Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks, Madam Chair. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 43719(2), Main Estimates 20222023, be now concluded; and, that Tabled Document 43719(2) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. In October 2021, Alberta released the report from the $3.5 million Allan inquiry into foreign funded antienergy campaigns that found no evidence of wrongdoing by environmental groups.

Can the Minister tell us whether this government is going to hold a similar public inquiry in terms of watching philanthropic organizations, or does this government actually recognize the value that these organizations can bring to the NWT? Merci, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, Madam Chair. Committee would like to consider Tabled Document 43719(2), Capital Estimates 20222023; Committee Report 2219(2), Report on Telecommunications; Committee Report 2019(2), Report on Bill 30, an Act to Amend the Aurora College Act; and Bill 30, an Act to Amend the Aurora College Act. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. Map Staking versus Claim Staking for Mineral Rights. My questions are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, who is responsible for both promoting the mining industry and regulating it.

During the development of the Mineral Rights Act, there was a commitment from the Government of the Northwest Territories to implement map staking as the method for acquiring mineral rights. The department has also committed to spend $3.7 million developing a mineral administration and registry system to facilitate map staking, a fundamental change to the way in which...

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that.

Can he tell us, though, a little bit more about the development of these federal regulations, what impact might that have on our trans-boundary water agreement with the Government of Alberta given that there could be emissions. Like, these tailings ponds are huge. They've been storing water for years. It looks like there's a desire now to start to release this in light of some of the flooding that's been happening and climate change and so on. So what impact is this going to have on our trans-boundary water agreement with the...

Thanks, Mr. Speaker. I do have some questions for the minister of environment and natural resources. Again, I haven't given him a heads up but, look, it's in the media now that the federal government is developing some regulations to allow for the release of water from the oil sands in Alberta. Of course, that would flow downstream past our communities, including Fort Smith.

So can the Minister tell us what involvement, if any, our government has had in the development of these regulations? Merci, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to ask some questions to the Minister of Infrastructure. I apologize I didn't know I was going to have the opportunity to do this today.

I understand from a news release that the department has put out that there's some cold weather testing of a light-armored helicopter happening out at the Yellowknife Airport. Can the Minister tell us whether we have any criteria for the use of the Yellowknife Airport when it comes to cold weather testing? Merci, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that commitment to table the report.

So it's evident from the meeting summaries that the Chamber of Mines is pressing both the federal and NWT governments to provide legally binding policy direction to co-management bodies to "fix the grassroots exploration investment identified in the audit."

Can the Minister explain what sort of policy direction is being sought by the chamber and whether our government is going to do that to these independent comanagement bodies? Merci, Mr. Speaker.

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

Merci, Monsieur le President. I would like to go back to the Minister of ITI about the secret meetings of the GNWTChamber of Mines working group. The meeting summaries appear to show that a draft list of critical minerals and proposed actions on critical minerals has already been shared with the Chamber. ITI indicates that "we won't engage on it much when it is released."

Can the Minister explain what is going on here with critical minerals and what commitments may have already been made? Merci, Mr. Speaker.