Kevin O'Reilly

I want to thank the Premier for that commitment to share that correspondence with standing committee. I look forward to seeing that. The introductory chapter of the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework starts with "healthy and resilient people" and then has a focus on sustainability. The NWT chapter, though, starts with mega projects and more non-renewable resource developments. Can the Premier explain why there is not a better balance in the NWT chapter, with some coverage of the potential of the conservation economy and the knowledge economy?

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I am, of course, just trying to find what it said in the mandate commitment. I think that the understanding was that we were going to actually have all of these remaining agreements signed off, including ones with the Yukon and Nunavut and so on. How come we are not making as much progress on these as we had anticipated at the time that the mandate was put together? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I do not appreciate the Minister speculating or impugning some kind of motives to me on this issue. This is serious. I sat in on the departmental business plan review. This did not get discussed. This was not. This is the first time that I, as a Regular MLA, am finding out that the department is going to contract out the management of our Heritage Fund. This is a serious matter, Mr. Chair, and I don't appreciate the Minister saying that my view is that there should be a 12-person board and trying to impugn that I might want to sit on it or something. That is ridiculous...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Okay, so I guess the business plan is no longer correct, the one that is available on the Department of Finance website. The $25,000 reduction in environmental protection and waste management has now been moved down to environmental stewardship and climate change. Coming out of the departmental functional review, then, there was supposed to be an analyst hired to help to better organize the department, and that position is not going to be staffed now? Is that what's happening? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Okay. I accept that the work was done. Why, the active positions, is there only an increase of eight? I thought there were like 78 people or something who were being moved from different departments into finance. How many people are moving into finance as a result of the establishment of this new unit? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I did take the Minister's advice and give the Minister a heads-up about the questions I am going to ask today. In my statement, I raised some questions and points about the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework. Can the Premier provide an update on the status of his involvement in this federal policy? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I think that I heard from our friends here that, in water management and monitoring, there was an $85,000 reduction in water research and studies and a $50,000 reduction in travel. I am wondering how that is impacting our ability to negotiate the Transboundary Water Agreements. Maybe I could start with: have there been any new agreements signed during the life of this Assembly? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, well, although I believe in stronger public governance of the Heritage Fund, it is not me saying this. This was direction from the Legislative Assembly. The mandate was accepted. It was voted on in this House, and now the department has gone off and contracted out the management of our Heritage Fund. I can assure you I did not hear that when I sat in on the business plan review for this department, so this comes as very much a surprise to me, that we are contracting out the management of our Heritage Fund. Can the Minister provide me any sort of assurance that there is...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that detail. I am not convinced. It may not have an effect on programs and services, but it may have an effect on the kind of submissions that we make to land and water boards, regulatory bodies, the kind of expert evidence that they require to make sound decisions. Is that going to be impacted by these reductions? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I will wait until we get to the management board secretariat, and I just found my page here. It is 151. Thanks, Mr. Chair.