Robert Hawkins

Mr. Chair, that’s good. Thank you.

Thank you. Is the change in cost just strictly focusing on the benefits, or has there been any change in the format of how security has been provided?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister says he’s not challenging them. It sort of sounds like they are accepting the results the government has received of the barely passing mark of D minus. A D minus is a reflection of the department, its leadership and its management, and I would like to hear how this government is going to change this D minus mark and turn it into an action plan that delivers results specific to the areas targeted and identified by the Conference Board of Canada.

May I remind this House, this is an organization that has been in Canada for 61 years providing good advice, non...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, March 2, 2015, I will move that Bill 48, An Act to Amend the Mental Health Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, that’s okay if the government doesn’t intend to get to it because they’re either not interested or too busy, but I’m not uninterested, and I’m certainly not too busy to bring up good ideas for the department to get to work on.

As such, would it not make sense for the government to consider putting a bit of fee, a reward or a bit of bounty on every one of these barrels?

By way of example, and I know the Minister likes examples, so for example, if we put a $100 fee or reward or return price on every one of those barrels, we could fund that out of our environmental recycling fund. That way...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday in Committee of the Whole it was discussed about the fuel barrels left throughout the Northwest Territories. I’d like to ask the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, does the department know how many barrels there are? I’m not speaking to every single barrel, but I’m speaking to the large volume of barrels we estimate are out there and the general location of the larger cache of barrels. I mean, we can always understand there will be one or two here and there, and those are difficult to track unless you stumble upon them.

I guess the question is: How...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that we report progress.

---Carried

First off I want to say, I dare not argue with the Minister’s keen eye and good observation of the assessment of the work being done here. I certainly like to agree when he’s right.

My final question is: Would the Minister be willing to devote a bit of time and policy development in his department to take some assessment of this particular potential? We have people travelling on the land in different forms, be it on the lakes and rivers through their boats, be it on skidoos and other modes of transportation, and what a great way to reward people on their long trips out on the land by putting a...

What is the plan of Environment and Natural Resources to address this environmental liability that has been left on the people of the Northwest Territories to carry this burden and to be financially responsible for it? In other words, does the Department of Environment and Natural Resources have any type of plan in place or plan for the future to address this liability of these fuel barrels sitting there on the land?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I had planned to talk about a health issue today and I think one just sort of overpowered me and I felt that I had to address it.

Overwhelmingly, I feel troubled with the way and the approach the Mental Health Act is presently taking today. Although I certainly, like every single one of my colleagues here both on this side of the House and the other side of the House, will welcome a new act to help address the problems that we all see today, there are ways we can help today.

The other day I was asking the Health Minister about trying to find another way. There is another...