Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, this question is for the Minister of Justice. In his mandate letter for the Minister of Justice, the Premier asks him to, "improve our social response to crime reduction by examining and analyzing social indicators, conducting research on what works to reduce crime, and identifying any gaps and territorial programming." My question for the Minister is: how is this work progressing? Thank you.

Minister Sebert.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. One of our successes in this area is the integrated case management operation. I can advise this house that we will be receiving an evaluation report shortly. This has assisted members of the community who have multiple needs and I think it is an important and successful program. ICM is working well and hopefully, it will work well into the future. Thank you.

Masi. Questions for Ministers. Next on my list, I have Member Beaulieu.

Marsi cho, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I have a question for the Minister of Infrastructure. Mr. Chairman, the GNWT could spend $200 million on infrastructure. Staying in NWT economy that could be worth two or three times that amount, so have a significant impact of $400 to $600 million on GNWT economy annually if that money could remain in the Northwest Territories using economic terms like the invisible hand multiplier effect and how the money works in the economy. I’d like to ask the Minister if he would look at or if he would commit to looking at all ways of keeping the money in the Northwest Territories for all of the contracting that goes on by the GNWT. Thank you.

Masi. Minister Schumann.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have lots of large projects within the Department of Infrastructure. We have a fiscal policy that we have to follow when we tender these things out. We looked at all multiple ways that we can have NWT residents participate in all contracting opportunities in the NWT and be it a road project or a large building, these sorts of things. We have MOUs that we have signed with Aboriginal governments around business opportunities with them. We will continue to support those moving forward. We are in discussions with some of them right now and also signing new MOUs around that process, but we have a fiscal process that we follow, a framework. We will continue to work on that, but we do on a case-by-case basis try to have this money reach as many GNWT businesses and residents as possible when we’re contracting. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Masi. Questions for Ministers. Next on my list, I have Member Testart.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Standing Committee on Government Operations has worked on several files related to the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. We’ve asked for certain changes to be made, such as to the NGO fund. We’ve made recommendations there. We’ve made recommendations to performance audits. Oftentimes, the department disagrees with us despite the fact that the committee made up of representatives of thousands of Northerners are asking to work with the Minister on these things. The answers back are often unsatisfactory, so I'd like to know if the Minister, over the second course of her term, will endeavour to have a better working relationship with this committee, especially around performance audits and around long-standing issues like the NGO Stabilization Fund and the amendments to the CTV Act. Thank you.

Minister Cochrane.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I wasn't aware, actually, that the standing committee felt that we didn't work well with them on the performance audit, actually, because we have implemented all of the recommendations from the Auditor General and we are implementing recommendations from the standing committee on that, as well. So that's kind of news to me to start with.

The CTV Act, we've been really engaged, and we've heard the Members on the CTV Act. We are working with the City of Yellowknife and the tax-based communities on getting a hotel levy tax, and also an energy retrofit program. So I'm not sure; if there are pieces that I'm missing on that, then please bring that to my attention because I'm not aware that I'm actually missing more on those as well.

So, yes, I’m more than willing to work with the standing committee. In fact, when I started, I thought it would be a different process. I thought we would actually sit down together and bring up issues and be able to sit and brainstorm like normal workshops facilitation goes on. I didn't realize that the process that I had to bring something forward and standing committee gave me their feedback and then I had to come back. If I was to change things in government, that would be one thing I would change. I think it would save us a lot more time if we could actually sit around a table and hash things out and then go back and do the work.

Yes, I am more than willing to work with standing committee, and if there are things that within the audit or the CTV Act that I have missed, then please bring that to my attention because I'm not aware of them. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Masi. Questions for Ministers. Next on my list, I have Member Green.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, my question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services. In your mandate letter the Premier asks you to develop financing options for long-term care facilities, propose a regulatory framework for long-term care, develop and implement an action plan for enhanced home and community care services, and develop and implement an action plan for expanded palliative care services. Of this list, just one item has been accomplished, and that's the continuing care plan, which is a plan looking for resources. Can the Minister tell us whether he will be able to complete the rest of the tasks on this list in the life of this Assembly? Mahsi.

Minister Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, as I indicated earlier today, there are over 84 individual items that fall under the mandate in the government right now. We have completed many of them. We are in process of many of them, and yes, we are behind on a couple, but I am committed to getting all of that work that the Member described done. I am committed to moving forward every mandate item that is in this document for the Department of Health and Social Services. I will be working closely with committee to move those forward. I believe, you know, we're only two years in, Mr. Chair. We've got two years left. We have done an awful lot of work in the first two years, and there's an awful lot of work left in the last two years. I'm committed to getting that done, and I look forward to working with committee to make it a reality. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Masi. Questions for Ministers. Next on my list, I have Member O'Reilly.

Merci, Monsieur le President. My question is for the Minister of Lands. Part of our mandate commitments included development of a "sound financial security system to prevent public liabilities." During our watch of NWT resources, the Cantung Mine went into receivership and Cabinet took out a special warrant to buy Mactung. I cannot recall seeing any new policy, regulations, or legislation that could possibly protect us from new public liabilities from resource development. Can the Minister explain why there's been no visible progress on this important mandate commitment to prevent public liabilities? Mahsi, Mr. Chair.

Masi. Minister Sebert.

Masi. Questions for Ministers. Next on my list, I have Member Vanthuyne.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chairman, my question is for Minister Schumann. Mr. Chair, the Yellowknife Airport Improvement Fee and the Airport Revolving Fund were brought in at a time when the economy was sluggish, and the fee certainly raised a number of concerns about contributing to the increasing costs of living, as well as the increasing costs of doing business. The Northern Air Transportation Association, many airlines, the NWT Tourism, the Chamber of Mines, and of course plenty of individuals shared their opinions and views and their concerns about the effects of this fee. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment made a number of recommendations, including considering a phased-in approach. I would like to ask the Minister, if he had the opportunity again, would there be any changes with regard to the parts of the process leading to the establishment of that fee? Would he make any changes? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Masi. Minister Schumann.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess this goes back to the question we had earlier today about leadership. When the department came to me about implementing the revolving fund, I sat there and I went through it with the officials, and I made a decision. I believe we made the right decision. This is going to help spur economic growth, particularly in the Yellowknife Airport and the surrounding region. The costs that are going to be passed on to the residents of the Northwest Territories are very minimal; I believe when I was in front of Committee of the Whole I said I don't want to do a phased-in approach because we might as well rip off the band-aid and get right to it. I believe it's the right decision that we made as a government, and it's freed up other capital so we can put it towards other initiatives that this Assembly wants to do. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Masi. Questions for Ministers. Next on my list, I have Member Green.