Thanks, Mr. Chair. Just more of a comment I think at this point. This is systematic of what I've said about this government's approach to climate change, the climate crisis, all along. It's divided up amongst three ministries. No one seems to want to take responsibility for an overall coordinated approach. ENR is supposed to have the lead but doesn't really. And I don't detect any changes from what happened in the last Assembly, the last Cabinet's approach; it's failing. The stats show that. And we're not going to reach the Pan-Canadian Framework. So another plea to change course, please, to try to save the planet. Thank you, Mr. Chair, that's all I have on this activity.

Mahsi, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister, do you have any comments on that?

Committee, any further -- whoops, just backlog there. There are no further questions, we can turn to page 80.

Environment and Natural Resources, environmental stewardship and climate change, operations expenditure summary, 2022-2023 Main Estimates, $14,270,000. Does committee agree?

Agreed? Thank you. We'll move on to forest management beginning on page 83, with information item on page 86. Any questions, forest management. No questions? Whoops, stop. Mr. Johnson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I see there's about $30 million for forest firefighting and for suppression here. I know the last couple years, largely due to COVID, we have taken a bit of a pre-emptive presuppression method which costs us a little more but one of the benefits is that we have less risk of, you know, intermingling crowds and requiring maybe southern firefighters should there be a bad season. Can I just have the Minister speak to whether we are doing a similar approach this year or whether -- what our approach to fire suppression is going into this year? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Johnson. Minister.

So we are looking at this very topic right now. What we are seeing presently with the variants out there is that we may be doing the same approach moving forward but we need to look at that and confirm it. But for details, I'll turn to the deputy minister, if she has anything else to add. Thank you.

Deputy minister.

Mahsi. Mr. Johnson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I know that method costs us quite a bit more, and I know that a bad forest fire season usually means a SUP and it costs us quite a bit more than $30 million. I believe we -- due to COVID, we've kind of been -- and increased tanker costs, running well above the average for a couple years now, and I believe there's some sort of formula of when we readjust these numbers.

Can I just have the Minister speak to whether we anticipate having to, you know, budget more than $30 million going forward to forest fires given the kind of five-year average of increased costs? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Johnson. Minister.

For that detail, I'll turn to the deputy minister. Thank you.

Deputy minister.

Mahsi. Mr. Johnson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess I'm wondering what work the department does to kind of look to whether we are spending too much on forest fires. I guess I want to start by saying I think some of -- these are some of the best jobs in the whole territory. I have no issue with the $13 million in compensation and benefits here. A lot of good experience and good training comes out of forestry firefighting. But there is $18 million in contract services here. I imagine the vast majority of that is our tanker contract and our helicopter contract. But in past years in a bad fire season, ENR has essentially not used that, or I think kind of scrambles to find ways to creatively use helicopters because we pay no matter what under the contract.

Can I just have the Minister speak to whether we have reviewed these contracts for possible cost savings. $18 million every single year is a lot of money. Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Johnson. Minister.

Yeah, so what I can tell you is that we look at it every year. We look at it at the beginning of the year. We look at it at the end of the year. And right now is where we see what's available. One of the things is that what Members need to understand is because of the fire season and that, if we don't have the helicopters in the communities or the tankers in the community or the staff in the communities and we don't have contracts, we pay more, and we pay big bucks in that. So right now, we feel good with what we are budgeting, but there is a process, and I will turn to the deputy minister for clarity on the process. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mahsi. Deputy minister.

Mahsi. Mr. O'Reilly.

Yes, I have a couple questions I'd like to pursue here. I see that wildfire risk management plans, that there was $275,000 spent last year and only 75 budgeted for this year. So where did the extra money come from to do the plans last year and why are we not continuing that level of funding forward to help protect communities? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Mahsi, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.