Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, recently the BC Premier Eby has announced that he is fast-tracking 18 resource projects in his province, a blend of energy, mining, and critical minerals projects worth around $20 billion and that will employ 8,000 people. There are certainly some people who have issue with the fast-tracking, but he is committed to do it to deal with the trade war. Yes, Mr. Speaker, we are still very much in the midst of a trade war. It's time to fast-track some of our own projects. We have nine advanced critical minerals projects or a mix of projects that could help our...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a spectre is haunting our North - the spectre of a zombie carbon tax. Soon, every -- or currently, every major political party leader in Canada at the federal level, Mark -- or soon to be federal leader, Mark Carney, Chrystia Freeland, Pierre Poilievre, even Jagmeet Singh, have given a death sentence to the consumer carbon tax, and the date of its demise is now set for March 9th WHEN Prime Minister Trudeau's successor will be chosen. All those who are vying to replace him have made it clear they'll be abandoning the consumer carbon tax and removing or...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is sitting on funding that it lapsed for disaster relief. Can the Minister explain why that funding that's been received is still with the department and not being sent to communities or individuals who are affected by disaster? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there's been a modernization of the federal disaster financial assistance arrangements known as DFAA. The Northwest Territories has -- well, you yourself, Mr. Speaker, in a different role understand this program very well. This modernization is supposed to improve how money flows to jurisdictions, especially when they face climate change induced emergencies. Can the Minister responsible for emergency preparedness through Municipal and Community Affairs give us an update as to how this is going to help our ability to respond more quickly to emergencies...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to be clear, I don't want to circumvent the rights of Indigenous people; that's certainly not what I'm suggesting. I'm suggesting let's work together to fast track these projects.

Will the Minister bring this concern to the Council of Leaders' table or work with the Premier -- I don't know that process -- but will he get this on the agenda at the Council of Leaders so everyone can work together to fast-track these projects for the sake of our -- every community in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

We're having a good day, Mr. Speaker. [No translation available].

Mr. Speaker, let me tell you a story about perseverance and determination. It's about a place where the people are as rugged as the land they call home; where, despite the vast distances between each community, everyone knows everyone. It's about a government that has been tested time and time again by flood, fire, and pestilence, and rose to the occasion when its people needed it most. I am, of course, telling the story of the Northwest Territories. I am proud to be a part of this story. The NWT is my home, and it's the most...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if the committee were to be supportive -- well, that's a hypothetical.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister -- the Minister can also zero out the regs. She doesn't need legislation. She could make the regs zero dollars for the tax, zero dollars for the revenue. Is the Minister willing to do that? Again, we have a golden opportunity to give Northerners a break for a couple of months. The Minister, lower our cost of living, give Northerners a break, give them a carbon tax holiday. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, we're often accused of being slow to move as a government. We have a bill that can be brought forward and axe the tax tomorrow. So is the Minister willing to support that legislation, Bill 3, and get rid of the carbon tax in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Then I would suggest bringing it to committee before you bring it to the media. That's just a tip for the Minister.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that Indigenous people will be better represented by this change potentially. I think we still need to have conversations. But what about black and brown people, women, people with disabilities, people who were covered by the old policy? Is the Minister taking DEI -- on the anti-DEI train that Donald Trump is on, or are we just leaving these people out in the cold too? The old policy covered this. It was around diversity, around...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I agree the public service should be representative of the people it serves. How is encouraging more southern Indigenous people to work for the public service representative of the Northwest Territories? Thank you.