Kevin O'Reilly

Merci, Monsieur le President. My question is for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Earlier today, I raised the issue of the eight-week delay in accepting SEED funding applications for 2020-2021 from the time that we approved the ITI budget until the release of a new guideline to assist with economic recovery. Can the Minister explain why there was an eight-week delay in opening SEED program funding for 2020-2021? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks for that clarification, the same answer as the last one. When is this money going to start moving out of the revolving fund and being spent on capital? Are we actually going to see any projects happening this summer at the airport? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. Yes, I'm well aware of what the money is for. I want it out the door and being spent. I've been waiting for this 20-year capital plan for the airport for some time. Especially now, with the pandemic going on, here's an opportunity. Here's a pot of money that we could actually spend now to start doing some work at the airport. I know this is a complicated issue. People have been complaining about the lack of services, the line-ups, and so on, out of there for years. I know air transport is likely going to change and evolve with the pandemic, but to have a $45-million...

Thanks, Madam Chair. I am just trying to figure this out. The day when Texas crude went to negative $37 a barrel, could we actually buy enough on the stock market so that we could give away fuel in the communities? Could we bulk purchase that far in advance? Can we store the stuff somewhere? I have no sense of how this actually works. If the witnesses need to go back and get somebody else to help them answer that, I am fine with getting an answer later. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. If I go back to 2018-2019, it is still at an $850,000 deficit. I'm trying to remember; was that after the fuel delivery problem? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. Okay. I'm just trying to get a sense of this. Is this money for regional staff to travel or is headquarters included in this? Is this related to the maintenance of facilities or, say, if we have a capital project and someone needs to go out and check to see what is happening, travel related to that? Does that come out of this project? What does it really cover? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. I've got a couple of questions about some line items on page 240. Maybe I'll just start with utilities. Back in 2018-2019 there was $38 million for utilities, and now, it's down to $35 million. Can somebody tell me why that bounces around a bit? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. I pointed this out weeks ago to her, so the delays in developing the new guideline and opening the SEED program application are difficult to understand. I think we have to be able to do a lot better. I listened to my colleague from Kam Lake ask questions last Thursday on the Minister's responses on the SEED applications to date. Can the Minister tell us whether there are any plans to seek additional funds for SEED or modify it further in light of the pandemic and need for economic recovery? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Madam Chair, if I'm getting a bit frustrated, it's because I've raised this now probably for about three years in a row. I was here when this revolving fund was set up. I've seen the growth in this fund. I want the money spent. Yellowknifers deserve to have this money spent. Northerners deserve to have this money spent, especially at this time. Then I keep hearing that there's no plan. I can't even find out if any of this work is going to take place this summer. That's not a good place to be, Madam Chair. I hope that we're not going to be in the same place a year from now because I'll be back...

I don't want to get into a debate with the Minister, but it certainly was eight weeks since this House actually approved a full contribution funding for the department. There seems to be little clarity around the amount of funding for each of the eight SEED streams, and whether that money is divided regionally or some other way? Some of my constituents have said that that uncertainty is not very helpful. Can the Minister tell us whether there is any allocation of SEED funding by stream, region, or any other means, and how this will be communicated to the public?