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.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is the mandate of the NWT Housing Corporation to reduce core need in the NWT. Core need in my hometown of Fort Resolution is 50 per cent, a large majority with adequacy as a main housing problem. When a household has adequacy as a main housing problem, the house needs repairs, renovation or retrofit to address the core need issue. The NWT Housing Corporation must find a way to deliver appropriate programs to address core needs of people in the NWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.

Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I'd like to wish the Team NWT athletes participating in the upcoming Arctic Winter Games in Iqaluit, Nunavut and Nuuk, Greenland all the best as they gather to display sportsmanship and fair play during the circumpolar celebration. I'd like to commend the following athletes from Nunakput who are attending Arctic Sports: Gemma Gruben, Agnes Kregnektak, Cassandra Kuptana, Sophie Dufour, Dawson Elias, Jacob Pokiak, Blaine Pingo, Robin Raddy Jr., Mikayla Jacobson, Jewell Kuvik, my nephew Joel Thrasher Jr., and their coach Mr. Charles Komiak. I'd also like to commend the following athletes for the snowshoe biathlon: Lucy Anokina and Jacob Klinkenberg. I would like to wish all the athletes safe travels to and from the Arctic Winter Games. Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier, the Minister of Transportation made a statement about some of the major infrastructure projects that we hope will go forward and help facilitate long-term revenue generation. As a government, we need to support visionary projects like these that will secure a strong and prosperous future. One such project that hasn't received enough attention and has amazing potential for the NWT is the expansion and southern connection of the Taltson hydro dam. Currently, the dam can produce up to 18 megawatts of which we use about 10. If upgraded, it could produce 190 megawatts. Taltson is only 200 kilometres from Uranium City, Saskatchewan. That means right now we're only 200 kilometres away from being connected into the continental grid. We'll essentially be able to sell as much electricity as we can produce, providing a revenue stream for generations to come. We need buy-in from Saskatchewan because the infrastructure from Uranium City to the south needs to be upgraded to accommodate the excess load, but the province has committed to doubling the amount of renewable energy it uses by 2013 and we're right at their doorstep.

While the project is costly, the federal Liberals have committed money for renewable energy projects, and just like the proposed highway projects, we may be eligible for up to a 75 per cent contribution. In 2013, the NWT Power System Plan recommended a 20-year plan for the southern expansion of Taltson, finding it would have positive impacts and create jobs. The NWT's 2013 Energy Action Plan states that a large-scale project like this presents the best opportunity for a fundamental change in energy supply. The federal Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources said, “That the absence of a link for the continental grid leads to costly and inefficient outcomes.” A key result of the 2014 NWT Energy Charette was a call to find ways to make use of the excess energy potential in the Taltson system. Over and over again, we say this is a good idea. Resource extraction is vital to our future, but we can't limit our investments to just highways. We have a resource with amazing potential and an eager market at our doorstep. It's time we think big and make investments in our renewable future. At the appropriate time, I'll have questions for the Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Item 4, reports of standing and special committees. Item 5, returns to oral questions. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Honourable Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize two different individuals: Victoria Baker and Sheena Goudreau. Both are senior nursing consultants with the territorial health services division in the Department of Health and Social Services. Welcome to the gallery.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I'm very happy to have three of my sisters joining us and taking in the proceedings, and I'll introduce them from youngest to oldest. Starting off with my youngest sister, Heather Moses, Laura Moses, and Agnes Pascal. I'm really glad they can be joining us here today. It is their first time in the Legislative Assembly and hopefully we will be able to get them a tour at some point, but welcome for joining us today. Mahsi.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize Chief Eddie Sangris from Detah. I'd also like to recognize my interpreter, Tommy. Thank you.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Deh Cho.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's rare that I have visitors from my constituency, but I take great pride in recognizing two individuals that I recognize. I think he's still here, Sam Gargan, former Speaker, former MLA, and former chief, and currently the mayor of the Hamlet of Fort Providence, and also Michael McLeod, the MP for the Western Arctic, a former Minister, and a former MLA as well. Welcome to the House. Mahsi.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to acknowledge a Page from my riding. Her name is Robyne Walsh and she's a grade 10 student at Sir John Franklin High School. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Honourable Member for Yellowknife South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm very pleased to recognize some relatives and some friends from my hometown of Fort Providence: Mayor Sam Gargan, Pearl Leishman, Susan Christie, Shirley Gargan, and Ricky Gargan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. I'd like to welcome all the visitors in the gallery here today. It's always great to have an audience during our proceedings. Masi. Item 7, acknowledgements. Item 8, oral questions. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services. As I mentioned in my Member’s statement earlier, the government has an initiative to move towards a territorial midwifery strategy. Two midwifery consultants have been working since last fall in program development and stakeholder consultation. Can the Minister update us on the current status of the NWT midwifery initiative, including the provision of midwifery services in Yellowknife? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi, Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we moved forward with midwives and stabilized midwives in Fort Smith, so there are two positions there providing birthing services in the community. We also have two staffed midwife positions in Hay River that are providing birthing services, as well as other services in the community. We did move forward with a model in the Beaufort-Delta. Originally, we were planning to have a community-based midwifery program there, but our demographics and some of our information changed. As a result, we went with a more community-based, or more regional, model that is supported by physicians and the MOREOB program, as well as one nurse practitioner consultant who also happened to be a midwife in a previous career. Since then, we have been able to expedite the work that we are planning to do in the 2016-2017 fiscal year, and we were able to start that in the 2015-2016 fiscal year as a result of those changes in the Beaufort-Delta.

