Premier signs climate-change framework
Bob McLeod says territorial government continues to work with Feds on unique Northern challenges
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Thursday, December 15, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Premier Bob McLeod, along with 10 other premiers, signed on to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's climate change framework at a First Ministers meeting last Friday in Ottawa.
U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden, centre, shakes hands with Premier Bob McLeod's during the First Ministers meeting in Ottawa on Dec. 9. Looking on is former NWT MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew - photo courtesy of GNWT
McLeod, Biden and the elephant in the room
While at the First Ministers meeting in Ottawa, Premier Bob McLeod had a chance to break bread with outgoing U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden at a state dinner hosted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
"Vice-President Biden spoke very fondly about his relationship with Prime Minister Trudeau's father (Pierre Trudeau) and the history of our relationship," McLeod said. "There were 300 people there, certainly some high-powered individuals. I was able to exchange pleasantries with former prime ministers (Jean) Chretien and (Brian) Mulroney. We sat at the same table with former prime minister Joe Clark."
McLeod said Biden addressed the prime minister, premiers and indigenous leaders at a meeting the next day.
"The elephant in the room was what's going to happen with this new (Trump) administration and how will they deal with some of the commitments and agreements (made with Canada)," McLeod said. "Biden said he hoped the new administration would continue to deal with climate change. He said no matter what happens, a lot of the climate change work is being done at the state level."
McLeod said he and former NWT MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew got to speak with Biden briefly and had their photo taken with him.
"I thanked him for his work on protecting caribou and his important work on climate change," McLeod said.
Blondin-Andrew said she went to Ottawa at the invitation of the premier to represent the territorial government on behalf on indigenous people. The Normans Wells resident told Yellowknifer she spoke to Biden a little bit on the history of the Canol Trail in the Sahtu, which was built by the U.S. military during the Second World War. It linked Norman Wells to Whitehorse and was constructed to service an oil pipeline. Blondin-Andrew said she invited Biden to come and see the trail for himself next year as part of Canada's 150th anniversary.
"He seemed receptive to the idea," she said. "He was so magnanimous, so nice, so endearing, a wonderful human being."
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Back in July, McLeod signed on to a communique from all three Northern premiers in which he stated ta carbon pricing strategy could not be viable in the NWT unless it alleviates or compensates for the high cost of living and doing business in the North.
"Carbon pricing mechanisms will not significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the NWT," McLeod stated in the joint news release on July 21.
Yellowknifer asked the premier in a phone interview on Monday, what was different now from when he issued that statement last summer.
"We've worked with the federal government," he said. "Prime Minister Trudeau and (Environment and Climate Change) Minister (Catherine) McKenna have done some very good work to get almost all the provincial and territorial premiers onside except for two . I think they recognize the concerns that we had and are prepared to deal with them."
The federal government has stated a proposed carbon tax would begin at a minimum of $10 per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions in 2018, and rise each year by $10, reaching $50 a tonne by 2022.
Greenhouse gas emissions are essentially determined by taking yearly energy consumption and converting that data into a carbon dioxide equivalent, the standard unit of measurement for emissions.
McLeod said it is too early to say whether carbon pricing in the NWT will look any different than it does in the rest of Canada.
"The Government of Canada has recognized that the North is unique and are prepared to deal with us on that basis. We will assess the effects of carbon pricing on the cost of living and how it will affect people, communities and our economy before we go forward," McLeod said. "We are assured there would be no net loss on our territorial formula financing agreement. The government would work with us to invest in energy or electricity efficiency and heating so that we will have clean growth that creates jobs and and enhances our economy. We will have flexibility when it comes to carbon pricing."
One of the areas that must be addressed, according to McLeod, is the high diesel consumption in communities that are not on the power grid. He said that can be done using alternative forms of energy like wind and solar. He pointed to the community of Colville Lake, which now has a solar-battery-diesel power system, and an encouraging model for the rest of the territory.
McLeod said the federal government is holding a series of roundtable meetings to develop a 10-year energy strategy and climate change strategy. He added discussions continue on how much funding the federal government is willing to commit to infrastructure to to help the territory move to alternative, greener forms of energy.
McLeod said he will also continue to bend NWT MP Michael McLeod's ear when it comes to the issue of a carbon tax in the territory. He said he and his brother are both in agreement that keeping the cost of living from rising is a priority.
Manitoba and Saskatchewan both refused to sign on to the framework which would see Canada meet it's 2030 greenhouse gas emissions target. Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall said it would be foolish to impose a carbon tax when incoming U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to scrap that country's climate change regulations.
