Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will start with questions for the Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
So the environmental monitoring advisory board, or EMAB, is a watchdog providing independent oversight to both the operator of the Diavik diamond mine and its regulators. It's made up of representatives from Lutselk'e Dene First Nation, North Slave Metis Alliance, Tlicho government, Yellowknives Dene First Nation, and the Kitikmeot Inuit Association, and some of those groups have very limited capacity on their own to make regulatory submissions or publish their concerns about the mine. So given that the Diavik mine is finished production now, the Minister is contemplating shutting down EMAB thus relieving Diavik of its responsibility to fund EMAB whereas EMAB is advocating for its important role to continue throughout the closure process.
My first question, has the Minister considered the option of having EMAB decrease its activity gradually over time in line with the expected gradual scaling down of long-term monitoring and maintenance at the mine? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, ECC has received a request from Diavik to set a schedule for winding down EMAB and under section 18.3 of the environmental assessment, once Diavik has ceased operations, as the Member has indicated, the Minister may, at their discretion, relieve Diavik of these responsibilities. So as Minister, I've -- as required under section 18.3, I am required to consult with all parties and the advisory board before rendering a decision. And I've launched a consultation process with these parties on the agreement and plan to make a decision on Diavik's request in the not too distant future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So does the Minister take the position that the role of EMAB could be replaced going forward by the co-management regulatory boards or perhaps individual community governments acting on their own throughout the closure phase? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated I have an obligation to consult with all parties before rendering a decision. So I've launched that consultation process, and it would be premature for me to take a position at this time. So once the consultation process is complete, I will be required to make that decision on Diavik's request. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So then can the Minister at least tell us, will the Minister release his decision publicly, including the evidence and reasoning used to make that decision? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, once this process has concluded and I've made a decision, I will release that decision to all parties as well as the public. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Oral questions. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
