Natural Resources committee  At this stage, the possibility of a 43% cut still remains a possibility. What we do in the agency is carry out our duties to the best of our ability. Right now the agency is not doing all 6,000 of those. You have to remember that these 6,000 projects are carried out across 40 dif

Natural Resources committee  In the coming months we see no reason for the quality of environmental protection to suffer. This government has a commitment to environmental assessment quality, and we will wait and see what the decision is on budget cuts.

Natural Resources committee  We are waiting to hear about the evaluation of the projects management office, and when we hear about that evaluation and the results in terms of a cabinet decision about what will happen to our funding, we will put in place whatever plans we need to put in place.

Natural Resources committee  I think the question you're asking is very political and it's very difficult for me as a public servant to talk about what the political plans of the government are.

Natural Resources committee  Yes, we agree with his assessment. It is necessary for us to look at the methods to assess cumulative effects better. What he's asked is that when we have some information from the cumulative effects assessment in one particular assessment to use it in future ones. The particula

Natural Resources committee  First of all, of the 6,000 that we would do in a year, only 1% of them would end up either as a comprehensive study or as a review panel. Technically, according to the act, something that starts as a screening could receive a request to be elevated to a review panel, or a compreh

Natural Resources committee  We could decide to take something to a review panel that the province was not doing, but our practice would always be to work with the province and to get an agreement with the province on what the best way is to deal with the issue. We know that we are better served if we can wo

Natural Resources committee  I've been very impressed with what the major projects management office has been able to accomplish. They've helped set up project agreements with timelines. That's the first thing. We have a tracker that is available to the public so they can watch what is happening on any given

Natural Resources committee  There's virtually no involvement in the north. The reason is that in the north, north of 60, the environmental assessment regimes are dependent on the particular arrangements through comprehensive claims. In those land claims, a board will be established. For example, in the Yuko

Natural Resources committee  I am pleased to be here. My understanding is that as you embark on your work on the north, it would be useful for you to have a briefing on how environmental assessment works. My purpose is go to over a deck; I don't have any prepared remarks. I will review the deck, which explai