Thank you, Mr. Chair. Today I am seeking this Assembly's support for the position of Premier of the 19^th Legislative Assembly. I believe my background provides me with the insight, experience, and education necessary to consider all needs of the Northwest Territories and guide this Assembly effectively as a consensus government. As a Minister who held seven portfolios over the last four years in the 18^th Legislative Assembly, I also gained a perspective on the operations and procedures within government, especially what worked and what didn't work. I believe I have the experience and commitment to lead this government within the true spirit of consensus government.

My heart is in the North. My family moved to Yellowknife 56 years ago, when I was a small baby. My partner, Rory, moved here in his early teens, and together we have a blended family with children and a grandchild living here. My commitment is to the long-term prosperity of the North, its people, and its programs and services that people need to live a healthy and prosperous life.

I am also a proud Metis woman, and my Indigenous mother and non-Indigenous father have instilled a sense of caring for all people.

Like many, my life was not always easy. I experienced the hardships of family addiction, violence, and homelessness. As a single parent of two young children, I understood that education was the key to not only my future, but also for theirs. I returned to school and obtained a degree in social work.

Before entering this Legislative Assembly, I dedicated 20 years to supporting the needs of our most marginalized populations. I understand from a personal and a professional perspective that we need to weigh in the needs of all sectors in defining our priorities, direction, and actions. As we move forward, I have confidence that you will find that I have a balanced perspective; I am open and honest; and, above all, I consider the needs of all people and all communities.

On October 9^th I listened to all MLAs who spoke on the needs of their constituents. I heard the need to consider the sustainability of the earth and the impacts of climate change; the need to consider the housing, health, and education wellness needs of our people and our communities; the need for addressing the economic crisis that the territory is facing; and the need to work together as we address these concerns.

The Premier and Cabinet are responsible for developing a four-year mandate that meets the priorities outlined by this Legislative Assembly. Collaboration within the consensus model is important to its success and, if elected Premier, I will ensure that Regular MLAs are included in the finalizing of the government's mandate to meet these priorities. I will also ensure that the mandate will have realistic outcomes and that all actions will include department leads and timelines to ensure accountability. As Premier, I will, with your help, make our vision a reality.

As Premier, I will also hold my Ministers accountable through public mandate letters that will outline the priorities of each department. Ministers and departments will be directed to work closely with Indigenous governments, NGOs, and service providers to provide comprehensive programming and supports.

I will not stand before you and tell you which priorities I think are most important, because they all are. I also believe that, if we are going to work within a consensus system, the priorities that need to be addressed will be defined together by all 19 Members. However, I want to take some time to discuss the priorities that I feel are important to me.

The Economy

Our economy is in trouble. Small businesses are struggling to survive, diamond mines are slowing down, and large, non-renewable resource businesses are slow to start. We need to act fast and we need to act now to ensure jobs for today and jobs for tomorrow.

As Premier, I will work with Ministers to develop a 10-year strategic economic plan that will include Indigenous government engagement; departmental and stakeholder needs; a review of potential supports, including federal funding sources; royalties; investor potential; taxes, recognizing the already high cost of living; export potential and a review of trade barriers; tourism; knowledge economy; a risk management plan; and standing committee engagement.

I will also work with relevant Ministers and standing committee to develop a four-year action plan based on a strategic economic plan that includes measurable actions and timelines. The plan must be flexible to match any funding possibilities that may arise, and be reviewed or revised on an annual basis.

Recognizing we have almost 45,000 residents and 33 communities, prosperity for all must be a guiding principle. Economic planning, infrastructure allocations, procurement, and investments must be done with this in mind, and our economic strategy must consider the needs of the larger and the smallest of our communities.

All residents want to know that prosperity, jobs, and property values are secure for the long term, and we must work together to meet the needs of all.

The mineral resources sector provides 40 percent of our gross domestic product. It is, and will continue to be, an important part of our economy. However, we need to build on the successes of previous governments to meet our economic needs.

