Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned in my Member's statement today, I am concerned that I cannot ascertain whether this government has a position on the bulk export of water. My question is for the Premier. Can he advise the Assembly if this government does indeed have a position on the bulk export of water? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development is the lead on the issue of water, so all questions will be referred to him.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. The honourable Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, over the last few years, the Canadian Council of Ministers for the Environment have been working on negotiating a bulk water agreement which would prohibit the sale of bulk water. The Government of the Northwest Territories has taken the position of support to not allow bulk water export from the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am wondering, where is this position in terms of policy or documentation? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, the government does not have a written policy on bulk water. There are many other issues as well that we have a position on where we do not yet have policies or written documentation. Clearly at the Council of Ministers of Environment nationally, and meeting with our territorial and provincial colleagues to make very clear that we are not in support of exporting bulk water. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to emphasize that this is an issue that is going to have a growing prominence as water and climate conditions change. I would like to ask the Minister when he would pursue developing a formal policy on the bulk export of water? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are negotiating, along with the other jurisdictions in Canada, an agreement to prohibit the export of bulk water. We know water flows across boundaries, so it is necessary to have the support of all the jurisdictions that have water within our basins. We are doing that at the Council of Ministers of Environment level. We are also doing it through the Mackenzie River Basin Trans-boundary Waters Master Agreement.

Through that agreement, we are looking at entering into bilateral agreements with the neighbouring jurisdictions. I cannot give a specific timeline of when we would have either the bilateral agreements in place or the Council of Ministers of Environment agreement in place, but it is a matter that we are continually working on. I expect that within a matter of months or probably within the next couple of years there will be much progress on this. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Final supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased that we are working on that and that we are doing so with our neighbours. I would like to ask the Minister if there will be any form of public consultation or opportunity for people to have input into this very critical piece of policy. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I think there is ongoing consultation on a number of fronts with people with regard to water quality. On the agreement we are working on with the Council of Ministers of Environment, that one has been underway for some time. We will continue as we move along with it to keep the Members apprised of progress that is being made.

With regard to the Mackenzie River Basin Transboundary Waters Master Agreement, there is participation from non-government, from the public, on that one as well. So there is a mechanism for consultation. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for Mr. Handley, the Minister responsible for wildlife. In my Member's statement, I mentioned I am concerned over the apparent lack of a coordinated action for monitoring the effects of development on the environment, Mr. Speaker. I am wondering if this government has a territory-wide plan for monitoring the effects of development on our environment? Not one that just looks at individual pockets of development, but a complete overall view of the effect of all pockets? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, the responsibility for monitoring water quality in the Northwest Territories resides with the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs. It is their responsibility through the Northwest Territories Waters Act to provide for conservation, for development and utilization of waters in the Northwest Territories for monitoring what is happening as a result of development. We as a government participate in it and we certainly lobby with our views, but because it is not our area of responsibility, we do not have an overall plan, except to say that we do recognize the need to maintain the integrity of our water system, to maintain the quality of it and to ensure that development does not have negative effects.

Having said that, we do participate and we cost share in programs like the West Kitikmeot/Slave Study project, which looks at water quality in a specific region. We will continue to do that in all areas where there is development. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do understand that inland waters are the responsibility of the federal government, but I am wondering if our government is ensuring that the federal government has adequate staff and resources to effectively monitor the consequences of this development.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.