Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, there is, indeed, now some money there that is available for this stretch of highway. There's -- tender packages are being prepared to be ready in time to be out for this construction season and we -- there's about $18 million in total for this entire stretch of highway between now and 2027 and 2028. So it's over a course of a number of years that this -- that really from the border through on the entire stretch of the highway. So as far as breaking it down beyond that, I -- again, I would perhaps want to just ensure that we are doing so in a way that, you...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, Mr. Speaker, without being able to source some additional funding, it's difficult to come up at this point in time with a simple answer or simple solution. We certainly do look forward to continuing to work closely with Arctic Energy Alliance. They're a critical partner in terms of delivering programs in this space.

Mr. Speaker, I'd already actually spoken to the Member with respect to setting up my own meeting to make sure that we can do what we can to work directly with Arctic Energy Alliance, identify where the shortcomings are, identify if there's particular...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, yes, I can assure the Member, the House, that there is a lot of interest in this area. It is not only under the biomass energy line item which is a program, again, administered by Arctic Energy Alliance and which was fully subscribed.

Mr. Chair, there is also work that happens within our asset management division, and I know we'll get there at another point in time, but it is relevant to this question. There's that crossover here where this division does also support communities in their efforts. So we do have other funding that comes under the greenhouse gas...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am also quite excited about this. It is very much an internal committee though, so I'm going to turn that over to the deputy minister, please.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. With respect to the regional projects, Mr. Chair, these are -- the changes that you're seeing to the 2025-2026 Main Estimates in particular is simply with respect to adjustments due to the collective agreement. There's -- yeah, that's for 20 -- between 2024-2025 and 2025-2026, the increases is due exclusively to collective agreement changes. Thank you.

Oh, and sorry, and again with respect to the staff employed in the Tlicho region, Mr. Chair, under regional operations we have nine full-time equivalent staff in the Tlicho region. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in sort of an unusual approach, perhaps, the federal government is -- they issue invitation letters. So anyone who is eligible does receive, in the mail, a letter from ISED, I-S-E-D. That's the industry, science economic development. So people do need to be watching their mail for these letters. Those letters were going out over the fall and into December of last year. If someone thinks they are eligible, so if they fall into one of those categories, there is a process. It's on ISED's website about what to do if you lose your letter. And so, Mr. Speaker, I...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So Mr. Chair, this is a program that is administered by the Arctic Energy Alliance. With respect to its individualized functioning at that stage, I'm not well placed necessarily to describe how AEA administers it. I'm happy to commit to getting that detail. We provide this fund, and I know there would be some expectations surrounding its use but, again, I'll have to make a commitment to bring that back here. Thank you.

Yes, please, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Mr. Chair, let me see if the deputy minister wants to take this and if not, we might -- let's send this to Ms. Burt, please.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise the House that the honourable Member for Hay River North, the Premier, will be absent from the House today due to illness. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.