Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, the clock is ticking. Can the Minister clearly outline what the scope and substance of the fiscal regime is that his department seems to have already started? Thank you.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. This section of the bill is all about this idea of restricted areas. This gives Indigenous governments the ability to request temporary restrictions on areas of up to one year, that can be extended to two years, for a number of purposes including areas that might have unique, archaeological, cultural, ecological, geological, or historical significance. Of course, they have to cover the minimum area, and the area can be no larger than something that might be prescribed by regulations.

This would add in to those reasons why an Indigenous government may want to seek protection...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Were there any discussions that the department had with community governments or NWTAC about how to avoid land use conflicts from happening in the future such as providing notice to community governments of claims staking within their boundary? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I move that clause 7 of Bill 34 be amended by adding the following after paragraph (3)(r):

"(r.1) any notices of intended work filed under subsection 42(1) and any waivers made under subsection 42(4); " Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have some remarks I would like to make about the concept of zones, if I may. I think this is an appropriate time, and I have some questions. I have had a lot of difficulty understanding the rationale for these zones. The way I heard it during the clausebyclause review is that the department wants to try to encourage mineral exploration and that this was a way to try to do that. I have said that I think that that's a dangerous mixing of objectives, where the department is supposed to be a regulator of mineral rights and at the same time of promoter, and I think that it's...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This benefit working group, was this representatives of the Indigenous governments, the Intergovernmental Council secretariat? Did it include other Indigenous governments that are not members of the Intergovernmental Council, like Dehcho First Nations or Akaitcho? What is this benefit working group? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Anybody who has hiked around Yellowknife knows that you can stumble across drill cores out in the bush that have been left there. As my colleague from Yellowknife North mentioned, we want to ensure that the money they expensed, the effort that has gone into drilling and retrieving core and storing it, that geological knowledge is protected. In some cases, drill core, when it's left out in the open can present a safety issue, a public safety issue, when cores start to fall over and so on. Some of the core may have the potential to generate acid, leach metals, so that there...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I am all for providing clarity, so I'm okay with this. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Can the Minister tell us why municipal governments were not included in those that could receive notice? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I understand that this is going to be dealt with by regulation, what a notice of intended work is going to look like, but we are talking about a requirement that it actually be disclosed on a public registry after the Minister negotiates some kind of an arrangement through a regulation to protect business interests. This is about encouraging good working relationships, good neighbours, and avoiding land use conflicts. I am trying to understand what the problem is in saying that that should be part of the public registry now. Thanks, Mr. Chair.