Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Madam la Presidente. My questions are for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources about the development of regulations for discharges from the Alberta tar sands.
I understand that Alberta has begun ecological and human health risk assessment work downstream of potential discharge points. Can the Minister tell us what involvement, if any, this government has had in this risk assessment work and whether it includes impacts into the Northwest Territories? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.
Thank you. Minister for Environment and Natural Resources.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, it is my understanding that human health and ecological risk assessments are one of the six knowledge gaps that the Alberta government is working on. My understanding, in reaching out to the Alberta government, is Alberta has retained an independent consultant to complete the work to fill this information gap. Once the report is completed, then it's going to be given to the GNWT and then the GNWT, the department and the ones who we the consultants we've retained, will be looking at it and assessing it as in looking at the findings.
Madam Speaker, I want to make sure that people understand the department has made it very clear to Alberta and the federal government that any plans to release treated oil sand water to surface water must ensure the ecological integrity of water in the NWT is maintained. And we've been very clear in my communications with both the federal minister and the Alberta Minister. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Merci, Madam la Presidente. I want to thank the Minister for that. I'm not sure he actually answered my question. So I'll try it a different way here.
So one of the most important pieces of work that's going to be done is considering any potential discharges and the impacts of the tar sands tailings, and that usually involves modeling of contaminants downstream. So can the Minister tell us if any of this modeling work has been done and whether it includes the Northwest Territories? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the Government of Alberta is focusing on impacts immediately downstream from the oil sands region to the Old Fort. Their assessment and modeling does not extend into the NWT. Based on the outcome from the risk assessment on initial model, they will consider extending their model to the PeaceAthabasca delta. The GNWT will request further modeling if the results are of a concern for us. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Merci, Madam la Presidente. I want to thank the Minister for that. If I was worried before, now I'm even more worried that this modeling doesn't even go into the Northwest Territories. So if it doesn't cover the Northwest Territories, I'd like to know more from the Minister what he's going to do about this? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, as I've said to the Member and the House here, we are the Alberta government is working on theirs; we then are going to reassess it, and if we have concerns we will go from there. We are working with the Alberta government. We are reaching out to them, telling them our concerns. We're working with Indigenous governments to identify these. So we are working on this. This is a file that may not be out in the public. It may not be splashed all over the papers as people would like. We are doing the work behind the scenes with the Indigenous governments, keeping them informed. And once we are able to be able to achieve things and or we have concerns, we will make sure we get the committee informed, because right now we don't have information beyond that we are working with the Alberta government. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Merci, Madam la Presidente. I want to thank the Minister for that. I'm not asking him to splash it all across the newspapers, but the only information I've got from this Minister, from this government, is what I get in the House about this issue. That is totally unacceptable.
What I want from this Minister is to start sharing what they're doing behind closed doors with this side of the House. So as the "polluter pays principle" says, you know, the Northwest Territories should not have to spend our resources to understand what the impacts may be from the tar sands. Can the Minister tell us what he is doing to recover our costs from the Alberta and/or federal government? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, we're working as best we can with the Member. We're trying to get that information. He may not want it he may want it details down to the ground. We don't have that information right now to share. We're willing to share that information.
In regards to his question, ENR is working on our bilateral water management agreement and its bilateral management committee to get regular updates, reports, and information, etcetera, from the Alberta government. Alberta has assured the NWT that it has retained a team of highly qualified independent experts to fill the gap, the knowledge gap, and they will share their reports and findings. ENR is and will continue to do its due diligence to ensure NWT waters and our residents are protected.
Madam Speaker, we are working for the residents. Once we have something concrete to share with committee, we will do that. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you. Final supplementary, Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Madam la Presidente. I want to thank the Minister for that.
You know, I keep asking questions of this Minister, now two days in a row, because I'm not getting any other information. So will this Minister now commit to finally start to share some of what's going on behind closed doors with this side of the House on this issue? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, we're going to share, when we have concrete information, with committee. We're more than willing to do that. The Member has reached out to us. We've had private individual meetings with him. We have meetings with committee. If committee wants to have a technical or an incamera briefing on this, please send it to us. We're more than willing to work with them on that. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: The Annual Status Report on the Progress of the Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories, 20192023. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Tabling of documents. Minister for ECE.
Madam Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents: Yellowknife Catholic Schools 20212022 Capital Plan Amended. And the Yellowknife Education District No. 1 20212022 Capital Plan Amended. Thank you.
We now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Member for Frame Lake.
