David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for the question. We have had a lot of back and forth with the community of Tsiigehtchic on trying to identify accommodations. There have been some difficulties in that. We are hopeful that we can rectify those problems and we can have members overnight in the community of Tsiigehtchic, and I hope to see that happen sooner rather than later. This is something that I will make sure happens. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, we have to continue as a government to make investments in the Sahtu, and that is in infrastructure. If there’s a way that we can look at projects or opportunities to partner with the region, that’s something that I think is very important, if there’s a lull in the activity here, at least for the next winter. Hopefully there is a return of some activity in the central Mackenzie Valley, so that companies and employers have opportunities there to put people to work. It’s important to see that happen, and I look forward to continuing to work with the Member to see that happen. Thank...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Some companies have made business decisions affecting the amount of work that is going to take place in the central Mackenzie Valley in the Sahtu this coming winter. I understand there will be some meetings here this fall, and hopefully the activity returns to the region. But certainly the department and our regional staff are keeping a watchful eye on what’s happening in the region. Thank you.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. For that reply, I’d have to defer to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources on that. Of course, ENR signs off applications for consideration under the HTC program and they also validate the claim and the claimants as well. So we’d have to work with ENR on that response for the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just received another letter from one of the Member’s constituents regarding the flood of ’13 and looking for compensation. I’ve made a commitment previously to the Member that we would review those applications for assistance. Back in ’13, I must first off state that allocated to this fund is $15,000. Both in the year ’11-12 and ’12-13 we had expenditures there of approximately $80,000 in each of those years. So it was heavily subscribed, oversubscribed, if you will, and the department had to find the funds elsewhere.

As to the reason why claims weren’t initially...

The quick answer is yes, it will be respected. We have independent land and water boards across the Northwest Territories. It’s not our intention to do anything to fetter their decision-making authority. What we want to do is get out. We inherited the filing requirements from the National Energy Board. Our intention is to get out draft requirements and filing requirements to the public and other stakeholders early in the new year, and we are moving forward with that plan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the decisions that the government made was to regulate the oil and gas industry ourselves here in the Northwest Territories and grow the capacity here in the NWT, and we’ve done that. We’ve got an office set up separate from the Department of ITI, the office of the oil and gas regulator. It’s got an executive director; we’ve got staff in place at that office, and we’re looking forward to regulating the industry. We don’t have a lot of activity taking place currently, but we’re looking to see some more activity in the future. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to table the “Economic Opportunities Implementation Plan.”

I think businesses and transportation companies would carry the requisite insurance in the case that goods were spoiled or couldn’t make it there. I know in previous experience when we didn’t have a bridge across the Mackenzie River and we were in business here in Yellowknife, flying goods in was at the expense of the business. There weren’t subsidies in place to defer that cost. Businesses just had to endure those extra costs for the short period of time where there wasn’t the access that was there before.

Mr. Speaker, I believe I have made a commitment in the past to have a look at this, and again today I let the Member know that we are willing to take a look at this. It would have to be done in conjunction with ENR, and we’ll make that commitment to have a look at the program and funding criteria. Thank you.