Good morning and congratulations, Mr. Speaker-elect. The government is responsible for providing services and programs. I want to know the position of the two individuals running for Premier.

What is your suggested approach on program reform or delivery and the time frame for each region?

Mahsi, Mr. McNeely. I will turn it over to Mr. Abernethy, Premier candidate.

Wow, that's a huge question, Mr. Speaker-elect. We have over 5,000 employees within the Government of the Northwest Territories. We have 14 different departments providing an incredible range of services, and those services are being provided to people across the entire Northwest Territories.

We heard that people are ready for us to do things different and to think differently. One of the things I would like to implement within the Government of the Northwest Territories for all program delivery staff and policy staff is an equity-based analysis, so when they're designing programs, they are aware of some of the challenges that some of our different groups across the Northwest Territories are feeling so that they can design programs that are really focused on the clients. So, when they are reviewing programs, they are reviewing programs with a focus on the diversity that exists across the Northwest Territories. I think this will help us design and build better programs.

This Assembly is about reviewing our programs and services, and all Members are going to be participating in a business planning process where they are going to bring ideas back to Cabinet and the Premier. Cabinet and Premier must be open to the suggestions that Regular Members are bringing forward because, in this case, Mr. McNeely lives in the Sahtu. I do not live in the Sahtu and have never lived in the Sahtu. He is my best resource for information on how programs and services can be delivered. So, I look forward to a relationship with the Member, as I do with all Members, so we can make sure we are making informed decisions here in the Northwest Territories.

As far as timelines, we have a business planning process. We do need to sit down and figure out how that's going to work out. We need to remember where our clients are, where our residents are, and we need to make sure that our programs and services meet the needs of those individuals. Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect.

Mahsi, Mr. Abernethy. I will turn it over to Mr. Bob McLeod, Premier candidate.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect. Program review is something government has been doing for some time. We have a Program Review Office that has a plan for the programs that they review. They have a schedule. We can tell them what programs we want to review and they come back and make recommendations. The hard part seems to be in deciding on what changes we want to make, because change is difficult at times and certainly if there are recommendations for significant change, it is difficult.

For the regional programs, the approach we should take is we should move them as close to the people as possible. Those programs that are not providing services on that basis should be reviewed and should change so it's effective and efficient to maximize the delivery of these programs.

Also, we have a Decentralization Policy where we are decentralizing positions out so the benefits of decentralization can be felt in the regions. I believe that process should continue, and I would like to see the Members endorse that process, so that we continue to build houses and build office space, so we can move positions into those communities. Obviously, we want to make sure that our programs are effective and efficient and are doing what they are supposed to be doing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect.

Next on my list is Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect I thank the candidates for putting their names forward. Yesterday the Truth and Reconciliation report was tabled and Prime Minister Trudeau issued an apology. The legacy of residential schools and its impact on First Nations communities, in terms of how the federal government will address that dark chapter, there is hope. The federal government is poised to bring fundamental changes to address the dark chapter in Canada.

What would you do as Premier to ensure that the GNWT plays a key role in collaborating efforts with the Government of Canada in bringing positive changes and program initiatives to address the generational impacts of residential schools in the Northwest Territories? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Nadli. I will turn it over to Mr. McLeod, Premier candidate.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect. Our government, largely through the interest of our Members, has played a leading role, not only in the Northwest Territories but in Canada, in participating in the Truth and Reconciliation process. I was very pleased, having attended residential school myself, to see the Prime Minister be very open about adopting and working to implement all 94 recommendations of the Reconciliation committee. I believe they are serious about making changes to address the effects of residential schools and our government.

If elected Premier, I will continue to work very closely with the Government of Canada and the people of the Northwest Territories to implement the recommendations of residential school. As a government, we have responded to the 94 recommendations and we will follow through. Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect. I think yesterday was an incredibly important day for the victims of residential school here in the Northwest Territories as well as across Canada, as my colleague has already indicated. The GNWT and the NWT have taken a real lead role in working with the TRC and other organizations as they have moved forward. We opened our jails so they could go in and do interviews. We were the first jurisdiction that did that.

The former Minister of Education actually started beginning work on curriculum development around the residential school experience. We've already started doing a number of things and we need to continue to be that leader. We have already seen the 94 recommendations. We have already started to work on the recommendations. Our Building Stronger Families here in the Northwest Territories already addresses a number of the recommendations. We're on the right track, but we still need to be a leader in this particular area because of the large number of our residents who have suffered through that experience.

I'm committed to meeting with the Prime Minister at our earliest convenience to talk about the different priorities that we have here in the Northwest Territories. On Monday when we were talking about our priorities, I mentioned this particular situation, the TRC report, the final report that was coming out, and I indicated at that time that it must be one of our priorities moving forward.

I'll meet with the Prime Minister. I'll meet with all the individuals across the Northwest Territories, all the Aboriginal leadership across the Northwest Territories, because it needs to be a collaborative effort as we continue to move forward with addressing these recommendations and this important healing process.

Mahsi, Mr. Abernethy. Next on my list, Mr. Blake, Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect. The cost of living is a major priority throughout the Northwest Territories. For example, in Aklavik my constituents are paying $1.99 per litre for gasoline.

If elected as Premier, how will you address this issue?

Thank you, Mr. Blake. I'll turn it over to Mr. Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect. There are many factors to cost of living in the Northwest Territories, and the Member is talking specifically about fuel. In a number of communities throughout the Northwest Territories, we provide fuel to those communities, and we provide it at no profit. We get our fuel at a price, we ship it into the community - the price of the fuel is basically the price plus the shipping - and a small, little amount that goes to the local distributor. We need to do better. We need to find ways to bring those costs down, but it's really going to depend on the actual price of the fuel that we pay, because we don't make a lot of profit on that.

