Mr. Chair, there are a couple of sources for funds, for both allowing the agency to play a leadership role in managing the consultations with first nations, but perhaps more important, providing capacity funding for first nations to participate as part of the government's recently announced initiative to improve the performance of the regulatory system for major resource projects. There was a sum of $2.3 million that was earmarked for funding this proactive leadership of the consultations but also for participant funding for the 14 review panels that are currently being forecast coming forward.
Indeed, some of that work and some of the allocation of this funding has already taken place--for example, projects like the Lower Churchill hydroelectric development, the Joslyn Creek oil sands project, and in B.C., the Prosperity Gold Mine initiative is also benefiting from agency involvement in leading the consultations but also access to capacity funding.