Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks again to the Minister, but I am not sure how REDI is going to make us anymore ready for resource development. As I said, REDI is clearly focused on promoting resource development, and that is a good thing, and it is something that ITI does very well. No question about that. I mentioned a number of other initiatives that would help build public confidence in our resource management decisions including: a science advisor to Cabinet; re-establishment of a round table on the environment and economy; completion of land use plans; completion of our protected areas. Why are these initiatives...

Thanks to the Minister for that response, and I guess we can agree to disagree, but somehow, I would hope that he would agree that building public confidence in our ability to manage resource development is something that we should be working towards. The REDI campaign, though, seems to be partially in response to the attempt to regulate fracking during the 17th Assembly. I could locate only two handouts or five pages on fracking and REDI materials, and there is not much discussion in there about impacts or tradeoffs.

In many other jurisdictions in Canada, they have done examinations of this...

Merci, Monsieur le President. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment received a briefing on the Resource and Energy Development Information campaign from Industry, Tourism and Investment last week. It was formally announced on June 22nd by the Minister when he said that it "will ensure these resources are used safely and sustainably." This sounds a lot like trying to build public confidence in our ability to develop resources in a responsible way. I would have thought that that should be our approach given the failed attempt to regulate hydraulic fracturing in the last...

Sorry. Yes, there is one other amendment here, Mr. Chair. It is just to tidy up what we did with the last amendment, and if I may move it, Mr. Chair, that subclause 4(2) of Bill 27 be deleted. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I’ll try to keep this brief as well. I think it’s important to understand that there is no ability to make exemptions in the act as it stands today. The Minister would like to include an exemption making authority in the act. I would prefer if it was restricted to emergency situations alone, but the way that it reads now is that the Minister would have the ability to make exemptions for emergencies, but if it’s not an emergency situation, the Minister would have that ability to make an exemption by providing public notice and providing reasonable opportunity for the public...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, I would like to move an amendment to clause 3. I believe the amendments are at your table, and then you are going to be passing them out. Shall I wait until it is passed out, or shall I read it out?

I want to thank the Minister for that, and I know I put him on the spot, but that is what I was hoping to hear. I mentioned earlier how I have had some constituents raise these issues with me. Would the Minister be willing to meet informally with Yellowknife business owners, operators, to discuss improvements to our liquor licensing? Is that something the Minister would be prepared to commit to?

Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Minister of Finance and I apologize. I didn’t give him a heads up before getting in here but I’ve had concerns raised to me by constituents about liquor licensing here in Yellowknife. I believe I heard the Minister say earlier in this sitting that he was going to be conducting a review of liquor licensing. I think that that would also include some public engagements. Can the Minister just talk to us a little bit about the scope of that review of liquor licensing? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Glad we were able to clear that up. I just want to go on to the Tlicho road. The allocation is $67 million. It is the largest single item in our budget, the capital budget. It really dwarfs almost everything else. I just have some questions about it. Can the Minister tell me, at a fairly high level, what is the $67 million actually going to do? Thank you, Mr. Chair. Can I get some assurance that it is actually going to get spent this year? Because I think this project is still in an environmental assessment. There have been no contracts signed. Is the money actually going...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I guess I would like to start by picking up one of my colleagues' questions about the Yellowknife Airport capital plan. The Minister mentioned that one of these committees that his deputy minister appoints, I think, is going to hold its first meeting in November. Can the Minister actually provide us the names of the individuals who were appointed to those three committees by his deputy minister? Can he commit to provide that information to us? Thanks, Mr. Chair.