This is page numbers 105 - 162 of the Hansard for the 19th 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 going.

Topics

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

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Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Perhaps I will clarify, and I won't have to come back and give an explanation. The original, when we did the needs assessment of the deficits in the municipal governments was done by need. There was no per capita. It was, "What do you need in your community? Do you need a water treatment plan? Do you need a sewer plan? Do you need roads?" It is by need. It has always been by need. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Madam Premier. Are there any further questions on the "reduce the municipal funding gap"? Seeing none, committee, we will move on to page 12, "strengthen the government's leadership authority on climate change." Questions? Member for Frame Lake.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Madam Chair. I see here that one of the actions is this Northwest Territories climate change council, and that's great, but what is our government going to do internally to make sure that ENR is the lead on this matter? Thanks, Madam Chair.

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

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Madam Premier.

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

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Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Minister of ENR would like to take this question.

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

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.

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

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Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Department of ENR is proud to lead in regard to climate change, but we work closely with all of the other departments. Again, it's not just ENR, but it's the Government of the Northwest Territories trying to deal with this. We are taking the lead. We are working with the departments, but each department needs to be working together to help us deal with this climate change issue. Thank you.

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

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister for ENR. Madam Premier.

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

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Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

I will say that, as with the last Assembly, there will be committees formed with Cabinet. One of the committees will be around climate change, and the economy, and environment. We will, all Ministers, applicable Ministers, will be sitting around that table, so it will be interdepartmental. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Madam Premier. Member for Frame Lake.

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

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Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Madam Chair. I haven't heard anything different from the way this was handled in the last Assembly. The Auditor General of Canada, the climate change audit that was conducted here said one of the main problems was that there was no policy, no legislation that clearly established responsibility and authority when it came to the climate change issue. I don't see anything here that addresses this issue. There's this climate change council, which is external. It will include the GNWT, presumably, but there's nothing in here about how we're going to organize ourselves internally. We had a climate change committee of Cabinet last time around, and it didn't lead to any kind of leadership. Should I be reading into this somehow that there's going to be a Cabinet-approved policy or legislative change that's going to set up the right kind of structure and authority and responsibility internally within the GNWT to make sure that we don't end up failing another audit? Thanks, Madam Chair.

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

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Madam Premier.

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

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. Those are discussions we haven't had yet, but what I can say is that we are working with the other two territories across the North to actually look at how we address climate change. That meeting will happen in the spring, so, after that, I will have more information on where all three territories are going. At this point, I don't have the information. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Madam Premier. Member for Frame Lake.

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Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Madam Chair. Look, I commend the Premier for working with Nunavut and Yukon. We have a lot in common on the climate change issue, and that's great. That still is not going to help us get any better organized internally within our own government. The Minister said that's not something they talked about. That kind of astounds me because that was the main finding of the audit, and we haven't actually addressed it. It's in the Climate Change Strategic Framework, and the discussion in there is that there's something that they're going to look at some options and further studies. This is a failure in our mandate, to not address that issue. I will be on the Minister and the Premier about this for the next three years, but I'm hoping that they will see the light and agree that we need to get ourselves better organized, whether it's a Cabinet-approved policy or legislation to make sure that we have the right structure and authority in place. That's all I have. Thanks, Madam Chair.

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

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Madam Premier.

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

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. Again, I want to reiterate that I'm not averse to making a policy on it. I think the better strategy is to work with the three territories so that we have a stronger voice. Once the three territories have decided what we're doing, it may end up being in a policy that we implement across. I'm guessing that there would have to be something that we would have to implement across. At this point, I think if the questions come to us after the spring, we would have more information on what that looks like. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Madam Premier. Are there any further questions on strengthening the government's leadership and authority on climate change? Seeing none, committee, we will move on to page 13, "Ensure climate change impacts are specifically considered when making government decisions." Questions? Member for Frame Lake.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Madam Chair. What specific tool, legislation, policy, is going to ensure that, when significant and important decisions are made by the government, climate change becomes a consideration? Thanks, Madam Chair.

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

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Madam Premier.

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

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Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. There will be a number of things. One thing we are looking at, like I said, within our Cabinet package, we've talked about climate change being a standard that we'll look at all the time. Without disclosing too much of what goes on in Cabinet, we do have with every decision that comes on, there's kind of a risk-management description that comes with that. We can add climate change within that risk management so that every decision that comes through our Cabinet table does have that climate change focus on it. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Madam Premier. Member for Frame Lake.

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

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Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Madam Chair. Never having been in Cabinet, an FMB submission or a request for funding, whatever, are there guidelines or is there a template that determines how it's laid out and what risks are outlined and considered and discussed in the submission for funding? Thanks, Madam Chair.

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

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Madam Premier.

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

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Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. With every decision that comes across Cabinet, absolutely, there is a risk-management assessment that happens. For example, two that come to my head right now are: are there any legal ramifications of this? The other one is financial. Are there any financial ramifications? Again, to add to climate change, are there any climate change impacts? That's something that would be done. Every department that puts forward a proposal to Cabinet has to fill those out. Thank you, Madam Chair.