Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, who was appointed by Cabinet as regulator of the oil and gas operations in the Northwest Territories effective April 1, 2014.
1. At times the regulator is privy to information that
would not be in the public’s best interest to
disclose or debate, such as a company’s net profit projections. What mechanisms are in place to ensure that information disclosure will respect the public’s best interest and not place any corporation, agency or other organization at a significant disadvantage, and how will this information be dealt with in response to questions and debates within the House?
2.
How will corporate involvement and development of government programs and strategies, such as the Mineral Development and Economic Opportunities Strategy, continue under this new regime?
3. How will decisions be reached in situations
where the views of departmental advisors differ widely from the oil and gas committee or the Members of the Legislative Assembly?