Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks, Madam Chair. The company, though, has applied for a significant discovery licence. This means, though, that they don't have to carry out the other commitment of, I guess it would have been another $50 million, total of $94 million worth of exploration work? That's not going to take place now? Is that correct? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. Now I know what the $200,000 is here, but then I heard that there is $300,000 found somewhere else. The Minister, in her opening remarks, said that there is $350,000 to create an action plan for the knowledge economy. It still doesn't quite add up. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. This is good news, but there is no explanation whatsoever of what this amount is. I'm kind of surprised that it's just kind of dropped in here, no footnote, nothing, so any member of the public wouldn't know what this is. Is there not a better way to present this for future main estimates? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. In the Minister's opening remarks, she talked about how there was $350,000 to do some work on the knowledge economy, and I see, on page 211, there is a contribution of $200,000 for the knowledge economy. Maybe I can have someone explain to me what the $200,000 is for and where the other $150,000 would be found to total the amount that the Minister mentioned in her opening remarks. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. I appreciate that commitment. In the remaining dwindling seconds here, I see that the travel line for the department, in the current year, we only expect to spend $361,000, but the travel is actually much higher that for 2021-2022. Is this kind of wishful thinking that the pandemic is going to be over and we are going to be able to travel all over the place? Why is it at that level? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. On it's page 207, purchased services has shown quite an increase, more than doubling from 2019-2020 to what is proposed for next year, or close to doubling. Can someone explain to me what is happening there? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. That's interesting that, not only has this new division been created and we have money to help pay for studies and so on, but they have actually reallocated staff now to do this work. I agree with my colleague from Yellowknife North that this is interesting and shows the importance of mining and oil and gas to this department and, perhaps, Cabinet as a whole. I don't see other departments doing this kind of thing. Environment and Natural Resources, Lands, they have a lot of work to do in terms of regulation development and implementation of the Public Land Act, development...

Merci, Monsieur le President. I wish to table the following document: "Northwest Territories Poverty Report Card, 2020," prepared by Alternatives North, dated November 2020. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, Madam Chair. That's kind of what I expected here. The tenure system should actually be rolled into the Department of Lands. They are the ones that already do the surface. It creates a conflict when you have a department that's trying to promote the resource and then trying to manage the rights at the same time. I have made that suggestion before, but I expect it's kind of like water off a duck's back. While we are on the subject of ducks, I want to turn over to page 216, the contributions page here. I have been here for five years, and once again, there is core funding for the NWT...

I want to thank the Minister for that, and I'm sure that our Bureau of Statistics is eagerly engaged in that work, as well. One of the most disturbing conclusions of the poverty report card is the state of food security or insecurity confronting one in four families here. I'm aware that the recent anti-poverty round table focused on the issue of food insecurity. Can the Minister indicate what specific action is being undertaken on the issue of food security, specifically following the anti-poverty round table, even it if means working with her colleagues, other colleagues in Cabinet?