Kevin O'Reilly

I appreciate the answer from the Minister. Look, I recognize there's a lot of work that's being done on this issue by a number of departments, but if we haven't even actually started to contact the federal government  earlier today at noon we heard that it was the position of our government that there was some federal responsibility here, so what is going on? Is there some federal liability for these lands or not? If there is, can the Minister share with this side of the House, in a legal opinion or whatever, what basis do they believe that there is some federal responsibility?

Merci, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today, over the noon hour, we had the pleasure to hear from the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment about the purchase of the NTCL assets in Hay River and elsewhere on the Mackenzie River system. There were lots of issues raised about environmental liabilities, and I'm just wondering if the Minister of Lands could give us a few highlights of what the department is doing with regard to these environmental liabilities with the NTCL assets that we've now acquired? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

So let's talk about imposing things. I was at the consultation session here in Yellowknife. A carbon tax wasn't even mentioned there, so I'm not sure who the Premier is consulting because he's certainly not consulting with this side of the House or the residents of the Northwest Territories on a carbon tax.

I guess I'd like to know whether the Premier has actually asked the federal government to ensure that any carbon tax revenues collected here will not adversely impact our territory formula funding, and what was the response from the federal government?

Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Premier on a carbon pricing scheme for the Northwest Territories. Can the Premier explain his change in position from opposing carbon pricing made in June 2016 to when he signed the Northwest Territories onto the PanCanadian Framework on Climate Change in December 2016? Merci, Mr. Speaker.

Merci Monsieur le President. Earlier today, we heard our Finance Minister deliver messages of austerity and fiscal restraint, and a further 65 positions are being cut by this Cabinet. Let's talk about this trip to Vancouver. It's on the mind of many of my constituents, our residents without housing or jobs, taxpayers, and more public servants about to lose their jobs. I was as flabbergasted as anyone when I woke last week to learn that our entire Cabinet had decided to go en masse to balmy British Columbia for a mining conference, literally the week before announcing further austerity and job...

I don't think I really got an answer there from the Premier. I had asked if we could get sort of a listing of anticipated Cabinet travel costs at the beginning of each year. I woke up on Monday morning and found out about all of Cabinet going.

In any event, what I'd like to do is to try to see if the Premier could  you know, there are a lot of other conferences out there. I looked at trying to find out if there's actually anything at the national level in terms of renewable energy, and there doesn't seem to be anything that focuses on the North and our opportunities and challenges and so on...

Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Premier, the leader of the recent Cabinet staff trip to the Mineral Roundup meeting in Vancouver. Many people have asked me how this kind of expenditure is possible when we heard that there are desperate needs out there, and 65 more positions are about to be cut in the budget. Could the Premier tell us what value there could be, and what indispensable role was played by our Health Minister, our Housing Minister, our Justice Minister, and even our Finance Minister attending such a conference? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Mr. Speaker. I'm very glad to hear that. It used to be a petroleum conference. With the end of petroleum in the Beaufort, maybe it's been refocused. That's great. I'm glad to hear that. We all know that mining is important to our economy, but how can we expect to diversify our economy when most of our attention, if not all of it, is focused on this sector?

The mining industry has extensive influence over what our government is doing and prepared to do in terms of legislation and policy, so what assurance can the Premier give to this House and the public that he will act in the public...

Thanks to the Premier for that response, but I'm just wondering, on process alone, surely Cabinet must have realized that there would be public backlash when word of the Vancouver trip got out.

In the interest of consensus government, will the Premier commit to produce a report at the beginning of each fiscal year, listing the events, participants, and projected costs of all anticipated Cabinet conference travel, as is done by, for example, Yellowknife City Council, just to try to avoid these kind of surprises in the future?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My second written question is Cabinet's November trip to Ottawa. My questions are for the Premier. Members of Cabinet and their support staff travelled to Ottawa during the week of November 21, 2017 for intergovernmental meetings and parliamentary presentations.

Can the Premier provide a list of all GNWT Ministers and staff who travelled to Ottawa for the meetings and,

total costs of travel, including transportation showing air travel by executive versus economy class, accommodation expense and associated allowances;

any related contract costs for the trip, particularly...