Hon. Dennis Glen Patterson: My question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate.

Senator Gold, we continue to face issues created by fallout from the pandemic, particularly in the North where the most severe lockdowns in the country were imposed to successfully prevent the spread of COVID.

Recently, I have been advised that the Qikiqtani Inuit Association is facing major cost overruns with regard to the building of infrastructure that was promised through the Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement, or IIBA, due to pandemic-related delays and increases in materials and labour shortages. Other infrastructure flowing from that IIBA has not been able to begin because the original budgets would require adjustment in order to enable contractors to properly bid on them.

On the other side of the territory, the Kitikmeot Inuit Association has had to pause their progress on the Grays Bay road and port project in order to focus on COVID response programs. It was important to prioritize those programs, but it meant that just over $20 million in funding received through the National Trade Corridors Fund is about to expire at the end of this fiscal year before they can put it to its intended use, namely the finalization of environmental assessment submission to the Nunavut Impact Review Board.

Recognizing that those issues are well beyond the control of the two regional Inuit associations, my question is this: Will your government be willing to both add additional funding to address the cost overruns of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association infrastructure and to extend the deadline on the National Trade Corridors Fund spending?