Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister responsible for Environment and Climate Change.

I could quickly say yes but expand it a little bit further. The Member is correct; the Department of Lands had completed an initial review of the Project Assessment Policy when we merged lands and ENR. Further work on the policy has continued through the Department of ECC. And as I've said the Project Assessment Policy will be revised before the end of this Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is correct, in my written response I said no, we're not going to do public. But, Mr. Speaker, the Project Assessment Policy already exists and is being updated based on feedback and concerns shared by boards, IGIOs, and the public, during the Tlicho All-Season Road and the Giant Mine process. The Project Assessment Policy is an internal policy that defines how the GNWT works internally among departments for project assessments and will continue where the government is the proponent. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Monsieur le President. So a key feature of the devolution agreement was the establishment of an Intergovernmental Council to allow the public and Indigenous governments to corporate and collaborate on matters related to lands and resources management. And, Mr. Speaker, that sentence is taken directly from the IGC website.

So can the Minister explain why his department does not intend to work with Intergovernmental Council in reviewing the Project Assessment Policy? Thanks, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I stated just on the last question, this policy defines how the GNWT works internally for the project assessments. Again, it's an internal document. The policy is, again, about the GNWT's -- on how the GNWT organizes work together among departments for environmental assessments prior to making any submissions to co-management boards. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. This may be an internal document, but it's public interest. I've raised this numerous times in the House, and it does involve expenditure of public monies as well. You know, this government has taken a keen interest in large infrastructure projects; it seemed part of Cabinet's mandate. GNWT's going to increasingly become a proponent in environmental assessment. And this Project Assessment Policy seems to be aimed at controlling the presentation of evidence and expert opinion that is not consistent with Cabinet's views.

So can the Minister tell us whether this government is really committed to evidence-based decisions and how will that be implemented in the context of GNWT-sponsored projects and related decision-making? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, I thank the Member for the question. The government is committed to evidence-based decisions. There is nothing in the Project Assessment Policy that prevents the presentation of evidence or expert opinions in the co-management process. Currently the GNWT, led by the Department of ECC, is working to define how the GNWT can be more transparent in environmental assessments, including decision-making of the GNWT projects. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.