Kieron Testart

Thank you. In response to the questions from the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, the Minister made comments to the effect that we would repeal the carbon tax if the federal government scrapped the approach.

I would like to ask the Minister why he is so certain. That sounds like a decision made for the next government, and we have had a whole sitting here where Ministers are telling us that some decisions are left to the next government. Why is the Minister so confident that the next government will scrap the carbon tax once it is in place? I don't know how he is able to make those kind...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just have a few other questions for the Minister. During this process and in previous communications the government has put out, there has been a claim that the federal government will control how carbon tax revenues are spent, or as the Minister said in his opening comments, "spend the carbon tax revenue as they see fit." Yet the federal government has a stated policy that every dollar raised from a province or territory will return back to the jurisdiction. Can the Minister or his witnesses provide me with a federal policy that contradicts the stated policy that all...

Mr. Chair, I move, to the extent it is possible before the dissolution of the 18th Assembly and for the public record, that the government provide a response to these recommendations, even of a preliminary nature, that committee may publicly disclose. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommend that the Department of Finance undertake a comprehensive review and evaluation of its carbon tax approach, including public consultation, to be completed after the program is fully implemented in 2022. The purpose of the review is to determine the effectiveness of the program on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to assess its impacts on the NWT economy in order to develop program improvements. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommend that the Department of Finance undertake an annual assessment of the impact of the carbon tax on greenhouse gas emissions in the Northwest Territories, to be reported in the annual report. This should be integrated with the reporting on greenhouse gas emissions under the climate change strategic framework and energy projects under the energy strategy. This will allow an evaluation of whether the carbon tax is effective in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommend that the Department of Finance table on annual report in the Legislative Assembly on the carbon tax that provides detail on: total carbon taxes collected; carbon taxes collected from large emitters; total rebates provided; number and nature of grants provided; costs of administrating the carbon tax; reinvestment of carbon tax revenues; projected tax revenues for coming year; and an annual plan for future year reinvestment of carbon tax revenues. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommend that the Government of the Northwest Territories, led by the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, complete its work to address the municipal funding gap on an urgent basis, taking into consideration the increased costs of the carbon tax to all local authorities, and that additional forced-growth funding to compensate for these costs be included in the 2020-2021 budget. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that, for all bills proposing to establish, replace, or make significant changes to territory legislation, a plain language summary be prepared and made available to the appropriate standing committee at the time is introduced in the Legislative Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today as an ally to add my voice to the grave and tragic issue of forced sterilization. This is not some past, dark chapter in Canadian history on which we have turned the page. It appears, based on several class-action lawsuits in front of the courts right now, that this barbaric practice is still in use. We hear now more and more voices rising up, sharing their stories, the traumas, and their terror of having been coerced into sterilization. I want to commend all of those who have spoken up to ensure that we hear their stories.

Mr. Speaker, contrary to popular...

Thank you. I think that's a much more balanced assessment than what the public has been told with most of the advertising and materials that have been put out there, so I appreciate that clarification.

My second question is: we've heard a lot about how the federal backstop is much worse for the North. Can the Minister produce a costed federal carbon tax plan for the NWT that is specific to the NWT, informed by data drawn for the NWT, and has been previously shared with the department so that they are able to do their own assessment of their plan versus the federal backstop plan? Can the...