Bob McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's where we put the $200,000 that we've identified for those new collaborative processes for negotiations that the Members identified we would need additional resources in order to accomplish. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Public Utilities Board applied the Cabinet-approved principles to a February 2016 decision regarding Northland Utilities 2014-2015 Phase II General Rate Application. The PUB is developing a clear publicly-accessible set of guidelines on net metering. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That is certainly one of the important areas I will be discussing next week as well at the Aboriginal Affairs Working Group, how we will advance the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Certainly, the Northwest Territories play a very large role and a leadership role in that regard. I think it's very important to continue that important work, so we will have the discussion with all of the colleagues, and especially the Government of Canada who will also have a very strong leadership role in that regard. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have done a number of things. First of all we attempted to have the authority for the boards devolve to the Northwest Territories, which was not accepted by the federal government because of the fact they had a national regulatory improvement process across Canada so they felt it was in their interest to continue to keep the MVRMA boards under their jurisdiction. In the latest election when we wrote to all of the party leaders, the leader of the Liberal Party wrote back that if they were elected they would review the environmental assessment process and we saw that...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The largest part is because of the fact that devolution has come and was implemented. The amount of money that was spent in that area was no longer required. The contract services of $421,000 is for the normal activities of the Department of Executive. Through you, Mr. Chair, I will ask the deputy minister to provide that detail through Ms. Turner. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We've undertaken a number of initiatives. One is we're looking at a new collaborative way of negotiating these long, outstanding land claims. We'd be prepared to discuss that. I believe we've offered a briefing to the standing committee to discuss that. The mandates, there were at least three mandates that we think were part of the log jam. One was the requirement for consistency, the other one was to use population numbers from the failed Dene-Metis comprehensive land claim, and also the “me too mandate,” if I could call it that. Those were the three principal mandates...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's correct.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. To my left, Martin Goldney, deputy minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations. To my right, I have Richard Robertson, director of corporate policy and fiscal arrangements. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Mining Incentive Program has been very well received in the Northwest Territories, especially with the downturn in the economy. In the two years that we ran the program, it's been oversubscribed. We had $400,000 available for the exploration side; that was oversubscribed. There was about $1.4 million requested and we only had $400,000, so it's obviously filling a very important void. On the prospector's side, it has been fully subscribed where prospectors in a number of regions have taken the training and have received funding through the prospector's program. I think it's going to benefit...

Through you, Mr. Chair, I will ask Lisa Turner to provide that information.