Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the Member's desire to hear from the Minister directly himself. We have a five-year action plan that we're working on right now. As we go forward and we find that some of the work that we have to do in future years or within the next budget cycle, I mean, there's an opportunity to expand on that work, then I suppose we would have to go back and look at bringing the necessary expertise on board. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. O' Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I just would like to ask a few more questions about the staffing levels within ENR then when it comes to this conservation network initiative. How many other people are working on this initiative within the department? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.

We believe there might be five others, but we would have to confirm that and share that with the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I think this is another example where the fiscal strategy is driving the bus here again, and we are developing an action plan, yet we're cutting staff while we are doing that, or at least maybe the position is vacant, but we are cutting positions while we are developing the policy and the framework to do it. We have seen this whether it is Aurora College or whatever. It is just a repeating pattern within the government where we are cutting positions for a fiscal strategy before we have the policy work, the action plan to actually get the work done.

Can the Minister convince me that this is not one of these examples and that we are still going to be able to have a five-year action plan and deliver on this by the end of the mandate by cutting this position now? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I don't think the reductions are driving this budget. The department feels that they have produced a five-year action plan entitled "Healthy Land, Healthy People, Government of the Northwest Territories Priorities for Advancement of Conservation Network Planning." Our position is that we feel we have the necessary capacity within our existing department or existing people to complete the work. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the response from the Minister, but I will continue to disagree that we have the capacity to deliver, but time will tell, and I will look forward to the progress on this initiative, and I will continue to monitor it as it moves forward. Thanks, Mr. Chair. That's all I've got.

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Mr. McNeely

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My question is on page 63, conservation planning. As I mentioned in my opening comments here, and the Minister has answered earlier or Dr. Kelly has answered earlier on the cuts taken to continue on with conservation planning, and I just want to mention, is there sufficient resources there after Thaidene Nene is done to move on to the next task at hand, and if it may be the Rampart Wetlands, I just want to hear that you have enough confidence or enough resources here to proceed to that conclusion request for preservation? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. McNeely. Minister.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I can assure the Member that ENR does have the necessary resources, and the Ramparts are priority. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Seeing nothing further from the committee, I will call this activity. Environment and National Resources, conservation assessment and monitoring operations, expenditure summary, total activity $7,606,000. Does committee agree?

Thank you, committee. We will move on to the next activity. Activity two of six, corporate management, found on pages 66 to 69. Comments or questions from committee? Mr. O'Reilly.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is the area that was of greatest concern for me, as I mentioned in my opening remarks. On page 69, you can see that the positions that are being eliminated in corporate management. There are four of them here in headquarters. Can someone from the department tell me what the titles of these four positions are? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Ms. Craig.

Thank you, Ms. Craig. Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Great to hear that we are going to have a functional review, but are the figures in the main estimates correct then in terms of the active position reductions and the reductions in, it looks like it is the corporate services function within this section? Are those the actual figures or have they been changed in some way? Thanks Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Ms. Craig.