Yes, Mr. Chair. I have just a few additional comments.
Thank you to Mr. Nirlungayuk for his comments. As he mentioned, I'm the acting assistant deputy minister for Intergovernmental Affairs.
In my opening comments, I'd like to recognize the role that the federal government has taken in involving Inuit and the Government of Nunavut in its regulatory improvement initiative for the north. Recently it made amendments to the Territorial Lands Act, which has allowed for better enforcement mechanisms and greater predictability and transparency with respect to the management of lands in Nunavut. Also, the federal government worked closely with the Government of Nunavut to enact the Nunavut Planning and Project Assessment Act, which also brings a lot of regulatory certainty to Nunavut, and which we think will foster greater investment in Nunavut. We'd like to acknowledge the federal government's role in involving the territorial government and Inuit in this regulatory initiative.
As members of the committee may know, the Government of Nunavut is currently engaged in devolution discussions to transfer jurisdiction over lands and resources from the federal government to the Government of Nunavut. The proposed amendments to the Nunavut Waters and Nunavut Surface Rights Tribunal Act will contribute to a transparent and effective regulatory system in Nunavut. An effective regulatory system is a key component of devolution and will assist in the transition of land and water management from Canada to Nunavut. As my colleague noted, this is an important piece of legislation for the north and will contribute to the environmental protection and economic development of Nunavut.
Mr. Chair, those are my opening remarks. Like my colleague, I'm prepared to answer any questions from the committee.