Kevin O'Reilly

Yes, certainly, I’m talking about Bathurst caribou, specifically the Bathurst caribou herd and that’s the herd that was the subject of the response that the Minister tabled in the House earlier this week. That’s what I’m asking is habitat protection on the NWT side of the border for the Bathurst caribou herd.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I believe this is the page where the court library for the Northwest Territories has been cut, including the staff person there. I wanted to start by asking the Minister how the cut of the court library meets the mandate of the 18th Assembly, especially in this regard. Mandate item 4.4.3 reads, “we will seek to improve access to justice in the Northwest Territories by expanding legal outreach programs and expanding public education on programs and services.” I’m wondering if the Minister or his staff can explain how cutting the court library helps us achieve that part of our...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I appreciate the answer. In the absence of any action by our government to ensure full and adequate security for Prairie Creek, it’ll be increasingly difficult to demonstrate due diligence. Without due diligence, it will be harder and harder to turn this site back to the federal government. The clock is ticking and we have less than three years to sort it out. Can the Minister commit now to voluntarily turn the Prairie Creek site back to the federal government to avoid us picking up the expenses of remediating another contaminated site? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Can the Minister or his staff describe the six positions that are being cut here? Talk a little bit about what those positions are and whether they’re vacant or not? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

I appreciate the answer from the Minister. There are terms and conditions in that lease that limit the liability of Canadian Zinc and leave GNWT taxpayers at risk of having to pick up the unfunded liability of the site, which could be as little as $6.5 million or perhaps as much as $19 million. That lease is also in over-hold tenancy right now. Would the Minister tell this House what actions he is taking to close the financial security shortfall under the lease?

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Are we going to be making more effective use of the facility? Are there other purposes that it can be used for? I understand that the number of youth offenders in there is not that great, which is a good thing overall, but are we able to repurpose parts of it or use it for other purposes to get some efficiencies? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. These project officers are managing all of this work. I’m just trying to get a sense of what portion of that work would be this RCMP work, and I’m not asking for an exact figure. Is it one per cent? Five per cent? Fifty per cent? Just trying to get an understanding of what level of work is involved for those folks in managing this particular project. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Yes. Thanks, Mr. Chair. I am asking for a breakdown similar to the description on page 238 where it says, “Specific programs support arts and fine crafts, agriculture, fisheries, trapping and commercial game harvesting.” That kind of a breakdown if that is helpful at all. That, I think would be a reasonable thing to look at, rather than a $17 million investment in a whole number of different areas. But, Mr. Chair, I do have one other question here. It is about the money for the diamond secondary industry. Can the Minister or his staff explain what we are actually getting for the $617,000 that...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I don’t really understand the process here very well, but are we approving a different amount in the vote, or do the mains get reprinted or what? I’m sorry. I just don’t understand because I’m new. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I am really tired. I am still trying to understand this PATH stuff. I appreciate the attempts by our Minister and staff to try to explain this. Will the money that is used, will it show up in the public accounts? Is that the place where this is going to show up, this sort of money, in and out again? Or how is that actually going to be reflected? Thanks, Mr. Chair.