Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I do hope that they correct the diagram in future documents. But it's my understanding that the Public Utilities Board has the ability to regulate net metering. This is where householders and businesses would have the ability to put energy back into the grid and receive some remuneration for that. The problem with the current system is that you can build up credits, but they expire as of April 1st each year. There seems to be a problem in… You know, there's even one fellow in Inuvik who might be able to put more energy back into the system than he can ever use. We need to...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. The activity description talks and it's in in the table here that we're discussing on page 30, the Women's Advisory Unit. I'm trying to understand how, in our mandate, we've approved a couple of items to promote women in politics and try to ensure that more women get appointed to boards where we make appointments. How is women's affairs divided between the Executive and Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations? I know we also have a Minister responsible for the Status of Women. How does all of this get coordinated, or is it not coordinated? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I'm glad you remembered my name. I just wanted to go back to the organizational chart for a second because I want to ask about the Public Utilities Board. I raised this previously as well. It shows that the Public Utilities Board reports to Ministers responsible with a solid line. It's sort of like they're underneath the Ministers responsible. I don't think that's the intention, but I understood that the Public Utilities Board was a quasi-judicial body and was really independent of the Executive. Maybe I can ask the witnesses to confirm that. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Can the Minister tell me whether any of those positions were actually signed to any specific negotiations tables? I'm just trying to understand whether the lack of having people, warm bodies in those seats is actually contributed to ongoing delays and negotiations. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

I'll be happy to have a chat with the Minister afterwards and we can chat about that website because I think there must be some misunderstanding here. I think there are some other longer term solutions. The Minister talked about delegation of appointment authority. We might also look at having an independent body that would vet applications to ensure a balance of expertise and experience on these boards. We could also look at perhaps a policy of nominating candidates for sunsetting positions, maybe six months or even a year before appointments are due. Has the Minister considered these sorts...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. As part of the mandate that we collectively approved for the 18th assembly, I understood that negotiations with Aboriginal governments to settle land rights was going to be a priority. When I look at the table here, there is actually going to be a number of positions cut in negotiations, actually three. I am just wondering: how is that consistent with the mandate that we approved? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned earlier today I have questions for the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations on NWT co-management board vacancies. Two of the boards do not have a quorum and 22 per cent of the positions are currently unfilled. What is the Minister doing to ensure that we have an effective co-management system with fully staffed boards? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am just wondering when the Minister might be able to get back to the Regular MLAs about this issue.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. In February, I asked what the Minister is doing to get vacancies to the comanagement boards filled. This part of my questions did not get an answer and I will be pursuing that with the Minister later today. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

I’m just trying to understand the fluctuation of these numbers as well. Can I have some explanation of the fluctuation?