Merci, Monsieur le President. I have raised this government's faulty project assessment policy many times as an MLA, and here I go again.
Cabinet approved the project assessment policy on April 13th, 2017. The project assessment policy requires quote, "any technical advice and evidence provided to boards by the respective staff is in line with legislation, cabinet direction, and ministerial policies established under this policy." This policy reads like a way of muzzling our scientists and preventing presentation of evidence that may not be consistent with Cabinet's way of thinking. My concerns were borne out by the review board in its March 29, 2018 report on the Tlicho AllSeason Road. The board found that the socalled wholeofgovernment approach quote "has limited the ability of evidence and expertise from GNWT departments about potential impacts, concerns, and mitigation on issues within their respective mandates and jurisdictions."
As a result of this harsh criticism of GNWT, the Department of Lands commissioned a "lessons learned" report on the Tlicho AllSeason Road environmental assessment. That report concluded that quote "a wholeofgovernment approach is not necessarily best suited to all projects where the GNWT is the proponent and should not be the default approach for future projects where the GWNT is a proponent". It also said quote, "a wholeofgovernment approach, particularly in the context of a public review process, cannot be successful without an explicit commitment to greater transparency and evidencebased decisionmaking."
The formal response from the Department of Lands committed to reviewing the project assessment policy by the end of the 19th Assembly. I am still waiting, Mr. Speaker, and there's not much time left. This work is increasingly important as GNWT is likely to become a proponent for large infrastructure projects that will require very careful scrutiny.
I asked written questions on this topic in March 2022, almost a year ago. I was told there would be no public engagement or work with Indigenous governments in revising the policy. That's a big disappointment. I will have questions for the Minister of Lands on whether this work is really going to get done by the end of the 19th Assembly. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
