Shane Thompson

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. I am going to have to disagree with the Member. She doesn't her definition of what is SWAT team is and what my definition of my officers that work for the Department of ENR do is totally different. So as I said, it was approximately three hours. So whatever the helicopter time was is what it was. But these are part of the jobs that we need to do. So as for the amount, it was three hours of what the cost is.

I just need to really stress with this mobile zone, she should reach out to her leadership and talk to the Wek’eezhii Renewable Resource Board, because...

Thank you. I thank the Member for her beautiful Member's statement; I greatly appreciate that. In regards to the question, I've already told the Member from Tu NedheWiilideh and Member from Great Slave, I've reached out to the chief from Lutselk'e. We are right now having a conversation, and we're working together on this. So that's what I've made a commitment to and that's what I'm going to do. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The public lands requires public reporting on all securities held, and the department is currently reviewing how best to make that information available to the public. Information on security is also available on the land and water board's public registry. This aligns with the top priority of the department to develop and implement the regulations under the Public Lands Act. We need to get this important piece of legislation in force. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Lands/ENR. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Ernst & Young have been contracted to do research on the use of surety bonds as a form of financial security, including how they were used in other jurisdictions. GNWT's position continues to be that security must provide GNWT with immediate, unconditional, and revokable access to the full amount of the security. The contract value is approximately $230,000, and the report is expected to be available early in 2023. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, on July 26 I received an email from the president and CEO of ParticipACTION informing me that the community of Fort Simpson was crowned the NWT's most active community. In this email, they were proud to announce that the ParticipACTION Community Better Challenge concluded with Fort Simpson being crowned Northwest Territories' most active community taking home a prize of $15,000 to go toward local physical activities and sport initiative. The Community Better Challenge is a national physical activity initiative that encourages everyone in Canada to get...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I will give notice that on Wednesday, November 2nd, 2022, I'll present Bill 66, An Act to Amend the Property Assessment and Taxation Act, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. And I appreciate everybody has their own definition. But let's get it clear. It wasn't a SWAT team. There was two officers that came in, met with the people that were in the community. They came up. They waited an hour and 20 minutes before they even went and did their job. They worked with the people that were there. So as I said before, I am having a meeting with the chief and council and some elders in the community, and we are having this very discussion about this. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, they're officers, not a SWAT team. They were reacting to a tip and they went in there and they executed a warrant. This Member seems to want to make it sound illegal what the staff were doing. The staff did their job. As for the cost, the operational cost of how long it was, they waited an hour and 20 minutes before they even went into the camp. So we had to actually pay for that time as well. So if the Member wants to know, it's three hours. So whatever the operation of the helicopter time is, that's what it was. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, again, I appreciate the Member asking these questions. Madam Speaker, multiple departments are currently working to implement the GNWT's approach to the management of contaminated sites. The action plan for the approach includes several items related to the prevention of public liabilities. This plan includes legislative and regulatory amendments as well as working with the land and water boards to update policies and procedures. Items have been completed including updated closure, cost estimate, guidelines, and a new estimate tool for land use permit...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I think me and the Member are going to probably have to agree to disagree on this. The research of security bonds is only one of several initiatives that the department has undertaken related to securities. The department's top priority is the development and implementation of regulations under the Public Lands Act which will include provisions for land restoration and security. Surety bond review has been planned and aligned with work under the Public Lands Act regulations. Thank you, Madam Speaker.