Thank you, Mr. Clerk. First, I want to begin my remarks today with acknowledgement that today's proceedings are taking place on Chief Drygeese territory, the traditional home of YK Dene First Nation, also the traditional lands of North Slave Metis and Tlicho.
For those of us who are new to the Assembly, and for the members of the public who are listening in, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Shane Thompson. It is an honour today to put my name forward for consideration for Premier in the Northwest Territories. I've been returned by the voters of the Nahendeh for a third term as their Member. I'm deeply grateful to the people of Fort Simpson, Jean Marie River, Sambaa K'e
Wrigley, Fort Liard, and Nahanni Butte for their strong support in putting their faith in me for a third time.
I am the son of Mary and Gord Thompson of Hay River, and the partner of Grace, proud father of seven children, two stepchildren, and ten grandchildren. I was born and raised in Hay River and spent five years as the recreation coordinator for the hamlet of Kugluktuk and 23 years for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs as a senior recreation development coordinator in Fort Simpson, and eight years as the MLA for Nahendeh.
After this term, I will have spent 40 years of my life in the service of residents in the Northwest Territories. This is a great honour that I hold dearly to my heart.
In addition to living in Hay River, I lived in Inuvik, Kugluktuk, and Fort Simpson, which has given me the chance to experience life in other NWT and northern communities. Some of these communities would be considered small, isolated, regional in nature. I've also been fortunate enough to travel to all 33 communities in the NWT throughout my career. Spending my life living and working in the Northwest Territories has given me the opportunity to familiarize myself with our communities, getting to know the people, and hearing their challenges and successes. This has helped me to understand what is important to NWT residents.
After being elected to the 19th Assembly, my colleagues gave me the honour to be elected to Cabinet, and the Premier had trusted me in faith in holding several portfolios throughout these four years. I also was always willing to take on additional responsibilities when asked throughout these four years. Besides holding the portfolios of environment and natural resources and lands, now known as environment and climate change for the four years, I also served as Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, the Minister Responsible for Youth for two and a half years. I also held five additional portfolios for short periods of time ranging from two months to a year and a half.
In addition to those portfolios, I was a chair of the child and family committee of Cabinet and was part of the energy and climate change committee of Cabinet in environment and economic diversification growth and environment, reconciliation Indigenous affairs, priorities and planning, and alternate to the Board of Management. I also served as Cabinet's representatives of goals and procedures committee.
As you can imagine, I had a very busy four years. Besides contributing to the whole-of-government response to COVID, I was the lead Minister that dealt with a variety of issues such as caribou, climate change, transboundary agreements, municipal funding shortfalls, floods, fires, evacuations and their recoveries, important work on legislation such as the Forestry Act, just to name a few.
In the 18th Assembly, I served as the chair for the Standing Committee on Social Development for the full term. This committee was responsible for providing oversight for the Departments of Health and Social Services; Education, Culture and Employment; Housing, and Justice; departments that count for approximately 60 percent of the government budget. I also served on the rules and procedures committee.
Besides these roles, I was the MLA for six communities and addressed over 1,850 constituent issues during two full terms. This past eight years has been a lot of work but very rewarding.
I have always respected peoples' right to be heard and criticize government's policies and decisions and have come to understand this is part of the job and one that I do not shy away from. I firmly believe you're not going to please everyone with your decisions; however, you need to own your decisions based on sound advice after questioning it. You need to admit your mistakes when you make them and be prepared to hear criticism after you make the decisions or decision.
During the past year, people started reaching out to me and asking what my future was going to be and if it included looking at the Premiership. I explained that we were still dealing with several challenges and important work that was where my focus was going to be. As the election grew closer, the same question came about but I told them I was focused on the people in Nahendeh and the election. Now that I'm reelected, I started reaching out to various Indigenous leaders throughout the NWT and my region to ask for their input on how we, as the 20th Assembly, can improve our relationships with them. I can say I have had several very positive conversations, and I've heard some good advice and ideas on what needs to be done moving forward to strengthen and nurture us and improve how we work together.
