Richard Edjericon

Yes, thank you, Madam Speaker. Yes, thank you for that response. I was reviewing the budget for our riding, for the Tu NedheWiilideh riding, and this year our allocation for this year is about 3.4 million.

Madam Speaker, I guess I'm concerned about that number when we really need help in our communities, whether it be internet services, which is really slow in Lutselk'e, dustfree roads in the community of Lutselk'e. That's just to name a few. And then now, you know, I am hearing that we need to improve the winter road and barging season so we can provide essential services into the community...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I got a question for the finance minister. I was just reviewing your 20222023 budget, and in the budget it talks about grants from Canada. And I'd like to ask the Minister if she's able to maybe talk about the grants from Canada and perhaps break it down further because I'd like to know how the money's coming in and how is it broken down. Thank you.

That concludes my questions. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for that clarification earlier because I was the chairman for the Impact Review Board, and I've been through that as well, so thank you.

Another question to Mr. Chairman is that now that I guess I want to know how's the department working with the remediation portion? Once they identify this and figure out the costs and that, how's that work going to be let out? Is it going to be done through contracts or can that be done through working with Indigenous governments and that kind of thing? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you for your answer. Also, can you tell me exactly how many contaminated sites are there, we're looking at here? I'm assuming you guys did the study, that for the Northwest Territories. The question is to the Minister. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yeah, and I think thank you for your answer. And you also mentioned that you're also working with the local harvesters as well I'm assuming, and if you are, then you're also working closely with the Indigenous governments as well and to put an end to some of these activities.

I guess, Mr. Chairman, I don't I mean, I'm thinking here is that we got this section is a really interesting section but I just want to say that, you know, as a former Chief, I you know, when I used to go to assemblies and the Minister comes in and they do their speech and we try to ask...

Thank you. Well, just reviewing these couple of pages here, including the graphs and that in there, and then also on page 69, it talks about activities. And I guess for me what stands out as we go through this section here is that we talk about wildlife, fish I know it's a little further down but when I went through it, one thing I don't see is that maybe if the Minister could maybe help me out so I understand with your department in terms of downstream users for fish and from the water coming down from Alberta, they say water is life and if it's life then, you know, we all eat the fish. So...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I guess what I wanted to say is thank you for that response, and I'm probably going to spend the next few days probably to understand the budget that's been put before us here as well. But I want to look forward to work with the Minister of Finance as to how we could look at our budgets for the Tu NedheWiilideh riding, and I want to let her know that we have some big issues there. We want housing's a big issue. Affirmative action's a big issue. Hiring policies is something that's been talked about in our region. So it may be within the next day or two I would like to...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Can the Minister also explain as the grants contribution comes in and it's broken down, normally you would have to do a reporting on those grants or contributions back to the Government of Canada. When that happens and we go ahead and spend the monies here in the Northwest Territories, we also put policies in place when we try and help our people in our communities. So if you could help me understand and explain how you report this back to Canada, and when you get this money from Canada is there policies attached to it when it comes to the Legislative Assembly? Thank...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess during your investigation and trying to determine the type or magnitude of reclamation you guys are looking at, I guess I'm wondering once you guys determine, say at Ptarmigan Mine, if that used to be a gold mine, and I'm assuming that there's probably tailings et cetera and similar to the Giant Mine. I just want at what point do we say that this one here needs to go to an environmental assessment, because to me, when you start reclamation it is a big project, and I just want to put that out there. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.