Thank you, Mr. Chair. During my remarks, I aim to address some critical priorities impacting our residents, my community, and the region.
It is evident that our government is falling short in serving our communities and the NWT Indigenous government organizations. Much of what I am going to say, it may resonate with fellow colleagues and their ridings. You won't hear no big territorial projects from me other than funding a territorial trauma treatment centre and regional aftercare support programs in existing facilities; however, you will hear more about the need of fine tuning our government programs and services and invest in our communities and the infrastructure deficit. This approach is intended to stimulate the local economy through community-based employment rather than benefitting distant southern corporations that leave without spending a dime in our communities.
My community, like others, struggle with health care issues, education concerns, formula funding for the town of Hay River, funding nonprofit groups, and criminal activities. These were also key points during my campaign trail. However, we still face issues with the wildfires, flood problems that remain unaddressed, and proper dredging of waterways and MTS issues.
A project that could have detrimental effects on my community and the territory if not completed is the repair of the CN rail line. Our rail access needs to be repaired now, not later, and not next summer. If it doesn't get done in a timely manner, it may not get done at all. Without a rail line, there is a greater risk of a loss to MTS and other companies in Hay River resulting in job loss and residents likely leaving my community. The GNWT is ultimately responsible for leading the discussions with CN and supporting those operations. Without our government taking lead in addressing this, we're are setting up the next shipping season for failure and ultimately our mismanaged wildfires that put us in this situation.
Health care is an ongoing issue in Canada; however, some quick simple assistance from my community is the return of recruitment dollars for doctors to the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority without it having going through Yellowknife. We also need to return Hay River to a community health board and not an appointed public administrator. We need the community interest, not government interest to take care of us. Our health care -- the health of our residents should be a priority. I will have more to address on this in the coming months.
Regarding the development of the proposed NT polytechnic university, I want to see this project stopped with funding directed back to the Aurora College for improvement, development, and expanding of what we already built. We can't operate what we already have effectively; why build bigger? We need to concentrate on our current education system, our youth, and the communities, not some dream world projects. We need more money to support our current education system. And building new is just wasting money on O and M money we don't have. Some of this money could be used at home and our local schools. I know one of our schools that has an operating budget of $8,000. Kids are being asked to bring in tissue paper, and parents are asked to pay for school busing. When this is happening, we are failing our teachers and our students. We want higher graduation rates, then fix and support our system.
Our government always has been excuse of why it can't close the gap in funding, or funding formula for the communities. This must stop. And our government needs to work on fixing the formula funding and closing those gaps. It's been far too long of an issue.
Another long outstanding issue is the funding of ambulance services. The town of Hay River, like others, has been providing free ambulance service for the GNWT for years. It's not a legislative responsibility for free -- or sorry, for municipalities to provide these services on the back of local taxpayer dollars. I addressed this issue when I was on town council with MACA more than 20 years ago. I also addressed it through NWTAC through resolution, and all that has happened is studies. The studies are done, now let's get on with it. All the town of Hay River would have to do is stop providing these services for the GNWT to find a solution quickly. I don't think it has to come to this. All we need to do is sit down with the town of Hay River to discuss these issues. I will be addressing these issues repeatedly until they're resolved.
Throughout the territories, organizations like the Hay River biathlon group have had government and lotteries supports taken away from them. Regardless of the excuse, our government must find ways to work with these groups and others like it to keep our youth healthy and give them something to do other than turning to the streets of crime. We are ultimately responsible for a healthy NWT. We need to go to them to find ways to support them, not have them banging at our doorsteps to support groups with a very minor financial support. We can find ways to charter a plane for a day trip meeting, surely we can find ways to support our system and improve on what we already have.
Over the last ten years, I watched my community lose many GNWT services and jobs. I'm not sure the success of decentralization will ever transpire. This loss is exemplified not only in the loss of some jobs at the court services but also the absence of essential budgeted resources like the K9 unit located in Hay River for the South Slave Region. The K9 unit is vital in the fight against illegal activity and drugs in our community and quickly supports our RCMP members in the South Slave Region. Without essential resources and tools for the RCMP, it leads to an unsafe environment for RCMP staff and residents. Not only did they get inadequate housing, RCMP members in my community lack the supports to keep drug dealers out of our community and the North.
Hay River is unfortunately the hub of the drug trade. It is getting -- if it's getting into Hay River easily, it's also getting into my colleagues' ridings like in Fort Smith, Fort Resolution, Fort Simpson, just for a couple examples. Our government needs to be tough on crime. We need to learn not to support criminal activities. Housing is a good example of where we could start. When an eviction order is approved, it doesn't need to sit on the Minister's desk for signature. Our government must take drug dealers and bootleggers out of our houses. Housing programs are a privilege, not a right. We can then utilize houses for those in the real need and are willing to contribute positively to a healthy community and territory. This will also address some of our housing concerns by properly utilizing our housing supports for their intended use, not bootlegging and drug dealing.
Another huge problem in our community is the cost of living. Unless something is done to bring down the cost of living, residents will leave. And slowly our community will die off. There needs to be a change, and we need to look at not only attracting residents but keeping the ones we have. A few items that can assist to bring down the cost of living is legislation. We could put legislation in place that stops price gouging, better utilize Nutrition North funding and approved funding access for northern grown and produced food. We also need to drop the carbon tax. We need an NWT made solution to go to the federal government to drop the carbon tax.
Our local floods and fires have opened the eyes of many people on how unprepared we are as a government. In my 30 years in emergency services, I can say that I'm not surprised. Our EMO needs more attention. We need to listen to those on the ground to understand how to implement programs to protect our residents. We don't have to look far for examples of our failures, the horrible implementation of the 9-1-1 system and how regional assistant fire marshals report to regional superintendents and not the NWT fire marshal. We must improve the territorial EMO services. I will be bringing forward a motion at an appropriate time to call for a third-party independent review of the two Hay River fire events last year.
Our government needs to learn from its mistakes for the health and safety of our communities. My community of Hay River and our neighbours are hurting. We are losing families to the south. They are moving because they can't take it anymore. Three evacuations in 16 months aren't easy. Even one isn't easy. When Yellowknife loses a family, hardly anyone notices. However, when we lose a family in a small community, we notice as it affects our staffing levels, our volunteers, funding for our schools and territory. When the population drops, so does our transfer dollars. Our government needs to change its way of thinking. Our government should support our communities, ensure all GNWT jobs stay in place and aid local governments and keeping residents healthy and happy through funding programs and addressing local issues.
We must stop building roads for industry. Our current territorial roadways are neglected and in disrepair. We can't keep up on the road maintenance we currently have and provide adequate emergency response on them. If industry wants resources, they should build the roads as they do down south. However, we do need to cut the red tape, work with them, and collaborate with Indigenous government organizations to achieve this. Our economy is an important and vital to our success and working together with industry and all interest groups will keep us on track.
We need to fine tune our government operations and build on what we have. With our already great government programs and great staff, we can create a healthier and improved NWT for all residents. Thank you, Mr. Chair.