The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Member for Range Lake.

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have amazing constituents at Range Lake. We have so many hours given back to our community, but what's more exciting is to see our youth stepping up and using the community lens. Part of our climate change activists who are here today is Ms. Anusha Sivakumar, who I know personally, has been our Page. I know her mother. She's a wonderful person, and we're hoping that you'll keep this up right through as you become an adult. Congratulations for all you do, all that you all do for our future.

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Member for Sahtu.

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize our gallery of youth and the climate change protestors there, Ms. Emily Bayha from the Sahtu. Thank you.

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Member for Yellowknife South.

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Item 3, Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to talk about climate change, which now, without a doubt, is a climate crisis. I've spoken about this issue before, but today, as wildfires drive people from their homes, I feel a new sense of urgency.

Here's why: The Canada Climate Change Report shows our northern climate is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world. Further, warming is accelerating and it's effectively irreversible. As people have said, there is no plan to refreeze the Arctic. The cause is carbon dioxide emissions from human activity. We can see the results for ourselves in the Northwest Territories: shorter ice road seasons; thawing permafrost; unpredictable precipitation; and intense wildfires.

Mr. Speaker, I see a real disconnect in my own life. I believe the science, but my response doesn't live up to this emergency. Sure, I do easy things like recycling, composting, and riding my bike to work, but my life hasn't fundamentally changed, and it's time. It's time to take more meaningful action.

Young people are leading the way. They are inspired by Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teenager who started the climate strikes that are now popular everywhere. They believe that the climate crisis is going to dominate their lives and the lives of their children. They want to commit to change. Some students in Inuvik and Yellowknife have started increasing climate crisis awareness with public events such as the one that's here today. They want us, as adults and leaders, on board.

Mr. Speaker, this is a huge problem, but there are actions we can take that will make a difference. Government has a role to play by providing leadership and funding. Let's develop a retrofit economy that will create jobs while reducing energy consumption in our homes. Let's continue to makeover our power grid so that it's green, with additional solar and wind power investments. It's time for an updated version of the One Tonne Challenge program of 15 years ago to get people to change behaviour that's hurting rather than helping the environment.

While we're at it, government could take a close look at its own consumption patterns. What if there was a whole-of-government approach to the climate crisis managed by a secretariat that would look at government's procurement of everything from trucks to roads to assess the impact on greenhouse gas emissions in order to make informed, less harmful choices?

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Mahsi, colleagues. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Here's the thing: we are already paying the cost of the climate crisis, so why don't we invest in mitigation as well? There is no downside, so what are we waiting for?

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

Good morning, Mr. Speaker. Today is World Climate Change Day. It is important to note that this is a very significant day. We all need to do our part in preventing impacts to the Northwest Territories, Canada, and the rest of the world. There is evidence over the past years that our land is drastically changing. This, of course, is due to climate change.

The Government of the Northwest Territories has taken a strategic approach to developing renewable energy sources. Mr. Speaker, more planning and promoting on our part should be taken seriously. These energy-efficient solutions ensure the strength of greenhouse gas mitigation efforts. Homeowners, businesses, and industry really should take a closer look at wind and solar sources to heat and power our homes and businesses.

The effects of climate change that we are witnessing in the Delta include, but are not limited to permafrost thaw slumps forming along the rivers; thawing permafrost resulting in damage to highways; drier forests in the NWT resulting in extreme forest fires; changes to biological events, such as timing of wildlife migration; hunters and trappers having shorter seasons to gather food for their families; shorter winter roads due to freeze-up occurring later; and ice roads closing earlier in the spring.

Mr. Speaker, energy efficiency means direct savings and less of an impact to our environment, and we should really keep that up. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. It won't surprise Members of this House, but I have already made 10 statements on climate change and carbon pricing during the 18^th Assembly. At some point today, most of us will walk by the students on the climate change strike outside of this building. We owe it to them, and the others who will follow us, to make our positions very clear and on the record regarding the climate change crisis.

I would like to start with an apology to our youth. We have failed them so far, although there is a narrow window where we can still save this planet, according to the International Panel on Climate Change. Unfortunately, Cabinet's plan is not going to get the NWT where we need to be. It was one year ago today that I called out Cabinet's climate change plan and urged the federal government to reject it. I will repeat that call again here today and hope that all NWT residents will also reject Cabinet's plan.

Forty-four percent of the greenhouse gas reductions to meet the pan-Canadian framework target are to come from huge expansions of the Taltson Hydro facilities. There is no money to build the dams or power lines, which will cost billions, and no confirmed buyers either north of the lake or into the provinces. Cabinet's Energy Strategy is masquerading as an infrastructure proposal to the federal government. Taltson expansion will divert time and effort away from building energy self-sufficiency, especially in our smaller communities.

Cabinet's carbon tax proposal is unfair, as the largest emitters, the diamond mines, will get all their payments back. Individuals, families, and small businesses will subsidize the required GNWT contributions to Taltson expansion and the limited investments into renewables.

Lastly, the Auditor General's finding on our failed climate change leadership has not been addressed. Cabinet has made no changes to provide the required leadership and authority to take real action on the climate change crisis. I have called for a climate change act, mandatory consideration of climate change implications in all of our spending, and infrastructure submissions that prioritize projects that show the greatest greenhouse gas reductions in our communities over mega-projects, especially investments in approved energy efficiency in our housing.

The residents of the NWT deserve much better on the issue of the climate change crisis, reductions to our cost of living through energy self-reliance, while building a greener economy. We need new leadership, vision, and action, and our youth today are showing us the way. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.