Mr. Speaker, GNWT has concerns about potential adverse impacts of projects on the population and habitat of transboundary wildlife species while recognizing the potential benefit of any proposed projects. Calving grounds are widely considered, both from a scientific and traditional knowledge perspective, as the most sensitive habitat for migratory barren-ground caribou herds, and so we do take very seriously and look at very closely any projects that are happening within the calving grounds. As the Member noted, we need to do what we can do to protect those calving grounds. Thank you, Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Bathurst caribou herd did decline to about 19,800 caribou in 2015. It was a 96 per cent decline from peak numbers estimated, as the Member pointed out, 472,000. The herd was fairly stable 2009-12, but declined further 2012-2015. A calving photo survey will provide an updated population estimate, and it is planned for June of 2018, and then management will be revisited once a new herd estimate is known.

I will work with my colleagues, but as far as the budget line goes, I don't think that is in the plans right now. The work for summer students is based on an operation basis, so as there needed to do some work, they are hired or to work on special projects. The operation requirements vary between the departments, but as I have pointed out before, we have seen an increase in the numbers. All of the Cabinet Ministers have encouraged their departments to try and bring on more summer students.

I am going to use this as an opportunity to point out the three departments within the government that had...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River South, that Bill 3, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2017-2018, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill makes supplementary appropriation for operations expenditures for the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 2017-2018 fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member pointed out before that the government has hired 349 summer students this year. That is the highest number we have had in the last five years. We have challenged our departments actually to try and find more, including in a lot of the small communities, because I would like to see a summer student hired in every community, but if you look at the number of summer students who are hired by maybe the local housing authorities or the municipal government organizations that are funded by the government, I think those numbers would go up. I have been...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let's try that again.

WHEREAS Douglas Schauerte was appointed Deputy Clerk of the Legislative Assembly in 1995;

AND WHEREAS Mr. Schauerte has provided devoted and exemplary public service to the Legislative Assembly for more than 30 years;

AND WHEREAS during Mr. Schauerte's 10 years as Deputy Clerk, the system of democratic and responsible government in the Northwest Territories has undergone rapid and significant change;

AND WHEREAS Mr. Schauerte will retire as Deputy Clerk of the Legislative Assembly on October 20, 2017;

AND WHEREAS it is customary for Legislative...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River South, that Bill 3, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2017-2018, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm very happy to second the motion. There have been a number of motions over the past number of Assemblies on protection of the caribou and this is just another one, but I think now, more than ever, it is quite critical that we follow through on this one because as the Member pointed out, I had exactly the same stats on the amendment that was made that was defeated that would have taken the Arctic wildlife refuge, the last wildlife refuge, out of it.

As the Member pointed out, it failed, and so there are two more people who need to be convinced. I do know that there are...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, just very quickly, I got elected into the House in 2014 and I have had the opportunity to work with Mr. Schauerte. I have seen the work that he does and trying to keep his all in order. As we have just seen recently today, I think it is time to retire him. He is getting all the ridings mixed up.

---Laughter

That is starting to make me wonder if he even knew what the ridings were.

---Laughter

As member of the board of management and the Minister of Finance, I think it is going to be a cost-saving measure to this, too, because Doug runs up and down the hall so...

Duty-to-accommodate training is provided to managers and supervisors who provide them with the guidance and tools to manage and support employees in the workplace who are dealing with any type of medical condition. Advice and guidance is also provided to managers by the duty-to-accommodate advisors, and managers also have access to training sessions on managing and supporting employees dealing with medical conditions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.