Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks, Mr. Chair. There's a number of reductions on this page that I'm wondering about. Program management and administration is down, I don't know, maybe $150,000. Land Use Administration is down over $100,000. Resource Management is down almost or over $300,000 from last year.

What's the rationale for these reductions, and how will that impact our ability to manage lands, stuff that we've inherited under devolution? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate getting that commitment from the Minister. The net metering is going to be within the scope of the Energy Plan. I know there are a number of solar projects that were installed here in households in Yellowknife over the last year. I am sure those people are going to be quite interested to hear that. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Appreciate the response from the Minister. Still didn't hear the words though, "caribou protection measures." I will try a different tactic here. Can the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources tell us what concrete actions have been taken in terms of habitat protection on the NWT side of the border in the interest of the Bathurst caribou herd?

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Glad to get that commitment out of the Minister. Any idea as to when we might see the business case? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Is the department looking at other models for how we regulate oil and gas operations? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. While it might be clear to the Minister that an arms-length office, can he describe how that happens on a day-to-day basis and so on? Because it's not clear to this Member. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

No. Thanks.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. While we're on the subject of creating heat, I have some questions for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. In October of 2010 the Wek’eezhii Renewable Resources Board made recommendations to GNWT and Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada to develop best practises for avoiding impacts to caribou. The Board also asked for monitoring of landscape changes. Can the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources tell us whether GNWT has responded to those recommendations from six years ago and the status of this work? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I've never heard that kind of a promise from a Minister before, so I'm glad to get it. I just don't know what these guys are actually going to do, because I just don't know how many disputes there are actually going to be in terms of surface rights. I know they have some policy development and stuff to do, but I'm just not sure what they're going to do. I'm on record as suggesting that the legislation that was passed by the federal government is not a co-management approach and I'm hoping that we would move towards that direction ourselves. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Are these indeterminate positions, or are they contract? What's the status of these positions? Thanks, Mr. Chair.