Kevin O'Reilly

Yeah, thanks. Yeah, the number that kind of sticks in my head is the cost for the whole project was something like about $3.4 million. But does that ring a bell with anybody, any of my friends over there? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. This may be an internal document, but it's public interest. I've raised this numerous times in the House, and it does involve expenditure of public monies as well. You know, this government has taken a keen interest in large infrastructure projects; it seemed part of Cabinet's mandate. GNWT's going to increasingly become a proponent in environmental assessment. And this Project Assessment Policy seems to be aimed at controlling the presentation of evidence and expert opinion that is not consistent with Cabinet's views.

So can...

Thanks, Madam Chair. I move that this committee defer further consideration of Tabled Document 94019(2), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 20232024, at this time. Mahsi, Madam Chair.

Yeah, okay, that's good to know. Can we not kind of include a little more detail in the sups where, you know, where a project's actually taking place in the future? Thank you.

Merci, Monsieur le President. Well, that's the good news. I'm just kind of waiting for the bad news now, but. In response to the written question I submitted in the House in March, the Minister said there would not be any public engagement work with Indigenous governments on the review of the policy. We have, you know, public engagements on such mundane matters as renaming the old Stanton Hospital, a product survey, you know, for liquor and cannabis, but we're not going to ask the public about how GNWT should be involved in environmental assessment of major projects? I just don't get it.

Can...

Okay. Clearly, I'm not an accountant. This funding was authorized in 20212022. The project is not done. And here you've got a public call for people to express their views on this and closing this year. Why is the authorization to carry over the money from 20212022 to future years? Thank you.

Yeah, okay. I don't think I have anything further. Thanks.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I've raised this government's faulty Project Assessment Policy many times as an MLA, and here I go again. Cabinet approved the Project Assessment Policy on April 13th, 2017. The Project Assessment Policy requires "any technical advice and evidence provided to boards by their respective staff is in line with legislation, Cabinet direction and ministerial policies established under this policy."

This policy grants Cabinet immense power and reads like a way of muzzling our scientists and preventing presentation of evidence that may not be consistent with Cabinet's way...

Okay, thanks. So maybe I'll just ask a simple question. Is the work done? Thank you.

Thanks, Madam Chair. I was over at Avens recently and, boy, there's a lot of stuff happening over there. I'm just wondering is there - what are the reasons for the delay? Thanks, Madam Chair.