Wally Schumann

Yes, it does, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As you know, there was an allocation towards the Frank Channel bridge originally through the old program, the federal program. When we went out and did consultation with the community of Behchoko and industry, it was clearly relied to us at that point that there was a need to have a look at the realignment and a possibility of a new bridge at that point with discussion with these people, one without a top on it because it's a chokehold for industry going north from there. It is the only choke point in the Northwest Territories for industry. With that, we have decided to...

I don't have a problem tabling any of this information. Clearly the Member is playing on words, here. We are doing our due diligence to try to improve the system. We are working with CATSA Plus. I want to get even more information out there for the general public, and I want them to know this. When we work with CATSA's system, we have to supply the space for free. We have to supply the electricity for free. We have to supply the heat for free. It's not like this is just some ad hoc thing we're doing. We are trying to improve times at the airport for the general public.

As I said, there is a lot...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. All I can say as a comment to that is we can have a look at it through the next business planning process, but we don't know who the next government or the next Minister is. The one thing I do want to say about this fund, though, is it has been successful. We have been spending. There are a lot of good projects out there, helping these communities. I have always brought up, every time we talk with Members about this pot of money, that somehow let's find a way to marry it with the small employment fund that we have increased significantly for the small communities in the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As far as I know, we don't have any more than some staff time going towards this, and some small planning that we are doing, some announcements that we expect to be coming later in the year around this project. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I am not sure if the Member is listening to what I am saying. I am saying CATSA Plus sets their own service levels. Right now, there is a 1.2 rating for the lines. To go to two lines, there is going to have to be a significant increase of traffic. As I said in the House the other day, we are monitoring the amount of traffic that is going there, the wait times. We are doing it manually. We are going to put in an automated system to be able to collect this data to be able to say, you know, CATSA, it clearly states that we need to have two lines in the Yellowknife Airport. Until we get that...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, we would entertain that application around that basis. One thing I want to point out: that is a very limited amount that we have in the community access program, $1.508 million. I can tell you that goes awfully quickly. It is an application-based, first come, first served, but the Member is correct that that money could be accessed in that manner if a community wishes to apply for it. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

On my right, I have Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Paul Guy, and Assistant Deputy Minister Regional Operations of Infrastructure Jayleen Robertson, and on my left, I have Vince McCormick, director of Corporate Services of Infrastructure.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will start, and maybe the deputy will want to add something. You know, as I clearly said, we are working with industry players on all these things, especially these larger projects moving forward. ECE is the trainer of the Northwest Territories. That is their position. That is where those questions should go, but with saying that, we work very closely. We are not spinning our wheels. We work very closely with the Minister and her department on how we can implement training opportunities and all these projects.

It is at front of mind with all the communities when these...

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that Bill 37, An Act to Amend the Oil and Gas Operations Act, be read for the second time.

This bill amends the Oil and Gas Operations Act to:

clarify the authority of the Minister and the regulator to delegate to a person the powers, duties, and functions assigned to them;

expand the authority of the regulator to issue guidelines and interpretation notes;

allows the regulator to conduct public hearings and specify the powers that the regulator may exercise in the conduct of the hearings;

require the Minister to table an annual...