Kevin O'Reilly

Okay, thanks, Madam Chair. So we covered some of this, I guess, in the Member's statement and questions earlier today. But where are we at with having any kind of policy work with regard to prevention of public liabilities? I know committees, you know, tabled a report in the House about that, motions were passed. But and I guess some regulations may be developed under the Public Land Act but we're still operating under a reclamation policy that was developed by the old Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development that was endorsed by our government at the time of devolution. But, you...

Thanks for that. Yeah, and I look forward to the letters the Minister's going to table. But I guess I want to go back to, you know, where we started with some of this stuff, and this was the move on the part of maybe the Alberta and federal governments to have some sort of control discharge from these humongous tailings ponds. And, look, I'd rather have a controlled discharge if the water's treated properly than this kind of stuff happening because this kind of stuff is going to happen; it's going to continue to happen until it's inevitable. So where are we at with this process to look at...

Thanks, Madam Chair. I love those answers. Over to one of my favourites, the Northwest Territories Surface Rights Board, can I just get confirmation from the Minister that they haven't dealt with any disputes in the last year? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. And thanks for that information. So how much of this is this, say the 6.8 percent increase in CPI for indemnity office holders and allowances? That total, I think can someone tell me what that total is? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks. Yeah, it would probably be covered in the briefing I guess, but I'm interested in that area.

So I look at the, you know, budget line here on page 92, land regional operations, and there is a little bit of a decline there. It's increased from what was spent in 20212022. But I'm also cognisant that, you know, at least one diamond mine's going to start closing down. We've got another one that is in closure, Snap Lake. There's a lot at stake for our government because if anything goes off the rails, we're totally liable for that. I just want to get on the record that the Minister believes...

Okay, thanks, Madam Chair. If I wasn't concerned before, now I'm really worried that all of this stuff is happening in secret behind closed doors. This is not good. And I'm not sure we should even be participating in that kind of process. That is very upsetting that look, good that we're getting experts; we're doing our homework to look at this. But if all of this stuff is happening behind closed doors and is being kept secret and we're only going to find out about it if Alberta decides they're going to do a regulation, that's not a good place to be. So I don't know, Minister or sorry...

Thanks, Madam Chair. Over on page 106, Inuvialuit Water Board, zero. What's happening? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. Committee wishes to deal with Tabled Document 81319(2), 20232024 Main Estimates, with Legislative Assembly and Department of Environment and Climate Change. Mahsi, Madam Chair.

Okay, thanks for that. Can I go get some kind of a commitment, though, from the Minister that when the department has figured this stuff out, this optimization stuff, you got some better org chart, you got figured out how you're going to realign some of this stuff, that there could be something wrapped up and sent to the Regular MLAs so we know what happened? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Great, thanks, Madam Chair. I appreciate that level of detail. And I support the department getting the expertise that's necessary to do this work, and I know you got you went out for two RFPs. I think you got another one out there now, so that's good. Is any of this stuff public, and where would you find it? Do we publish, or do we make any of this information, these peer reviews that we're doing, is any of this stuff available for people here to see what's going on? Thanks, Madam Chair.