Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’d just like to follow up on my colleague. That was a very interesting discussion. I know people in the Sahtu, and certainly in all of the Northwest Territories were shocked with the national survey of spills to find that Imperial Oil as the highest culprit, so to speak, and the consequences had been minimal to nothing. But mostly, even local people were shocked by the information. Again, I appreciate my colleague bringing this up.

I’d just ask the Minister, will this position ensure that that sort of information is not a surprise, that people are well informed about it? While I’m at it, would this person also contribute to good information on which to base the new protocol on generating income for water licences that reflects the true value of the water being used, the billions of gallons, billions of litres that are being used and put into this…(inaudible)… Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This position which came over with part of the devolution transfer is going to have a key role in the region. It’s going to give us a specialized person on water for the first time in the region. The issue of tracking, understanding and helping with plain language, trying to keep track of all the things that are happening in the region in terms of compliance and spills would be one of the functions. But what I would ask, Mr. Chairman, with your indulgence, is the deputy to speak a bit further to some of the specifics in terms of the job requirements.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Campbell.

Thank you, Mr. Campbell. Continuing on with questions, I have Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just have one other question. An interesting point that the renewal of the licence is in the federal government’s hands and the federal government is part owner of Imperial Oil oilfield. That leads to other questions. Anyhow, I’m not going to belabour on that point here.

My other question I have for the Minister has probably to do also with the federal government, is the Great Bear Lake area where I think it was 700,000 tonnes of material that was dumped into the lake. I know that they are going through a process of that remediation cleanup and it has to do with the water. I might be out of sync here as to the question. I’m just saying because it’s a water issue and the Deline community has been working closely with the federal government on the recommendations, but it has to do with water and I’m just trying to sneak that in, I guess, as to where the territorial government is in regard to the issue of cleaning up the amount that was quoted to me by the report that was 700,000 tonnes from the mining industry that was dumped into Great Bear Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. I will continue on with this water question. Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’m just assuming Great Bear. We’re talking Port Radium? We’ll commit to get back to the Member on the issue of remediated sites, waste sites. I’m thinking, but I don’t have the list before me, that that might be one of the ones that the federal government still has responsibility for. But we’ll double check that and we’ll get that information back to the Member.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Committee, we’re on page 111, water resources, active positions, information item. Any questions?

Committee, page 113, wildlife, operations expenditure summary, $15.096 million. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My questions have to do with a letter that was sent to the Minister on November 19th. I’m not too sure if the Minister wants to see a copy. It is from the Sahtu Renewable Resources Board, signed by the interim chair of the board, Paul Latour, and Chief Leonard Kenny. It was addressed to the Minister and it talked about the request for the feedback on the issues considering the harvesters for caribou, allocations for the Bluenose-East caribou. In there, they’ve made seven points, addressed seven points of consensus presented to the department, and they want to know the feedback on these seven points from this department. I could share the letter with the Minister or go on memory there.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m familiar with the letter. As the Member indicated, it’s from last November. The letter is somewhat dated. There has been a lot of water under the bridge on that particular issue. The deputy minister has been personally handling a lot of the work and discussions on the Bluenose-East, the issue of the allocation and the discussion with the boards and the communities, so I would ask the deputy just to give a quick update of the circumstance that would address those seven issues which have been, as I indicated, I think, overtaken by some other events.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Before we continue here with Mr. Campbell, because we’re talking about a document that’s not before the House or tabled before the House, I’ll continue to allow the questioning, but I will suggest to the Member to maybe table that document with its proper redaction at a later date. Deputy Minister Campbell.

Thank you, Deputy Minister Campbell. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I apologize. I’ll table the document and I’ll leave my questions for some other venue.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Continuing on with questions on wildlife, I have Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I believe we’re on page 113, wildlife. I guess my first question is I see there’s been a $1 million reduction in wildlife research and management. This is a time when I know we’re all aware we have serious issues. Why the drop there? If I can get an explanation on that.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. For that we’ll go to Ms. Craig.

Thank you, Ms. Craig. Mr. Bromley.