Julian Morse

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I am going to take this as the section where I can ask some business plan questions, I think. So I will just get started on those.

I just note that a number of different regulations - the Forest Act regs, Wildlife Act regs, Waste Reduction regs, Reindeer Act regs - are all off the table on the legislative agenda. Is this due -- can the Minister help us understand why that's the case.

Thank you for your indulgence, Mr. Chair. And so, yeah, obviously I want to ask some questions about that process that the deputy minister just laid out to me. So I really appreciate him laying it out clearly like that. I don't think I've actually had that before.

So I am trying to understand, at any one of these stages -- they all seem like stages except for the land acquisition bylaw itself that the GNWT is in control of that process. So can you help me understand, the answer that the Minister gave previously was that there are stages in the process where the department doesn't have control -...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My next question is just about the additions to energy and strategic initiatives. I am pretty sure I know the answer to this one. But it looks like we got funding for the four different funds that are listed there. I won't list them for sake of time. But I know during the last -- the last review of the mains there was some concern about that funding lapsing. It looks like the feds did step up and fund those programs. Can the Minister just confirm that that's the case and that's why (audio).

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And so is it fair to say, then, that with the addition of staff that -- or how do I put this. Clearly some more capacity was needed in the department to move things along as quickly as has been demanded. But what I am wondering is are there any timelines that staff have to work under? Is there a minimum or maximum timeline a land application will proceed through the department in and meet all the different requirements or how is -- does the department have any targets related to timelines in terms of trying to move things along in a more timely manner? I mean, I think...

Thank you, Mr. Chair, of course. What I was asking is how do emergency response activities relate to highway maintenance? It's in the -- in the substantiation for the increase, it says to provide funding to address higher highway operations costs due to inflation, materials, and emergency response activities. So I am just curious what those activities are and how they relate to maintenance. Thanks.

Okay, thank you, Mr. Chair. Just staying on Yellowknife, I know that, you know, there's already been a fair bit of chat back and forth on the floor of the House this sitting about land needed for military investment, land needed for housing. So I know there's one big parcel that the city's applied for in the kind of northern side of Frame Lake. I am curious to know how that process is proceeding and whether the new staff that the department has taken on is going to help processes like that move more quickly. And -- well, maybe I will start with that one, and I will ask the military one next...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's fair enough, I suppose. But, I mean, this is a relatively minor change. It's something that's been dogging municipalities for a very long time. We've got abandoned vehicles all over the city that haven't been dealt with as a result. Can the Minister commit to getting this done within the term of the 20th Assembly? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Okay, thank you. Can the Minister just help us understand why the number has increased so drastically since the last time the business plan was updated? Because I thought this thing was just printed a week ago.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I spoke to the issue of the Motor Vehicles Act earlier. Can the Minister for Infrastructure commit to making the necessary changes to the MVA to give officers the ability to deem vehicles worthless for disposal. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I wanted to ask about the positions that the finance Minister announced in her budget address. That's my first question, is just if the Minister can give us a bit more detail on those. Yeah, thanks.