Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we find that this is a system that works for the government's needs very good. It does have to process a lot of information. One of the benefits, as Mr. Koe pointed out, was that we do get support from the vendor when we purchase their product. After 2024, I am not sure what the plan is going to be. If there is another upgrade to the system that we are quite comfortable with, then we will continue to use it. But we will cross that bridge when we come to it. Just as an example, in the 2015-16 fiscal year, SAM, or the System for Accountability and Management, processed 60,636 vendor payments, totalling $1.9 billion; 13,933 employee expense accounts, totalling $18 million; 75,862 procurement card transactions. So it does process a lot of information. It is a system that has worked very well for us. Then we also get some support. When you are using these types of systems, there is usually a price tag involved. After 2024, we will have to make the determination then where we will go next. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Does that answer your question about procurement? Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. It answers, I guess, the future procurement question, but I still don't have an explanation of how we got here. Was this originally put out to tender or was this just something we bought off the shelf or what? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. So how was this system originally procured, Minister?

It was procured through an RFP. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. O'Reilly? Nothing further from Mr. O'Reilly. I see no further comments. Mr. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I do have one question. We have an update that's costing us a certain amount of money. How many more updates are we going to be looking at until 2024? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, my understanding, and I think Mr. Koe pointed it out before, was that this latest upgrade will get us to 2024 and then a determination will be made then what the next steps are. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Thompson, nothing further? Seeing nothing further, we can move back to page 25, which is the total Capital Estimates containing the one item. Finance, total Capital Estimates, $1,325,000. Does committee agree?

Minister, I'd like to thank you and your witnesses for appearing before us. Sergeant–at-Arms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber. Minister, you can keep your seat if you're next. No? Minister, you have to go back. Next, committee has agreed to consider the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources. Minister McLeod, would you like to bring witnesses into the Chamber?

Yes, I would, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Would the Sergeant-at-Arms please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Would the Minister please introduce his witnesses.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, to my right I have Dr. Erin Kelly who is the acting deputy minister for Environment and Natural Resources, to my left I have Susan Craig who is the director of finance and administration with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Welcome to the witnesses. Committee, this department starts on page 14, we will defer the departmental total until after we discuss the details beginning on page 17. Environment, infrastructure and investments, $125,000. There's detail on page 18 relating to this. Environment and Natural Resources, environment, infrastructure and investments, $125,000. Does committee agree?

We move on to page 19, forest management with detail on page 20. Questions or comments on pages 19 and 20? Seeing none, Environment and Natural Resources forest management, infrastructure investments, $1,830,000. Does committee agree?

Continuing on to page 21. Environment and Natural Resources, water resources with detail on page 22. Committee agrees?

Page 23, wildlife, with detail on page 24. Wildlife, infrastructure investments, $1,384,000. Do I see Mr. Thompson?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I know it's not on here, but I'm trying to figure out where that lab is in Fort Simpson and what the status of the lab is? Is it still a building or a shell out there without any siding or anything on it? So if we can get the status on that capital project. Thank you, Mr. Chair.