Robert C. McLeod

As the Member noted, the consultation period just ended and we are currently reviewing all these results. We are also working with the Government of Canada to better understand the impact of carbon pricing in provinces on cost in the NWT. There is a lot of our material and a lot of our goods come from southern jurisdictions. Once we have all this work done, we will be in a position to make decisions about the approach that the NWT plans on using. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, in the spirit of cooperation and transparency, I will endeavour to get that information to the Members before the business plans. Thank you.

Yes, I do, Mr. Chair.

The Member is absolutely correct. There is a research centre in Inuvik. The old one that the Member recalls seeing back in the days when he was going to school in Inuvik, that one is gone now, and we have replaced it with a brand new research centre. We are taking advantage of all the opportunities that are available to do polar research around the world, and that is one of the reasons we are quite excited about the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link and the opportunities that might bring to continue to do more research.

In speaking with the members of the industry, and they talk about the benefits of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We had initial input and an initial round of consultations on the Climate Change Strategic Framework. We are putting a "what we heard" document together, and our intention is that it will be released for external review and more feedback and comment in October. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, my understanding is this is the last of the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services authorities. The Hay River Social Services Authority and Tlicho Community Services Agency are independent of this, so it does not include them. Thank you.

No concrete timeline right now, but it kind of depends on the federal pots. I will confirm with my colleagues to see if we have reached out to them yet to see if this particular project fits under one of those. There is no solid timeline right now. We have opportunities to meet with our federal colleagues and we will continue to raise the issue. Part of our problem is, the federal government rolls out all these particular pots of money. We have to follow up with them to see what the criteria is. I mean, they make these announcements without some of the criteria attached to them, so we have to...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Member is right, correct. We actually delayed it for a little while, and I think it is within one of the other department's O and M budget, but I will confirm that, and as we go through the business plan I will see if it is the plan of the department to bring it back through the business planning process and back into the O and M budget. The Member is correct. It was delayed for a while. The intention was, I think, to reinstate it. I will follow up, and then we will have an opportunity to go through the business plan, but if I can get some information before that, I...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we could probably provide that during the review of the capital plan. I'm not sure about putting in the actual document, but we will provide it to committee during the actual business plan and then make a decision as to whether we put it into the document.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, with me I have Mr. David Stewart, who is the deputy minister of the Department of Finance. Thank you, Mr. Chair.