Merci, Monsieur le President. On June 7, 2021 the Tlicho Government wrote to the Federal Minister of Northern Affairs requesting a regional study for the Slave Geological Province pursuant to part 5.2 of the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act. That's the legislation that implements provisions of a number of land rights agreements. This is a bold move that I support.
There has never been a regional study before but there has been strategic environmental assessments conducted in northern Canada, most recently the Beaufort Region Strategic Environmental Assessment released in September 2020.
The June 7, 2021 letter from the Tlicho government states "we need an independent assessment of options, impacts, and benefits, before permanent infrastructure is built" and "there is only one chance to get it right." I agree.
I also believe it's important to do this work before any further funding is expended on the proposed Slave Geological Province Corridor. We need to understand the trade-offs and opportunity costs; in other words, identify what a similar expenditure of funds in any other economic sector would generate in terms of employments and benefits and the distribution of those jobs and benefits.
On August 10th, the Federal Minister of Northern Affairs responded by saying that they would like to bring together a group to do some preliminary work to establish the regional study's purpose, proposed scope, and to discuss potential sources of funding.
I was pleased to see that the Tlicho government copied the Kitikmeot Inuit Association signaling its interest in a trans-boundary approach.
Given the precarious state of the Bathurst caribou herd, a joint effort on a regional study with Nunavut interests would seem to be a requirement.
I would also want to make sure that a series of broad future scenarios are developed, including no mineral or infrastructure development, along with analysis of opportunity, costs and alternatives. Participant funding to allow Indigenous governments and civil society to conduct their own research and contribute to this effort should be another cornerstone of GNWT's position.
I will have questions later today for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources on what the GNWT position is on a regional study for the Slave Geological Province, and how this government intends to engage residents and Regular MLAs in putting forward any positions. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.