Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when I took over this portfolio last November, and knowing and understanding what happened at the diamond mines in regard to socio-economic agreements and impact benefit agreements, I was told by officials in RWED that were briefing me on all aspects of this job on the oil and gas side that...can we apply the same type of proposals to the oil and gas sector. I was told that in the Mining Act, there were no provisions for socio-economic agreements. Through the review of the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review process, the aboriginal leaders, as well as our government, pushed to make sure that we have strong socio-economic agreements on the mining side. I asked if we could do it on the oil and gas side. Apparently, there is federal legislation on oil and gas, Canadian oil and gas legislation that allows for socio-economic agreements, not on the exploration part of it but during the development, once there is a significant find, once they do the drilling and oil and gas exploration, then there are provisions in the federal legislation for oil and gas for socio-economic agreements. Because this agreement is there, we did not pursue similar types of arrangements we had on the mining side, but there are perhaps ways of approaching it. I have asked the department to explore what the possibilities are during the exploration part of the oil and gas phase. To this point in time, we do not have any similar types of arrangements with oil and gas like we do on the diamond mining side. Thank you.
Jim Antoine on Question 376-14(5): Support For Oil And Gas Development
In the Legislative Assembly on October 22nd, 2002. See this statement in context.
Return To Question 376-14(5): Support For Oil And Gas Development
Question 376-14(5): Support For Oil And Gas Development
Item 6: Oral Questions
October 21st, 2002
Page 1075
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
See context to find out what was said next.