Kevin O'Reilly

Sorry, I got caught short there for a second. I'm trying to gulp down some water. I want to thank the Minister for that because there was a much longer list than what would have been what appears now in the bill.

But with that, Madam Chair, I do want to move a motion to amend clause 14.1, and I'd like to move it as follows: That clause 14.1 of Bill 74 be amended by

(a) renumbering that clause as subclause 14.1(1);

(b) deleting paragraph (d) and (e) of that renumbered subclause and substituting the following:

(d) any forest harvesting agreement entered into under subsection 25(1);

(e) any...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that Bill 74 be amended by adding the following after clause 128:

128.1. (1) Subject to subsection (2), before making regulations under this Act, the Minister shall

(a) ensure that there is an opportunity for public engagement by

(i) publishing a copy of the proposed regulations on a website maintained by the Government of the Northwest Territories, and.

(ii) ensuring that a reasonable period of time has been allotted for receiving feedback on the proposed regulations; and

(b) consider any feedback provided on the proposed regulations under paragraph (a).

(2)...

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. I didn't hear him actually use the word "crisis" or "emergency". At the recent Our Energy and Climate Future in a Changing World conference in July, some members of the public service used the words "crisis" and "emergency". So can the Minister tell us what the next steps are in GNWT's climate crisis approach as the current one continues to fail? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. So a lot of fancy words to say that zoning bylaws, this addition would include zoning bylaws within the scope of legally binding land use plans or any legally binding land use plan and zoning or zoning bylaw that is applicable. So it's expanding that scope of what a legally binding land use plan is to include zoning bylaws. So I think it recognizes that and it's in response to what community governments have asked committee to do and recognizes their jurisdiction and authority. This is not imposing anything on anybody. This is just recognizing that community...

Yeah, okay, thanks. Well, we've got it on the public record, then, that it's not the intention of the department to issue licenses or permits on privately owned lands or lands where there might be surface leases. And, yeah, I think that would really be incompatible with and some of these may be compatible activities. I don't know. But if somebody has surface interests, I think it would only be reasonable that, somehow, they get engaged before licenses and permits would be issued. So I'm glad to get that assurance on the record. And I will have some more detailed questions about some other...

Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. I appreciate that explanation. But I don't think I heard anything about what lessons were learned as a result of the public engagement on the bill and how those will be applied on the regulations making forward. So would someone like to respond to that, please. Thank you.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I have been pushing for some time for a public review of GNWT's failing climate strategy which is really three separate and uncoordinated programs. These are environment and climate changes' climate change strategic framework, infrastructure's 2030 energy strategy, and finance's carbon tax.

As one of the final gasps during the current phase of the climate crisis, GNWT staff put on a threeday conference attended by about 150 participants in July. I want to give credit for the large gathering as there was a diverse set of interests and participants from all parts of...

Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. I guess I'm just having a bit of difficulty understanding some of the things that I just heard. But, you know, I guess I'm pushing this because the Northwest Territories Association of Communities in their written submission said the following: There should be some sort of acknowledgement of complying with various types of community bylaws including, but not limited to, general plans and zoning bylaws, fire prevention bylaws, tree harvesting bylaws, soil protection bylaws, open air burning bylaws, among others.

So we're only talking about land use planning at this...

Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. I don't want to repeat my opening remarks on the committee report other than to thank the environment and climate change staff and the members of the technical working group for getting us a bill that was much, much better than Bill 44 in the last Assembly and working collaboratively with us.

But one area that I want to explore a bit here, and this was an area that the committee spent I guess a significant amount of time, at least in the early stages of our review, was the application of the bill as drafted. It seems to be a law of general application, and it wasn't...

Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. Well, I guess yeah, I think a lot of this can and should have been fixed before the bill got here. This issue was raised to us in the NGO submission. And I guess I take my job seriously. When people bring forward concerns and issues, I think we really, as MLAs, as committees, have a duty to try to find solutions. So the issue was brought forward to us. I'm trying to do my job. And, you know, I regret that we have to spend this amount of time but I still think that this is an important public debate, and that's one of the reasons why I got elected and came here to...