Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks, Madam Chair. I do sincerely want to thank all my colleagues in this House for the debate that we've had. I think this is probably the most important debate that we've had since we've been elected. Unfortunately, it comes at not the greatest time, with a number of other things looming in the background for us, of course.

First off, I want to make it very clear that this motion is not about the other projects that are in the supplementary appropriation. I support the other work that's in here for Inuvik, and I've always been very clear about that. This is about this one part, and it's...

Madam Chair, I move that $10 million not previously authorized be deleted from infrastructure capital investment expenditures, asset management in the Supplementary Estimates, Infrastructure Expenditures, No. 1, 2020-2021. Mahsi, Madam Chair.

I want to thank the Minister for that. Can I just make a suggestion that the schedule itself actually be posted to the website, so our residents know when it's going to be regularly updated and whether it's once a day? I hope it's a little more often than that. Look, I was looking at a Johns Hopkins University website that shows coronavirus around the world. It's updated regularly, live. I want to get a commitment out of the Minister that the schedule for updating is actually going to be put onto the website itself so that our residents know what the frequency of the updates is going to be.

Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Mr. Speaker, I just checked the coronavirus special webpage on the Department of Health and Social Services website, and the last update there is yesterday at 9:08 a.m. That's more than 24 hours that it's been without an update. Can the Minister tell us what the plans are to actually update this webpage? Look, our residents, they want timely information. We want to make sure that we instil a sense of public confidence and that we have regular updates. What are the plans to update this webpage? Mahsi...

Thanks, Madam Chair. I think it's important that the public realize this is a very important debate that we are about to have. It's a debate about the future of the Northwest Territories. It's a debate about infrastructure projects and people.

What this motion is about is deleting from the supplement appropriations $10 million that has not been previously authorized for work on the Slave Geological Province road. I fully understand that this is 75 percent federal funding. I understand that this is part of a larger project and that the estimated costs are $1 billion or more to actually build the...

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. I hope that she more than just looks at it; that she actually directs her staff to do this. I would like to know from the Minister whether there are any changes from the last posting to the website, which shows zero cases of coronavirus in the Northwest Territories and 54 persons being tested. Is there an update that the Minister can provide us right now? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

I want to thank the Minister for that. Can the Minister tell us, though, what is going to be the regular schedule for updates? Is it going to be once a day? Is it going to be more than once a day? If the situation starts to change, what will be the schedule for updating the webpage and getting timely information out to our residents?

Merci, Monsieur le President. The review of the Mineral Resources Act involved a four-and-a-half-hour clause-by-clause review and six hours in Committee of the Whole. To say it was contentious would be a huge understatement.

The Mineral Resources Act is not about promoting mining. It's about setting up a system for mineral rights management. The bill was supposed to be about trying to balance a complex set of rights and interests. Significant improvements included notice to Indigenous governments of mining claims and exploration work. There may be requirements for benefit agreements with...

Thanks, Madam Chair. Mine is along the same sort of lines. Can someone tell me where all the technical advisors are located and whether there have been any changes in positions proposed in this year that's coming up? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. Actually, it doesn't lie with the Department of Justice. Yes, the regulation will determine how it's going to roll out, but MACA needs to be there to support the communities. If that requires additional resources on MACA's part through the School of Community Government or whatever the other tools are, that's a MACA responsibility, and I think MACA should be prepared to stand up to the plate. As I understand it, they've already started that work. Thanks, Madam Chair.