Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a follow-up to my questions I had earlier. I did a little research here and it turns out the contract is actually two years expiring 2016-17, so the information that was provided a little earlier is not accurate. So will the Minister look to working with the community of Aklavik to ensure that we have one solid contract for this coming fall? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Minister of Transportation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I said earlier in the House that it didn't make sense to have two contractors, especially when 30 kilometres is going to be one part of the contract. I'll have to look into the fact if it's two years or three years remaining on the Aklavik contract, but to me it clearly doesn't make sense to have two contractors doing that section of road times two. We'll have a look at it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to Commissioner's opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters, Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Revolving Funds Act; Bill 13, Marriage Act; Committee Report 6-18(2), Report on the Review of Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Revolving Funds Act; Tabled Document 261-18(2), Northwest Territories Main Estimates 2017-2018, with the Member for Mackenzie Delta in the chair.

Committee, by the authority given to me as Speaker by Motion 18-18(2), I hereby authorize the House to sit beyond the daily hour of adjournment to consider the business before the House.

Thank you, committee. I now call Committee of the Whole to order. Mr. Beaulieu, what is the wish of committee?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 261-18(2), Northwest Territories Main Estimates 2017-2018, with the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment and the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. We will continue after a short recess. Thank you.

---SHORT RECESS

Thank you, committee. Committee, I now call Committee of the Whole back to order. We will continue our consideration of Tabled Document 261-18(2), Northwest Territories Main Estimates 2017-2018. We will return to the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Minister Schumann, do you wish to bring witnesses into the Chamber?

Yes, I do, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Schumann. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Minister Schumann, please introduce your witnesses for the record.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. On my left is Director of Finance Julie Mujcin, and on my right is Deputy Minister Tom Jensen. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Welcome back, Minister Schumann, and to your officials. Committee, we will begin with the mineral and petroleum resource activity. The activity description is on page 205. The activity details are on page 206. Related information items are found on pages 207 and 208. When posing questions, please let us know the page number on which the item can be found. Also, please indicate when you are finished speaking so the technicians can operate the mics efficiently. Does committee have any questions or comments on the mineral and petroleum resource activity? Ms. Green.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I would like to talk about the allocation to the petroleum resources division. I would like to know, of the seven staff who work there now, how many of them are specialists only within petroleum resources. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Schumann.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So out of the seven, I will list them all off: administrative assistant, manager of oil and gas planning, manager of oil and gas rights, senior oil and gas specialist, petroleum geomatics officer, registrar, and director of petroleum resources. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister Schumann. Ms. Green.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So by my count, three or four of the positions are specialist positions and the other positions are more general. Does the Minister agree with that assessment? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Schumann.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess I would have to know what the definition of a "specialist" means. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister Schumann. Ms. Green.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am going to use a definition of a "specialist" as somebody who has unique, specialized educational attainment and work experience in the level of petroleum resources. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Schumann.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Well, if you go by the list that I gave you, I would probably say the administrative assistant is the only one who is not a specialist. Thank you, Mr. Chair.