Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I don’t need any more information. By the time I get the information, we’ll be done with the budget. That’s all I have, Mr. Chair. Thanks.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the Minister, as well, for his explanation. As we go forward, the Protected Areas Strategy has been in place for a very long time. As the Minister says, the areas in that Protected Areas Strategy will continue to go forward. But this draft Conservation Strategy I gather takes the place of the Protected Areas Strategy. It’s got a new name.

Who’s going to be involved in dealing with this draft Conservation Strategy as we go forward? I presume there are partners. Could the Minister advise us who they are? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There is one item under this particular section. It’s to retrofit some office space. It seems like a huge amount of money to me to retrofit what seems to be a small office.

How big is this office and what kind of renovations are being done that are going to cost us $360,000 or so? Thank you.

Thanks to the Minister. I need to ask the Minister, there was a press release from the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines just yesterday, actually. It states: “According to the mine recorder’s office, 32 percent of the NWT is off limits to staking and exploration. That figure includes lands for parks, interim land claim withdrawals and protected areas.”

Can the Minister explain the difference between the 32 percent that the Chamber of Mines is talking about and the 14 percent that he just quoted? Thank you.

So now I’m confused. I think the background information we got said that there are three vehicles: one in Hay River, two in Yellowknife. I hope you don’t send the vehicle that we are replacing to Hay River, because I understand that it’s beyond repair. But then Hay River can deal with that.

I’m talking about the second vehicle here in Yellowknife. Does it need to be as much of a heavy-duty vehicle as this one that we’re currently buying?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. About I think three weeks ago now, ENR had put out a draft Conservation Plan and it was done in conjunction…

---Interjection

Mr. Chair, that seems like a heck of a lot of money for a vehicle. I guess the $65,000, is that sort of a standard price for a vehicle this size, or is this a speciality vehicle, apart from the size of it that will carry eight people? Is it speciality in that it has extra security measures or extra safety measures? Is it bulletproof, says my colleague.

It just seems like that’s an awful lot of money. I would have presumed we could get a vehicle of that size and that capability for, I don’t know, 10 or 20 thousand dollars less. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

That’s good. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that we report progress.

---Defeated

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I just have a question with regard to the Gwich’in Park Lake access road. I know we have a program within Transportation for access roads. I’m wondering why – this is obviously a road issue – it’s in this department as opposed to being in the Department of Transportation. Thank you.