In the previous two days, the 19 of us have had the opportunity to meet with a number of Indigenous governments to hear their ideas on how we move forward. This was very similar to my telephone conversations. As I said during the wrap-up yesterday, we need to set short, medium, long-term goals for the next four years and continue to meet annually with our Indigenous and community government partners.
The next step was to reach out to my elders advisory group from the Nahendeh riding to ask their advice and support on what I should be doing moving forward. They explained that I need to put my name forward because we need a person in this position who has lived in various parts of the NWT, including small and isolated communities. They explained that I was not afraid of hard work and, more importantly, I was approachable and willing to listen and try to resolve residents' concerns. They stressed it was time for a voice from outside of Yellowknife but, more importantly, a voice that has experience working and living in small communities. I've had that very unique experience and willing to challenge the system for the betterment of all communities.
As Premier, I will continue to commit ensuring that departments are prepared, empowered to work collaboratively to the greatest possible degree with the appropriate standing committees and Members. This includes seeking more extensive committee input on proposed legislation initiatives at the earliest possible opportunity.
As well, to improve working relationships, I will propose that the Cabinet meet twice a year to see how we are doing and how we can improve. As I firmly believe, and said throughout my life, you do not need to agree with one another however you need to respect and work together if you want to have achieved success.
I am committed to reaching out to each Member individually, especially when work being done has potential impact on your constituents. I will work actively to seek your initiative, invitation, and find opportunities to travel your communities to better understand your concerns and those of your constituents. This is how I did my job as an MLA and a Minister for the past eight years, and I will continue to do that as Premier.
It is about hearing from different voices directly. I commit to meeting and regularly reaching out to you and standing committee, not only to inform committee of ongoing departmental work but to seek your guidance, thoughts, and input before making key decisions on policies, programs, and legislative initiatives. I know that we may not be able to always reach agreement on these issues but I pledge to you to ensure that the views of the standing committee will be sought, heard, and carefully considered before important decisions are made. I will do my best to explain the decisions I make and the direction I have given so that during those times when your requests have not been fully met, you understand the rationale that shapes the final decision. Your opinion on sincerely and responsibility I communicate with you will be measured for the success in these areas.
As being the third person to speak, I would like to thank the two previous candidates for their speeches, and I look forward to hearing the final candidate. I can say that I've had some very good conversations with the other candidates and some of their ideas are similar to mine so I decided not to repeat them but to focus on some of the things I want to achieve.
Saying that, Mr. Speaker, we're going to move into some very challenging times but the opportunity for success is there. I'd like now to list some items here that I would like to achieve as Premier in the 20th Assembly. These are items I believe will support the new mandate that we are collectively agreeing to.
Government renewal and restructuring
With programs identified, government renewal projects need to be finished in the first 15 months of this government to help us in our budgeting process. There's a large number, or a huge number of unappointed positions within the departments, and we need to see if these positions are needed. If they are, then they need to be added to the budget. If not, they need to be removed.
The Department of Health and Social Services.
With over a $240 million deficit, I would propose realigning the Department of Health and Social Services and the NWT Health and Social Services Authority. We would look at HSS and NWTHSSA and develop a department of health which would include health services, medical travel, medivacs, and the creation of a new department of social services that would see realignment of services including child and family workers, adoption, foster care, income support, and other social programs like fuel subsidy. The common denominator of this new department would be a focus on antipoverty and by combining the support that addresses poverty, we will help ensure families have better access to supports necessary to help them and their families prosper.
Emergency and wildlife management.
After an afteraction review of this year's historical fire season and community evacuations need to be extensive and involving public and all partners. The GNWT needs an updated NWT emergency plan that enhances GNWT and community government training and increased capacity for emergency response and evacuations across all NWT communities.
Wildfire management
A combination of firebreaks and prescribed burns around communities needed to be done. This can be done by working with private business to cut large trees for timber and working with individuals to cut small trees for firewood. We would work with communities to do prescribed burns to build safe or to build even larger firebreaks to protect our communities. We also need to bring fire crews and aircrafts on earlier in the season and keep them longer. Fire seasons start earlier and last longer every year. Additionally, overwintering fires represent an increased threat to our communities that need to be attacked first thing in the spring. We need to resource our firefighters out appropriately to address the increased risk for wildfires that we now see.
