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 18th 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.
