Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to table a letter to Mr. Richard Edjericon, chairperson of the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board, from Ms. Joanna Ankersmit, AANDC; and Ray Case, GNWT; on the Giant Mine remediation project closing comments. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just by way of example here, I’ve just got an e-mail here today, mentioning a home ownership unit in Enterprise that sat empty for three years. It has frozen at least twice and has mould in the basement. A person visited Providence recently and the night watchman device was shining brightly, meaning again there was no heat in the unit and it was probably frozen up. Apparently, Fort Resolution has 16 home ownership units vacant. We know about my situation in Detah. Obviously, we need that flexibility in policies.

Can the Minister assure me that we will be not just reading...

Thanks to the remarks from the Minister there. When we talk about getting people into housing, we’re often talking about getting them out of homelessness. The Housing First Movement I’ve referred to in the past points out the dramatic decrease in government’s other service costs. When we meet the lower costs of providing housing, you avoid emergency issues and so on. We need to look at the big picture.

Can the Minister say how the Housing Corporation includes in its analysis of policy, for example, such as we’re discussing the financial benefits of reduced costs of other services when people...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to oral questions.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I see no evidence of the active involvement that the Minister speaks of, or to being a voice for the people of the Northwest Territories. That is the very point that the Members are raising today in this House. The co-proponent’s closing comments letter contains no commitment to the preparation of a fully-funded perpetual care plan. Even though site liability supposedly remains with the federal government after devolution, site management will continue forever or until technology is found to eliminate the arsenic. Will the GNWT include the requirement for a fully...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said in my statement, my questions are today for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. As I said in my statement today, I’m amazed at how few of the concerns, so clearly expressed at the hearings, have been reflected in the proponent’s closing letter to the environment board. The commentary persists in the delusion that this is a remediation rather than a stabilization. Its silence on major concerns almost amounts to contempt towards the input of organizations and individuals. This government signed the letter, so I ask, given the passion and details...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The environmental assessment hearings for the Giant Mine Project were held in September. The Mackenzie Valley Environmental Review Board heard testimony on the plan to stabilize the vast stores of arsenic and conduct limited surface remediation. On the first night of public presentations alone, 50 people sat through a 45-minute power outage to share their concerns. Seventeen people spoke, most staying well past 11:00 p.m. People care deeply about the Giant Mine cleanup.

Based on my observations, people spoke of the lack of a funded perpetual care plan, lack of a legally...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have raised my hand a couple of times for the tabling of documents, so I request that we return to item 14, tabling of documents.

---Unanimous consent granted

That’s also good information to have. Obviously, it’s in my riding and I’d be interested in maybe a briefing from the Minister on where we’re at with that school and what the vision is of the department for that facility and the role they see for the DEA and other partners. Thank you.

Thank you. I’m wondering if this is a new policy that leaves the provision of public facilities to communities to work with private enterprise and seek funding arrangements for public facilities. Is that a new policy that Education is embarking on, and should our community schools be out there seeking funding partners other than the government for this responsibility?