Kevin O'Reilly

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today, I spoke about the divergence in views between the federal and our territorial governments regarding participant funding for environmental assessment in the Northwest Territories as found in the 2015 Environmental Audit. This issue’s been around for over 20 years and it’s time to solve this problem. Can the Minister of Lands tell this House whether the issue of participant funding was raised during the devolution negotiations, who raised it, and what the response was? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. The first item is $274,000 for security administration processing system. Can someone from the department explain what that is all about? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. The contract is in place, that’s good. The work is not going to be completed until 2018-19? Is it going to start in 2016-17? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Okay. Thanks, Mr. Chair. I think that’s it.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. If the department wanted to undertake that work any earlier, that would be nice, that could come forward through another sup? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The Fisheries Act is an important piece of federal legislation. I am glad there is going to be some changes, perhaps a need to that. I am talking about the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act and this federal review of environmental assessment processes and how the North has been excluded. I am wondering if I can get a commitment out of the Minister to write to the federal Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada and seek a firm timeline for repealing those changes to Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act and some way for us, as Northerners, to be involved...

I appreciate the response from the Minister. Certainly the previous federal government made a number of unilateral changes to the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act that resulted in a successful court challenge by the Tlicho Government. Has the Minister’s Cabinet colleagues had any communications with the federal government over the court challenge and any plans to repeal those changes?

Merci, Monsieur le President. The federal government announced a review of the environmental assessment processes on June 20, 2016. This process is being led by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Ottawa says that an expert panel will engage broadly with Canadians, Indigenous groups, and key stakeholders and develop recommendations to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change for restoring public confidence in environmental assessment processes. Public input is invited until July 20, 2016, on the draft terms of reference for the expert panel. Following this consultation period...

Inuvik Tuk Highway.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the explanation. Is this like some sort of computerized tracking system in plain language? Thanks, Mr. Chair.