Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks, Madam Chair. I want to thank the deputy minister for the details that he provided there. I don't think I got an answer. Is any of this money going to be spent this summer for capital improvements at the airport? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. My question is for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Earlier today, I raised the issue of the eight-week delay in accepting SEED funding applications for 2020-2021 from the time that we approved the ITI budget until the release of a new guideline to assist with economic recovery. Can the Minister explain why there was an eight-week delay in opening SEED program funding for 2020-2021? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks for that clarification, the same answer as the last one. When is this money going to start moving out of the revolving fund and being spent on capital? Are we actually going to see any projects happening this summer at the airport? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. Yes, I'm well aware of what the money is for. I want it out the door and being spent. I've been waiting for this 20-year capital plan for the airport for some time. Especially now, with the pandemic going on, here's an opportunity. Here's a pot of money that we could actually spend now to start doing some work at the airport. I know this is a complicated issue. People have been complaining about the lack of services, the line-ups, and so on, out of there for years. I know air transport is likely going to change and evolve with the pandemic, but to have a $45-million...

Thanks, Madam Chair. I am just trying to figure this out. The day when Texas crude went to negative $37 a barrel, could we actually buy enough on the stock market so that we could give away fuel in the communities? Could we bulk purchase that far in advance? Can we store the stuff somewhere? I have no sense of how this actually works. If the witnesses need to go back and get somebody else to help them answer that, I am fine with getting an answer later. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. If I go back to 2018-2019, it is still at an $850,000 deficit. I'm trying to remember; was that after the fuel delivery problem? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. Okay. I'm just trying to get a sense of this. Is this money for regional staff to travel or is headquarters included in this? Is this related to the maintenance of facilities or, say, if we have a capital project and someone needs to go out and check to see what is happening, travel related to that? Does that come out of this project? What does it really cover? Thanks, Madam Chair.

I want to thank the Minister for that. I agree with her assessment, but the problem was that this project was sold to the House, to the public, as a way to allow for individuals, households in the communities to get access to high speed Internet. It hasn't panned out. Given that the promise was to have services in the communities, what steps will the Minister take now to deliver on that promise and literally go the extra mile to ensure that the improvements of Internet service actually happen?

Merci, Monsieur le President. Later today, I will have questions for the Minister of Finance as to why the anticipated improvements to community Internet services along the fibre link have yet to happen and how we are going to improve Internet access and reliability in all NWT communities. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, Madam Chair. I have one quick question that I would like to ask the Minister about. What is happening with the regulations to prohibit the sale of vaping materials to youth? I am sure the COVID stuff has, maybe, put a delay in that, but it was a very, very important issue when the changes to smoking legislation was brought forward in the last Assembly. I think it's something that we have to deal with and we still need to deal with quickly. Can I get an update from the Minister? Thanks, Madam Chair.