Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks, Mr. Chair. That is helpful from the Minister. If the Minister had to put a priority on the planning work that needs to be done on the Frank Channel bridge versus planning work that needs to be done for the Slave Geological Province road, which one is the highest priority? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Thanks to the Minister for that commitment. I am just wondering, I understood that there had been money in previous budgets for the Frank Channel bridge. I am just trying to understand why we are still planning for it and we are not actually doing the work. Can the Minister's officials explain what's happening? Why we continue to spend money on planning rather than doing the work? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Can the Minister tell us whether there is any money in 2019-2020? I understand this is the O and M budget for the planning that needs to know done for the Frank Channel bridge. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. Members may be relieved to know that I will not repeat my comments on the process for this bill, as this was covered in my remarks on Bill 36.

The Oil and Gas Operations Act regulates activities that take place when companies explore for and produce onshore oil and gas, even on Indigenous subsurface lands. It deals with safety, environmental protection, and resident benefits from exploration and production activities.

The Minister's main role under the act is to approve benefits plans related to exploration. A regulator approves plans for safely and sustainably...

Merci, Monsieur le President. Now we get that it's restricted because of wording in the Lands Act, so I look forward to that being changed. Canada is a supporter of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and has provided funding to a variety of countries, such as Peru, Indonesia, Tanzania, and even Mongolia to fix up how they report revenues. This country has adopted the standard through the Extractive Sector Transparency Measures Act, so can the Minister tell us when our government will get on board and begin to report royalties paid by commodity type, or even by individual...

Thanks to the Minister for that. So that explains some of the reasons, that the federal government combines it, and so on, but last week I tabled extracts from a privately published book by a former deputy minister and devolution negotiator that clearly showed the resource royalties paid to the federal government from 1980 to 2009. Can the Minister explain how such information was published, and yet he could not provide it in response to a written question from a Member of this House?

Merci, Monsieur le President. Thanks to my colleagues. The corporate sector also supports the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, and those supporters including Anglo American and Rio Tinto, which are owners and operators of two of the three NWT diamond mines. Private multinationals seem more committed to transparency than our Cabinet.

What democratic government doesn't support openness and transparency in public reporting of resource royalties? I will have questions later today for the Minister of Finance. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Well, I am glad that the Minister is going to have a conversation with the staff and that they are going to talk to the people that administer the fund. Can the Minister then make a commitment to get back to us and provide an explanation as to why the surplus has been growing over time? Is it there are not enough applications? Is it that there maybe hasn't been enough promotion? Can the Minister make a commitment to get back to standing committee with the reasons why the surplus is growing and what the plan is going forward to make sure that the money is disbursed? Thanks...

Thanks. I don't have any further questions for the Minister on this issue, but I just want to reiterate my concern. If you don't have any formal way of evaluating whether this is improving services or affecting access to justice, and it is a pilot, how do you decide whether you are going to expand this or not? I don't think that is a good way to proceed, but I will leave it at that. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, I think I heard the deputy minister say that there is not going to be a formal written evaluation. If there is no formal written evaluation, how do you decide whether you are going to continue to expand or not? I would like to ask that question. Thanks, Mr. Chair.