Around fuel, it's going to take a little bit more creativity. I don't necessarily have any solutions how to bring the price of fuel down in Aklavik. But when it comes to other things like food security, there are real opportunities that we can utilize across the Northwest Territories. Food security in a community like Aklavik will help control the costs and ensure that people have access to fruits and vegetables, vegetables more specifically. We've got a number of programs that we can support community gardens, greenhouses and other things to help bring down the cost of living in communities like Aklavik.

Mahsi, Mr. Abernethy. I turn it over to Mr. McLeod, Premier
candidate.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect. Certainly, the cost of living is an issue that is raised by everybody who I talk to, and it's a large part of the reason that people are complaining. Certainly, I think it's very inequitable that in Aklavik the cost of gasoline is $1.99 and here in Yellowknife it's $1.09.

As a government, we provide fuel services in communities where there is no commercial provider of fuel. In Aklavik there is a commercial provider, and I think that if we were to deal with that we'd have to change our policy and recognize that it is a unique situation and it's a high cost to bear, and certainly, we would be prepared to look at the specific situation.

On the overall cost of living, I think that we need to review our food baskets so that we can make sure that we are providing for them on an equitable basis. When Prime Minister Trudeau wrote to us about what we could do about the high cost of living, he indicated they are prepared to increase the northern resident tax deduction by 33 percent, or 32 percent. Certainly, we would want to follow up to take him up on that offer, and I think that that would significantly benefit the Northwest Territories. In past dealings with trying to find solutions for the cost of living and dealing with industry, everybody said the best way to reduce the cost of living is through taxation, and certainly, with the northern resident tax deduction, that could be done.

The Nutrition North is also another federal program, and the federal government has indicated they are prepared to increase the number of communities they provide it to and also increase the amount of money they provide by $40 million over four years. I'm sure there are other opportunities to reduce the cost of living, but those are the ones we've thought of so far.

Mahsi, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Moses, Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect. With such a big job ahead of us, there are a lot of questions that we could ask both Premiers. As Members of the Legislative Assembly, we deal with a lot of constituency concerns. Some of them, in some cases, can't get addressed due to the complexity of the issue of the complexity of how government operates.

Establishing an office of the ombudsman in the Northwest Territories has been under discussion since the 12^th Legislative Assembly and, most recently, three motions were passed during the 17^th Legislative Assembly, one asking for the GNWT to bring forward legislation for the establishment of an ombudsman for the Northwest Territories. That came back with the response that there are appeals processes provided to people of the Northwest Territories.

Secondly, when that response came back, it gave the Government Operations an opportunity to review what are the good chances of an ombudsman's office. What came out of that was that we needed to create legislation so that the members of the public understand their rights and that the ombudsman provides a single point of contact for people who have difficulty dealing with the GNWT

A final motion called for legislation once again, and that response was tabled in February of 2015. Most recently, a draft Ombudsman Act for the Northwest Territories was tabled in this House October 1, 2015. This was big on the agenda of many Members in the last government who sat on Government Operations. We do have a lot of appeals processes throughout the Northwest Territories, but when you go to one area, you get passed to another person, to another person. If we had that single point of contact as an office of the ombudsman here in the Northwest Territories... A lot of jurisdictions have it. The Yukon has it.

I want to ask both candidates running for Premier, will you support the creation of an office of the ombudsman so that people in the Northwest Territories who are having difficulties dealing with the GNWT have a single point of contact to get their issues addressed?

Mahsi, Mr. Moses. I'll turn the floor over to Mr. McLeod, Premier candidate.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect. The question of ombudsman, as the Member indicated, has been around for some time. I think every jurisdiction in Canada except perhaps for one or two provinces and territories don't have an ombudsman. In the past there have been questions of cost. I think an ombudsman office costs up to $10 million in Quebec. I guess Yukon is the closest example, where it's about $400,000. That was one of the issues.

The Government Operations committee supported it. It was recommended. The 17^th Assembly ran out of time to get it done, so it was put forward as a recommendation from the 17^th Assembly to the 18^th Assembly as a transition item. Certainly, if I am elected Premier, and all Members support or reinforce the need and agree for the need of an ombudsman, I would be very prepared to do so. I think that certainly I am aware of instances where individuals have long-standing issues that they've tried to address through the government and come up against many dead ends. I know last Assembly we also interacted with the ombudsman from Ontario who was very persuasive and he was very proud of the work that he did as an ombudsman and of the fact that he could resolve long-outstanding issues for employees, government employees or individuals in Ontario. Certainly, I'd be prepared to move forward with it and move forward in a timely basis. Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect.

Mahsi, Mr. McLeod. Now I'll turn it over to Mr. Abernethy, Premier candidate.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect. I have read the report prepared by Government Operations. I think it's a very good report. I think there is significant value in an ombudsman here in the Northwest Territories. A couple of things. I don't see it as being an officer of the government. I see it as being an officer of the Legislative Assembly. Given that we'll actually be doing reviews of things the government is doing, it can't actually be a body of government. Therefore, I think it's the responsibility of Caucus to direct whether or not we move forward with an ombudsman. If Caucus says yes, I am fully supportive of it. As a government leader, I would be happy to help facilitate the development of some legislation, but ultimately it's going to be legislation of the Legislative Assembly as opposed to legislation of the Government of the Northwest Territories.

This is a good idea. This is something that needs to happen. We need to make sure that we're not duplicating any of the services that we're providing through a number of our other statutory officers. There might be some opportunities to start rolling some of those in under an ombudsman, but it's something that its time has come and we need to move forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker-elect.

Mahsi, Mr. Abernethy. Next on my list, Mr. Sebert, Thebacha.