Wally Schumann

At this point, right now, as I've said, I've clearly laid out the three Indigenous governments that the government is willing to engage with. I am willing to go into the communities to have a discussion with the local communities of Fort Resolution, Fort Smith, and Lutselk'e, in particular. At that point, maybe that's when there will be an opportunity for some questions from the Regular Members.

No, that is not the case. As I said, we are trying to put this thing as efficiently and as fast as we can for the residents, particularly in his home community. We have made the unprecedented step where we put the Arctic Red River in first now so the community can actually get out of there sooner and cross over to go to McPherson. We can actually pull that, maybe, and put that money towards the main crossing if the Member wants us to spend in his community. That is going to mean that they are going to have to wait a lot longer to get out of there. I have committed in this House that I will...

I am going to look into this as the Member has stated. The one thing that people know in this House is we have escalated our time of putting in the snow crossing. The big controversy in this Assembly two years ago was us shutting down the winter road ferry program. When we did that, the department made the commitment that we would put in the crossing as fast as possible, which we have. It is from freeze-up to actually having 5,000 kg capability has been very minimal days now, I believe, less than two weeks for both crossings.

We have involved new technologies and lighter pieces of equipment...

I am not aware of them coming here anytime soon. They will probably get a hold of me if they are going to come here and have a discussion. The last thing that I left on the conversation on the table with them when we were meeting with them was about the community engagement. I strongly suggested that they involve the residents of the Sahtu in their project, to keep them updated, not on a day-by-day basis but on a very regular basis, so they get an idea of what is going on out there.

I continually stress that, particularly in Sahtu, because that has been an oil-driven and gas-driven resource...

This is early in the ball game with these guys, but, the exciting news release that they put out, that was right when we were all down at the mineral roundup. It was very timely because we actually had a meeting set up with them, with Evrim and Newmont, and had some discussions about what they are planning on doing and, as I said in my earlier comments, how they got to where they are. They are going to do a drill-test program. I think it was in their news release, but, if it wasn't, they are going to do one this summer, which is hopefully going to take place earlier on in the summer. The one...

That is getting into the content of the bill, and the bill has not reached the floor of the House. If the Member wants to ask me that question when I am sitting in the Committee of the Whole, have at ‘er. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that Bill 34, Mineral Resources Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I make a lot of comments, just like the Member across the hall here. I have actually used this comment a number of times. This is a very large piece of legislation, that is going to affect a large number of people in the Northwest Territories, from industry to Aboriginal governments, to the person on the street, to the businessperson down the road. When you have that many people involved in a bill that is this important and this big, not everybody is going to agree on the piece of legislation. There might be things in there that we will all agree. No different than this House, this is built on...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents entitled "Northwest Territories Tourism Pursuing Spectacular Potential 2019-20 Marketing Plan," and "Northwest Territories Business Development and Investment Corporation 2019-20 Corporate Plan." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I've said, I'm willing to have a discussion with all impacted residents on this project. If we're going to sit down and have a discussion about the Taltson back when it was built, in the '60's, I think, if that's a discussion that some of the Member's riding wants to take place, we're going to have to have all parties at the table for that discussion. That's something that took place prior to devolution. That was under the federal government's watch, and that's probably a discussion that should be taking place with the federal government or maybe even at the Akaitcho main table. I'm willing...