Masi. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we recognize what they're trying to say and there is a correlation between that and some potential development down the road, and we will continue to work on how we can mitigate and find a balance between the two. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks to the Minister for his response. We know that the proposed Grays Bay port and road project, which is on the Nunavut side of the boundary, includes an all-weather road that passes through the calving and post-calving grounds of the Bathurst caribou herd. Is it still the position of our government to oppose development in the calving grounds of caribou herds and will he commit to communicate that position to the Government of Nunavut?

Mr. Speaker, our commitment is to work with the Government of Nunavut on the questions of shared caribou concern. I have already had a preliminary discussion with my counterpart in Nunavut and we will continue to relay our concerns to the Government of Nunavut and work with them in trying to find a balanced approach.

I thank the Minister for that response and look forward to seeing some of the correspondence that he might have with the Government of Nunavut. Can the Minister explain why our government continues to pursue funding for an all-weather road into the Slave Geological Province before the Bathurst Caribou Range Plan is completed and implemented? It's sort of like putting the cart before the horse.

I take the Member's point. As far as the road, I mean, it's still, very, very early in the discussion stage. We may not see a road for a number of years. If we see a road at all, again, that's contingent on the federal government and the funding that they might have and then as well as funding from the Northwest Territories government once we get through our budget process and we have the resources to commit to these types of projects.

So I can assure the Member that we will continue to do our part to ensure that there is a balance, but we do like to see economic development but not at all costs, and I can assure the Member we will continue to have that position.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I am glad to get that commitment from the Minister. Sorry, I mixed up my analogies a little bit earlier. I should have talked about trucks before the caribou. Clearly, the routing for the Slave Geological Province road was chosen by our government without any regard for caribou, as stated by the Minister of Transportation at least a couple of times in the House. How will Cabinet decide whether such a road can be safely built without causing irreparable harm to the Bathurst caribou herd, or has that decision already been made? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my understanding is that no decision has been made on the route yet. I think it was just a preliminary discussion. I can assure the Member that it is not development at all costs. We will have a position, and we will continue to put our position forward, ENR, to the appropriate decision-makers. Cabinet actually does not decide on the route. We would work with the decision-makers and make our concerns known on the calving grounds as well as any other effects it might have on the environment.

Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.

Masi. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't think any notice, formal notice, has been given. Thank you.

Well, that means, if there are no notices given, will there be notices given on the dialogue that has been taken by this government in regional consultations, so the information is going out there rather than hearing it third-party?

Yes, as Members of the House will know, we are working on an energy strategy, and there has been consultation with communities and Members opposite. Those consultations will continue as policy is developed.

Once policies are being worked on and they are currently working on the strategy, as well, my next question is: will there be some form of notice given out to the customers in those respective communities in the off-grid system?

As mentioned, of course we are developing the energy strategy. I am not sure what type of notice the Member opposite is thinking about. I hope the first notice they have of any change of strategy or plan will not be a higher bill. We are working on an energy strategy. Of course, the Power Corporation is involved in that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My last question is: when is this notice going to be sent out on the impacts on the diesel-burning generators creating electricity in the off-grid communities, and is this notice going to take into the account the potential effectiveness for this tax to take place in 2018? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Public Works and Services and ENR are working closely to analyze the results from regional workshops in developing statements, targets, and actions to address energy and climate change concerns, so talking about a notice is well down the road in the sense that we have given a notice because it is well-known that we are going out for consultation on our energy strategy moving forward.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have two questions, in follow-up to my Member's statement, for the Honourable Premier. I would like to ask the Premier: will the Premier be working with organizers to participate and to make a funding contribution to the proposed charette? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. The Honourable Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It would be helpful if the Member would provide who these organizers are and how much money they are looking for. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.