Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks. I just burned up two minutes with what I thought was a simple question, so I think I will move on. I have been here for over five years now. I have never seen a detailed cost estimate for the Taltson expansion project or the Slave Geological Province road. I heard the Minister or somebody say that there is supposed to be an updated cost estimate for Taltson in the first quarter of the new year. Can the Minister commit to sharing that cost estimate with standing committee? Yes or no? Thank you.

I want to thank the Minister for that. Again, it confirms a number of things that I said earlier. If we did not know what the security was, why did we take it and what did we do about it? Not much. In the last Assembly, there was a mandate that read as follows, "Develop an integrated comprehensive approach to management of contaminated sites, including prioritizing sharing of responsibility in collaboration with other governments, monitoring, and a sound financial security system to prevent public liabilities." Mr. Speaker, none of this was done. We collectively failed. Does the Minister have...

Thanks, Madam Chair. I just looked at the Infrastructure website. The latest document that has the word "biomass" in it is from 2017. It's a fact sheet. I think I heard the Minister say there is some kind of study or strategy that was developed. Can the Minister just tell me very briefly what that is and commit to share it with the committee? Thank you.

Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Minister of Lands, who appears to have the lead on strategic oil and gas bankruptcy. The Cameron Hills sour gas field is a mess, and the remaining funds to manage and remediate this site are drying up quickly. Can the Minister tell us when he expects the GNWT will take ownership of the site? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, Madam Chair. The deputy minister sounds a lot like me four years ago when this was being set up, when we made these suggestions about who should be represented on the committee. It kind of fell on deaf ears with the previous Minister in the 18th Assembly, so I guess I will ask again: is the Minister prepared to work with the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment to look at a more appropriate composition of this committee and how they can report publicly and better engage the public in general? Thanks, Madam Chair.

I want to thank the Minister for that, but it didn't really answer my question. There seems to be some kind of top secret exposure control plan that he can't even share any information with me on the floor of this House. I've asked about whether northern and southern workers are separated at the worksite. He can't tell me that. Now, I'll try something else. Can the Minister tell me whether this top secret control plan requires masking of employees at the site?

Thanks, Madam Chair. When this was being set up, there were a number of concerns and issues raised around the accountability of these two committees and whether they were really independent and whether they were going to be doing any kind of public reporting. I can't even find one word about them on the Department of Infrastructure website. I had understood that they were going to be keeping minutes, that the minutes were going to be made public somehow. There was going to be an annual report from each of the committees. There's nothing. Can the Minister commit to giving us a status report on...

Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Minister responsible for the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission. We've had a recent outbreak of COVID-19 at the Gahcho Kue Mine site; 19 confirmed cases, 11 of which are workers from out of the territory, but eight of them are NWT residents. My question for the Minister is: what is he doing to protect northern workers at this mine site? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, Madam Chair. Rather than have the Minister read it off, perhaps she could provide that to me or to SCEDE? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. Wow, I actually got through all of my questions. I want to thank the Minister and her staff for responding fairly quickly. I just wanted to note for the record that we have a wood-pellet boiler system, as well, in our home. When we put it in, it was $35,000. The prices have gone up significantly, but it is a big cost. We actually have hoppers on the outside of the house, and it's delivered pneumatically. With pressure, they can blow the pellets into hoppers, and you don't have to load the individual bags in. It's a big benefit that way, especially when you're an old guy...