Intergovernmental legislation in the development process
The Government of the Northwest Territories needs to continue to advance land and natural resource legislation initiatives through the implementation of the Intergovernmental Council legislation development protocol. This needs to continue with improvements which will help us build further trust. It is important that we continue to collaborate with Indigenous governments and organizations and other partners on land and natural resource legislation and consider expanding legislation development process to other areas of the government.
Federal government advocacy
We need to focus our advocacy work with the federal government to be strategic and increase the likelihood of success. I would like to focus the GNWT's efforts on federal advocacy on the following projects:
Project finance for permanence. The project finance for permanence could bring hundreds of millions of dollars of long-term investments to the territories for Indigenous governments and communities. This initiative would support healthy culture, economy, communities moving forward, and the GNWT's healthy land healthy peoples' conservation work with a plan with providing sustainable economy and community development in the territories.
Designated authorities
There are nine designated authorities in the NWT. All designated authorities are approximately 95 percent Indigenous, but they are not treated the same as reserves in Canada and the NWT. The GNWT needs to work with Indigenous Service Canada to treat these communities properly and provide them with increased federal funding and land.
Clean and reliable energy
We need to continue advocating to the federal government for funding that supports an expanded hydro network. A hydro network would reduce our reliance on diesel fuel, power generated fuel -- or sorry, diesel power generation while reducing costs for residents, business, and government.
Mackenzie Valley Highway and other road infrastructure
We need to prioritize the work of the Mackenzie Valley Highway and work with the federal government to expand it all the way to Tsiigehtchic. There are many factors that are making this the perfect project to help Canada's sovereignty in the communities thanks to all-season road access, but it could also bring economic diversification, increase tourism, small business, and the potential for further development and expansion of natural resources in the region. We also need to do work for the communities that don't have roads, and we need to get them so that they have the ability to access affordable living.
Housing
Like in Nunavut, we need to develop a strategy that would see an increase in housing units in the NWT. The opportunity is there to work with the federal government to get funds into the NWT to get more housing units. As well, we need to be supportive of Indigenous governments on the request to the federal government. And this was what the 19th Assembly did.
Mental health, addictions, treatment centres, and aftercare
This is a very much a huge crisis across the Northwest Territories. We have all heard during the campaign, and previously, we need to improve this area for our residents. I think we need to develop our own process support for residents. We need to utilize our resources such as the Dene wellness counsellors, elders, individuals that have turned their life around. We need to look at utilizing on the land programs that already exist and how to enhance them to support our residents.
Elders
Finally, I believe we must do more as a government to support our elders. As I have said in this House before, I would like to see the GNWT legislate a senior advocate who would work to ensure that the needs of the members of the vulnerable demographics are being met. Remember, this was our foundation and that's why we are here.
My promise
While these issues are important to me as a political leader, I will work equally as hard to fulfill the directions set by this Assembly and our priorities for the benefit of the NWT. As a Member of this Assembly, every single one of you was selected by your constituents to represent their concerns. I deeply respect the responsibility that has been placed upon you to be the voice of the people you represent. I will also work to support and guide our Cabinet colleagues and ask them that they also prioritize their relationship with all Members of the Legislative Assembly. I will also make it clear of my expectations that all Cabinet Members work collaboratively with legislative committees and Indigenous governments.
The NWT is an incredible, rich territory with many political voices. Only by working together can we reach the full potential of the 20th Assembly. If you put your trust in me to serve as Premier, then I will make sure I will make you this pledge: Going forward, I vow to always keep this respect in the forefront of my mind to serve as a constant reminder that being the Premier does not make anybody more important than any Member in this House. It just added new responsibilities to the role. I also pledge to the people in Nahendeh that I will continue to be available to my constituents to help address and resolve your issues. I am grateful for this opportunity to speak to all you today. And thank you for your support. Mahsi cho. Thank you, Mr. Chair.