Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d just like to conclude my questions on the Joint Review Panel report to the Minister. We’ve heard some of the questions that my colleague Ms. Bisaro has raised and so on; the 3 percent cap in the future. Many of the items in the recommendations are costly to the government: establish landscape thresholds and limits of change, arrange management plans and monitoring for Barren Land caribou, grizzly bear, polar bear and so on, land use plans, timber feasibility studies, training programs, drug and alcohol abuse treatment programs and facilities, et cetera. Often very tight time frames to respond and get these things in place. Very costly. So I’m wondering if this government has initiated discussions with the federal government to start nailing down some of those extra resources. The 3 percent cap we’ve got for next year and on into the future, how does that relate? Related to all this is, will this be part of the discussions with Minister Strahl this weekend?
The honourable Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Those are all good questions that need to be answered and that we’re going to be considering. No, we’re not anywhere near ready to have talks outside of government. The work is barely a couple weeks old and we have a lot more to do.
I understand that. They have a very aggressive time schedule and I’m hoping we’re able to meet that. These are big questions and we’re going to have to be light on our feet here. Thank you for that information.
Does our government intend to participate in the National Energy Board final argument public hearing on the Mackenzie Gas Project scheduled for April 2010 in Yellowknife and Inuvik? If so, again I’m wondering how we will be involved.
The reason I’m asking these questions beyond the time frame is the order of events that happen is critical through transparency. I think the final deadline for government response is something like June, whereas the public has final arguments in April. So it’s essential that we give the public the opportunity to participate in our response or perhaps request that the public have another opportunity to participate and respond after government responses have been submitted. For now, though, do we anticipate participating in those public hearings in April?
The government was involved in the process up to this point and will continue to be involved fully in the process as we bring it forward to conclude the regulatory process.
So I will anticipate that the government is planning to present their positions in the final arguments at the April public hearings. I’d just like confirmation on that. Thank you.
Yes, the Member can anticipate that.
The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
