Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I'd like to thank the commission for bringing this to our attention. I didn't know about it as a Regular MLA that there were two tiers of healthcare insurance between Regular MLAs and our Cabinet and the Speaker. I thank them for bringing this to our attention. As I understand, the information that we've been provided, the cost of doing this for the 11 Regular MLAs, the additional premiums would be about $9,500 a year. I think that it's only fair that all MLAs should be treated equally. I do support this. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Yes, thanks, Mr. Chair. I, too, support this motion, and I want to thank the Members of the committee for doing the work. I think these are some very easy changes that we can do to make the Legislative Assembly just a much more family-friendly place. I remember my time on city council in Yellowknife from 1997 to 2006. We had young kids at the time, and I remember taking the kids into the Chamber one time. We were having a mock council meeting when the mayor actually discovered us playing in there. So, all of that to say that childcare is a barrier for folks who would like to come in here and...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I think we have a 2019-2020 supp, which is going to come up next. How can we be carrying over money into that one when this hasn't even been spent yet? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for the detail in that response. I have frequently mentioned the economic potential for the development of a knowledge economy. Creation of a world-class centre on contaminated site remediation is a major opportunity from the Giant Mine project. Can the Minister describe what steps our government may be taking to ensure that we create such a centre and to help us take advantage of the remediation economy? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I guess I'm trying to figure out here: is this ongoing activities within the department? Are resources being diverted from within ENR to support work on the Slave Geological Province Road? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I am certainly confused by this. This money, is it going to be carried over? I didn't think you could carry over O and M. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

I want to thank the Minister for that. I actually got to go on a caribou road show with him one time, too, while we were driving around, driving-around stories. I want to thank the Minister for that answer. The working group is supposed to develop an action plan to flow benefits to the Northwest Territories. Can the Minister tell us whether this action plan is finished, and can he share it with Regular MLAs so we can see what kind of benefits may be coming for NWT residents from the remediation of Giant Mine?

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Which departments are contributing towards this funding? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Far be it for me to complain about new positions in a facility that is in my riding, but certainly the messaging that I have been giving to my constituents was what I was told, was that the facility would operate with the same number of staff. So I will certainly correct my messaging. I am happy to sit down with the Minister to try to figure out why or who may have passed that information on. I just want it clearly understood now, and I regret if I have misled anybody, that it is going to require more staffing to run the new facility. That is all I have. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. Earlier this week I attended the annual public meeting held by the Giant Mine Remediation Project staff. A lot of work was required to contain and manage arsenic trioxide waste for at least the next 100 years, to remediate soil, demolish buildings, build and operate a new water treatment facility, and more. A report on the water licence application and process was also provided.

A good deal of the meeting was taken up with discussing opportunities for northern benefits during the decade-long remediation. Contracts valued at $430 million have been let so far, but...