Statements in Debates
I would like to thank the Minister for his response. He sort of answered my next question. I believe he said that he was starting to put together the proposal for a territorial midwifery program. Is that something that he can share with the standing committee, and when would he be in a position to do that?
Thanks, Mr. Chair. In the Minister's opening remarks, and it is found in the budget address as well, there is $440,000 of new funding for conservation area planning. Is any of that for Thaidene Nene? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Okay. We have some hints that there might be some federal money coming, so that gives us reason to cut back our contribution to boreal caribou monitoring? That just doesn't make any sense to me. I am going to leave this one for now. I do not think this is a good cut. I think it is another one that is being made for Cabinet's fiscal reduction strategy that is not evidence-based. I do not know why the department is doing this. It does not make any sense whatsoever. I want to move on, though, to barren-ground caribou, and there is a line item in the business plan that reads...
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, and I recognize this is an area where the federal government should be providing some assistance, as well. Am I hearing, then, that the department is going to be bringing forward a supplementary appropriation to do this work? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I want to start by asking some questions about conservation planning. When can we expect that there is going to be a public announcement about Thaidene Nene being formally established? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Let's start with boreal caribou. In the business plan, it says that the National Recovery Strategy is legally required and has to have at least a minimum of 65 per cent of undisturbed habitat. The next sentence says that currently approximately 66 per cent of the Northwest Territories range is undisturbed. We have a 1 per cent margin for the boreal caribou habitat remaining undisturbed to meet the National Recovery Strategy requirements.
Boreal caribou are important. We have this 1 per cent disturbance sort of limit that's out there. In the budget, though, boreal caribou...
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, the company that got the contract is Parsons, which is an American company, unfortunately, but they have done work here before. In any event, I am not sure what their Aboriginal or northern hiring or contracting commitments were with the federal government who did the tendering process, but that would be interesting information to get.
I want to move on to the contaminated sites and remediation. I know one of the witnesses talked about how the money to actually do that work is in the Environment Fund, so can I just get a bit more of an explanation, then? So does ENR...
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, the reason why I ask this is I am just looking at the water regulations now on my computer here, and the highest rate seems to be about $2 per 100 cubic metres of water. That seems to be a pretty low rate. You know, people pay more than $2 for a bottle of water at the grocery store. So has the department done any work to look at comparable rates that are charged by other jurisdictions in Canada for water use? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Before anybody tries to say that I do not think people are doing their job, that is not the case. These folks have to work very hard. The Minister knows that. He is even laughing when I am saying this because he is probably going to come back on me about it. Those guys have very difficult jobs because they have to deal with members of the public, members of industry, who do not always understand what they are trying to do. I guess, is it fair to say that the water inspectors have a different kind of training and perhaps even a higher level of training and responsibilities...
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Thanks to the Minister for that detail. I want to move back up to the contaminated sites and remediation line item, $319,000, and I believe one of our witnesses talked about how that is really for oversight and administration.
ENR is the GNWT partner on the Giant Mine remediation, and I know we are not responsible for paying for that, but the Giant Mine remediation is going to be the largest project ever undertaken in Yellowknife. I don't know what the cost figures are, because the federal government has not released anything recent, but it is going to be well over a billion...