Kevin O'Reilly

Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Premier. Cabinet and GNWT staff traveled to Vancouver during the week of January 21-25, 2018, to attend the Association for Mineral Exploration Round-up. Can the Premier provide a list of all NWT Ministers and staff who traveled to Vancouver for the meetings and:

Total cost of travel, including transportation showing air travel by executive versus economy class, accommodations, expenses and associated allowances;

Any related contract costs for the trip, particularly costs of conference registration, exhibitor, staffing, any fees consulting...

Thanks to the Premier for confirming the role that Global Public Affairs has played to date. Global Public Affairs, though, has also represented a number of other industries, organizations, governments in relation to NWT affairs in the past, including Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, Inuvialuit Development Corporation, and others. Can the Premier tell us whether Global Public Affairs currently represents any other interests in the NWT and how those roles and responsibilities are kept clear to avoid conflicts of interest?

Merci, Monsieur Ie President. I mentioned in my Member's statement about the Premier's red alert that there were a number of news releases issued by Indigenous governments raising concerns about the lack of consultation around the red alert. Can the Premier explain why he did not consult with Regular MLAs or the regional Indigenous governments before going to Ottawa to issue his red alert? Masi, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Monsieur Ie President. I would like to table the following document entitled "The Collapse of P3 Giant Carillion and Its Implications" by John Loxley, professor at the University of Manitoba. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks to the Minister for that. I take it from his response that there is no signs of recovery. GNWT has been leading a range-planning exercise for the Bathurst caribou herd, and I commended the Minister in the House for this work back in March of this year. Can the Minister give us a status report on this range-planning exercise and when we can expect to see a concrete plan and some actions to protect the Bathurst herd and its habitat?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Mr. William Lines. He is the Giant Mine coordinator for the Yellowknives Dene First Nation and I very much appreciate his work on that important issue. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I think this motion really deserves some very serious debate. I look forward to some comments here, but no, more seriously, we often don't get to recognize our staff. This is one of the few occasions we actually get to do that. Thank you, Doug, for over 30 years of service.

You are an encyclopedia of knowledge. You have this uncanny knack of enabling us to get the best out of ourselves seriously. Personally, you have provided some very solid advice to me. You have made my re-entry back into political life a lot easier. I sincerely wish you all the best with your...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I've been at a lot of meetings about Giant Mine over the last 30 years, and certainly whenever I've been at meetings where there have been elders from the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, they've raised this issue of an apology and compensation. They've been waiting a long time for that to happen, and unfortunately some of them are no longer with us.

How do you explain to somebody who used to be able to go to the lake and take water out of it that they actually now have to pay to get safe water delivered to their house? So why is this motion before us today? I think the Giant...

Thanks to the Minister for that update. It was very helpful. Protection of NWT caribou herds is a complex matter as there are a number of communities that have traditionally harvested herds, most migrate between the NWT and Nunavut, there are different management regimes on each side of the boundary, and very little habitat has any permanent protection. That raises the issue of whether our government has any policy or position on resource development within calving grounds. Can the Minister say whether our government has a position or policy on resource development within caribou calving...

Merci, Monsieur le President. My question is for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. Later today, we will be debating a motion about development in the calving grounds of one of our migratory caribou herds. The Bathurst caribou herd has plummeted from a high of 472,000 animals to 16,000. Indigenous governments have voluntarily halted harvesting, yet nothing has been done in terms of habitat protection. Can the Minister give us an update on the status of the Bathurst herd and whether there are any signs of recovery? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.