Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation and it’s my hope I can get answers beyond finalizing devolution as the answer to all of my questions. The hydro supply for Yellowknife and Behchoko was recently knocked out by the Canadian Military’s current exercises for our protection. We face a huge bill for one kilometre of transmission line repairs, elevated fuel costs replacing hydro with diesel power for at least 10 days, and associated expenses. Will the Minister be sending an invoice to the federal Minister of National Defence for a...

Thanks for that response from the Minister. I appreciate that. Will the Minister commit to immediately revising the Greenhouse Gas Policy to remove the policy of allowing greenhouse gas emissions to soar to 100 percent above earlier emissions by 2020 and replace it with a more responsible policy in line with the science with which he agrees?

Yes, Mr. Speaker?

Most of my Member’s statement was in fact dedicated to that, but I’d be happy to offer a lot of suggestions. We have elected this Minister to lead us and I’m expecting… This was raised in the last session, as you are well aware, having ruled on various points of order and so on. Now we’re finally getting back to the debate here. Obviously, months have gone by and there’s still no response. I’d like to ask that question again. What is this Minister doing, what is he prepared to do to modify our policies and laws to address the concerns on greenhouse gas emissions?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to join you in welcoming Mr. Anthony “Tony” Whitford. So many accolades, the list is getting longer daily. I’m looking forward to seeing him at the table with the table officers soon.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, February 17, 2012, I will move the following motion: now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that the Department of Health and Social Services investigate the potential for successful implementation of similar programming and work with standing committees to test and introduce a similar program in the NWT;

And further, that the government provide a comprehensive response to this motion within 120 days.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks for that response. There’s also the tragic side to this, obviously, as the power outage may have been directly related to a serious workplace incident at the airport. I offer my sympathies to the family of the injured man in hopes of his recovery and I know we all do. There have also been road accidents that could have been more serious. This government needs to strenuously state to the Department of National Defence that safety comes first and exercise objectives come second. Should be obvious but maybe it isn’t. Will the Minister take that on?

I appreciate that answer. We need to know the total bill resulting from this incident. Will the Minister document these new costs, including replacement of materials, generating fuel, staff time, additional equipment charges, travel, charter, and so on – everything, basically – and report this total cost to the Assembly?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks for that response from the Minister. There are two main keys to achieving a reduction of greenhouse gas output and both of them also provide many opportunities for economic development reducing cost of living and so on. One is getting this government and our communities off carbon-intensive fuels and onto renewables. Another is requiring all future major industrial development to achieve carbon neutrality as a condition of approval. When will the Minister table a plan for achieving these crucial objectives?

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Will the Speaker request the Minister to respond to my questions, to answer my questions?