Bob McLeod

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.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. 2011. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. They are communications positions, so they're all located in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am pleased to present the 2016-17 main estimates for the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations. Overall, the department's estimates propose a decrease of $586,000 or 6.3 per cent from the 2015-16 main estimates. These estimates continue to support the objects of limiting expenditure growth in order to sustain the long-term sustainability of the fiscal framework.

Highlights of the proposed estimates include:

$200,000 in initiatives funding to increase the capacity to support the Government of the Northwest Territories new approach to negotiations...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government of the Northwest Territories' mandate document highlights that benefits from non-renewable resource productions enables an investment in many of the priority areas of our Assembly. The primary means by which this government is addressing the Assembly's priorities in this area is the ongoing implementation of the Northwest Territories Mineral Development Strategy. Establishing a Mining Industry Advisory Board has played a very important role. They are helping us to get the word out to industry that the Northwest Territories is a good place to work and to...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I wouldn't want to take away the responsibility that lies rightfully with the Minister responsible for Women. I will work with her to develop something that we can bring back. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Certainly the Arctic Inspiration Prize is a very wonderful project, and one that certainly promotes the North, and we are very pleased to be part of it. You won't find it in the main estimates because funding has not been approved as of yet. We have indicated we will be looking to find ways to fund, see if we can find money to contribute a small portion in relation to the prize money that is given out to all the northern territories. It would be a very small amount compared to the large sum that is given out, but we have committed to look for additional resources so we...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As a requirement of the Auditor General, and established financial practices where we provide subsidized band leases, we have to show it as a grant-in-kind. We are as part of management of existing grants- in-kind, so we'll be transferring to Public Works and Services over the 2016-17 fiscal year until the remaining leases expire. There were six subsidized leases, four of them have been terminated in favour of standard commercial leases at market rent. There are still two subsidized leases. As far as how they interact with… Another page, I'll ask through you, Mr. Chair...