Robert C. McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the Member is quoting off page 74.

The Inuvialuit Water Board was asked for input on the GNWT interest development of negotiation position and intention document for both the AlbertaNWT and the BCNWT agreements as well as the development of a negotiation position for agreement with Saskatchewan and for updating our existing agreement with the Yukon. We have had specific meetings with all of the NWT regulatory boards to solicit input as we move forward with some of these transboundary water agreements.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I'll make that commitment to provide the Member with the amount of money that's in there. As far as the federal government, I can't make that commitment. We really don't know what's in the federal government fund. Thank you.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the Member’s desire to hear from the Minister directly himself. We have a five-year action plan that we’re working on right now. As we go forward and we find that some of the work that we have to do in future years or within the next budget cycle, I mean, there’s an opportunity to expand on that work, then I suppose we would have to go back and look at bringing the necessary expertise on board. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I can commit to that. My understanding is that we do that already, but I will commit to that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the Government of Northwest Territories, we have a vested interest in working with the Inuvialuit Water Board and the water boards of the Mackenzie Valley. As water partners, we work closely with the Inuvialuit Water Board and other regional and land water boards in the implementation of a five-year action plan for the NWT Water Stewardship Strategy, so we do have a vested interest in working with the water boards with all the Aboriginal governments across the Northwest Territories, and we will continue to do so. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the answer is no the money is not there to leverage other money, it's there for environmental liabilities. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, with me today to my immediate right I have Dr. Erin Kelly, the assistant deputy minister of Environment and Natural Resources. To my left I have Susan Craig, who is the director of Corporate Services. To my far right, first day on the job, started at 5 a.m. this morning, is Dr. Joe Dragon, who will be our new deputy minister of Environment and Natural Resources, so we'll be having him answer all the questions today.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We work with the communities on their plans and we have the expertise within our forest management division to help them identify combustible areas so we work with them on a plan and then the community will take the responsibility of trying to do some mitigation. In the event of a fire that's threatening the community, I think you've seen, it's been demonstrated in the past, that ENR does do what it can to try and help save the communities. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for those who are working within the government system, some who work in the system, you know fairly quickly that they have the ability to move through the system based on what they bring to the job. We continue to promote that. There are a number of initiatives that we use, the regional recruitment, direct appointments, the Aboriginal Management Development Program.

I can assure the Members that I want to see the folks from the Northwest Territories move through the system, but I want them to move through the system based on their ability and what they...