As Premier, I will:

• Give direction to bring together industry and environmental experts, Indigenous and community government representatives, and Regular Members for a summit on the current and future state of resource development in the Northwest Territories and how we can find collaborative solutions to move forward together in a sustainable manner.
• Develop the regulations for the Mineral Resources Act as a priority, to be done collaboratively with Indigenous governments and in consultation with all stakeholders, including the Chamber of Mines, Chamber of Business, and community governments.
• Increase investment in mineral exploration and consider strategic infrastructure investments that can extend mine life and help reduce exploration costs for future mining investments.
• Support diversification by expanding the tourism market internationally, with a focus on promoting the smaller communities.
• Continue investing in green energy and renewable technology, farming, fishing, forestry, biomass production, tourism, culture, arts, and film, and the Indigenous traditional economy.
• Growing the knowledge economy by creating a polytechnic university that will bring additional research funding to the North, maintain the knowledge in the North, and allow us to become leading experts in addressing climate change, maintaining and revitalizing Indigenous languages, and development of environmentally friendly renewable and non-renewable technology.
• Continue to support the Small Community Employment Fund and the Small Community Committee to oversee the program design and funding distribution, and to better support the range of needs within our economy, change the name of Industry, Tourism and Investment to the Department of Economic Diversification and Development.

At the same time, we need to do more to support local businesses and strengthen our procurement policies. We have to invest in our people and focus on getting our own residents to work, which will help increase our revenues, provide pride in our people, and lessen the reliance on social programs. As Premier, I will ensure that this is implemented through developing infrastructure projects in partnership with Indigenous and community governments, with the goal of having economic development opportunities in all regions of the Northwest Territories.

Working in partnership with Indigenous and community governments to lobby the federal government for large-scale projects such as the Mackenzie Valley Highway, Taltson expansion, and the road into the Slave Geological Province that will create good jobs and support sustainable development.

If chosen as your Premier, I commit to work with Cabinet and Regular Members and meet with all Indigenous and community governments to develop a territorial-wide economic strategy and work in partnership to pursue funding from the new federal government. However, we must ensure that we are fiscally responsible and working in a strategic, sustainable manner. We need to look at how we can deliver quality programs in the long term, so we have to think differently about how we do business.

We will need to make some hard decisions and look at our programs and services to ensure that they are still meeting their intent and look at ways that we can provide them in a more efficient, effective manner.

Protecting our Environment

We're at the forefront of climate change. The sustainability and future of the Northwest Territories for future generations needs to be a priority of this government, and all actions taken by the GNWT as we move forward.

If elected Premier, I commit to:

• The establishment of a climate change working group made up of Cabinet members, Regular MLAs, and community and Indigenous leaders to help advance the territorial climate change priorities, and a full review of the 2030 NWT Climate Change Strategic Framework and the 2019-2023 Action Plan to ensure that they are meeting our needs.
• Supporting small communities in their efforts to get off diesel and develop cleaner sources of energy production.
• Increasing funding to Arctic Energy Alliance to allow improved programs and services across the territory; and
• Changing the name of Environment and Natural Resources to Environment and Climate Change.

The work the Government of the Northwest Territories is doing to combat climate change needs to be given the recognition and the focus that it deserves. Any new infrastructure needs need to reflect our changing climate and incorporate measures to lessen the need for non-renewable resources.

The polytechnic university can be a leader in working with Indigenous knowledge keepers in climate change adaptation and mitigation research. This includes becoming leaders in contaminated site remediation.

If selected as Premier, I will also focus on international relationships that not only to look to their best practices on climate change, but also to share our own.

Investing in People

While resource development makes up a significant part of our economy, our greatest resource is our people. I will not stand here and say that we can make a significant dent in the cost of living in the NWT. However, what I can say is, by investing in our people and giving them the foundation that they need for success, we can stabilize the cost of living.

