Robert C. McLeod

The Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway was a great project and was well-received. Being up in the Beau-Del at times, being on the highway, I see the number of people who are on it, the number of people who are going to Inuvik, actually, to do a lot of their shopping, and I am sure it has reduced their cost of living because they are picking up things in Inuvik. As far as the overall cost of living in the community itself, I do not have that information at my fingertips. However, I will commit to the Member that we will compile some information and share it with the Members. It's important to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Finance will rise and respond to the Member's questions. The GNWT has met with the federal government on Nutrition North Canada on both the ministerial and official levels on numerous occasions. Most recently, officials have been engaged in discussions around work to make the program more efficient and transparent. The NWT representative for the Nutrition North Advisory Board on this program is a nutritionist from the Beaufort Delta who is well-placed to provide perspective on the needs of Northerners.

That is a very timely question. The GNWT recognizes the importance that our government can play on influencing the market for the goods and services that we procure. Following engagement conducted in 2017-2018, ENR worked closely with the communities on the development of an NWT waste resource management strategy. The strategy is anticipated to be released in the coming month. As part of this strategy, goal number four focused on actions to greening government. Greening government means making decisions about what we buy, how we manage our assets, how we run our business to reduce greenhouse...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I stated before, we have seen the effects of climate change, especially up in the Beau-Del, long before the rest of the country, and I do believe that we are getting to the point where it is becoming a crisis. We see that. I have said before that, in the Delta, we see ground falling into the water. You look around in the Beaufort and Tuktoyaktuk at the erosion on the shore there; that demonstrates the effect that climate change is having on the North. We recognize that.

The short answer to the Member's question is: yes, I do believe that this is serious enough to be...

Personal feelings aside, I think that the department has done a good job in trying to mitigate the impact that it was going to have on licensees. I think that we have done that. I have asked the department to do a whole briefing policy review, and there are a number of other things that we may need to do.

I fully understand and I fully respect the impact that it might have on business in the Northwest Territories. I am not blind to that fact. We try to do what we can to have a balance here between the needs of business and the Northwest Territories, and I think we have addressed that. If I am...

Well, there was a price decrease to consumers because, through the discount program, the licensees were actually paying a lesser price than they were able to then pass along those savings to the consumers. I have the numbers here. I could look at possibly putting these on the website so that they know exactly what the prices went down to. It is right in my briefing book. The licence holders paid 8.3 percent less for spirits, 6.1 percent less for wine, and then they did pay a bit more for canned and bottled beer, because I think it is costed on a volume basis.

We have taken steps to ensure that...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm very pleased to recognize my wife Judy in the gallery. Her presence always brightens up the Chamber.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following five documents entitled "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 511-18(3): Consultations on the Bathurst Caribou Herd"; "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 520-18(3): Consultation on Sugar-Sweetened Drinks Tax"; "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 524-18(3): Indigenous Training Programs"; "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 625-18(3) Tlicho All Season Road Costs"; and, "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 647-18(3): Developing a Knowledge Economy." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I will look at possibly doing this, if I am able, to make that public to the 1 percent who are quite interested in it. The other 99 percent are wondering why we are lowering the price, knowing the effect that it is having on people in the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am glad to see the Member advocating for, even though he said he is not, lower prices for alcohol in the Northwest Territories, knowing the effect that alcohol has on the people of the Northwest Territories. Terminating the contract with the liquor warehouse did result in lower costs to consumer at the liquor stores and, as an unintended consequence of levelling the cost structure for liquor stores and licensees, there was a significant increase to licensees in Yellowknife. We missed that, and as Minister, I take responsibility for that.

It has been addressed. The...