Kevin O'Reilly

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, just to close this off, I wonder whether the executive director could appear before the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment, rather than the Standing Committee on Social Development, where this seems to be parked. Is that possible? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would like to thank the Minister of Finance for that response. Can you tell us whether there are specific appropriations or line items in each of the departmental budgets for summer students or interns?

I just wonder whether they could use less resources, given that there doesn't seem to be a lot of activity happening. So is that something that the department has looked at? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I'd like to thank the Minister again for that. I look forward to the supplementary appropriation for the plan. As I said in my statement earlier today, if our government will not sign off on the Bathurst Caribou Range Plan and claims that it is advisory, not binding and not government policy, just what is the status of this plan and what confidence can the public have that our government is ever going to do anything to protect the Bathurst Caribou herd? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Can someone at the table tell us a little bit about what level of activity the office of the regulator is dealing with and whether that's changed over the last few years, given that there is not much happening with oil and gas? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

I want to thank the Minister for that, and I just sort of wonder when environmental considerations will go into the planning of the road. In December 2016, there was an interim discussion document for the Bathurst caribou range plan, and it recommended winter road access over all-weather roads wherever possible, to reduce impacts. The draft range plan that is now out for public engagement is a lot weaker. It says the following: "New roads in the Bathurst caribou range take into consideration the needs of multiple purposes and users, seasonality of construction and use, routing, and design to...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I am thankful for the Minister's thoughts on this. I heard what he thinks about this. That is great, but I want some evidence, and I haven't seen any. The department doesn't seem to produce any, so I would remain concerned about this cut. Thanks, Mr. Chair. [Microphone turned off]... the Minister of the department, because I have asked several times, and they don't seem to be able to produce any evidence. Thanks.

Merci, Monsieur le President. An important paper was published last week on caribou, focusing on the Bathurst caribou herd. I tabled this peer-reviewed paper in the House on March 1st. The author say the following:

"As caribou populations have declined in recent years, the governance response has almost exclusively focused on curbing Indigenous subsistence harvesting. We offer the case of the Bathurst caribou herd, where key areas of the summer and fall range have been taken up for mining exploration and development in the last two decades. The tragedy, both ecological and socio-economic...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I understand this has been done in other jurisdictions. I guess I still haven't got an answer about whether this is going to impact access to justice. If other jurisdictions have done this, what has been their experience with access to justice going this route? Has the department considered or done any analysis of what the experience is in other jurisdictions? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Thanks to the Minister. I guess I am a little bit worried here that if this new way of doing transcripts is going to possibly present a barrier to access to justice. If a lawyer or defendant believes that they require, they need, transcripts to appeal a decision, they are going to get stuck with that cost now? Is this any different than our existing system right now? Thanks, Mr. Chair.