We have actually hired two consultants. It took a little longer to hire those consultants than we would have liked. It was difficult to find the appropriate staff. These consultants are working on basically three broad areas. First, strengthening and supporting the current midwifery practice in the Northwest Territories. This includes updating policies, reviewing and revising standards, and reintroducing the Midwifery Advisory Committee. They are also building on the 2012 report to continue community and territorial program design, so they put together, or rather they are putting together some terms of reference that will outline the work that they are going to be doing in that nature to move forward with the territorial program that includes midwifery services here in Yellowknife. Third, they are also doing monitoring and evaluation to ensure that the services are being provided appropriately and effectively. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you to the Minister for his reply. Can the Minister advise the House: Are there plans to include a midwifery unit in the new Stanton Hospital project?

There is no designated midwifery unit in the hospital, as midwifery is primarily a community-based service versus an acute care service. If the territorial midwifery program is advanced to implementation, part of the development will be to include identifying an appropriate location that best fits the needs of the program. As a note, Mr. Speaker, the three birthing rooms in the new hospital are sized to include birthing tubs, which would allow for water birth. Those rooms actually, the physical layout and how those tubs will be utilized, the midwifery consultants actually had some opportunity to provide some input on how that would be done. The midwifery staff have been having conversations about how those rooms can be used in the future.

We are only four years from the last midwifery report. Can the Minister clarify what outcomes are expected in the current consultation efforts that will be different than the outcomes that came in the 2012 Midwifery Options Report?

The 2012 report was more of an aspirational report. It wasn't actually a prescribed plan. It proposed three models for conversation: a community-based model, which the consultants felt could work in communities like Hay River, Inuvik, Yellowknife, or Behchoko; a regional model, which the consultants felt could work in the Beaufort-Delta, the Sahtu, or the Tlicho regions; and a territorial model. We did move forward and stabilize the midwifery services in Fort Smith. We did expand and provide midwifery services in Hay River. The realities in the Beaufort-Delta changed when we were actually looking at a community-based model for Inuvik. We had locum physicians, we didn't have any permanent staff, so there was a lot of turnover and inconsistency in birthing services, and we also had a very high rate of births.

The birth rates in the Beaufort-Delta have come down, and we now have stable staff in the Beaufort-Delta. As a result, we went with more of a regional model in Inuvik. The difference is we are actually moving forward on a territorial design, which is more than an aspirational document. It's a structured document outlining how we will provide the services both in Yellowknife and at a territorial level. It's actually a plan to move forward with some of the suggestions that were provided in the 2012 report.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for his answer. Lastly, advocacy groups like NWT Citizens for Midwifery are made up of moms, women with knowledge and experience in this area. Can the Minister tell us what opportunities there will be for these groups to be involved in the important initiative going forward? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It's going to be really important to get feedback from as many interested parties as possible, and over the next year, the department will reach out to community members, Aboriginal organizations, healthcare practitioners, and others from across the Northwest Territories to help develop an understanding of the strengths and gaps in the priorities for the enhancement of midwifery services at a territorial and Yellowknife level. The timing and details of the consultation plan will be developed by March 2017, and we hope to have a completed proposal for development of the territorial midwifery program at that time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Masi. Minister of Transportation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway is a national level strategic project that is much more than a construction of a highway. Both contractors, EGT and Northwind, are gaining experience in major construction project management, logistics management, human resource management, media relations, and financial management. This experience will give them the confidence to take on further challenges that will enable them and the people who work for them to be successful. This capacity building benefit will assist northern companies to become strong and capable, and have the confidence to take on future challenges. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Another aspect of capacity building is in delivering training opportunities to residents in the region. Can the Minister detail the training opportunities available to residents?

