Masi. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Minister of Transportation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Beginning in 2014, the federal government launched a review of the Canada Transportation Act. The purpose of this review was to look forward 20 to 30 years to identify priorities and potential actions in transportation that would support Canada's long-term economic well-being, including that of the Northwest Territories, or NWT, and northern Canada. During the review process, many Northerners contributed, including the Department of Transportation who developed a formal submission highlighting the opportunities and challenges of the NWT transportation system, and met and discussed it with the members of the review panel.

Last week the federal government tabled the final report resulting from this review. I'm pleased to note that several key recommendations for improving transportation in the North are included in the report. These recommendations include developing an infrastructure strategy for all modes of northern transportation, and supporting this strategy by increasing the base level funding in an infrastructure fund for all three territories. The Government of the NWT has consistently lobbied for dedicated base funding to address the needs of our jurisdiction and this recommendation is a positive indication that our voice is being heard.

In its submission to the review panel, the Department of Transportation strongly recommended federal support for key NWT transportation infrastructure projects. The development of three transportation corridors was identified as a priority in Connecting Us, the NWT Transportation Strategy 2015 to 2040, and as part of the 18th Assembly's mandate to capture opportunities for investment in transportation infrastructure that supports community access and economic growth. These efforts have proven effective. I am pleased to inform Members that the final report of the Canada Transport Act Review identifies the Mackenzie Valley corridor, the Tlicho all-season road, and connecting resource development projects in the Slave Geological Province to a larger multi-modal transportation system as transformative nation-building projects where federal corridor development efforts should be focused.

The federal government retains responsibility for the delivery of marine support services in the NWT, including the upkeep of marine resupply facilities. The review panel has recommended that Canada develop a new federal policy vision and regulatory regime that strengthens the safety and reliability of marine transport in the Arctic. Funding support for dredging the Port of Hay River is explicitly mentioned in the final report.

Several recommendations also extend to the northern air sector. Particularly, the report identifies the need to support runway extensions and paving, automated weather systems, and modern landing systems in many northern communities. Augmenting the Airports Capital Assistance the program by investing $50 million over 10 years, or creating a new Northern Airports Capital Assistance Program was also suggested.

The report recognizes that the effects of climate change are having a more dramatic impact on the North than anywhere else in Canada. The report highlights the need for the federal government to continue providing support for the technological innovation as a way to reduce emissions and enhance the performance of transportation systems.

The final report of the Canada Transportation Act Review provides a promising outlook on potential federal support for the NWT transportation system. Canada has committed to using unallocated funds from the National Infrastructure Fund of the New Building Canada Plan to respond to recommendations of the report. We will continue to stay engaged with our partners in the federal government as it responds to the review panel recommendations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for the Status of Women.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week I had the honour to participate in the 2nd National Roundtable on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Winnipeg. This was an important opportunity for the Northwest Territories to engage in the national discussion on how we can take action together to address the root causes of violence against Indigenous women and girls. The core of this roundtable was the families of missing and murdered Indigenous women. Their voices were heard loudly and clearly, and they want action. Violence against Indigenous women and girls remains a serious issue in the Northwest Territories. I was pleased that Premiers, Ministers, and leaders of Aboriginal organizations agreed as a nation to move forward. The Government of the Northwest Territories is very supportive of the roundtable outcomes, which reflect our mandate and the priorities of the 18th Legislative Assembly. The NWT continues to have the second highest rate of police reported family violence in Canada, with 826 cases reported in 2014. Although this is a drop of six per cent over the previous year, it's clear that there is much work still to be done.

All parties to this year's roundtable agreed to action-based collaboration on a number of priorities in the three theme areas of prevention and awareness, community safety, and culturally relevant policing measures and justice responses. In doing this work, our government will remain committed to the principle that the best results are achieved through collaboration, particularly with the families most directly affected by the issue, and the governments and organizations that represent them. The roundtable was an important opportunity for collaboration and we must continue to work on the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls with all our partners across Canada and the NWT. This collaboration includes improving communication and coordination between Indigenous families, communities, victim services, policing, prosecutions, women's groups, anti-violence groups, and shelter workers. Roundtable participants will also work together to create and implement national performance measures to assess progress towards addressing and reducing the socio-economic gaps experienced by Indigenous peoples. Central to this work is the Socio-Economic Action Plan for Aboriginal Women currently being developed by the Aboriginal Affairs Working Group.

