Norman Yakeleya

I’m quite pleased that the initiative is coming to some of our communities, as the Minister indicated. I would look forward to the Minister putting some type of a briefing or paper together. Hopefully, it will come into one of our Sahtu communities, or along the Mackenzie winter road, Fort Simpson or Wrigley and come through that area here. Maybe we can look at something. Right now I’m just hearing it from you and I’m happy that Smith and Hay River had the opportunity to do and we look forward to something like for some discussion. It might even be in the next Assembly, but give me something...

Thank you, Minister. I see that in another avenue here. Okay, time is up.

Mr. Chair, I want to ask about the Environment Fund net revenue. It’s showing $150,000. Is this a new fund? Okay, 2013-14 revised estimates isn’t showing any. Can I get maybe a brief description on as to this fund and this purpose and how it’s being used, who pays into the fund? I know if a company has been charged and convicted of a violation of environmental issues that they pay into the Environment Fund. Is that correct? Thank you.

Just a quick comment here, Mr. Chair. The issue I have with this department would be the responsibility in regard to our water management and the role that the government is going to assume after April 1st. But even as we speak, Imperial Oil has applied to renew its water licence in the Norman Wells operation. It will be a 10-year licence.

I want to ask what type of role the government is going to play in the process of Imperial Oil seeking the renewal of their water licence from the Mackenzie River that has been done in the past. Their 10-year licence expired so they are seeking another 10...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the public feedback, I’m wondering if the Minister would consider working with the Department of ITI to look at possibly a summit for the elders for the traditional knowledge and information that they have on the land. That’s good feedback with the elders’ knowledge in developing future policies and guidelines to the hydraulic fracking work that’s being done in the Sahtu.

Thank you. Can the Minister inform the House and me as to when he expects an official policy, framework policy, to the work that he’s doing that would look at hydraulic fracking in the North?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It was said by our Premier that land is life and it is so true in the Northwest Territories. Because of our issues in the Sahtu, land is life and certainly our elderly people know that this is so true. From the land we get power, a way of life, we put food on our tables and we build our homes. Everything comes from the land. When we think about it and listen to our elders, even when we go outside to do our work, they always tell us to make it protocol to go out there and thank the land and the water. Before you do anything, remember where you come from.

It’s so ingrained...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I was very pleased to hear the opening remarks by the Premier, the Minister of this department. I’d like to first of all say congratulations, because we now have government service officers in our communities, and I’ve been hearing some very good reports back from people in the Sahtu, and I’m very pleased to see that Fort McPherson, Deline and Behchoko will be getting these government service officers. It’s a good thing for us and it’s a good thing that the Department of Executive is listening to the small communities. With our unique challenges and our languages, it...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to again raise the issue of the waste reduction management section with the territorial government here and the issue of waste management, the issue in our small communities, and again I’m going to ask the Minister in his plans with this department is there any type of discussion plans that will be coming forward in the future in regard to the amount of vehicles that are dumped in our communities. There are a lot of vehicles in there and there are a lot of vehicles piled up in the dump. I always thought this was a good incentive to look at how they can have...

Thank you. I certainly appreciate the clarification on this. I do want to ask the question then, I’m not too sure if I’m on the right page with this, in regard to companies that are charged and convicted of any type of environmental violation. Is there a fund that they pay into that is used to deal with this type of issue and cleanup and remediation? Thank you.