In closing, I want to reassure the members that oil and gas management decisions are considered very carefully, and a significant level of assessment and consultation occur prior to any recommendation being provided to the minister regarding rights issuance.
We acknowledge that the events of the Gulf of Mexico are tragic, and they will have implications for Canada’s Arctic. The lessons learned will help shape the oil and gas program, but it is too early to speculate on the impacts. INAC is working closely with these other federal departments represented here today, as well as aboriginal communities and stakeholders, to incorporate the learnings from the event unfolding in the United States.
Thank you.