Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the other day during question period, the ITI minister said that to attract greater economic opportunities and investment in the Northwest Territories, our territory will need greater access to clean and affordable energy. Does the Minister agree that the Taltson Hydro Expansion will be instrumental in strengthening and expanding our economy for future generations? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Absolutely, I could not agree more wholeheartedly. The Taltson Hydro facility, and obviously it's one of the big three infrastructure projects that the entire Legislative Assembly has prioritized for this, for our 19th Assembly. It is part of the 2030 Energy Strategy. It is an opportunity for equity participation by Indigenous governments. This project has quite a number of potential of reasons of why it can be a dramatic change to the economic landscape, and I most certainly agree with the statement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, does the Minister agree that all sectors of the business community are unanimous in their support for the Taltson Expansion? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm hesitant to speak directly on behalf of the business community in this role but I can certainly say the engagements I've had to date with mineral resource companies, exploration advanced, and even the operating mines, all certainly agree that they are keen to see the advancement of green energy options in the North and certainly ask about the work that's happening at Taltson. And similarly, any businesses that are in the construction industry that are in the would have an opportunity to benefit from greener energy certainly are asking for updates, and they have a lot of interest in this project. So over the next year as we get into a point of further planning, I'm sure we'll continue to hear positive remarks. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, this Minister is both ITI minister and finance minister. So she knows the memorandum of understanding with Indigenous groups and the construction of the Taltson Expansion is essential to the project's successful completion. Can the Minister tell us if she and the rest of Cabinet are prioritizing the MOU to move forward with the work on the Taltson Expansion?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, it is in the role as the Minister of Finance, along with the Minister of Infrastructure, that we are the two of us are collectively on the steering committee which is as part of the memorandum of understanding. The memorandum of understanding is an opportunity to really approach the design of the project differently. So we're at still a very early stage. We're at the stage of kind of conceptualizing what this could look like, what the project might be. And going through the MOU process is really an exciting opportunity to engage Indigenous governments at the front end. And yes, so we are very much committed to that process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Thebacha.
Mr. Speaker, will the Minister commit, in her capacity as ITI and finance minister, to engage with all Indigenous groups near the Taltson Dam, whether in a bilateral or multilateral meeting, to move forward in a positive way to get this project underway? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there we are very much committed to the MOU process, and I will certainly ensure that we continue to use that MOU process to engage with the Indigenous governments who have also signed on to that process. That is, again, as I've said, an opportunity to design this program and to design this project differently. Once there of course is a project on which to consult Indigenous governments in the region or in any affected traditional territories, that also, of course, will happen, Mr. Speaker. Consultation and engagement is essential for any project in the Northwest Territories, but definitely the MOU process is the chance where we can bring folks together to help us to really design what this could look like. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