Mr. Speaker, the Aboriginal Affairs Working Group is a national forum currently chaired by Premier McLeod, who had a leading role in coordinating and chairing the first ever national roundtable in February 2015. The Aboriginal Affairs Working Group will play a central role in moving the outcomes of the second roundtable forward as this group will monitor progress and identify priorities for action. Our government will continue to demonstrate national leadership on this issue and to play an important role in furthering national dialogue. What was clear from the roundtable last week is that the climate of these discussions has very much changed since Premier McLeod helped to initiate this work a year ago. The inaugural roundtable was focused on the steps that governments and National Aboriginal Organizations could take in the absence of a national inquiry. The roundtable last week took place with the federal government now fully committed to a national inquiry and provinces and territories committed to work with Canada. There is also agreement that the national inquiry must tackle issues associated with the violence being experienced by Aboriginal women and girls. The Government of the Northwest Territories has long expressed its support for the national Aboriginal organizations' call for a national inquiry. We appreciate the federal government's level of engagement with Canadians, particularly the families of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, during the pre-inquiry meetings that have been held across Canada. I was pleased to hear the federal government acknowledge the importance of reconciliation and the role of all Canadians in stopping the violence.

It is important that we honour and respect the wishes of the family members of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, and that we embrace the philosophy of “nothing about us without us” as we continue to work on this issue. It is those who have experienced the violence that best know the issue, and the presence of family members during the roundtable was invaluable. I was also honoured to be joined by a board member from the Native Women's Association of the Northwest Territories and a family member of a missing murdered Indigenous woman. I would like to thank both women for their courage, strength, and all of the effort they have given to ensure that this event included the voices of northern Indigenous women. I hope that we will see real change as a result of the work in the near future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Ministers’ statements. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Collaboration is one of the priorities of the Assembly and is an important part of how the Government of the Northwest Territories does business. That includes developing and fostering effective partnerships in supporting a comprehensive and collaborative approach to managing and conserving our environment and our wildlife, forests and water resources.

Engaging with a wide range of partners including Aboriginal governments and communities, regulatory and co-management boards, non-governmental organizations, funding agencies and academic institutions can ensure we are using the best available scientific, traditional, and local knowledge in decision-making processes.

Partnerships offer the opportunity to access additional scientific expertise, build community capacity and leverage additional funding to better inform our government of potential impacts on the environment from climate change and development. This increased knowledge will not only help us adapt to a changing climate, it will also better position us as a responsible manager of our land and our water.

Current examples of successful partnerships include the Mackenzie DataStream, a new community-based water data website funded by The Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation in close collaboration with our government. We have also partnered on a new climate change prediction tool developed with the University of Alaska, Fairbanks for our communities. Another partnership led by the University of Alberta, our government, and the Mackenzie River Basin Board recently received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council for a six-year traditional and local knowledge research project.

The main goal of the project is to determine and to demonstrate the importance of local and traditional knowledge to our understanding of social and ecological change in the Mackenzie River Basin and incorporation within regional, territorial, provincial, and federal decisions. These projects highlight the role that effective and diverse partnerships can play in meeting our research needs and the expectations of residents for wise and effective decision-making.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources will continue to develop, foster, and promote effective partnerships, which meet its mandate and offer opportunities for Aboriginal and community capacity building. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Ministers’ statements. Colleagues, I would like to draw your attention to the visitors in the gallery. We have Mr. Michael McLeod, who is the current Member of Parliament for Northwest Territories, a former Minister, and former Member for Deh Cho. Masi for being with us. I would also like to recognize Mr. Sam Gargan, former Member for Deh Cho, former Speaker, and former Member. Welcome.

---Applause

Item 3, Members’ statements. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a cornerstone of our healthcare system is how we look after pregnancy and childbirth. The government's program Right from the Start focuses on measures that support a healthy start to life and positive outcomes for mothers and babies. One of the main action areas of that program is the expansion of midwifery services. However, action on this matter has seemingly slowed down significantly. Women whose prenatal care is led by a midwife tend to have few complications in pregnancy and childbirth and almost equally important, they are able to stay closer to home during this significant time.

According to the 2011 census, there were 690 births in the Northwest Territories that year. Over half these births were to families outside the capital, but the majority of these mothers had to travel, at significant cost to government, to larger centres to give birth, leaving fathers, siblings, grandparents and other critical community supports. The social and medical benefits of midwifery are well established, but what is perhaps less well known is the fact that, where midwifery services are established, the cost to the health system actually goes down. Recent studies done in Alberta identify that a course of care led by a midwife can cost up to $1,200 less than the same care provided by a doctor. Reducing the cost of the quality of health care is surely an idea that the government should get behind.