Delivering meaningful training opportunities contributes to a sustainable future of northern residents who wish to enter into the construction industry. To date, the contractors' training focuses have been on operating heavy equipment. As I mentioned earlier this week, more than 70 people from the region are now trained as heavy equipment operators, and more than 30 individuals have been trained as Class 1 and Class 3 drivers with air brakes. Another heavy equipment operator training course is going to be available for Beaufort-Delta residents in the 2016 season. Nine seats are available in a 15-week course that will be delivered in Fort Smith beginning in April.

We encourage residents to contact Aurora College for more information and apply on these courses. These training opportunities will provide valuable and transferable skills to allow residents to take advantage of job opportunities associated with other developments ongoing across the Northwest Territories.

During the environmental assessment for the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway project, the Department of Transportation made many commitments about reducing its impacts on the environment and the people of the Inuvialuit settlement region. My question is: how does the department track its progress on these commitments, and how is the department measuring its performance against those commitments?

The department has made over 230 commitments during the environmental assessment, and each one has been implemented, monitored, and reported on. Most of the commitments are also being tracked through the regulatory approval, such as land use permits and water licences. These permits and licences come with all typical monitoring and reporting, so there's constant and timely feedback. We track the status of all commitments on a real-time basis, and any issues or potential issues are brought forward to the management group on a timely action.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister provide assurance that the department is implementing its environment stewardship responsibilities for this project? Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker.

The department is working closely with many regulators that have mandates regarding the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway, including the Inuvialuit Land Administration and the Inuvialuit Water Board, as well as the departments of Lands and Environment and Natural Resources. Recognizing that the new highway will change access to fantastic nearby fisheries, the department has provided funding and other resources to fishery managers to create a fisheries management plan along the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway corridor. To satisfy wildlife commitments that came from the environmental assessment, DOT is working very closely with the local ENR office by supporting a dedicated ENR wildlife biologist. That biologist also works closely with the environment and wildlife monitors working for the ILA and for the contractor. These monitors are on site whenever there is active work going on, in order to observe the wildlife and report any potential impacts.

In addition, the department has three environmental staff dedicated to this project. One focuses on the regulatory requirements and environment commitments. Two others are located in Inuvik and are permanently working on the highway. They work with the contractors' staff, environmental and wildlife monitors, and any stakeholders and regulators to ensure nothing is missed and as issues arise.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my question is to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. It's in regards to carrying on the torch here on Sahtu regional trades technical centre. My predecessor brought this up many times. In my research here, I want to quote a motion that was passed. It says, “Now, therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member of the Yellowknife Centre.” This is a document dated February 2014. It says, “The GNWT will conduct a planning study in the 2014-2015 fiscal year for a Sahtu regional institute of technology, and further, that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a response to this motion within 120 days.” I think we're beyond that 120 days. I'm wondering if there is a response. No, I'm just kidding. My question to the Minister is if we can reactivate that study and move forward, revisit it to see if there's viability for this trades tech centre in one of the Sahtu communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The feasibility study that was conducted in 2014-2015 to examine the viability and a regional institute of technology in the Sahtu was brought forth to the department, and we shared that report with the Member for Sahtu at that time in the 17th Legislative Assembly. Unfortunately, the final report did mention that it was not feasible at this time to move forward on this initiative. The Member did ask if we would revive that report. I have no problems sharing that report with the new Member and moving forward to see how we can best look at providing programs and services in terms of trades and industry work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I welcome that initiative here, and some things have changed since that time. I guess one cost measure in favour of this institution to revisit or review, is that the four bands in the Sahtu most recently have formed a joint venture, acquired some building assets from the former hotel owner and have moved on to acquire another…

Member for Sahtu, could you ask your question, please?

My question of the Minister is: will he be willing to look at the building bought by the bands as well, because we've got a building?

Any decisions regarding increased training facilities or training program deliveries need to be made with a territorial context, as well as subject to the GNWT's capital planning process. What I would like to share with the Member, though, is that the Sahtu does have a regional training partnership that has been re-established. From my understanding, they stopped operating in 2013; however, the ECE Sahtu regional office is utilizing community employment officers as points of contact for community leaders, businesses, as well as residents to bring forward these training initiatives. I would be looking at working and also discussing some of these options, in which the department is also an active member. I'm looking forward to working with the Regional Training Partnership Committee to see what options there are in the Sahtu.

It's good to hear that there's principle to engage on a move-forward plan. My next question is: is it the willingness of the Minister to come and visit one of the Sahtu communities, have a look at these buildings and the other elements to form a forward plan here for revisiting the institution of setting up of Sahtu Tech?

