Thank you, Premier McLeod. Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. So who provides political direction to the PUB? Who issues letters of direction to the PUB? Do they come out of the Executive, or where do they come from? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Premier McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We have a Minister responsible for the Public Utilities Board, who is Minister Abernethy. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Premier McLeod. Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. So, if I was not confused before, I am even more confused now. Who do I ask questions of in terms of policy direction and with regard to net metering? It is listed in the mandate as an Executive responsibility. The Minister has just told me that it is the Public Utilities Board, and now he said earlier that the administrative responsibility for the staff person is being moved to Infrastructure. Which Minister do I ask questions of in terms of policy direction with regard to where our government is going to support net metering? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Premier McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In our response to the chairperson of the Standing Committee on Government Operations, dated November 29, 2017, to this very question, we advised that: "Regular Members can identify the need for policy development and direction through any government-initiated consultation process, for example the review of the draft energy strategy, and standing committee can at any time propose the issuance of specific policy direction to the Public Utilities Board." Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Premier McLeod. Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. While I appreciate that, we are talking about the budget here. I want to know: what is the position of our government in terms of supporting improved net metering? I know it is not answer period, but can the Minister tell me what our direction is as a government in supporting net metering, to deal with this particular mandate commitment? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Premier McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My recollection is that the government had meetings with the chair of the Public Utilities Board and asked them to review the net metering process which was developed by the Public Utilities Board. The Public Utilities Board, after some period of time, came up with a net metering policy, and that policy has been in effect. There have been concerns expressed about the fact that credits have to be utilized or they disappear or lapse at the end of the fiscal year.

If there are any questions or comments or any Member that has anything that they want to be directed to the Public Utilities Board, they can do it through the Minister responsible for the Public Utilities Board, or, once the service and support to the Minister will be done through the Department of Infrastructure, which has Energy as a lead, they would still have to work through the Minister responsible for the PUB to deal specifically with net metering, if they want to give direction to the Public Utilities Board. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Premier McLeod. Mr. O'Reilly, your time has expired. Questions? Seeing none, I will call this page. Cabinet support, operations expenditure summary, $1,625,000. Agreed?

We shall move forward to the next summary, which is on pages 114 to 115. Questions to this activity on pages 114 and 115? Seeing none, I will call the summary activity on page 114. Corporation communications, operations expenditure summary, $1,396,000. Does committee agree?

Agreed. We shall move on to the next summary, starting on page 117 to 119. Questions to pages 117 to 119, directorate, operations expenditure summary? Ms. Green, could you refer to the page that your question is directed to?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I am looking at page 117, and I am looking at the line Arctic Inspiration Prize. Elsewhere in the business plan, the Arctic Inspiration Prize is listed in Lands and it is also listed in ECE. Can the Minister please advise us why it appears in all of those different places and where in fact the decision making is made on the contribution to the Arctic Inspiration Prize? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Green. Premier McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, the request to increase the contribution which the government agreed to. Originally the government provided $25,000, and we increased to contribution by another $25,000. The organizers or the creators of the Arctic Inspiration Prize consequently announced that they would increase the prize value from $1 million annually to $3 million annually, and they have established a $60 million trust fund. Through you, Mr. Chair, I will ask Mr. Courtoreille to explain what occurs in the other departments. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Premier McLeod. Mr. Courtoreille.

Thank you, Mr. Courtoreille. Ms. Green.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just to confirm, the effect of this consolidation is that there is one $50,000 grant coming out of the executive. Is that correct? Thank you.