Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the totality of this, of what is planned to do all of the planning, is a $40 million project. That is cost shared 75/25 federal to GNWT. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, yes, I'm glad to acknowledge the one item there that -- under asset management that is looking for a replacement. I would note there is quite a bit of work actually happening in this space of improving our fuel services in terms of the storage and the access. In fact, it's a pretty significant overhaul. Mr. Chair, it does happen to fall under programs and services section, so I certainly can speak to it now but -- or could come back to when we hit that section. I'm in the Chair's hands.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the red tape reduction working group was always set up to be an opportunity and a repository where anyone can direct them to an issue of red tape. So there's an email set up. There's an opportunity, @email, it's quite simple. They receive information about people who are running into, frankly, exactly the types of situations the Member mentioned earlier and then they will action them and they will investigate them and can coordinate across departments to find solutions. And I can say it actually hasn't been as fruitful as I would think it should...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I hope I don't just have 40 seconds. That's a big one. Mr. Chair, at this point these three projects do have federal funding to get them to that point where there's an understanding that -- you know, the environmental assessment work wouldn't necessarily become stale if it doesn't happen to move forward with funding in the immediate year after. It goes through still a permitting process. And even with the permits in hand, I can think of a mining project here in the territory that's been sitting fully permitted ready to go trying to get funding sorted. They are not -- it...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I mean, that response is probably not dissimilar for highway roadways as well as any other project that goes through the capital planning process. And so, for instance, obviously there's a ranking system that we would go through in terms of understanding what kind of issues is at heart. For instance, whether it's protection of people or protection of assets. And there's a secondary criteria that you go through. The projects all go through also whether or not there should be any MACA or economic considerations where you would get into, you know, understanding...

Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to provide an update on the Mackenzie Valley Highway project, an ambitious initiative that reflects our continued commitment to fostering sustainable development in the North.

The Mackenzie Valley Highway project dates back several decades, with discussions starting as early as the 1970s. Over the years, extensive planning and consultation have taken place to ensure that this project respects the land and the communities it will serve. Earlier this year, we strengthened our partnership with the Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated, or SSI, by signing an amended and...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, it's -- I'm always happy when someone is referencing the fiscal responsibility policy, but I don't know that that's -- that policy's really meant to guide the development of the fiscal strategy and the fiscal stewardship on the operations side yet not necessarily in the same way as it applies here, although I know that may be something to look at for the future into how they intersect one with the other. But as far as the three big projects, they are each at different stages and they do each have slightly different obviously sort of end goal benefits.

Fundamenta...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. If I could direct that to assistant deputy minister MacKay, please.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, so the regional strategic environmental assessment is led by the federal government. So far be it for me to speak on their behalf, but I am aware that there's been some delays in getting that underway. I'm also cognizant that certainly some of the regional governments are indicating, and the federal government has confirmed, that we would -- that this project and its environmental assessment can move forward even while or in tandem with a regional strategic environmental assessment. It's been our understanding and expectation, frankly, that the two can be...

Yes, please, Mr. Chair.