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

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 2098

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Nothing further from Mr. Thompson. The issue has been clarified. Mr. Vanthuyne.

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

February 28th, 2017

Page 2098

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee defer further consideration of the activity corporate management under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Main Estimates, 2017-18 on page 67 at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Page 2098

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. There is a motion to defer. The motion is on the floor and being distributed. The motion is in order and is non-debatable. All those in favour. All those opposed.

---Carried

Thank you, committee. We have deferred corporate management. On to the next, environment, found on pages 70 to 73. Comments or questions? Mr. O'Reilly.

Page 2098

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. On page 70, the words "climate change" appear, so I am just wondering if the Minister or his staff can just talk a little bit about what sort of capacity they have within the department with regard to climate change? How many staff are working on it? What do they generally do, and so on? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Page 2098

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.

Page 2098

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I respect the Member's concern. That detail of information, offhand, we just do not have. We can confirm the numbers as well as some of the functions that they provide. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Page 2098

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.

Page 2098

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Can the Minister tell me when we might be able to expect to get that information? I am just very conscious of the amount of time we have left to sort out the departmental budgets and so on. When can I expect to get this information from the department? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Page 2098

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.

Page 2098

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We will endeavour to get that information to the Member immediately.

Page 2098

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.

Page 2098

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I look forward to that bedtime reading. I don't know if anybody can answer this question or not, but I will try it. What kind of coordination, collaboration is there between ENR and Public Works and Services and, I guess, maybe Finance -- the same Minister -- with regard to carbon pricing? I think we heard maybe today at noon that there is some kind of a working group or something, but can anybody tell me who is on the working group, what they do and so on? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Page 2098

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.

Page 2098

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I will speak to the Minister of Finance because Finance is the lead on the carbon, and I will ask him to put some information together for the Member. I will also ask him to try to have that information ready before Finance comes up. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Page 2098

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.

Page 2098

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Okay. I am happy to get that information. I'm just a little bit surprised that nobody at the table seems to know this sort of information because it's a big area of work within the department, but I'm happy to get it as quickly as they can put it together. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Page 2098

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Minister.

Page 2098

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We have a pretty good idea or we do know, but, as I said before, it is a Finance lead and I think it's more appropriate that your questions be directed to Finance. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Page 2099

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Beaulieu.

Page 2099

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, on page 70 I'd like to just ask the Minister about the area of contaminated sites and remediation. On the contaminated sites and remediation there's $319,000 in there. I see that this is for developing programs and policies to manage and remediate contaminated sites. So I guess my question is: is there a budget and how does the whole budgeting work between when you actually are remediating the site, when you hire a contractor to go in there and do remediation, where does that money come from? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Page 2099

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Dr. Kelly.

Page 2099

Dr. Kelly

Thank you, Mr. Chair. You're correct that the money that's in here is for planning and developing guidance, and money that is for contaminated sites to actually do the work would be through the Environmental Liabilities Fund with the Department of Finance. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Page 2099

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Dr. Kelly. Mr. Beaulieu.

Page 2099

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I recognize that it's another department. Instead of going through the process of asking the question again then, I was wondering if this department knows how much money is in the Environmental -- I forget the term, but the money that's in Finance to do the actual cleanup? Could somebody tell me how much money is there? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Page 2099

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister McLeod.

Debates of March 1st, 2017

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