Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to recognize a constituent of Yellowknife South, Leslie Goit. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the honourable Wally Schumann will be late arriving in the House today to attend a videoconference before the House of Commons' Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

There is no onshore hydraulic fracturing going on, so there is nothing to review.

The science-based review of offshore development was a federal decision that accompanied their decision to put a moratorium on all gas licensing in the Arctic. We made it very clear that we didn't support a moratorium, and we agreed to participate in the review because we felt that would be one of the ways to work to get rid of the moratorium. We are very pleased to see that the federal government has agreed to start negotiations on devolution on the offshore.

Also, on the offshore, we have a strong legislative and regulatory framework to oversee oil and gas development, and they are subject to the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act and the Mackenzie Valley EIRB. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I indicated, we will be asking for a time slot to brief committee, and committee will be involved, like they are in all of the other process of this government.

In 2014 the Government of the Northwest Territories met with Canada, IRC, and the Yukon to look at initial discussions around interests to inform Canada's mandate development process. We also had some preliminary discussions with Newfoundland and Labrador to start a process of information-sharing around their experience in the offshore. However, with the announcement of the moratorium, we haven't done any further work. We will be seeking a contract negotiator with expertise in oil and gas. Committee has requested a briefing to provide input before the Government of the Northwest Territories finalizes its negotiating approach, and I would be pleased to provide a briefing to committee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is industry interest in the oil and gas resources in the Beaufort Sea. There was evidence of that when industry successfully bid $2.3 billion worth of work, and also, we know that there are recoverable estimates of seven billion barrels of oil and 82 billion cubic feet of natural gas in the offshore.

However, at the present time, with the current moratorium, all activity and interest is on hold until there is certainty. If and when the moratorium is lifted, companies will make decisions on whether or not and when to conduct future exploration and development. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the honourable Wally Schumann will be absent from the House today and tomorrow to attend the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers of Tourism meeting in Calgary, Alberta. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We have been in discussions with the Dehcho Grand Chief on several occasions. She has indicated to us that they are still doing work in this area, and we are very optimistic that they will come back with a positive response so that we can move forward and hopefully bring these negotiations to a conclusion before the end of this Legislative Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

There was never an intention to transfer the subsurface of the Edehzhie back to the federal government. The discussions that we have been having is that it would be controlled in the Northwest Territories by the Aboriginal government and the Government of the Northwest Territories through an agreement that would be established through the Dehcho process.