Robert C. McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During my tour of the Tlicho and speaking to the leadership there, and the Member was part of that tour, I did commit to them that I was going to try to line up a meeting with my counterpart over in Nunavut, and we are fortunate that we were able to see that happen. We did meet in Kugluktuk, as the Member pointed out. There were about six representatives from each side. There was myself and the Minister in Nunavut, who is also the Premier; and we had our two deputy ministers, as well as some technical staff. About 12 people attended the meeting altogether.

What I could...

The GNWT is a co-proponent in the Giant Mine Remediation Project, and we will continue to work with Canada through the water licensing process.

We recognize that there are a number of other governments and organizations in the NWT with climate change roles. It would be difficult for me, at this stage of this Assembly, to commit the government to a symposium. Through the transition committee and providing some advice to the incoming 19th, I think that we will hear it during the election period that is coming up; the election is on October 1st. I think that we will hear a lot of concerns about climate change, and I am sure that potential candidates who are running will be telling the constituents their plans for how to deal with this...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and we appreciate the fact that the students are here voicing their concerns about climate change. It is something that we in the North have faced for a long time before the rest of the country. Before it became flavour of the day, we were feeling the effects of climate change, particularly in the Mackenzie Delta, where I am from. We see banks falling into the river. I would hate to come to a point someday where we walk across the river because there is so much sediment in the water.

I appreciate the work that they are doing. They are obviously very passionate about it...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled "Report of Special Warrants Issued (March 15 to May 22, 2019)." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

There are many initiatives across the GNWT that help address food insecurity. A few of these include, obviously, income assistance to those who require it and are eligible, including funds for food. This is part of a variety of programs that help offset the cost of living, like public housing and the cost of living credit. Through the northern wellness funding, many communities are delivering school-based meal programs, elders' lunches, meals on wheels, hosting collective kitchens for young families, and providing good-food boxes for families in need. Nutrition North Canada's nutrition...

Again, we know the crisis that we are in with climate change, and I think the public is becoming more and more educated as we become more and more educated. Our youth are taking steps to become more and more educated, and I think, through that process, there will be a lot of people doing that on their own, reducing their carbon footprint and how they do business. If it's an initiative that could help us address the situation that we are in, then I think it's incumbent on this Assembly. I say "this government." When I talk about the government, I am talking all 19 Members. It's something that...

Through a jurisdictional review of the climate change programs in Canadian jurisdictions, ENR found that, regardless of the organizational structure, the most important factors in their success were leadership and the authority to act. The GNWT, we believe, has accordingly taken a leadership role on climate change in the territories and organized itself so that climate change is considered at all levels of authority. As the Premier has stated before, at the director level, the ADM, DM, and ministerial committees have been established, and the leadership structure will focus government efforts...

Through a number of the initiatives and strategies that we come forward with, we go out and seek public opinion, consultation with affected stakeholders, and I think it's through that process that they are able to get their input. We have three months left in this Assembly. Again, I can commit to this Chamber that we'll explore the idea of doing something such as that and work with stakeholders. Again, we can make the suggestions, and as we've seen at the beginning of the 18th, it will be upon the Members of the 19th to determine at that time whether this is something that they want to...

Again, recognizing the importance of the voices of the youth in the Northwest Territories, I believe it was in the Assembly before that we actually had a youth forum that the Premier of the day had implemented, and we got feedback from a lot of youth across the Northwest Territories. I think that there is some merit in the Member's suggestion. It is something that we could talk with the young people of the Northwest Territories about as potentially having, working with Education, some type of a climate change symposium, where we could get their opinion on what they would like to see taught in...