Kevin O'Reilly

Merci, Madam la Presidente. I want to thank the Minister for her excitement over the workshop. We heard that a regional approach is needed for the required energy transition to get us off fossil fuels. For example, trucking and shipping is a big part of the economy for northern regions while surplus hydro is found in the south.

Can the Minister tell us how the new energy action plan will recognize and embrace our regional needs here in the Northwest Territories? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Nothing further.

Yeah, thanks for that information. So this review one of the questions I had was whether the criteria are going to change because I understand there's only some things that can get claimed. There's a maximum amount and that not everybody was necessarily happy with the amount that they received compared to the actual damages. So when is this review going to be finished and when will the criteria be changed? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I wish to table the following two documents: A Media Release from Alternatives North and Ecology North Comments on the Draft NWT Statement of Environmental Values.

And the second document: Alternatives North and Ecology North Comments on the Draft NWT Statement of Environmental Values. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. Maybe he can share some of that information with this side of the House. Although I can appreciate the Minister's enthusiasm in saying GNWT is not supportive of discharges, I don't think that that's a tenable position for much longer. A more appropriate standard might be something like that the premier of Alberta can drink the discharged water directly.

Can the Minister tell us what the GNWT position is on discharges from the tar sands tailings ponds? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources about the development of regulations for discharges from the Alberta tar sands. Can the Minister tell us what resources have been dedicated to this effort and whether we have the necessary expertise to fully engage the development of these regulations? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, Madam Chair. I move that the chair rise and report progress. Thank you.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister again for that, and I really do encourage him to share some information with this side of the House, because I haven't seen anything, and that's why I'm asking these questions today.

Clearly, there are issues with regard to notice and adequate engagement of GNWT when it came to unilateral decisions that were made to stop upstream water monitoring last year. The transboundary agreement, I'm not sure it's actually strong enough to protect us.

Can the Minister tell us what progress, if any, has been made on increasing and strengthening our...

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. Clearly, we're downstream of this mess, and there's a lot at stake with regard to potential impacts in water equality, aquatic life, and human health.

Can the Minister tell us what engagement this government has undertaken with Indigenous peoples and the public with regard to the development of a GNWT position and these regulations themselves? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Monsieur le Président. I raised the issue of discharges from the Alberta tar sands tailings in our last sitting. I was very pleased to hear the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources say in the House, on December 7th, "we're not supportive of this presently or even in the future." By the way, I am still waiting for the research on the impacts of potential discharges that the Minister promised back then.

It is hard to get a sense of the scale of these tailings ponds. They cover 220 square kilometres and the volume would be the equivalent of Olympic swimming pools that would stretch...