Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks. Well, we can quibble over deadlines, but the Minister's words were by the May/June 2023 sitting. We've got, what, three days left, so I would appreciate getting it with enough time to actually look at it and raise any issues that need to be followed up on hopefully in the House. So I appreciate that we may get this tomorrow. But I don't think this is going to solve the rates stabilization fund problem which seems to be ongoing and structural with NTPC. And, you know, I worry that the next Assembly's going to be faced with the same issue again and again and again until we come up with a...

Merci, Monsieur le President. Of course, these projects also have the potential to destroy the Bathurst caribou herd. So I'm well on record as opposing any large infrastructure that will have irreversible effects on the Bathurst caribou herd, especially at a time when the numbers are critically low and without a balanced management response, and that's precisely where we are, Mr. Speaker, because there's been no efforts towards permanent protection of key habitat.

So can the Minister tell us whether there was any discussion of the impacts to caribou or other environmental matters during this...

Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. I think the real relief here is for NTPC to get off diesel and this is part of a bigger discussion, I guess. But this same thing happened in 2014 and there had to be huge money put into NTPC for rate stabilization at that point. So this just continues to happen again and again and again. And it's because I don't know, I've just NTPC should be focusing on doing itself out of a job and building, you know, energy selfsufficiency for communities and for households, and that's not what they're doing. They're trying to build big projects and maintain systems that are...

Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure about her recent trip to the US Embassy. Can the Minister tell us the purpose of this meeting and who else was there? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, I'm glad I caught that, Madam Chair. So one of the items here is the Northwest Territories Power Corporation to provide funding for NTPC rates stabilization, costs of additional diesel costs for customers of $15 million. Can someone please explain this. Thank you.

Merci, Monsieur le President. It seems to happen more often lately by this Cabinet that Regular MLAs learn about events and meetings through the media rather than directly from our colleagues across the floor. Scooped by Cabin Radio again, the Minister of Infrastructure seems to have been summoned by the United States Embassy for a meeting that was to have taken place on May the 4th, 2023. As Regular MLAs, we received nothing, either before or after this meeting. The Cabin Radio story was rather sketchy about the purpose of this meeting. It appears that there was some sort of discussion or...

Thanks, Madam Chair. I move that the chair rise and report progress.

Yeah, okay, thanks. That's helpful for the Minister to say that. But would it be possible in future supplementary appropriations to actually have some sort of an appendix or, you know I see even with this one, there's a schedule. Would it be possible to have a schedule that sort of shows the compliance with the fiscal responsibility policy for each of the sups going forward just so that the public can have some assurance as well, and us as Regular MLAs, that we're remaining in compliance with it and following it? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. Okay, that's all good. Just in case anybody wonders, I do support this expenditure. I believe in economic diversification. As I've said, I love fish. I just hope that the price doesn't go up so much that I can't afford it. But I do support this. And I think it's good that we ask questions and maybe other Members may have some questions here as well. But I do support this funding. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. Yeah, and I appreciate the Minister's commitment to have that conversation. So I just want to confirm there's no money in this sup for the fire suppression and relief work that's going on for Hay River and K'atlodeeche, is that the case? Thanks, Madam Chair.