A couple of things. The Skills 4 Success Initiative that we're going to be working on is going to build the foundation for what is needed out in the labour force, as what are the community needs. I did mention earlier in this session that we were going to be releasing the Labour Market Information Report that's going to guide us along the way in terms of all regions and what they need in terms of labour market workforce. With the department and my commitment to getting out to the committees and the regions to see what is needed, I can work with the Member to look at when we can make a visit to the Sahtu.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.

Would the Minister propose some dates in the next 90 days -- I know we're going to be busy, but “proposed” is the right choice of words on dates there -- for a site community visit to analyze this potential?

As mentioned, the Sahtu Training Partnership Committee that's formed I would be willing to meet with that group as well and we can get some dates in place for the Member to see the best time to make the visit into the Sahtu.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, recently the Housing Corporation announced a plan to build 40 new units for RCMP housing, new energy-efficiency units. Would the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation answer some questions about this? The federal government got out of RCMP housing because it was no longer cost-effective. Why is our financially challenged government taking this on and how we will make it cost-effective? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The federal government is actually getting out of the provision of housing for RCMP officers effective April 1, so we don't have a lot of time to work on this. Their reasoning is that they don't want to do the retrofitting to the current housing that they're in. The NWT Housing Corporation is not looking at taking on their current housing, but providing services to the RCMP. Because of economy of scale, it's easier for us to provide all of the housing versus having to have them negotiate individually with market housing before April 1st. Thank you.

We've heard a lot about how our priorities have to be tempered by our fiscal restraints. I think there's a concern for many people that if the Housing Corporation is overreaching with new projects we may not have enough resources to go to very important social housing. Would the Minister tell us where this money is going to come from and whether or not it is confirmed spending?

Nothing at this moment is confirmed. We're still in negotiations with Justice and the federal government. Once we decide upon it, we would be putting in a request to the Financial Management Board. The money, actually, will not take away from social housing at all. In fact, it will help to provide social housing. Within the next 15 years -- 2032, in fact -- CMHC is expected to delete all of their funding for social housing, so we need to look at revenue sources to be able to continue to provide social housing and this is one method.

Is the Minister proposing that this plan to building RCMP housing is going to be a revenue-generating option for the GNWT? Is the government interested in being a landlord?

Currently, actually, the Housing Corporation does have some market housing. One of the reasons is that within the communities it's hard to find housing for professionals such as teachers, nurses, et cetera, RCMP as well. So yes, it will be a revenue base that we can actually use towards maintaining of our social housing.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final question would be: what will happen to the existing stock of RCMP housing? I believe it's over a hundred units. That seems like a sufficient amount and I can't image that they all are in a position to be demolished. I'm sure there's some units we might be able to use. Can the Minister update us on what the quality of the stock is and what the plan to dispose of it is? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Actually, there's only 45 units that the RCMP are interested in negotiating. All of their units, they are not interested in retrofitting them. The Housing Corporation is not interested in taking on their old housing either. So they are going to be trying to sell them into the market community, and if not then they'll negotiate with the Housing Corporation to take them on based on land value only.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in follow-up to my Member's statement, as you recall during our election period, I have had a lot of concerns about negotiations, whether its self-government or land claims. Some of these land claims and self-government agreements have gone on for almost 20 years now, with spending in the neighbourhood of $20 million, and then, whether it is a land claim group or the government that is negotiating, they receive that much less. There are some challenges, for example. The reason I know this is eight years ago, these same issues were a challenge at the time, whether it is core principles and objectives or taking over programs at the current level. My question to our honourable Premier is: when can we expect the outstanding land claims negotiations to be completed? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Honourable Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have made a commitment to work to negotiate all outstanding land claims in the 18th Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

That sounds great. It would be great if we could do that over the next couple of years here. That opens up a lot of our territory to development. But the biggest challenge is to ensure that we do this. I would like to ask the Premier: Will we be changing our negotiating mandate to ensure that we have a common interest to settle both land claims and self-government agreements?

In reviewing some of the reasons for why it has taken so long, and as the Member indicated, in some instances, it has been 20, 25 years of negotiations. We have met with the Aboriginal governments to try to determine the problems, the stumbling blocks that have stopped us from settling these claims a lot earlier than this. We’ve had very good discussions. I think part of it is the mandates that are in place that don't allow us any flexibility. As I have said before, we have met with the federal Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs and outlined how we saw us going forward. They are very open to it. The Prime Minister, during the federal election, wrote to us and indicated that their objective is to settle their outstanding land claims in a very facilitated manner. We have all agreed to work together. We have followed up with the federal Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs with a letter outlining how we see us moving forward and our officials will be getting together. Right now, we feel very positive about the possibilities.

