Robert C. McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that, on Monday, March 12, 2018, I will move that Bill 7, Chartered Professional Accountants Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document, entitled "Follow-Up Letter for Oral Question 139-18(3): Waste Water Resource Management Strategy." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, my understanding, as far as the interns go, we do have, and I believe we have an appropriated number for that. Again, I will have to confirm that number. On the summer students, there is no specific appropriation for summer students. It is just part of our department's business, and, again, we do encourage them to try to bring on as many summer students as they can, but, as far as the actual appropriation for summer students, it is not in the budget.

Mr. Speaker, I mean I can inform the public that this government will do all we can to protect the Bathurst Caribou. We know that the numbers have been down drastically over the last number of years. Hence, the reason for trying to put a good range plan together. It will be a Cabinet-approved document and, as such, the GNWT will be responsible for implementing those recommendations following under its authority again. Once we have all the information compiled and we're ready to go out and go get a final approval of the range plan, we will obviously sit down with committee and seek some input...

The wording on the draft range plan was modified to reflect recent input received during the last round of engagement, and I think the Member pointed out before that we do have a second phase of public decision-making engagement going on from January to the end of March, as well.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that the Government of the Northwest Territories has been selected as one of Canada's Top Employers in two categories for 2018, Canada's Top Employer of Young People and Canada's Best Diversity Employer.

Mr. Speaker, this is the fourth time the GNWT has been selected as one of Canada's Top Employers of Young People. This prestigious designation recognizes employers that offer the nation's best workplaces and programs for young people who are starting their careers. It reaffirms that the GNWT remains one of Canada's leaders in...

A lot of the money that is used to fund summer students is through vacant positions that might be in the department, and the summer students would be on for, well, obviously, the summer. A lot of money for that is funded through vacant positions.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe, in the internships, we do have a specific number, a goal that we try to reach. I will have to try to confirm that number. As far as summer students go, it is a moving number. I mean our goal is always to try to get as many as we got during our highest year. Last year, we had 349, so next year we would like to get 350. As long as we can beat it, the number from the year before, then that would be our goal on the summer student side. We have encouraged the departments to try to encourage their officials to try to bring on as many summer...

Mr. Speaker, the GNWT is currently conducting a certain engagement on the Bathurst Caribou Range Plan which had been funded internally in our budget and funding received from Polar Knowledge Canada. ENR plans on returning to Cabinet in the summer of 2018 for approval on a final range plan and funding needs for the implementation of the range planning dependent on the final content of the plan. ENR and GNWT will need to identify funding for implementation of the plan at that time, which will likely involve existing program funding and request for new internal and external, as well. Thank you...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, ENR staff have provided the Department of Infrastructure with wildlife data to support the development of road-routing options, and, based on preliminary discussions, I understand that the focus at this stage is in obtaining funding to advance the Slave Geological Province. Once we do that, there is still a very lengthy environmental assessment process that we would have to go through, as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.