Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in December, Burgundy Diamond Mines received a large enterprise tariff loan in the amount of $115 million, as we saw in the news. Mr. Speaker, was Cabinet -- oh and sorry, my questions are for the Government House Leader on this item.
Was Cabinet asked for their views on the $115 million loan and what should be done with it? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Mr. Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's more properly addressed to the Minister of Finance so I would like her to answer that question. Thank you.
Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the LETL loans are arm's-length from the federal government but it is administered or overseen by the Department of Finance for the federal government, and so that's what brings it to me.
Mr. Speaker, we certainly were aware that there was a request being made for the loan. I know there was outreach from the company. There was outreach from Indigenous development corporations. I don't know if any of them were asked their specifics, what -- we were certainly asked for information about the state of the economy, the state of tariffs, the impacts of tariffs on the economy, impacts of tariffs on mineral resources, and we certainly were, in that sense, following up quite clearly. But our input was not as to what the details of what the loan would be used for. I am not -- I think that would have been between the LETL entity and the company directly. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I think the Minister effectively just answered this question, but, Mr. Speaker, the news article on this mentioned that there's creditors to pay, severance payments to workers, local contractors. Did GNWT contribute in any way to any provisions requiring our northern workers and contractors are taken care of as part of the conditions on this loan? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, again, Mr. Speaker, not necessarily in the context, again -- I mean, I didn't have any direct contact, nor do I recollect any of us having direct contact with that entity from the federal government. But certainly raising the fact and raising very clearly the fact that a sudden and unexpected closure would have pretty dramatic impacts on a number of employees here, would have a number -- would have impacts on our government, and would have impacts on development corporations who are quite deeply enmeshed in this industry right now, and certainly made that point quite clear, as I believe they were as well. And in that sense, the implication being, Mr. Speaker, that we are concerned, as we were when we offered relief in the spring. We're concerned about jobs in the North. We're concerned about contractors in the North. And we're concerned about procurement in the North. So I am confident that message was heard. Thank you.
Final supplementary. Member from Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for those answers. Finally, Mr. Speaker, is funding for the independent environmental monitoring agency up to date, and was that considered in provisions in this loan as well? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is up to date, Mr. Speaker. Again, I don't know what specific details were discussed on the loan, but it is up to date and we are certainly monitoring ongoing. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Finance. Oral questions. Member from the Yellowknife Centre.
