Kevin O'Reilly

Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are about this government's lack of preparedness around the opening of the Tlicho AllSeason Road. I'll mainly focus on the environmental side for now. So my questions are for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.

The legally binding measures from an environmental assessment project have not been completed, especially when it comes to the impact on woodland caribou. Can the Minister tell us how this will affect the proposed opening date of the road scheduled for tomorrow? Merci, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, Madam Chair. I move that the Chair rise and report progress. Thank you.

Yeah, thanks for that response, and yeah, I support this, as a dedicated pedestrian/cyclist. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. The Minister's kind of anticipated my next question which although I specifically asked about a workshop report, not a "what we heard" report but I'll leave that to her. I can confirm that it was an interesting event but the participants came from a fairly narrow range of interests and perspectives. Can the Minister tell us what the next steps are in developing a Northwest Territories critical minerals action plan and how the public will be engaged. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Monsieur le President. Critical minerals are essential components of many new technologies, from lowgreenhouse gas energy sources to electric vehicles to advances in sectors such as medicines, electronics, aerospace and defence. Canada and the NWT possess reserves of critical minerals.

I participated in a critical minerals workshop held by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment on November 9, 2021. This was a virtual workshop with about 60 participants, most of whom were GNWT employees or mining industry representatives. No civil society organizations appear to have been...

Thanks, Madam Chair. Committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 43719(2), Capital Estimates 20222023, and we'd like to consider the Department of Health and Social Services and Municipal and Community Affairs. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. I'll try to give him a real gift here, all he has to say is yes.

So with regard, though, to the Slave Geological Province regional study, you know, participant funding is going to be a central issue. And in the last Assembly, my friend, the Honourable R. C. McLeod said, on March 2nd, 2016, We recognize the value of having our NWT residents participate in a lot of these processes and will continue to the Member that I will continue to raise these issues with our federal counterparts.

So my question to this Minister is does...

Merci Monsieur le President. My question's for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. I want to follow up on some important facets for the proposed regional study for the Slave Geological Province.

In June of this year, his department carried out extensive aerial surveys of caribou herds including the Bathurst herd, and of course those surveys were delayed by a year. Can the Minister describe results of those surveys and, more specifically, the results for the Bathurst herd. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that but I was hoping for a few more steps in the public engagement. There's probably no doubt that critical minerals could play a positive contribution to greener energy technology to assist with the climate crisis but more work is needed on whether these minerals are the only or best solution. One of the questions at the workshop was whether we could mine our way out of the climate crisis. So I want to ask the Minister, can the Minister tell us what work has been done by this government as to whether we can mine our way out of...

Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. I want to thank her for the invitation that I got to the recent critical minerals workshop. I noted that the workshop was even mentioned in the Premier's sessional statement. Can the ITI commit to producing a public report from that workshop. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.