My final question here. That really sounds great. In what sort of timeline can we actually see a change in the mandate? Is it six months or is it eight months or two months?

Just as an example, the Gwich'in rolling draft self-government agreement-in-principle is currently being negotiated by the Government of Northwest Territories, the Government of Canada, and the Gwich'in Tribal Council. The Gwich'in Tribal Council have expressed their desire to have the rolling draft completed by the end of March 2016. Both governments are committed to negotiating an agreement that meets everyone's interests as quickly as possible. However, there are several remaining outstanding issues to be resolved. We are going to work very hard to address these outstanding issues so that we could have an AIP in a very timely fashion.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member’s statement I talked about some housing problems faced by the elders in my riding. My question for the Minister is: has the Minister written out any sort of plan to address housing problems as identified in the 2009 Housing Needs Survey. Thank you.

Masi. Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. 2009 is seven years past. It is a little bit outdated. In April, the NWT Housing Corporation is putting out a new survey to all LHOs, all community band leaders, all people in housing to be able to assess what they think is the best options and then we will be developing a plan from that information that we gather. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

That’s rather disappointing. The 2009 Housing Needs Survey is the last survey that was completed by the Housing Corporation and has all of the core needs, by community, laid out in there. Is the Minister actually contemplating doing something different? Changing the way we collect information and then, by going directly to the people, finding out what it is they want? I think the survey does that. Is the Minister actually contemplating a different way of capturing core needs in the NWT?

Yes. I correct myself actually. The 2009 survey is 17 years old. This government has made a priority on transparency and letting the public be as engaged as possible in decision-making. To be able to do that, asking the public what they think is best, and the program users, is what I feel is most appropriate at this time.

Yes, I guess that would be seven years.

---Laughter

In any event, I don't think that it has changed that much, so the question for the Minister is: is the Minister aware that the largest proportion of core need is adequacy?

I do have a flu, so I do apologize. It is actually seven years. My brain is a little bit foggy. Yes, currently it does show that adequacy is the current biggest problem within the regions. But in order to maintain our priorities within this 18th Legislative Assembly, I do think that it is appropriate to go to the communities again and ask them. Before I develop a plan, I want to be as up-to-date and current as I can with the information.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I indicated the problems we are having currently with having people become eligible for housing programs, largely because there are wrong programs out there and in some cases because individuals are just clearly not eligible. They have a core need, but they don't have all the right statistics to fit into the programs the Housing Corporation is currently offering. It is a huge issue. I would like to ask the Minister if they are going to look at programs that will directly address the housing needs in the NWT. Currently, the programs do not address the needs. The core need is not going down by any significant amount. I want to ask that question again. Will the Minister introduce programs that are appropriate to address core needs in the NWT? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yes. As stated, I do realize that many of the programs are old and many of them might not be appropriate at this time. I adhere to the priority of the 18th Legislative Assembly that says we need to be transparent, and within doing that, then, I believe that the best philosophy is to ask the community and to develop a plan based on what the communities and the people that use the programs say they need.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier our Minister of Transportation made a statement about three of the major corridors that this government often speaks of. The government talks about investing in these highways, but what that really means is the people of the Northwest Territories investing in the highways. We are asking the residents of the NWT to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on these highways. I’d like to know what are the direct fiscal benefits that our residents are going to see from these investments? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Transportation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Increasing the number of communities connected to the public highway system is a key objective of expanding the transportation system. Transportation of goods and materials by the roads continues to be the most cost-effective way to deliver essential services to the communities. Construction of the Mackenzie Valley Highway and Tlicho all-weather road will add several communities to the highway system and greatly increase the window of access provided by winter roads to many other communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The other part of this equation that we always hear is that it's going to benefit industry and bring industry to the Northwest Territories. What other benefits to the industry can we expect to see from these roads?

Replacing existing winter roads will help us adapt to the pressure of climate change, which is reducing the window of access into more of these remote communities. Our winters are getting shorter and increasingly, warmer weather means that we cannot open up our winter roads as usual, as we've seen this year. This winter, our roads were late in opening resulting in an increased cost to our communities, delays in resupply, and decreased access to both residents and businesses.

Are there any of the benefits that the Minister would like to elaborate on?

---Laughter

As I've said in this House before, the Department of Transportation is pursuing funding from the New Building Canada Plan to fund these new projects. With access to this funding, it will bring economic benefits to all Northerners and communities, and help us tackle the climate change issue and other issues facing the remote and small communities.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.