Brendan Bell

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the support for the Arctic Energy Alliance. I think the Member makes a very good point. This is something that is funded by a couple of government departments and by the Power Corporation. I think there has been a lot of good work over the years and a lot of merit in continuing to work with this organization to find solutions, especially in the case of this organization, primarily on demand side issues. As a government, we recognize that we do need an energy plan, both for supply side and demand side issues. We will be moving that agenda forward.

I...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled Opportunities for Prosperity, Community Futures Program 2003-04 Annual Report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The delivery mechanism I think that we have in mind, should it be successful in getting through the House and getting support of Members, is the new BDIC which will have regionally-focused program delivery. Largely the mechanisms used to deliver economic development lending and programs in the regions now would be those going forward, at least initially. I think there will be some evolution and some progression there as regions and communities gain the capability to deliver the programming themselves.

But we think as a transition, it would make sense to keep the current mechanisms in place...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is something that I have been having a fair amount of discussion on and the department has been working on for a number of months now with the DIAND officials. There is a Northern Development Ministers’ meeting being held in Chibougamou, Quebec, right now that I wasn’t able to attend because of session, but my deputy minister is there in attendance, working with the two Ministers from the other territories, Ministers Kenyon and Simailak. They are in agreement on several fundamental principles as to how this money should role out. We have communicated those to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the Member knows, from the discussion at committee, that the Power Corporation, for instance, has been working on issues related to hydro development and other renewable sources of energy. This is around the theme of trying to lessen our reliance on fossil fuels. In some regard, we are hostage in the short term to the crisis of oil. There is not a lot we can do in the very short run to lessen that reliance. I think, as the Member heard yesterday, the Finance Minister has sent out a directive to departments to come forward to make sure that they update the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the Member is referring specifically to our ability to reject the costs that it will have internally for our own GNWT assets. We do have a program that the Minister of Finance referred to yesterday, the Energy Conservation Program. This program does provide financial assistance to territorial and community-funded departments, boards, agencies, non-profits, to undertake capital projects that will result in long-term reductions in the usage of electricity, heat, energy, water, et cetera. I think it is a very good program. There are a number of examples that...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled NWT Development Corporation 2003-2004 Annual Report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we will continue to make the case to the federal government that this is a priority for northerners, and we would acknowledge that although there’s been a lot of good work done by the partners over the past five years and we’re in the fifth year of implementation, we have yet to protect a single area. There are interim areas, there are areas that have been identified for protection, but we haven’t, in fact, done this and we see this as, to date, a failing of the work of both our government and the federal government and the ENGOs. So obviously we have to move forward clearly. We...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We continue to make the case to our federal counterparts that this is a priority and we believe support for development initiatives up and down the valley will hinge on federal support for PAS. I think that’s true. You’ve seen quite a bit of lobbying from ENGOs who believe the federal government has to do more in this regard. So between ourselves and the ENGOs, we continue to press the case to the federal Ministers responsible that this is indeed a priority and this is something that needs to be addressed right now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have to admit I don’t know the hours that the officers are keeping in terms of monitoring and enforcement out on the Ingraham Trail. That is certainly some information that I can get and bring back to the Member. I guess the other point I would make is that we do see this as a priority, and obviously we are having discussion as a government and discussion with committee on an ongoing basis through the business planning process, and the issue of wildlife officers is very similar to environmental protection officers. We know we need more of them. It’s simply a...