This particular discovery licence is the last one that is grandfathered. That was the point I had tried to make earlier. I think I wasn't, perhaps, putting it all together very clearly, but it is a grandfathered one. It's the last one of its kind. Mr. Speaker, I, also, would prefer to look forward into the future and not be talking about items that come forward from the past. Because this particular one and all of the things that it's associated to in the other licences it's associated to don't have a rental fee put into their significant discovery licence, out of simple fairness and out of simple fact, it is not appropriate to take something that was under a previous legal regime. It's already been wedged into this new legal regime where it's already not going to have an indeterminate significant discovery licence. It's going to have only a 15-year licence, and it's going to come with the expectation of having benefit plans if, in fact, there's work. There are significant new benefits under the new regime, but some things, putting in the rental fee, which others that it came up with, didn't have -- Mr. Speaker, on full reflection and the legal review, that's not a fair way to proceed. It's not a good way to show ourselves to have a good reputation for fairness, and it certainly exposes us to legal risk. That's the challenge that I'm faced with, Mr. Speaker. Going forward, this act does give the ability to, from day one when there's a bid, set up a system where there are bids, where there's rental fees and fees that will bring in, hopefully, a better sort of revenue into the Northwest Territories.
Caroline Wawzonek on Question 649-19(2): Husky Energy Significant Discovery License
In the Legislative Assembly on March 9th, 2021. See this statement in context.
Question 649-19(2): Husky Energy Significant Discovery License
Oral Questions
March 9th, 2021
Page 2391
See context to find out what was said next.