Caroline Wawzonek

Mr. Chair, let me turn that to the deputy minister, please.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I don't know that my thoughts are necessarily the ones that matter the most. I am not going to be the expert in the area but I was fortunate to be joined at this meeting, staff, technical staff from the Department of Infrastructure, technical staff from the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, and it certainly was an interesting opportunity to learn about all of the tremendous possibility that could exist within the use of airships in the North or other remote sites.

So, you know, as far as the viability, I think there is a probably a number...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I did not plan to be speaking to the Mineral Resources Act regulations development. But perhaps in the interest of getting some information, I will turn it to the deputy minister, please.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm not sure that we would necessarily have a final on that at this point. I mean, the system hasn't even been designed yet. So I mean, I can only speak to it from the perspective of knowing what happens over with ISSS that there certainly is some O and M that is associated with big technical projects. But, again, at this point, we don't even have the system actually designed. So it's premature for me to take an estimate. Thank you.

Mr. Chair, only to acknowledge that with respect to the Department of Finance more generally, I am aware that this is an issue that's come up. And I will, you know, speak with Minister Archie so that between the two of us, and then we'll be prepared to answer those questions in the course of the review of the capital plans in COW. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, again, Mr. Chair, some of the work that's occurring a lot of the work that's occurring has, indeed, been done through GNWT's public service. There are also some contracts with the entity that's responsible for LTOS platform, the Spatial Dimension Canada, which is involved there. I can't I don't have in front of me whether or not that's the entire amount that was referenced by the Member. But those would be the way that the money has gone, as I've said again, that there's the both internal funding that's been used for our own staff as well as for, again, the trimble...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I think that is a question that's looking at the entire capital budget that is being proposed. So let me take that back and when the Department of Finance is here, that might be the time to attempt a more fulsome response. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, Madam Chair, I'm happy to do that. We did do budget dialogues again this spring at which point we had an update for it at the spring period. But certainly a lot of the work to assist communities that were affected by the flood was taking place over the spring and summer. So those final numbers were coming in, and I am happy to get that information out again.

Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I am happy to present the GNWT’s 20232024 Capital Estimates.

These capital estimates total $328 million to support and continue infrastructure investment in our communities. Major highlights of the plan include:

$95.1 million for highways, winter roads, bridges and culverts. This includes funding of $13.4 million for the Frank Channel Bridge, $12 million for the Prohibition Creek Access Road, $19.8 million for the advancement of the environmental and planning work for the Mackenzie Valley and Slave Geologic Province AllSeason roads;

$45 million for...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm not sure that the lessons learned here are necessarily the ones that the Member's expecting insofar as in this case, Mactung actually has turned out to be a fairly strategic and important critical minerals and metals project; it has been sold; it's been sold with the liabilities transferring to the owner. And hopefully, we'll actually see the development of a critical minerals and metals project. So in that sense, it actually has all gone quite well, which isn't to say that the government generally wants to go out and be the buyer of a mine. But in this...