Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks. Yes. I know we're into year two of a pandemic, but it's an important time at some of these sites, as well, and the life cycle of some of these mines. The deputy minister knows this way better than I, that, in a couple of months, we're going to be talking about spring freshet. That's a very important time at these sites because water starts moving around and strange things can happen. I don't think our folks were able to go there in May and June of 2020, so I want to make sure that our folks get there this year and are able to do their work. I don't know what else I can say. Thanks...

Thanks, Madam Chair. I see that there are a few areas of increases, here, and maybe I'll speak with the Ombud office. Can someone explain to me what the increase here is all about? Thanks, Madam Chair.

I don't think so.

Thanks, Madam Chair. I would like an explanation of the increase for the Members' pension expenses between the current financial year and what is being requested for 2021-2022. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. The number for water regulatory and assessment on page 88 is just kind of like in a flat line. I'm just wondering why it hasn't gone up or down. Thanks, Madam Chair.

I want to thank the Minister for that. I've heard lots of references to what happened in the past by the feds. I don't really care what they did. They didn't do a good job, and it looks like we seem to be bound by that for some reason. In the current exploration licence, this exploration licence covers 175,000 hectares. In there, there's the ability to charge a rental, and the rental varied from $3 up to $8 per hectare. That means, at the end of the exploration licence, we're getting $1.4 million a year in terms of a rental for that exploration licence. That's the same amount the Minister is...

Thanks, Madam Chair. I appreciate the level of detail that has been provided by the deputy minister. I am just worried that this may not happen in my lifetime. Look, I want to get these guys as independent as they possibly can, away from GNWT. I think that's a shared objective, but I really hope that we can make some progress before I pass away. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Yes. Thanks, Madam Chair. This may not be the best forum to do this, but I keep asking: what is it that we want out of the MVRMA? Do we want to be able to take it over and change it willy-nilly? There is very limited scope in terms of changing what is in the MVRMA because it is already defined in the land rights agreements. The MVRMA is just simply the legislation that has been passed by the federal government to implement the lands and resources agreements that are already in place, so I just can't for the life of me figure out what GNWT is doing to try to get control of it. If I was an...

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to ask some further questions of the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment on this significant discovery licence that she seems to be poised to issue to Husky Energy. I heard some very disturbing things from the Minister, but I think I'll try to boil it down into fewer, simpler questions, maybe, and see where we get here. Does the Minister have the authority under the amended Petroleum Resources Act to issue significant discovery licences that contain any other terms and conditions? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, Madam Chair. Yes. I will probably have some more questions on this habitat protection, maybe later this week. However, I did want to ask about the status of transboundary work with the Government of Nunavut. The Minister did invite me to a meeting not that long ago. I guess it was about a year ago. The Nunavut Premier was there. He is interested. There were some music groups there. Where are we at with a transboundary caribou agreement? I know the Premier of Nunavut has been diverted with some other stuff, even in his hometown, but where are we at with a transboundary caribou agreement...