At this time, I would also like to recognize the considerable efforts of the NWT Citizens for Midwifery. They are an advocacy group consisting of women and men who are mobilizing support for a territorial midwifery program that includes the capital city. I want to thank them for continuing to show their support for the expansion of midwifery in the North. It was great to see many folks had taken part in the march from the post office to the Ledge over the lunch hour today in support of midwifery. At the appropriate time, I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services in this regard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I too had the pleasure of greeting some of the midwifery representatives over the noon hour. It was early in the last Assembly when after much advocacy, work began on establishing a strong regional and capital city midwifery program. There were demonstrations, petitions, letter writing, and other campaigns. A commitment was made to expand the Fort Smith program to Hay River, the Beaufort-Delta, Behchoko, and Yellowknife. A start was made and we have since seen progress in Hay River and Fort Smith. In July 2015, the Minister said that the next goal was to move forward with the territorial model based out of Yellowknife in 2015-16 so that the full rollout could be done in 2016-17. The Minister stated in July 2015 that he was still committed to introducing midwifery services based in Yellowknife, and would expand the program into the regions starting with the Deh Cho region and Behchoko. The Beaufort-Delta has since reconsidered this approach, I am told, but that still leaves Yellowknife, the Deh Cho, and Behchoko.

In Yellowknife, I am informed that we now have a midwife coordinator position, but the coordinator has no midwives to coordinate. Progress to date has been poor. Delivery on commitments that the advocates fought so hard for is still lacking. I would like to point out that, quite apart from establishing a model for obstetrical care preferred and asked for by many mothers and families, this just makes plain fiscal sense, as my colleague just mentioned. The government laments the sorry state of its finances, yet we still have a delivery program for birthing that is not as cost-effective as it might be. Once rolled out regionally, this approach offers major savings in patient transportation and accommodation costs, and the establishment of midwifery services rejuvenates the cultural traditions of community birthing by expert mothers and matriarchs. Midwifery advocates who fought so hard for these commitments by government are understandably disappointed by the failure to deliver on promises, as we saw outside the Assembly earlier today. Mothers-to-be across the Northwest Territories want to have their babies with the assistance of well-trained midwives. Mr. Speaker, I would like to seek consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mothers-to-be across the Northwest Territories want to have their babies with the assistance of well-trained midwives who are supported by a comprehensive, stable, and well-funded midwifery program in all of the regional centres across the Northwest Territories. For the sake of our young families, I hope the Minister will confirm real progress and certainty on moving forward with midwifery in the Northwest Territories. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I stand in this House to recognize an amazing woman that I have had the pleasure of knowing for almost 23 years. Martina Norwegian was one of this year's winners of the Wise Women Awards 2016. I had the pleasure of meeting Martina about a month into moving to Fort Simpson. We were looking for an individual to look after my children and lucked out. Her name was given to us, and luckily for my children and myself, she agreed to look after them. It was a great experience for my children. I would consider one of the reasons my children love Fort Simpson so much is because of Ms. Norwegian.

Ms. Norwegian was born and raised in Liidlii Kue and comes from humble beginnings. She understood the importance of education. I had the pleasure of watching her advocate for education as a private citizen. Then, she took the steps to get involved with the local divisional education authority and was elected to be Fort Simpson's representative to the Deh Cho Divisional Education Authority. Once there, she was elected to be the chairperson. Like the award said, both local and divisional councils relied on her wise words and direction during her time on both community councils.

I realize I cannot do justice to Ms. Norwegian today in this short Member's statement, but I would like to highlight a few of her accomplishments and achievements that were identified in her nomination. Ms. Norwegian is very much involved in the community. Ms. Norwegian is very interested in spreading the word of God and is a representative for On Eagle's Wings Children's Ministry. To add to her commitment, she is heavily involved in the group of ladies that are fundraising to build a new church. Now, you would think that with all this work going on in her life, she would not have a lot of time to do other things. Wrong. This lady has found time to be part of the historical society, helping preserve the local history for over 25 years. Ms. Norwegian is a very strong leader in the community and region and one that people look up to. She has a quiet and caring nature that is always helping to empower other woman to do their best. In closing, I would like to congratulate Ms. Norwegian on winning the award and wish her all the best in her future endeavours. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members’ statements. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise in the House here to acknowledge the participants and youth of the Sahtu riding and particularly two communities. Today, I would like to congratulate our Sahtu athletes who are participating in the 2016 Arctic Winter Games to be held in Nuuk, Greenland, this coming March, which is the next few days. On behalf of the Sahtu, I send my highest congratulations to Whitney Andre, Tristan Dolphus, Naomi Yukon, Dalton Takazo, and Dallas Roach, from Deline, and Emily Hodson from Norman Wells, chaperoned by Bobby Birk also from Norman Wells. The Arctic Winter Games is a significant part of the Northwest Territories and an international icon across Canada. I also wish all who are travelling with the Minister the best of the best, and safe travels. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.] We have the will to resolve this problem. We have a new 18th Legislative Assembly, one which appears committed to making positive changes. Today I am asking the GNWT to demonstrate the political will needed to get people into these vacant houses without further delay. If the problem lies with the eligibility criteria for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation Home Ownership Program, then change the criteria. The program should meet the needs of the people living on the Hay River Reserve not the other way around. If this won't work, then convert these vacant units to social housing units so that people meeting the criteria for social housing programs can get into them. If the problem lies with land tenure, then work with Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada to re-designate the lots that the houses sit on so that those parcels of land may become lease lands. Above all, work with the K'atl'odeeche First Nation to get this matter resolved and get people into these houses while the houses are still serviceable.

