Bob Bromley

Thanks to the Minister for that good news. I think it would be useful if the Minister could provide an update to all of us really, probably in our respective ridings, on where we’re at. Maybe by community it would be useful for us to once again get on top of that. Just sort of a parallel question, if I could get a similar update of how our LHOs are doing knowing that those are related issues, but I know some of the LHOs have gone through real bottlenecks and difficulties with paying for utilities and so on and working within their budgets. If I could maybe get an update there. Thank you.

Thanks for those comments. I guess I’m particularly interested in the Small Scale Food Program. I know we have a very active program in that area and I’m getting a lot of feedback from the communities that our approach hasn’t been the most productive. We tend to go into communities, choose the location of a plot of land, plow it up, plant it, then leave. I think the work that the department has been doing more recently and the partners that they’ve been supporting who are bringing in many other partners are actually working with individuals in the communities to be much more effective and I’m...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to follow up on my Member’s statement this afternoon with questions to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I described the Finnish educational system now recognized, after 30 years of reform, as about the best in the world. It has some neat characteristics that really ring sympathetic bells with many of the Members, I think, because some of these things address the issues we still see as being needed to be addressed. I know the Minister has some of that too.

Will the Minister and his staff have a critical review of this system and consider what...

Just very quickly, there is a very steady and seemingly steep drop in the CMHC repair programs. Could I just request an explanation on that once again? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, when you are on a roll, go for it. Will the Minister work with his colleague in Industry to, in fact, take our regional leadership to ensure they visit active frack sites as well as jurisdictions that have banned fracking, for whatever reason, to learn about those reasons and concerns and also to visit with Aboriginal people wherever they have experience with fracking, such as northeast BC? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up with my questions to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources on some of the fracking regulations that we’re doing. I expressed an interest in having people visit actual frack sites. I am wondering, first of all, has the Minister ever visited a frack site where, in fact, a horizontal frack was actually underway. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, thanks again to the Minister. Some jurisdictions have banned fracking. That isn’t something they do lightly, so we need to understand the serious concerns that led to this.

As I mentioned, our so-called EDI fracking tour didn’t include a visit to even one fracking site. As part of this information gathering, will the ENR Minister work with the Industry Minister to ensure the promised southern tour of regional leaders includes a visit to a no-fracking jurisdiction and to meet with the Aboriginal leadership with extensive fracking experience in northeastern BC? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. We are in the earliest stages of learning about fracking. The policy development needs are huge and the time frame urgent. We know the drive for fracking is underway in the Sahtu. Funds and time are needed to determine the basis on which to make good management decisions.

Recognizing that the resource will not disappear, will the Minister of ENR commit to ensuring that we dedicate both the funds and the time required to develop a policy on fracking that will protect both our people and our land...

I appreciate the Minister giving some serious consideration to this and looking for opportunities in his role as Minister.

Can we expect a rigorous analysis on how to increase the benefits for the public and thereby buy some real credibility for the Mineral Development Strategy that would incorporate some of the things we’ve been discussing here?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our EDI report on fracking provided a start to learn about fracking, but as we learn more, the management challenge grows. In fact, urgent action is needed to make good decisions. We need to adopt best practices, yes, but what are these, will we actually adopt them, and how will we do so and ensure that they are followed? Many jurisdictions profess a similar commitment but have failed miserably to protect their citizens, despite good intentions.

The need for environmental and geological baseline data essential for good management is clear, but are we committed to...