Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just bear with me because I have to use my computer for this one.
Mr. Speaker, after careful review of the budget, I would like to confirm that there are departments that I'm pleased with and those that are left wanting.
And I just want to make a point, is that, you know, I'm an Indigenous person, lived in the Northwest Territories all my life. I have worked blue collar jobs. I, you know, worked, you know, my way up. I know what it's like to have to put food on the table; you know, go without a wage. You know, I felt the bad times and I felt the good times. So, you know, I'm hoping that, you know, what I say has some bearing.
Mr. Speaker, we are about to come out of the pandemic with limited new capital projects that would ensure our northern residents and businesses will be put to work. Absent any new medium-sized projects, we may experience a period of reduced opportunities for small to medium-sized businesses that may well resonate into a period of stagnation in the NWT.
Albeit, we do have major project work being carried over from previous Assemblies such as the Mackenzie Valley Highway, Talston Expansion, and the Slave Geological Province Corridor.
These long-term projects will continue well into the 20th Assembly and beyond. These projects will provide some northern employment in the future but as with many of the larger projects in the North, will eliminate many of the small to medium or midsized businesses from participating.
Mr. Speaker, if we are to move out of this pandemic and move ahead as a territory, then we must make sure that we immediately identify and plan our short and medium-term infrastructure needs. It is these projects that are the bread and butter of most businesses in the North. These projects support and aid in the continued growth of our communities.
Mr. Speaker, the federal government has provided stimulus dollars to continue to fuel the economy during the pandemic. This will come to an end and we, as a government, have failed in developing business plans needed to secure and back up any requests for securing sufficient project dollars. The lack of new capital projects in the budget raises a question: What has this government been doing for the last two years in respect to seeking federal infrastructure funding for the NWT?
We need to immediately identify infrastructure projects, develop plans, and meet with the federal government to request those dollars to fund projects. Here, we have failed.
Mr. Speaker, another issue is the lack of housing. This is a major stumbling block when it comes to employability in many of the small communities where jobs may be short term and seasonal. It is an issue when it comes to educating our youth. It is an issue when it comes to community health. It is an issue when it comes to addictions and mental health.
Mr. Speaker, housing is not only a matter for this or any government to solve. It is an issue that will need to be addressed through collaboration and buy-in from residents, communities, Indigenous governments, and the private sector. But it also takes money.
Mr. Speaker, this government has access to federal programs that support new infrastructure. As example, the national housing co-investment fund, for which two streams exist with northern proponents having access to both. These program dollars are meant to provide for new revitalized and affordable housing. The government needs to ensure the supports are available for anyone or any organization wanting to access these funds.
Some of the issues with increasing the public and private sector market in the NWT is partly due to untimely legislative requirements, not understanding community needs, access to land, supply chain issues, increased material costs, access to labor, transportation issues, over design of buildings, maintenance and repair costs.
To move ahead, we need to build partnerships and action in many reviews and studies that have been completed. We need to have shovel-ready housing projects that will provide much needed housing to many of our Northerners, residents in the communities outside Yellowknife. Here, we are falling short. We have houses on the books that should have been built this year and haven't been.
Now, Mr. Speaker, one significant component of this Legislative Assembly is the diverse view and interests brought to the table by all 19 Members. This diversity can be appreciated in the priorities of this 19th Assembly, some with competing interests but all important.
One sector that we need to focus and support strongly is the nonrenewable resource sector. This sector resources are untapped. The lands of the Northwest Territories hold vast resource of minerals, oil and gas. We have to work towards reducing the timeline from inception to production. We must have substantive agreements that ensure compensation to this government is certain and fair. We must make sure that northern businesses are positioned to participate, that residents are positioned to participate.
To access these resources, we need roads to these resources and must focus on the construction of the Mackenzie Valley Highway by making it the highest of priorities as it is the one that will have a major impact on the economy, a major impact on business opportunities, a major impact on jobs, and a major impact on cost of living for residents of the NWT.
Mr. Speaker, this budget is light on community infrastructure housing and resource development; however, I will vote in support of this budget because we got to move ahead and I just hope that the -- or the Ministers on the other side take note of what I said. Thank you.