The band is in the process of negotiating issues of jurisdiction and governance on the reserve. If the band is willing and able to resume responsibility for funding housing on the reserve rather than having it flow through the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, they should be supported to do so. After all, the provision and management of housing on reserve lands is the responsibility of most First Nations in southern Canada. I urge the GNWT to work with the band and Indigenous Affairs and Northern Development Canada to maybe sort out the jurisdictional matters related to these houses, re-classify the empty units as public social housing if possible, and make them available to band members as soon as possible. Masi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members, I would like to draw your attention to the visitors in the gallery. We have Yellowknives Dene Chief Edward Sangris, here with us. Welcome.

---Applause

Members’ statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to congratulate the NWT Recreation and Parks Association on the sixth annual Walk to Tuk. A dozen of my colleagues here in the House reached Tuktoyaktuk yesterday joining hundreds of others who got there before us.

---Applause

It was close, Mr. Speaker.

---Laughter

The Recreation and Parks Association is a non-profit that works with communities across the NWT to promote healthy living through active recreation. It offers a variety of programs. The Walk to Tuk is the largest, longest, and most effective physical activity undertaken in the NWT each year. There were nearly 200 teams and 2,600 walkers from 22 NWT communities. Here are the results; they're truly staggering. Together we walked 456,117 kilometres for an equivalent of 107,000 hours of walking. The Walk to Tuk is 1,658 kilometres. Teams don't literally walk to Tuk of course, but rather walk to work, walk the dog, jog, ski, snowshoe, or walk on a track. Teams are up to 20 members and together they left the starting point in Fort Providence on January 4th. Each hour a member walks counts as four kilometres on the teams with 10 or more, which was the case for ourselves. There's lots of interest from team members about where they are and where other teams are in comparison.

The Members of the Legislative Assembly had a team for the first time. A group of 12 of us decided that we would keep up the walking we were doing while campaigning. The Poly Walkers started slowly, walking 350 kilometres within the first two weeks taking us south of Wrigley. Then, in the midpoint, we were at Tulita and then at Fort Good Hope, and then we had to pour it on and do 700 kilometres in the last two weeks. I want to give the team credit for coming through and especially Shane Thompson and Robert C. McLeod who pulled out all the stops walking over 20 hours each in the last two weeks. It can be challenging to be active in the North in January and February. The Walk to Tuk is a brilliant way to encourage people to stay active in these cold months. It awakens their competitiveness. I want to congratulate all the teams who participated in the program this year, and don't stop now. Turn around and head back during the warm and sunny days of spring. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members’ statements. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk a bit about the negotiations we are currently in. As you know, we have a couple outstanding land claims negotiations that have been underway for a number of years, but also self-government. We have a couple self-government organizations that are very close to an agreement. We have the Inuvialuit. Also, the Gwich'in are working towards an agreement-in-principle. There are number of challenges that our governments are facing under negotiations and some of them range from taking over programs at current levels. It's very difficult for our Aboriginal governments to agree to these sort of negotiations, because as we all know the cost of doing business goes up every year.

Looking down the road, 10 to 20 years from now, we cannot offer our programs at the current level it is now. We have to have a common interest when we're negotiating these self-government agreements, and with a common interest, we need to work together to ensure that we have self-government agreements that'll be positive for our future generations, because they're the ones to take over the self-government agreements. I'd like to thank all those who are negotiating. Recently, we also completed our mandate here in the 18th Legislative Assembly, so I think now is the time that we actually look back at our self-government negotiations mandate and also make changes there as well. I'll have questions for the honourable Premier later today. Thank you.

Masi. Members' statements. Member Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to start off with a story of a few elders in Lutselk'e and their housing issues. About seven years ago, I began to advocate for the elders to have the northern territorial rental public housing units transferred into their ownership. About a year or so ago they were transferred into their names. They were very happy, but their happiness was short-lived. These units were built in the late ‘60s or early 1970s and when the elders applied for repair programs, they were hit with a barrage of reasons why they were ineligible for NWT Housing Corporation programs. The main reason the elders had difficulty was that they need to have house insurance. Without the elders holding house insurance, the NWT Housing Corporation could not protect their investment into the elder's home. There are many areas where the NWT Housing Corporation find the elders ineligible, but the house insurance is probably the worst one. House insurance premiums in the community where there are no fire departments other than two or three volunteer firefighters and communities with no fire hydrants are extremely high. Without assistance from the NWT Housing Corporation, it is impossible for elders living on old age securities to have their homes repaired or pay for their own repairs. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my Member's statement.

---Unanimous consent granted.