Kevin O'Reilly

Merci, monsieur le President. Forgive me if I look like a prune today, but I want to go back to the issue of the Cantung Mine and Mactung that I raised yesterday. My questions are for the Minister of Lands today, though. GNWT had a surface lease covering the Cantung Mine as a result of devolution. I would like to know whether we have turned that back to the federal government now. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, Madam Chair. Look, I need to be clear, here. In the last Assembly, I said that I don't support this particular project when we don't have a comprehensive plan in place and funded to protect the Bathurst caribou herd, which is down to 8,200 animals. Until our government gets serious about habitat protection and has that plan fully implemented, in place, funded, and so on, I will not be supporting this expenditure of funds. We can't have an all-weather road through critical habitat, including the Nunavut portion, which is a slightly different project, go through the calving grounds of...

I want to thank the Minister for that explanation. Look, it's great that our staff are -- and I know that they work very hard at Stanton Hospital, but clearly, when a policy like this is decided internally, it's probably not in the best interests of the patients. I have reviewed the Sonography Canada Professional Practice Guidelines; in fact, I quoted from them in my Member's statement. They were released in September of 2018, and there was nothing in there about northern healthcare or any specific guidance to exclude family members during an ultrasound. Would the Minister confirm that the...

Thanks, Madam Chair. Yes, I was a Member of the last Assembly and we received a lot of information, some of which was about this particular project, but I don't actually ever recall seeing a business case for it. If the Minister can commit to share that, that would be great. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Can the Minister tell this House what the current policy and practice is for ultrasounds at Stanton Territorial Hospital with regard to family members being present during the procedure? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, Madam Chair. I'm trying to understand what the Minister said. Is she going to be able to provide to the House information on the total cost of this project, and that that will come shortly? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. Thanks to the Minister for that. What is the total cost of this project? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. Thanks to the Minister for those. I have lots of confidence in our Indigenous governments and their ability to protect these areas, plan for them, and so on. I am not as confident, though, when it comes to our government. When I continued to ask questions in the last Assembly about where the money was going to come from and how much our government was prepared to dedicate to Thaidene Nene, for example, I was told that our total commitment was $190,000 a year. That's what I'm concerned about, is our commitment as a government to these areas, not everybody else's. Just to...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate that information from the Minister. I understand that this is federal money. What's the term of the agreement, and when is it going to end? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that response. I don't think he really answered my question, though. I want to know why we accepted Mactung as part of the security arrangement for the Cantung Mine. The previous Minister had full discretion to accept any form of financial security. Why did this government accept the Mactung Mine as part of this financial security? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.