Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks, Madam Chair. Yes, I agree it's about outcomes, and there really weren't a lot from the last Assembly, just in terms of negotiations. I guess what I'm hearing now is that there are negotiations that are continuing, but people come to the table and they say, "I don't have a new mandate. I'm still operating under the old mandate that was given in the last Assembly." I don't know what's happened at the tables, but it doesn't sound like there's very much. When are our negotiators going to get new mandates, a different approach, more willingness to work together in implementing the existing...

I want to thank the Minister for that, but she didn't actually explain what public purpose they serve. Basically, they shield private companies from liability and, in this day and age, we need to be adopting a "polluter pays" approach. I'd like to know if the Minister can explain whether Cabinet intends to respond to the recommendations from the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment from the last Assembly. That committee recommended "a comprehensive review of oil and gas related regulation with the expressed purpose to increase the cap for absolute liability." Can the...

Thanks, Madam Chair. Well, I'm sure they are registered on the federal lobbyists registry, but I don't want to continue this. We're still paying $120,000 to some folks in Ottawa.

I want to ask the Minister, in the last government, the Regular MLAs, we never got to meet ever with federal Ministers when they came here for visits. I don't think there have been a lot of visits so far, but there were NWT days in the past where a whole bunch of MLAs went to Ottawa and did lobbying. Would this Minister look at the idea or the issue of Regular MLAs actually getting to meet with federal Ministers when...

Merci, Monsieur le President. Our government continues to promote hydrocarbon development through a May 2018 strategy document; in fact, Cabinet wants to spend $1 million over three years to promote oil and gas development. One thing that has not changed in our post-devolution oil and gas regime is a cap on absolute liability for spills or accidents. This cap is found in the Oil and Gas Spills and Debris Liability Regulations that set absolute liability limits of between $10 and $40 million, depending on the location of the spill or debris caused by onshore oil and gas development. Mr. Speaker...

Thanks, Madam Chair. So, this, I think, is part of Executive and Indigenous affairs, where federal engagement is found. I’m just wondering, do we still retain a lobbyist firm in Ottawa? That was something that was done in the last Assembly, and I just want to know if that’s the case. We have some kind of retainer with some firm, and what it’s costing us. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. I figured that that was the kind of response I was going to get. We have some delegated authority under the MVRMA. Presumably, the objective here is to increase the delegated authority and/or give us some ability to change parts, perhaps, of the MVRMA ourselves. I'm not opposed to that in principle, but I think that it has to be approached very carefully, and it is going to require the support of the Indigenous governments.

I think that there is the mistaken belief that, if and when GNWT gets control, we could just higgledy-piggledy start changing things. That's not the...

Thanks, Madam Chair. Can the Minister point me to what line item on page 115, where I would find that increase of one PY? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. I guess why I’m asking these questions, as I said earlier, I’m using my lens as the chair of rules and procedures. I just want to make sure that, this function, that we’re giving the right amount of resources to carry out this function. I guess I’m just going to have to watch this moving forward. Thanks, Madam Chair. That’s all.

Thanks, Madam Chair. Just while we are on this Extraordinary Funding Policy, part of the problem is there is no policy. This was raised in the last Assembly. We had some one-offs that made their way mysteriously into the Executive and Indigenous Affairs budget. When is this policy going to be finished? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. I don’t want to prolong this, but as chair of rules and procedures, I know that the report from the last election is due very soon. It has to come before rules and procedures, and that’s usually presented by the Chief Electoral Officer. We have a public hearing, we seek input, and so on. If that position is not staffed, I just want to make sure that we’re going to be able to continue to do that work. I understand that there will be a contract put in place. Should we be expecting, then, a supplemental appropriation partway through the year, to properly staff up this office...