Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, very clearly the leadership lies with the seven Members comprising of Cabinet, with myself and Mr. Bell who are tasked with bringing forward first the discussion on the White Paper on the Energy Strategy and we’ve committed to bringing forward the formal Energy Strategy by this coming fall, which will address that and many other issues and provide a framework, provide the direction and the policy base for us to move forward into this, as the Member has indicated, very important area. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If the Member would provide me with the detail of the information that he has talked about in the communities and contractors that he is referring to, I will ensure that they are followed up with and that we can clarify circumstances and make sure that they have the support they need. We can hopefully resolve this issue and maintain and continue the recycling program. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now that I have been made aware of this discrepancy as the Member has indicated, then we will be following up today and tomorrow to ensure that the proper facts are communicated to all of the participants in this program. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to announce that through the Don’t be a Butthead campaign, many young people have made the commitment to be smoke free. I have personally written to over 3,000 children and youth from every community in the NWT, congratulating them on their pledge to remain smoke free. This campaign originated in 2004 as an initiative of the Department of Health and Social Services to educate youth across the North on the benefits of staying smoke free.

This year, youth and schools in the NWT got caught up in the smoke-free fervor by entering the Create the Smoke Free Future contest in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just laid out to the Member what the plan is. We’ve met with committee; a presentation has been done; we’re going to be releasing the White Paper on the Energy Strategy. We’re going to follow that up with a more formal document. In the meantime, there’s existing programs available through the Arctic Energy Alliance, some through the federal government, there’s been some technical support and those programs are currently on the books and operational pending the outcome of the discussions and feedback and consultation with the White Paper and the more formal actual...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Back in 2002 when the Joint Leadership Council was formed we had an agreement from the board chairs, myself and the deputy, as to the terms of reference and the mandate that was signed off and agreed to by all the parties. That is what is the underpinning document that’s driving us. We are working to see if we can better formalize that process and work a little more closely with Stanton hospital and we are doing that. So the JLC is good on the books and will continue to be on the books in terms of providing that kind of oversight from all the authorities, along with...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’ve had a number of discussions with the Minister for Public Works and Services, and we’ve made sure that the lines of communication are operating as they should be and we’ve rectified whatever missteps there may have been and we are carrying on. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Joint Leadership Council already has that responsibility and we are moving, as I just indicated, to formalize that relationship and to work even more closely and effectively, meeting, I think, with the Stanton hospital. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, none of this was done on a whim and as elected politicians and officials, the Ministers and MLAs, we deal with politics and political decisions all the time. In this case, we made, in my opinion, a careful good decision. The option to renovate is still there, but it behoves me as Minister to get the information to see in fact whether there is the ability to construct new for the same price to extend the life and have a facility that would be there for 20 or 30 years longer than the renovated facility. Dene K’onia still is there and the potential...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize two key people of the Yellowknife Seniors' Society; the president, Ms. Sandra Taylor and, of course, Ms. Vivian Squires, the new executive director, who are with us today in the audience. Thank you.

---Applause