Thanks. So does that go to the Members of the Intergovernmental Council, or does it go to non-Intergovernmental Council Indigenous governments. Thanks.

Mahsi. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. It's not going to the -- towards the Intergovernmental Council process or to the Intergovernmental Council itself. That has a separate funding arrangement. It is for non-IGC members. Thank you.

Mahsi. Mr. O'Reilly.

Okay, thanks. Yeah. Yeah, look, and I compliment the department. They seem to be very successful in getting money out of the financial management board for resource management legislation. I just wish that ENR and Lands was as successful because they don't seem to get any extra money for their work. So that's just a comment, Mr. Chair. As much as I would like them to get money to do things, particularly in terms of public participation, that doesn't seem to happen. But are we actually going to get mining regulations before the end of this Assembly? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Mahsi. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I expect we will see the draft regulations before the end of the Assembly. There is still going to be the gazetting process and probably a section 35 consultation process. And I don't know that those two pieces will be complete before the end of the Assembly. Because this has gone through the IGC's legislative protocol development process, I expect that the section 35 process will be, hopefully, straightforward, though certainly don't want to presume, and then thereafter the gazette process is also standard. So those two pieces are likely to be after the end of the Assembly. Thank you.

Mahsi. Mr. O'Reilly.

Okay, thank you for that. And will these regulations, and the Minister's talked to us before about this, I think there's like four or five different sets, is one of them going to be on royalties? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Mahsi. Minister.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, that's correct. Thank you.

Mahsi. Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yeah, I attended the geoscience forum. There was a public presentation given by, I think it's a consultant that's been hired by ITI to do some modeling. Is that money reflected in here somewhere and where is that work at? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Mahsi. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I expect that is going to find itself under the contract services line item. I don't have the specific here. But it would be in the contribution -- it would either be reported under the procurement reporting that takes place around our own grants and contributions report. So I can figure out which one of the two it is and provide that to the Member.

Mahsi. Mr. O'Reilly.

Yeah, thanks, Mr. Chair. I have a funny feeling I probably got a couple of Members statements lined up on that subject as well so I don't think I'll pursue that any further here right now. But I will say that I'm interested in seeing the modeling , and I think committee should probably have a say in that, in what gets modeled or at least better understand or perhaps suggest some kind of modeling that might be done but that might be coming to the Minister in a different way.

So there's some other contributions here I'd like to ask about. The NWT Chamber of Mines, the $50,000 in core funding, can someone explain to me what that is going to be used for in 2023-2024? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Mahsi. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, it's not core funding, and let me just pre-empt the question. They did not get any 2.2 percent inflationary increase. As for what this is going to be used for, I'll ask the deputy minister to speak to that, please.

Deputy minister.

Mahsi. Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Well, we've had this debate many times - if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, squawks like a duck, it probably is a duck, so.

I'd like to move on to -- so there's this thing called Indigenous mineral development support program. And I note that the territorial agri-food association put on a recent -- or I guess it's still coming up. February 2023-2024, Grow NWT; it's a conference on agriculture. Where would Indigenous governments or, you know, NGOs in general, go to ITI to get money to attend a conference like that? Could they apply to this, you know, Indigenous mineral development support program for funding to go to an agri-foods conference? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Mahsi. Minister.