Wally Schumann

Can you repeat the question?

Mr. Speaker, we have also committed to working to diversify our resource mix by developing a long-term strategy for oil and gas in our territory. We have delivered, releasing our Petroleum Resources Strategy with two key outcomes in mind: local benefits, like heating and power generation; and a healthy export market in the future. We have made progress since.

I am pleased to see the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation defining a way forward for their regional natural gas heat and electricity initiative, which has a vision to provide reliable, affordable energy in the area. Our government has...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. One of the things with these SDLs that are already in place, as I said, there would be significant litigation possibilities with it.

Now, if we want to try to get these companies to create some type of economic opportunity from existing SDLs, I would say exactly that is what we are doing through our petroleum strategy. We are trying to attract investment in the Northwest Territories. We are trying to get the federal government to invest in infrastructure to help lay the way to make it more possible for industry to be attracted to this area, to bring their costs down.

These...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. No, they will not.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following four documents entitled "Petroleum Interests Held in the Northwest Territories by Strategic Oil And Gas Limited"; "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 705-18(3): Fort Simpson Ferry Service"; "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 710-18(3): Mackenzie Valley Highway Environmental Assessment Working Group"; and "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 732-18(3): Dredging in Hay River." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I have said, they have not looked at any GNWT lease procurement opportunities with this building for office space proposals. We are not aware of any department that is looking for incremental space at this point. I don't believe there is any funding available to do that at this point. A lot of this is all speculation in the paper about what is going to happen with this building. I don't mind having a conversation with the Member if there is an opportunity to have a look at this thing for other projects that the Government of the Northwest Territories is having a look at, but that would be...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I knew we would get questions on this one. This was raised in the newspaper with the Bellanca Building coming down. Now, we have to make one thing quite clear: it is a privately owned business. They own this asset. We are actively leasing space off the Bellanca Development Corporation in other buildings that they own in Yellowknife. They have never made anything aware to us as a government about this building. They haven't used it to bid on other projects in the Northwest Territories, or in Yellowknife, I guess.

For us as a government to look at this as an asset to use...

At this time, Marine Transportation Services does not foresee any significant delay in the delivery of fuel to Hay River or delay in the sailing schedule. The department is working closely with the fuel supplier, with CN and the truckers, and has an alternate supply of sources and transportation plans in place. However, the situation is fluid and can change very quickly.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am glad that we are getting these questions so we can update the residents of the Northwest Territories. Things are going well in Hay River. This is a busy time of year down at MTS getting everything ready and in the water. It is a highly regulated business. Transport Canada is down there. The insurance companies will be there going through our vessels and through all the inspections.

To update the House with what is going on there, the Kakisa has been inspected. That is the tug that we use around the harbour to move stuff around. That is in the water for the last...

As I have updated the House here recently on what was going on around the fuel haul, we are managing our risk accordingly. We are working with the fuel supplier, particularly for this particular season because of the fires in Alberta. We are working with our partners, as I have said before, with Transport Canada and the Coast Guard, and particularly to have icebreaker access up in the Beaufort when we are ready to go. We are currently loading our first sets of barges. As I said the other day, even with the rail line out, we are trucking fuel to Hay River, and we will continue to monitor the...