Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I will start with some general remarks, if I can, following on my colleague from Yellowknife North. This department actually is going to take some of the biggest cuts in this budget of any of the government agencies, over $2 million out of its operating budget; six positions are going to be lost; the operating budget is going to be cut by 7.4 per cent.

There are a number of issues with some of these cuts, as well, but we still do not have a plan and a schedule to bring together the lands that are administered by this department under the Commissioner's Lands Act and the...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I am glad to hear that there has been a facetoface meeting. Can the Minister make a commitment to share that kind of information with the standing committee so that we know what is going on? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Glad to hear that. I really look forward to getting that lease back to them and reducing our exposure. Let's talk a little bit about Prairie Creek now. This surface lease is in over-hold tenancy. When are we going to put in place full financial security for the assets that are on the ground right now? As any other operator has to have up-front financial security, when are we going to do that for Prairie Creek so that we are not exposed? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks again to the Minister for that response. Once we promote consumer protection a little bit better, maybe there is going to be a need for better collaboration there too. I am just wondering if the Minister can tell me when the last comprehensive review of the consumer protection act was undertaken?

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I am not sure I have a lot of confidence, but maybe I can ask, then: has this been communicated to and how is it going with the Law Society and the Law Foundation? Are they involved in these discussions? Do they know about this resource centre? Are they being asked to contribute? What is going on? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. We can compete about who has got a longer memory. Certainly with Giant there was $400,000. It is going to cost the taxpayers probably over a billion dollars, maybe even closer to two by the time it gets remediated. Even as recently as last year with Norman Wells, there is no financial security, or not enough set aside. Now it is $180 million. The Minister could accept a promissory note on the back of a napkin as financial security. That is just not good enough. There is certainly still room for improving and making greater accountability through our legislation. I know the...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, earlier I had asked if the Minister could just maybe put some of this in writing so we can get some clarity around how the budget for OROGO is put together, who reviews it and approves it at the end of the day, whether it is the Minister of Justice. I have heard it might be the Minister of Justice, it might be FMB. If he wants to take this away and come back in writing, I think that would be more helpful. Can I get a commitment from him to do that? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I would like to go back to my own favourite Minister, the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. The situation for consumer protection that I described earlier today, I think, is one that requires some improvement. I would like to think there is more to a complaints process than hoping customers can work it out with retailers. Can the Minister tell me what specific actions her department is taking to protect our consumers, tourists, and the reputation of our northern products? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. So do we have an opening date for the resource centre, yet? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister for that. There is a NWTAC motion of record supporting this sort of work, but I earlier spoke about extending the benefits of energy cost savings to people in low-income brackets. So would the Minister commit to confer with her colleague, the Housing Corporation Minister, to look at providing rebates, some form of assistance, or incentives for retrofits for low-income families to help offset local improvement charges, create local employment, reduce their costs of living, and help with climate change? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.