Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If we want to have a discussion, that means questions back and forth. So, well, if we're going to do that, Mr. Speaker, right now, I think it's also well-known we have, really, three large diamond mines that provide all of the royalties in the Northwest Territories, one of which is on the verge of closure; the other two are staying open for now but it's been pretty clear, and said many times here, that that shelf life is coming due fairly quickly. So in terms of what we do with that resource income, firstly, it's not perhaps as big as I would like it to be. But...

Thank you, Madam Chair. So Madam Chair, let me just say, first of all, that the loss of the low carbon economy energy fund was a significant amount of money. It was significantly more than just what is shown here. I'm inclined to put it at yes, so it's closer to $5 million in total that we're losing. And I say that in that when we have had a loss of funding in that magnitude and there's some a program dollar that can be accessed through the federal government, yes, I am going to point people to go to the pot that exists elsewhere rather than take from the pot that has now been reduced by $5...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, given the uptake to date on EV vehicles, we do believe that we are in a position to have sufficient amount of charging stations. So there's charging stations in and I'll double check the year here; I'm sure someone's going to send it to me as I say this. But there will be sufficient charging stations to create a corridor from here to the border. And so, again, in terms of ruling out that by in 2024, a fiscal year of 2024. So with that, that provides that ability for hopefully more people to then begin to buy the vehicles, EV vehicles, since that does...

Thank you, Madam Chair. There was a temporary increase as a result of the need to do some survey work and therefore there was some unfunded positions that were being that was what resulted in that. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier, as was mentioned earlier in this government, the Member actually had put us in a room together with a number of folks who are in this space, and it came up that De Beers was looking at this, so we have the department has reached back out to them. I understand that while that may have fallen off the radar for De Beers, there's been some further conversations now with some of their folks. So as I said earlier, if there's a larger coalition able to look for Arctic grade not just winter grade and definitely not summer grade, but Arctic grade it may...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, there was discussion at an operational level with the chair of Arctic Energy Alliance. And, Madam Chair, I know this wasn't part of the question per se, but let me just walk back a little bit in saying that there's you know, we don't want to do things in bits and pieces. As a government, we want to be strategic, but being strategic does include things like even putting in the single EV charger that has to run on diesel for now, it still has a value. So I do see that. I don't want to I wouldn't want people to think that it's hopeless to go and replace...

Madam Chair, let me put that to the deputy minister, please.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'm not sort of a technical expert, but I don't think it's going to take technical expertise to say yes. More satisfied is more efficient, more productive, you know, easier to recruit, because you want people who will want to go and work at a place that reflects those kind of values. Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll see what the next question is.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there has been outreach to a number of different suppliers. There was an effort, in fact, to run a pilot as I alluded to in my last response. But in terms of exactly which suppliers they've reached out to, I don't have a list in front of me. I can say again, though, that the challenge was, firstly, not even being able to find any supplier. If there are new supplies available, we can certainly go back, make sure that we do have the latest information. I'm happy to commit to do that and to report back. Again, I know I have followed up with the department...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I think there is still work happening. It's still in the budget. So I'm just trying to see if I have a detail on what the current I don't have detail in front of me on what the exact programs or projects might be for the coming year, but there is still money in the budget ongoing for academic research related to well, it would be related to the 2030 Energy Strategy. I can certainly get details. Or sorry, Madam Chair, I just want to make sure I'm looking at the right alternative. Is it the top line?

Oh, there we are. Sorry, Madam Chair. I had the wrong one here. Just...