Shane Thompson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department participates in the GNWT open data initiative to increase government transparency and accountability while maintaining the government's responsibility towards privacy, security, and legal obligations.

So we are working on it. The Public Land Act, as the Member said, isn't in force because we're doing the public land regulations on that. So until that is done, we're not able to provide that information publicly. We are working on it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish I could give the Member and the public a confirmed date, but presently, we don't have that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

In favour.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the standard's already in place in the NWT as referenced in the current adopted edition of the National Building Code 2015. Many additional changes are incorporated in the 2020 edition of the NBC to further improve the accessibility design. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the NWT is currently using the 2015 National Building Standards or the National Building Code. The code permits construction of mass timber buildings up to six stories. The 2020 edition that the Member's talking about was released in March of 2022, and the fire marshal's office has up to two years, or until 2024, to adopt it. But I'm happy here to say it to this here in the House and for the people out there that the fire marshal's office will be adopting it in the first quarter of the 2023 fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Abstain.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents, Environmental Rights Act Annual Report 20212022; Policy 53.05 Environment and Natural Resources Statement of Environmental Values; and, What We Heard: Statement of Environmental Values, March 2022. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as a government, as a Minister, I make a decision based on information provided to me. I should not make a decision based on what could be or can't be.

So, Mr. Speaker, the GNWT, again, has not developed a position on a regional assessment. The GNWT will not take a formal position until there is more information and engagement has occurred with Indigenous governments, Nunavut, regulatory bodies, as well as MLAs. Any GNWT position will take into account the views of all parties and stakeholders as well as the GNWT legal obligations, mandated items, and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm going to probably just it's not going to be a perfect answer. So basically, and as in depth as the Member may want. So right now working on a potential regional strategy assessment in the Slave Geological Province is being led by the Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. Regional studies are a federal responsibility under the MVRMA, CIRNAC, and the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board are planning to hold a workshop later this month with Indigenous governments, resource management supports, on the regional strategic...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's actually convenient that the Member asked this question. We're just actually sending him a response to his email to us. So we are just finalizing it. We're working on that flowchart. We are going to have it up next week, early next week on there, but we will also make sure like I said, we'll make sure that Members from Deh Cho, Hay River North, Hay River South, as well as the insurance companies, have that information as well as the town and K'atlodeeche First Nation administration staff. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.