Bob McLeod

Mr. Speaker, one of the aims of devolution was giving Northwest Territories residents the powers and authorities they need to turn northern potential into prosperity for themselves and the country.

I have said many times that the North is the future of Canada and that our potential is bright. We have a strong resource base that includes diamonds, gold, tungsten, rare earth metals and other minerals. We have world-class oil and gas reserves that stretch from the Beaufort-Delta through the Sahtu and down into the Deh Cho. We have untapped hydro potential that could provide clean, affordable...

Thank you. It’s good to know that Mr. Bromley has all the answers on this issue.

We want to encourage women to run for politics. We’ve been trying to work through the Status of Women Council. I don’t think it’s only the purview of the Status of Women Council. I think this Legislative Assembly could do more in that regard. I think other groups in society could do more. To put the tail on the donkey and blame it just on an organization that is doing its best to further the advances of women, I think, is not very helpful. I think we will do whatever we can to do, as we have in the past, to put on...

We should be welcoming any opportunity to focus on women’s participation in politics in a very direct and high profile manner. We’re not trying to shut it down. We need to come together as a society and have a constructive discussion on this issue and what we can do to solve it together, not just trying to score political points, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to protecting the health of our people and the environment in creating prosperity for our residents by responsibly and sustainably developing our natural resource potential. We support the use of recognized best practices in making decisions about protecting human health, wildlife, land, air and water in the Northwest Territories. We share a vision of a strong, prosperous and environmentally sustainable Northwest Territories that provides opportunities for all our people, communities and regions. We cannot have...

That’s something we should all aspire to. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member has made it very simple, suggesting that there’s a silver bullet that would resolve this complex issue. Suggesting a mock parliament, we were raising the issue to raise dialogue and debate and to help identify the barriers that women face in getting involved in politics. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a government, in both the 16th and 17th Legislative Assemblies we have reduced our reliance on fossil fuels. We’ve been spending money on alternative and renewable forms of energy. For the 17th Assembly, we have an Energy Plan where we’re spending approximately $10 million a year over three years to move into the areas of biomass, LNG and other forms of renewable alternative energies.

As far as spending money on projects that are large and costly, when we have our helmets on and our boots to the ground, we determined that they’re no longer feasible. We are not in the...

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to creating prosperity for all our citizens, and we recognize that residents of rural and remote communities have unique needs. We recognize that it can be difficult to communicate with government departments when people do not know who to contact or if they are not able to access online services.

I am pleased to announce that with the support of this Legislative Assembly, three new single-window service centres will soon open in Fort McPherson, Deline and Behchoko. These centres will help connect residents with the information and services they need...

I am sure the Member would be pleased to hear that that work is well underway. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We do work with all Members in this Assembly. We brief them on all of the different energy plans. We take all of their input and come up with a plan that’s acceptable to all of us. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.