Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Okay, thanks. I'd like to ask about the scientific review. Is there any public document that's now finished, or is it finished and when is it going to be made public? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We have asked for that to be made public as well. My understanding from the federal government is they're going to work with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, their membership first, and then we'll still pressure them to make that report public because I do believe it should be a public document. So thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Thanks. So I'm just trying to understand this. So scientific review was probably contracted by the federal government and, you know, it's finished. So why does that have to go through some sort of process with IRC before it's actually made public? Like, the work's finished I presume, but can you shed any light on that for me? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The work on the scientific review was to be done in cooperation with the Inuvialuit, the GNWT, the Yukon government. So that is why that work should be shared with the membership first. There's been no discussion with the four parties on that science-based review at this point. So we're asking for a review of that so that we can all sit at the table and discuss it first. And, really, I mean, even if they reached out to the Inuvialuit, it is their land. It's their area. So I think that they -- to do due diligence, I think that the federal government should share their findings and have that conversation with the people that are affected by it. After that work is done, then our next push is to make that public. But, again, recognizing that that's a federal government document. We took part in it and so all we're asking for is to let's have the conversations first. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Yeah, just seems rather mysterious to me, but okay. I want to move on to the external advisory table that I think this is another place where I can raise that, or is there a different activity I'm supposed to raise it in?

Sorry, which?

Thanks, Madam Chair. So there's an external advisory table for NGOs that EIA had committed to establish, it seems like a long time ago. There was a public call for people to submit names. Where are we at with this, and is this the right activity to ask questions about that? Thanks, Madam Chair.

If it's not, I'm sure you'll have the answer. Madam Premier.

Thank you, Madam Chair. It took me a while to figure out which committee as well. So yes, the NGO advisory committee, we did ask -- put an ad out, ask for people that were interested to sit on that committee. We got quite a few interested actually and so we've just picked the committee members. We tried to be as diverse as possible within that and representing all the regions as well, not just in from Yellowknife. And so we're just -- I believe this week/last week they've appointed. They're letting people know now. And they have one month to be able to do that work and then bring back recommendations to us on what we should be doing differently with the NGO sector. As soon as we find out more, so we will actually be willing to meet with committee as well and update committee. Thank you.

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Thanks, Madam Chair. So can the Minister share the membership of this external -- or the NGO advisory group with Members even on a confidential basis if necessary, or announce it, even better? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Madam Premier.

Thank you, Madam Chair. So I will have to check. I mean, that work has just been going on. So we'll check to see if they've all been notified first, which I know that they've been working on the last week so hopefully they've all been notified although sometimes people are hard to get. So I'm not too sure if it will be made public. I don't see a reason why. But the least I will commit to is that if there's any reason that I can't, then I will share the names of all members with MLAs in confidence, if there's any reason that I can't. But I don't see at this point why I can't. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. I'm all for doing it publicly. Like, I would think that this is something you'd want to give yourselves some credit for, so. In any event, I think I heard the Premier say, though, that this group is only going to be around for a month? It seems like a pretty short timeframe to look at some of these issues and I would have thought that you might want to have some kind of group like this maybe on an ongoing basis, maybe they meet, you know, once or twice a year to bounce ideas off them. They might have some advice, suggestions, for how we improve our relationship and funding of NGOs. But did I hear that right, just one month to do some work? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, this group that we're bringing together now is a working group, Madam Chair. All of them should have experience within the fields, hopefully years of experience within the different fields. So we're really looking from them from an experience viewpoint of what do they need, what do we need to work on now. I agree with the Member that perhaps this should be something that's long term. I don't think that at this point I'm ready to commit to that. This is going to be a group that will receive an honorarium for their work done. I think that in general, Madam Chair, that the NGO sector has not been consulted appropriately within governments, this government, past governments. This government had COVID in fairness but past governments as well. So I think that the Member is right. We should be looking at some kind of a forum that we can actually have more engagement with the NGO sector. They're valuable, they provide incredible amount of work, and we do need to recognize them. But this work is to meet our commitments, our priority, and it's really structured work-focused and paid work. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Thanks, Madam Chair. Yeah, I guess I'd like to get a commitment from the Premier then that the report recommendations, whatever, from this group are going to be made public and that there's going to be a response from the Cabinet to those recommendations that can also be made public. Thanks, Madam Chair.