As our economy changes, and with our current debt limit, we must be creative and strategic in our expenditures, while at the same time trying to meet the needs of our residents. As Premier, I will:

• Give direction to look for innovative practices to address the CMHC housing funding, which will end in 2038. This could include placing a higher priority on homeownership and lease-to-own options for residents who are able to maintain their own homes, which will allow us to build more homes.
• Amalgamate the Department of Lands and the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs as a more cost-effective and efficient way of delivering the services needed by Indigenous and community governments.
• Place a higher emphasis on senior residences to meet the growing demographic. In communities where able, senior residences should be based on a cost-recovery model by incorporating market and subsidized units.
• Develop a model for affordable universal childcare across the NWT, whether it be at a reduced cost or free. We will have to explore the options and work toward this in the long term.
• Place a higher focus on pre- and postnatal and parenting supports to assist in increasing the number of children developmentally ready for school.
• Increase support and focus for the JK to 12 education system, recognizing the critical developmental milestone periods, with the goal of supporting our youth to successfully graduate.
• Make a reality the polytechnic university by building on three strong communities, three strong campuses, and at least 21 strong community learning centres.
• Increase focus on rehabilitation and restorative justice and partnerships with educational and wellness support and Indigenous governments and organizations, with the goal of successfully reintegrating offenders into society, housing, and employment options.
• Study options for specialized courts to better suit the needs of vulnerable residents with addictions and mental health issues.
• Add supports to Health and Social Services, as well as focusing on a stronger recruitment and retention strategy. Training Northerners for these roles also needs to be a key priority.
• Pilot a guaranteed income model with long-term income support clients. This will assist people in having sustainable income, which promotes accessing additional employment options and reduces the administration time and cost for the Government of the Northwest Territories.
• An increased focus on children in care to ensure they are provided the same standard of care we expect for our own children. We must also explore options with Indigenous governments for them to take the leadership role for our children in care.
• The use of an equity-based and gender-based analysis in any new program or service delivery to ensure we are truly focused on services that meet the needs of our residents.

We also need to revisit our decentralization policy to ensure the benefits of decentralization can be felt in the regions.

Modern Treaties and Self-government

The settling of modern treaties and providing supports for self-government are critical, both for the wellness and prosperity of Indigenous people, but also to help restore confidence to potential investors that the Northwest Territories as a place to do business. I believe a core component to completing these agreements is trust. I have made it a personal priority to be honest, fulfill my commitments, and foster good working relationships with Indigenous governments, and I believe this will be an asset as we continue this process.

It's time to focus more on collaboration and partnerships, and that means changing the way we interact with Indigenous governments. If elected as your Premier, I will meet on a regular basis with the leadership of all Indigenous governments that are in negotiations, in an effort to advance negotiations and address any obstacles.

We must advance our shared goal of a strong and sustainable future on the foundation of respect, recognition, and shared responsibility. We need to conclude the outstanding agreements in order to bring increased certainty to land and resource management and economic opportunities for communities and regions. It's about relationships. It's about working together. Let's get these agreements completed so we can move forward on building our economy and building strong communities and people.

Intergovernmental Relationships

I said relationships are key to success, and, as such, it's imperative that we work with our Member of Parliament so we have a strong voice in Ottawa. We need to work with our Indigenous and community governments if we are truly going to represent the needs of all residents.

As Premier, I commit to the development of a strategic federal engagement plan that takes into consideration the needs of Regular MLAs and Indigenous and community governments so we have a shared message and approach to lobbying Canada for what we need. These meetings will be the basis of a strong lobbying effort and bring representatives from all governments together in Ottawa to meet with federal ministers and bring forward our common concerns.

We must also build strong alliances with our territorial and provincial counterparts to ensure everyone is aware of our exceptional challenges in the North. The three territories working in partnership on issues, when applicable, has been extremely beneficial, and we need to foster these partnerships as we go forward. As a consensus government, we must all work together. The non-partisan political structure we have provides us the luxury of being able to work collaboratively with any federal or provincial or territorial government. We must utilize the strength that we have in our consensus government to build strong, nonpartisan relationships with all governments.

In conclusion, my message today is built on experience and our past efforts as a government. I believe we must learn from our past to determine our future. We will have many challenges ahead. However, if we work together within the true spirit of consensus government, we will be able to tackle these challenges together and achieve ultimate success for this Assembly, for all communities, and for all residents of the Northwest Territories.

I will work within a philosophy of inclusion, transparency, and accountability. I am committed to fostering a working environment that is centred on engagement, collaboration, and innovation, and I will carry the ultimate goal of providing the best programs and supports to all residents of the Northwest Territories within my heart. I would be honoured to serve as your Premier in the 19^th Legislative Assembly, and I respectfully request your support. Thank you.