Bob Bromley

Thanks for that response. My last question is: Given the ongoing climb in utility costs and environmental costs, and I believe this government has committed to addressing both of those, has the department set out a schedule for converting all of our infrastructure to renewable energy like some annual targets and a long-term plan? I know we’re working by guess and by golly, and as we have resources and so on, but obviously, a bit of a methodical plan and some goals might help direct the resources needed to actually achieve this sort of thing. I guess I’d ask the Minister, do we have such a...

Mr. Chair, thanks for that update. I knew it was coming but I guess it’s not here yet, the new ones. In terms of the lifecycle renewals that we do, are they designed typically to meet those standards, as well, when we go in and bump up a building? Do we use those same standards for that work? Thank you.

It just seems a little bit caddy-wonky. On the surface it seems right, but given that there’s nobody there that can take advantage of those six homeownership units, they’re not really part of the public housing stock. Obviously, there’s a need there to replace the units where people already are. So I’ll just leave it at that. I don’t want to take up too much time on this, but I look forward to this Community Needs Survey that we’re getting a briefing on in the next week for further discussion. So I’ll leave it at that. Thank you.

Thanks to the Minister for that. Yes, that, I think, will be a key document and I’ll be very curious on what that shows for the communities I represent.

My last question here is how many homeownership units, I believe I heard the Minister say some of them were being converted to public housing recognizing that people don’t have the capacity to take advantage of those homeownership units. That’s certainly been the case in Detah and Ndilo. In Detah and Ndilo, how many public housing homeownership units have been converted to public housing over the last couple of years? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of the Environment. Just a couple of questions on the cost of the Giant Mine Remediation Project now that the environmental assessment has finally been completed.

On August 11, 2014, the responsible Ministers, including our Minister, finally approved the measures coming out of the review report, and fundamental changes were made including, for example, research and development into a more permanent solution and a community-based oversight body. Those are great things, and I thank the Minister for any role he had in getting that done.

My...

It’s a complex project, so we are not going to approve it and we are going to lose all these benefits.

Some say that NTPC is monopolistic. Perhaps this philosophy is based on some legitimate concerns that need to be addressed. For example, money that is tied up in the power diesel generation infrastructure, infrastructure that may be rendered obsolete when more economical and environmentally friendly power systems such as this are introduced to our communities.

What role does stranded infrastructure play in this and ongoing Power Corporation reluctance with this government’s endorsement to...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just given the comments the Minister has heard and the fact that this is probably one of our biggest deficits in infrastructure and for years now we’re refusing to acknowledge that and respond despite the Members’ input, what is the Minister’s plans to come forward with a much more responsible capital budget next year, or at least recommendations for the 18th Assembly? Once again here we’re leaving the 18th Assembly with all these deficits because of our failure.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up with my statement earlier today. Recently, Borealis GeoPower in partnership with Acho Dene Koe First Nations of Fort Liard and the federal government developed a geothermal power project, the feasibility of which was confirmed by a third-party review. The company met with every obligation for a Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board permit. The failure of NTPC to provide a power purchase agreement stopped the project.

Let me start with one specific. What was GNWT’s investment of taxpayer dollars and funds into this project? That is, including third...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess, once again, our second largest department budget-wise, operations is relegated to 2 percent for the third year in a row of our capital budget, 2 percent. This despite repeated and ongoing requests of MLAs to help set the priorities, the Finance Minister mentioned, year after year, to put more capital dollars into this department to reflect our regard for education as the number one priority and capital being an important part of that.

Sissons, of course, in Yellowknife, I heard the Minister just say our approach is to focus on schools that badly need it. Well...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For years this government has professed support for renewable energy and concern about cost of living. While enjoying reduced costs from converting our own infrastructure to renewables, we’ve hung communities out to dry. Soaring power costs to ratepayers and drains on tax revenues of hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies have been the result.

A sad case in point was the Fort Liard Geothermal Project. The Fort Liard Geothermal Project was led by private developer, Borealis GeoPower in partnership with the Acho Dene Koe First Nation of Fort Liard. The federal role...