Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it’s no secret that the well-being of communities holds a special place in my heart. My time spent in local governance as a school trustee and city councillor laid the groundwork for that. So when considering GNWT activities I often see things through a municipal lens, and I did just that yesterday as I pondered the Environment and Natural Resources’ budget and listened to the government’s plans for climate change and greenhouse gas targets.

In order to meet an aggressive greenhouse gas target -- one that we don’t yet have, I must admit -- this government...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a couple of questions here in regard to the Yellowknife Airport. One is that the business plan referred to investigation of an alternative governance for the Yellowknife Airport. I wonder if I could get an update on where that project is at, please. Thank you.

I guess to the Minister, then, was there ever any money for other access roads other than the Prelude Lake access road? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just have a question here which relates back to a discussion that ensued during business plans. I know that in all departments this year the utility payments have been transferred and consolidated with the Department of Public Works. I presume that has happened also with Transportation, that they’ve moved their utility payments over to PWS. When we discussed business plans, there was mention of a number of departments, including Transportation, being involved in discussion of the creation of an infrastructure department. I wonder if the Minister could comment on...

Thanks to the Minister. Just one quick question, I guess. Relative to the frequency of visits to communities, particularly for people looking to take drivers testing and get drivers’ licences issued, how often would these mobile issuing stations make the rounds, so to speak? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Item 8, written questions.

---Unanimous consent granted.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just have a comment here. I’d like to thank the department and commend the department and their staff for the work that was done on the city of Yellowknife by-pass road. It’s a huge improvement in terms of city safety. We have another access to get in and out of the city. I just would like to express my appreciation for the fact that this is basically completed. Thanks for the work.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I asked the Minister what the plan was that exists. I don’t think I have heard an answer to that. But I appreciate the offer, which I think I heard in that answer and the previous one, of looking at the process. I really think that is something we absolutely have to do. It is not fair right now. There is not an opportunity to assist communities in achieving their end goals; not the government’s goals, the communities’ goals. As this government revises the Greenhouse Gas Strategy, would this idea of an NWT green fund be able to be considered under the revision of that...

Okay. Thanks to the Minister for that. I’d like to know whether or not this government has a policy relative to recreational facilities which are on Commissioner’s land for which there are leases. Do we have a special policy or just a policy in regard to recreational leases?

I thank the Minister for his 60 million reasons. I only want 55 million. I’ll take the other five million, thank you very much, and put it into an NWT green fund.

The Minister has, I assume, but since I asked why he isn’t enabling, he must consider that he is enabling, and I don’t feel if he thinks that enabling that it is a fair process. He talked about the gas tax money and that communities have gas tax money, but in my estimation the gas tax money is used for the communities’ capital projects in general. It’s not specific to energy projects, and energy projects can be very costly.

A green...