and share it with Members, because it is something that this government and the Government of Canada is going to have a look at is the effects of climate change. You see it as you drive through the Delta with all of the ground falling, so it is a very important topic and it is a direct effect of climate change. I'm sure we will be putting something together, but I will share any findings that I have with the Members. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Page 2102

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Ms. Green.

Page 2102

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the Minister's commitment to share that information. It seems to me that it's one of the most tangible ways for us to measure the effects of climate change, and especially in making some very significant decisions to relocate some or all of the different communities and their buildings in order to stay out of the way of the ravages of erosion. I have some questions on electronic waste. Is this the right section to ask those? Thank you.

Page 2102

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Green. Yes, it is, Ms. Green.

Page 2103

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, when we started our jobs, it seems like a long time ago now, the collection of electronic waste was a hot topic with retailers pushing back against the deposit fee. I'm wondering if the Minister could update me on the implementation of the electronic waste. Is it being collected in every community, and are the fees collected paying for the program? Thank you.

Page 2103

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Green. Dr. Kelly.

Page 2103

Dr. Kelly

They are. The electronic waste is being collected in all of the communities. We weren't expecting the fees to pay for the program in the first year, and I don't think that it is right now. We could get back with specific numbers. I don't have them at this time, but that was not an expectation for the first year of it being implemented. We will be doing a review and speaking with businesses that are doing this program out in the communities and talking to them about the effectiveness of it, and that will be happening shortly. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of March 1st, 2017

Topics

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