I look forward to that very much. Thanks.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I note under this activity we've got the science agenda indicated. I'm wondering what the department's efforts are in regards to attracting more scientific research investment in the Northwest Territories. We have untapped potential to attract more research opportunities here and if the department's role in leading the science agenda is looking at ways to open the Northwest Territories up to more research opportunities and investment. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Ms. Kelly.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. There are efforts going on right now to revitalize the existing science agenda. Work is being done among the departments to revitalize that document, and the thinking is that the next step would be to define a science strategy that's more specific, that can be used to even further attract people to the North, researchers to do work with us on some of our science needs. Currently, that work is being done within the department and through our science advisor at ENR. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Kelly. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank the department for that. It's encouraging to see that we're taking this seriously. We have a partner in Ottawa who's very keen on innovation and scientific growth, and we have a federal agency here, in the form of CanNor, that's keen to invest in those opportunities. Also, there's university partners across the country that could be making more use, and I know there are some legislative barriers to bringing more university dollars here, to the North. Will part of this work on a science strategy address legislative barriers and work on eliminating them so we can bring more university dollars here, in the North, and more funding opportunities, granting opportunities? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Ms. Kelly.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. There are many partnerships that have been developed with universities through ENR and other departments, and I'm unaware of challenges with bringing some of that funding to the North. We've been very successful doing that over the past few years and, I think, in the past, as well. So, thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Kelly. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think the only… Well, I'm eager to see the strategy roll out and I hope that committee will be, and I'm sure that committee will be consulted. I hope also we do some public engagement of this and get it out to the scientific community and not just here, in the Northwest Territories, but in people doing northern research across Canada and potentially in international organizations, as well. I would encourage the department to actually look at those partners and not just keep it inhouse and keep it in this building, as well, because those are the people we want to bring here and that's the kind of work we need to inspire and really see those opportunities role out and become a leader of northern science here, in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Ms. Kelly.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The department agrees with the Member and has been doing such work. One example is in the water strategy action plan, the new one, there will be a process with communities to identify research priorities with those groups and identify particular partners and have input from researchers into those research priorities. So thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Kelly. Nothing further from Mr. Testart. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I notice in climate change is a $150,000 reduction. If this is a priority of this government, why is this reduction occurring? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Ms. Kelly.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. It's my understanding that that is the sunset of the biomass funding and that's where that that sunsetted money that we referred to earlier went. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Kelly. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank Ms. Kelly for the answer. In contaminated sites and remediation, it's a reduction of $218,000. Are the sites all cleaned up or… I'm just trying to understand the rationale for this reduction. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Ms. Craig.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. When you compare main estimates from 2015-16 to 2016-17, it's a reduction of $25,000, and that was a small reduction in our O and M funding there. No, not all the contaminated sites are cleaned.
Thank you, Ms. Craig. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Okay, I guess my math is all lacking here because I got revised estimates of $537,000 and the main estimates at $319,000. I understand what you were looking at for your main, but you had to revise one, so could you please explain the difference so I could understand a little bit clearer? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Ms. Craig.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, during 2015-16 the department was successful in receiving $200,000 in devolution money to complete a project and do some research regarding the sites that were transferred as part of devolution, but that was one-time funding that we received during 2015-16. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Craig. Mr. Thompson.
I thank Ms. Craig for the answer; that makes more sense now. I guess I should actually say where I get lines are. When I look at the environmental protection there's a $195,000 reduction. This is… I'm going with the revised estimates, so can you explain what the rationale of what this reduction is? Considering if I look at the actuals for 2014-15, it was $2.26 million.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Ms. Craig.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That is the reduction of one of our positions: the environmental protection officer in the North Slave. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Craig. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Could the Minister for the department please explain why they would reduce this position if environment is one of our priorities and, you know, it's important for the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Mr. Campbell.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The environmental protection officer in the North Slave was or is a vacant position, and during the reduction exercises, we targeted that position. There's no incumbent in there and the department has other officers that have similar training to our environmental protection officers and we feel that those officers can cover off this role in the North Slave. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Campbell. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank Mr. Campbell for his answer. Because I guess I was a little confused because when we looked at the reductions on the activities on page 93 for staff there's no reductions at all, so it is a vacancy. I thank him for that answer. Regarding grants and contributions, I noticed a reduction of $150,000. Can you explain the rationale for this reduction? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Ms. Craig.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The $150,000 reduction is the biomass funding that we've been speaking of in Grants and Contributions. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Craig. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you. All these things for that one number, so it's quite interesting. Thanks. Contract services: I notice that there's a $343,000 reduction from the revised main estimates. Is there going to be less usage of contract services or what was the contract services used for? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Ms. Craig.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, the division has looked at their contract services and have made adjustments to their internal budgets to reduce them. They will be performing those tasks more from within house with existing staff rather than contracting. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Craig. Mr. Thompson.
I'm good, thank you.
Further to page 91? Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. My colleague's questions about contaminated sites made me just wonder: is this sort of like a program where ENR is responsible for cleaning up or remediating all contaminated sites that are GNWT responsibility or are those broken up by the department that may own the land or caused the contamination in the first place? Or what's that money actually used for? I understand that ENR does have some expertise in terms of assessing sites and developing policy and so on, but how is the remediation cost actually split up among various departments? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Ms. Kelly.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The money that's in the budget here is for some positions who are looking at the planning and oversight from the contaminated sites and developing policies and procedures, and then flow some of the funding towards those contaminated sites there's the Environmental Liabilities Fund as well. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Kelly. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair, and I thank the department for their response. That Environmental Liabilities Fund… I'm sorry; which department is that with? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Ms. Kelly.
