Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday in the House, the infrastructure Minister had talked about the Memorandum of Understanding with the Taltson Hydro Expansion and referenced all the members of that MOU. However, as I said in my statement, there was one nation who has not signed on to the MOU, which I'm concerned about. Can the Minister explain if she shares that same concern, yes or no, and why? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe the Member is referencing Salt River First Nation who made the decision to withdraw from the MOU. The Salt River First Nation is an important party that we would like to engage with on a potential business partnership alongside with our other Indigenous partners. The steering committee memberships have kept a seat at the table under the MOU for Salt River First Nation if they wish to return. We also offered some briefing for the new leadership on this project. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this project is extremely important to the community of Fort Smith and all people of the NWT. Delays in this project could occur if there's no communication with this group. As the MLA for Thebacha, I would be very concerned if this happened. Does the Minister agree, yes or no? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, we have engaged with the Salt River First Nation and we will continue to engage with them going forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, this project is probably one of the most important projects on green energy for the NWT. This is a major priority in reaching our emission targets for 2030. Therefore, as the MLA for Thebacha I've supported this project wholeheartedly so we must ensure that there are no roadblocks with the success of this project. Does the Minister agree with that? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. That's two yeses. We agree that this is one of the most important green energy projects here in the Northwest Territories. It's a project for which we will continue to work hard to advance and is key to both our ability to both reduce emissions in the future as well as support resource development. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this project could be a winwin situation for not only the residents of Fort Smith and the broader South Slave but for the whole NWT, thus we must ensure that communication occurs, and we must carry out our mandate items.
Will the Minister work with Cabinet to ensure that this project continues to be advanced and we will work with the First Nations that are most affected by this project, especially the one nation that has reserve lands bordering that dam. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, I agree that this project could be a winwin for the residents of Fort Smith and the broader South Slave and all of the Northwest Territories. We continue to engage with our Indigenous partners and First Nations to try and advance a business partnership that makes sense for all the parties involved. When the time comes, we will also fulfill our consultation obligations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.
