Rylund Johnson

Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate that that process will continue, and I look forward to hearing more about piloting it for regulations, too, because there are a number of very important regulations that this department has. I guess my other concern is, in using this process, what happens is there is a very confidential and arduous co-drafting process, and then it comes to committee and, ultimately, through this House. As is the nature of public government, we can change whatever we want. I think that it can lead to some tension and some misunderstanding of who ultimately controls...

Thank you. I assure you I will reach out to the Minister of Finance and give her some more work to do. Sorry. No further questions at this time, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess my next question, too, is: we as standing committee will be taking the Wildlife Act out on a legislative review; is the Department of ENR willing to provide assistance in that review that will be done by committee?

Listen, I get that I am probably not going to get the Minister of ENR to commit to a legislated target that is enforceable right now in this question period, although that is what I would like to see. A number of researchers have suggested one of the best ways from the Northwest Territories, given the remoteness of our communities and the difficulty of getting off diesel, is simply for us to purchase carbon offsets or to acquire the Power Corporation or other large emitters, industrial people, to purchase carbon offsets, which would then allow us to meet our carbon targets by funding other...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Perhaps if I could get the Minister to provide me a breakdown of what is held versus Lands and ENR? I will have questions on this when we get to speak to the Minister of ENR about the overlapping role of securities administration in those departments.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am aware of a number of Indigenous leaders who have directed their citizens to not pay their lease fees, whether it be equity or otherwise. Can I have the Minister update me on the department's current approach to lease fees when a person has been directed by their leadership to not pay them?

Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to speak now to securities and project assessment. Can the Minister of Lands tell me how much the Department of Lands holds in total securities?

Just to clarify, I am not asking that the Minister of Health and Social Services commit to fulfilling the requests. I am asking for a commitment that each of them be responded to, and it can be a "yes," a "no," a "we will get back to you." Is the Minister willing to do that?

Thank you, Madam Chair. Completion of land-use plans in collaboration with all Aboriginal governments was a mandate of the last Assembly, which, once again, was not fulfilled by this department. What level of confidence does the Minister have that we will have complete land-use plans in the life of this Assembly?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Previously, both in the media and in this House, we heard a number of concerns expressed by the Foster Family Coalition of the Northwest Territories. I know that the Minister of health has met with them. I was hoping the Minister of health could provide an update to this House on the status of the requests made from the NWT Foster Family Coalition.