Mahsi, Mr. Chair. Committee would like to consider Tabled Document 56119(2) Main Estimates 20222023 and Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Mahsi, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi, Member. Thank you, committee. We will take a short recess and resume with the first item. Mahsi.
SHORT RECESS.
I now call the committee back to order.
Laughter
That was my gavel. That was my gavel there.
Laughter
It's just like being in the communities. You know, the most important person in the community? Is the bingo caller.
Laughter
Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 56119(2), Main Estimates 20222023. Does the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources have any opening remarks.
Yes, I do, Mr. Chair.
You may proceed with your opening remarks. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am pleased to present the 20222023 Main Estimates for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Overall, the department estimates propose an increase of $849,000 over the 20212022 Main Estimates. These estimates support the mandate objectives for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources while continuing to meet the GNWT's fiscal objectives to prioritize responsible and strategic spending.
Highlights of these proposed estimates include:
Increases for collective agreement of 1.42 or 35 million and for the Bathurst and BluenoseEast Caribou of $1.03 million offsetted by reductions of 850 for the Barrenland caribou calving survey for a total of 180,000;
New initiative funding of $260,000 for the hunters and trappers disasters compensation program; forced growth of $251,000 for increases in air tanker contract and insurance costs;
Sunsets of 968,000 in funding for complete initiatives related to the agriculture strategy, Inuvik to Tuk Highway environmental assessment biologies requirements and obligations, a climate change information management position, and activities under the Nature Fund agreements with Environment and Climate Change Canada; and
A reduction in funding for travel of $495,000.
Through sound fiscal management and strategic investment, we continue to support this Assembly's mandate commitment by:
Implementing the 20192023 Climate Change Action Plan, including estimating the NWT Climate Change Council and ensuring climate change factors are integrated into government decisionmaking;
Supporting initiatives that promote economic diversification and jobs in the communities through territorial protected areas implementation, supporting a sustainable forestry industry, and expanding waste diversion programs;
Supporting the GNWT's work to improve food security through country food, landbased programming, and effective management of harvest species and their habitat; and.
Contributing to GNWTwide efforts to implement UNDRIP; and support regional decisionmaking through the established comanagement system for water, wildlife, forestry, and through ENR's work on sustainable livelihoods.
This concludes my opening remarks, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi, Minister. Does the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources wish to bring witnesses into the house?
Yes, I do, sir.
Thank you. SergeantatArms, please escort the witnesses into the chambers. Mahsi.
Will the Minister please introduce the witnesses.
Will the Minister please introduce the witnesses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. On my far right is deputy minister Erin Kelly. And closest to me is director of finance Jessica St. Arnaud. Thank you.
Mahsi. The committee has agreed to forego general comments. Does the committee agree to proceed to the detail contained in the tabled document?
Agreed.
Committee, we will defer the departmental summary and review the estimates by activity summary beginning with corporate management starting on page 72 with information items on page 75. And we'll entertain questions from the Members. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. On corporate management, this is where the policy, legislation and communications function of the department's located. And there was quite a bit of work done in the last Assembly on the Forest Act. So I'm just wondering if the Minister can tell us if it's the intention of the department to bring forward a Forest Act bill in this Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Thank you. Yes, we are.
Mr. O'Reilly.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's good to hear. And we now have a legislative development protocol with the intergovernmental council, and there's provision for other Indigenous governments who didn't sign on to the devo agreement to be part of that process. So there's a lot of work that has to be done and perhaps some new funding that's provided to the Indigenous governments. There's some public engagement that needs to be carried out, some policy work. Can the Minister tell me if there's any additional resources found in this year's budget to assist with that work? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. For that detail, I'll go to the deputy minister. And with your permission, I'll ask her to provide a little more bit more detail as well. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Proceed, deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We are prepared to do all of the pieces that were just mentioned, the public engagement with the work with the 99GC IGOs and all of the elements to get this piece of legislation completed with funding that we found from within the department. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yeah, I'm a bit worried about that. I know other departments went to the Financial Management Board to secure additional resources, and I guess the other pieces of legislation, the Waters Act, the Environmental Protection Act, that's not going to happen in this Assembly. So can I get an explanation from the Minister as to why no additional resources were secured from the Financial Management Board for the Forest Act work. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Thank you. So when we were looking at the Forest Act, we looked at our resources that were available, the work that was done in the 18th Assembly, and the work that we need to do to get this legislated proposal forwarded and passed in this Assembly, and we feel that the resources we have presently we will be able to meet that need. But for further detail, I'll turn to the deputy minister to see if there's anything else that would be helpful. Thank you.
