Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to start by saying that I’ve been listening closely to the remarks that have been made by the Ministers and there was considerable material that I agree with and support, but I want to note in most general initial comments here that I recognize the international economic considerations and to some extent the decisions of this government have placed us in a position where I recognize the need to support the government’s fiscal strategy that sees us through these times of uncertainty. I stress that we have a combination here of the international sort of globalized...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Mahsi.

I’d like to call committee to order. We have before us for consideration Tabled Document 4-16(5), Tabled Document 30-16(5), Tabled Document 38-16(5), Tabled Document 62-16(5) and Tabled Document 66-16(5). What is the wish of committee?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have to ask apology for leaping to conclusions on the basis of overwhelming evidence, but I will certainly hope to be proven wrong in this case and that the public can in fact have that confidence. For now though, Mr. Speaker, I want to note that the Minister, I believe, said this morning on the CBC Radio interview that it’s now up to the elected representatives of the people of the Northwest Territories, and I believe that includes 11 Members on this side of the House. So I assume that we will have some input into what we’re going to do with this situation, the panel...

Thank you. The Minister has once again said wait and see. I don’t accept that response. I’m trying to bring some accountability to this process, and this side of the House has consistently tried to have input into this process as a consensus government. So I’m asking again, Mr. Speaker, since the JRP has clearly rejected the response of the governments, does this government intend to radically alter its response? I need to know this from this Minister -- he’s our Minister -- does this Minister intend to radically adjust its response and commit to the full set of actions the JRP says are...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize, with great pride, my mother, Barb Bromley, a resident of Weledeh; as well, Mr. David Gilday, also a resident of Weledeh; and many of the long-term residents and friends from Yellowknife in the gallery. Thank you.

Thank you. I will now rise and report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to table a letter of comment dated October 4, 2010, from the chair of the Joint Review Panel, Mr. Robert Hornell, to Ms. France Pegeot of the Mackenzie Gas Project office, detailing the panel’s rejection of the interim government response on their report. Thank you.

Thank you. The Mackenzie Gas Project would be the biggest capital project ever mounted in Canada, huge in world scale and an environmental and economic earthquake for many of the people in the Northwest Territories. The people have spent four years and $20 million contributing to a report they presumed would address their concerns with the project, and these are people selected from the people of the NWT by the government. The Joint Review Panel produced that report with exhaustive, expert and constructive recommendations, and now our governments intend to throw that wisdom in the wastebasket...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t want the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources to feel passed over today. I know we can pick on the others here. My question will be for the Minister, as lead Minister of the Joint Review Panel on the report on the Mackenzie Gas Project.

Mr. Speaker, I will be tabling today the Joint Review Panel’s letter of comment on the interim response of the federal and territorial governments to the Joint Review Panel’s report putting the matter for consideration in Committee of the Whole. I don’t think it is possible to overstate the rejection in the Joint Review...