Kevin O'Reilly

I appreciate the response from the Minister, and that agrees with his written response to a written question I asked last year in the House. In doing some extra research, I noted that the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board, in a June 14, 2013, decision on a water licence and land use permit by Canadian Zinc, found that the environmental liability at the site for what is there on the ground right now is about $9 million. We only hold a little over $2 million. That is a $7 million gap, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister tell me: what is his department doing to close that security gap between the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Mr. Fraser Oliver, president of the NWT Teachers' Association and Kam Lake resident. He just will not go away, and I am really pleased about that. Keep it up. Thank you.

Merci, Monsieur le President. Your Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures is pleased to provide its Report on the Review of Standing Committee on Public Engagement and Transparency.

The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures was tasked on February 25, 2016, by Motion 10-18(2), with recommending a process for standing committee public engagement and transparency, taking into account public input and a review of other jurisdictions. Much of this work was described in the committee's interim report, presented on November 1, 2016, and is not repeated in this final report. The committee's...

Merci, Monsieur le President. First off, I would like to start by saying that in no way am I opposed to our government operating the marine transportation system, and I believe that we had to do it at the time. I do support us operating the system and continuing to supply our communities with fuel and other supplies as necessary.

What I am opposed to, though, is setting this up as a revolving fund. My objections, Mr. Speaker, really stem from two things. First off, by setting it up as a revolving fund, capital spending will be removed from the regular capital budgeting process, and I believe...

Merci, Monsieur le President. I wish to table the following document entitled "Environment and Climate Change Canada Technical Paper on the Federal Carbon Pricing Backstop." Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

I am worried about the liability that is on the ground now, and clearly, security that we have in place does not cover that. There is a $7 million shortfall, and I did not really hear a plan from the Minister to deal with it. I know that, as I mentioned earlier today, the surface lease for the site is in overhold tenancy. If our government moves to extend or renew the surface lease for the site, we may incur some additional liability. Will the Minister commit that he is going to seek legal advice to ensure that, by dealing with that lease in some way, it is not going to make us responsible for...

Merci, Monsieur le President. Earlier today, I spoke about the current unsecured environmental liabilities at the Prairie Creek site. There are numerous buildings and pieces of infrastructure at the site that would require remediation. Can the Minister of Lands tell me the current amount of financial security held under the surface lease and water licence for this site? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Monsieur le President.

Conclusion

Public engagement and transparency of standing committees is being improved on an ongoing basis. New methods and technology will arise over time; change is the only constant. Standing committees must adapt to their current circumstances and provide timely, useful information to the public in convenient ways. The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures is confident that the work done in this area over the past year represents a significant improvement on what was previously available, and establishes a sound foundation for future evolution.

Mr. Speaker...

Merci, Monsieur le President. Canadian Zinc's Prairie Creek project is now in its seventh environmental assessment, which makes that a new record for project splitting. The project has eaten up an enormous amount of public resources and time. The environmental assessment of Canadian Zinc's all-weather road began in May 2014, and it is now more than three years long. An interesting timeline on the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board's website shows that the company has been responsible for about 26 months of the ongoing review and has caused numerous delays. This process is...

Thanks, Mr. Chair, and I beg forgiveness from the Minister here. I had a constituent complaint not that long ago from a veterinarian. Are veterinarians covered under this legislation? Thanks, Mr. Chair.