Kevin O'Reilly

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to my colleagues. In conclusion, what this response to my written questions shows is a convoluted regulatory system for oil and gas, a lack of transparency, and the failure to ensure that we are not creating liabilities for future generations. This is not why we got devolution. I will ask questions later today for the Premier or whoever's in charge of oil and gas these days. Merci, Monsieur le President.

Masi, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I too had wished that this could have been supported unanimously by all the Members, but I understand that there are some differences of opinion here. I would like to try to assure the public and my colleagues on the other side of the House that there is goodwill on this side of the House to make sure that we have a productive, constructive mid-term review. It is focused on progress on the mandate, but necessarily that will require looking at performance as the original motion of referral did specifically reference evaluate performance of Executive Council collectively...

Merci, Mr. Speaker. I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu NedheWiilideh, that the following terms referenced for midterm review be adopted:

Cabinet and the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning shall each evaluate progress on implementing the mandate, make their reports public, and table them in the House at the earliest opportunity;

the mandate be public and tabled in the House at the earliest opportunity;

the mandate be revised, if necessary, by Cabinet with input from the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning, reviewed in Caucus and tabled for potential debate...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today, I spoke of the uncertainty and lack of transparency around how hydraulic fracturing seems to be taking place in the Northwest Territories. There doesn't seem to be any kind of monitoring program for abandoned wells and no funds from industry to help to do this or pay for any remediation that may be necessary. Alberta has an orphan or abandoned well system. Will the Minister responsible commit to developing and implementing a polluterpay system to ensure that there is monitoring, inspection, and the necessary funds to carry out remediation of abandoned wells...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The former Member for Weledeh asked about emissions, fluids and inspections at the hydraulic fracturing operations carried out by ConocoPhillips in 2014. There was a secrecy ban on the release of some information at that time. I asked again about it on the understanding that the secrecy period had now ended.

I will leave alone the issue of which Minister is actually responsible for the Office of the Regulator of Oil and Gas, as that one looks like a hot potato. Let's focus on what was said in the Premier's September 28th response: "Only 28 per cent of the load fracking fluid...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I think I'm getting closer here. Is the Minister prepared to have this kind of a meeting where we sit down, everybody can understand better what this Heritage Canada funding program is all about, what's already been submitted, whether there's the ability to change this, whether there's the ability to get letters of support in, and how we can work together on this to get the best possible proposal in and maybe even save us some money. Is the Minister prepared to have that kind of a meeting? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, that's exactly what I was looking for. So I look forward to it. I thank the Minister for the commitment. I still believe that this is maybe not the best approach and I'll go on record as that. Thanks.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I'm glad that the Minister has been able to confirm that the GNWT is already going above and beyond the basic court ordered requirements. What I'm trying to do is make sure that we can stay out of court. I don't understand why this department cannot work more collaboratively with these two organizations, that the proposal for the expansion that's been submitted to Heritage Canada hasn't even been shared with these two organizations, there are no letters of support that went in with it. Can the Minister amend this application now and work collaboratively with these two...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, I remain concerned about this item in the Capital Budget and do want to go on record as having concerns about this. I wonder whether the money that's going to be spent on building a facility that's too large might have been better spent on healing and prevention. I guess the Department's going to go ahead with this. What sort of reporting is the Minister prepared to make in terms of the construction of facilities that are going forward and rates of usage in the facility once it is constructed? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, I hear what the Minister is saying, and I'm not prepared to accept that quite yet. You know, look, I'm trying to understand why it wouldn't be better to work with these two organizations and submit a proposal that would include letters of support from the two organizations, including one that's actually taken us to court over this stuff.

So why couldn't we work collaboratively with them to get letters of support? These two organizations also have contacts in Ottawa, connections in Ottawa, that might help ensure that this money is actually approved. What is the problem...