Industry, Tourism and Investment, operations expenditures, total department, not previously authorized, $574,000.

Page 16, Environment and Natural Resources, operations expenditures, corporate management, not previously authorized, $304,000.

Environment and Natural Resources, operations expenditures,

environment, not previously authorized, negative $791,000.

Environment and Natural Resources, operations expenditures, forest management, special warrants, $13.791 million. Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I wondered, I know we didn’t have a record number of fires, but I understand that a number of them were close to communities and were particularly intense. I believe the information that I saw was that we fought a very small percentage of forest fires out there. I’m wondering if the Minister can say what percentage of forest fires we fought this year and what the trend is over time. My impression is that it’s going down over time, that we’re choosing to fight fewer and there might be good reasons for that, but if that’s happening and we’re still having exceptional bills, it’s something we need to be aware of and thinking about.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I don’t have that breakdown. Based on my recollection, we fought, on average, a normal number of fires. What we did have was an extremely dry season, a season where lightning started a month earlier, for example, a season that extended into September. We know that in just about every region there were major fires near communities requiring the mobilization of all our resources we had available, as well as importing resources from Alberta, Alaska, and any jurisdiction that we could get resources from, because every other jurisdiction in the country was facing the same challenge. There were major fires in Inuvik, Deline, Behchoko, Fort Smith, Enterprise and I believe Sandy Lake, to name the ones that come immediately to mind. And they were fairly significant in size requiring mobilization of all our resources and for a greater length of time than we anticipated. Thank you.

Thanks for the comments from the Minister. I would appreciate learning if the proportion of fires that we are fighting is changing over time. I imagine that varies a little bit with how many there are, absolutely, but I would be interested in that information if possible. That’s all I had. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Moving on, I have Ms. Bisaro.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I wanted to ask a question here, as well, with regard to the special warrants. They are both rather large sums. They are the bulk of what we are looking at in this supplementary appropriation. The special warrants are done while the firefighting season is still on, and

it’s an estimate of what it’s going to cost to deal with all the fires and what it’s going to cost us to get to the end of the season. Now that we are at the end of the season, I wonder if the Minister could advise whether or not there is an expectation that we will fully expend the $7.2 million and the $6.951 million that we’re asking for in the summer, approved by special warrant in the summer. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The final accounting is just being concluded. There is going to be some under expenditure. The money will be identified. Of course, it’s been voted by FMB that that money is coffered. That will be fully accounted for and returned to the treasury. Thank you.

Thanks to the Minister for that remark. I guess my second question goes to procedure or process. The Minister just advised that through FMB, the actuals would be reported. I have wondered for a while now whether or not Regular Members see actual numbers of expenditures against what was approved by special warrant. Can I ask the Minister to answer that question? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. We`ll go to Mr. Kalgutkar for that response.

Thanks to Mr. Kalgutkar for that. No, I don’t remember that. Too many numbers too often, I guess. If the Minister could make available to Regular Members what’s been expended, that would be great. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Any comment, Minister Miltenberger?

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Environment and Natural Resources, operations expenditures, forest management, special warrants, $13.791 million.