Good afternoon, colleagues. Ministers' statements. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This government is committed to finding new ways to make it easier for NWT residents to acquire the skills and training they need to get jobs and to connect employers to trained and qualified employees.

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment plays a key role in this by focusing on fostering lifelong learning, skill development, training, and employability. That includes expanding opportunities for trades-oriented learning, while also enhancing our communications, service delivery, and way of doing business.

Today, I would like to tell Members about a new online service that the Apprenticeship, Trades, and Occupation Certification Program launched over the summer that demonstrates our continued efforts to meet these commitments. This new online system called "MyECE - Apprenticeship, Trades, and Occupation Certification" was created to increase access to apprenticeship, trades and occupation certification services and program updates. With this new service, registered apprentices, trade qualifiers and occupational certificate trainees have access to program information, can monitor progress in their chosen trade, view results from the technical training and exams, and can download official copies of marks and school notice letters.

The system also offers apprentices and trainees a search and request function for technical training courses, providing access for further training and skill development. Mr. Speaker, these changes are the result of stakeholder input received over this last year. Apprenticeship, Trades, and Occupation Certification staff have also been engaging stakeholders and collecting information to assist us in developing an NWT apprenticeship, trades and occupation certification strategy.

This strategy will outline how the Government of the Northwest Territories will strengthen and improve the apprenticeship and occupational certification program for employers and apprentices alike. It will address one of the priorities of the 18^th Legislative Assembly, expanding opportunities for post-secondary education, trades-oriented learning, and northern educational institutions. The strategy will be aligned with the goals of the department's Skills 4 Success initiative, which aims to improve employment success for NWT residents, close skills gaps for in-demand jobs, and more effectively respond to employers' skill needs.

Mr. Speaker, this government knows that improving access to program information through the expansion of its online services is essential and defined in the Service Innovation Strategy. In this age of consumer driven information, service, and expectation, introducing MyECE - Apprenticeship, Trades, and Occupation Certification not only provides that important information to apprentices and trainees, it helps provide an avenue for residents to make informed decisions on their careers and futures. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Film, video, and digital media are at the centre of a growing and dynamic industry in the NWT, driving both cultural and economic opportunities and contributing almost $9.7 million to the NWT's GDP.

This sector also provides opportunities for employment and self-employment with an estimated 24 film companies and 106 full-time equivalent jobs existing in the NWT today. Most NWT film producers operate as sole proprietorships and face the same challenges as small or micro-businesses, writing their own proposals, self-marketing, and handling administrative tasks in addition to their creative and technical activities.

In line with the 18^th Legislative Assembly's economic priorities of regional development and diversification, our government is advancing initiatives and investments through the Northwest Territories Film Commission to support the NWT film sector and the benefits it generates for many of our other sectors of our economy.

Our actions and investments are guided by Take One: Northwest Territories Film Strategy and Action Plan, which guides the planning and implementation of policies, investments, and actions designed to position the NWT's film sector for growth and prosperity.

Key to this is developing the skills and competencies of NWT film producers and providing training opportunities and experiences for members of this industry. Mr. Speaker, investments in the skills, capacity, and competitiveness of our film industry are resulting in growth and success.

In June this year, films were being produced in each one of the five regions. This shows that our investments are having the desired economic result throughout the territory. This week, members of the NWT Professional Media Association and our film commissioner are in Toronto attending ImagineNATIVE, a conference designed to showcase films made by Indigenous content creators.

As they promote the NWT and build beneficial bonds in the wider Canadian industry, our delegation is also learning and growing and will return with new connections and knowledge that will serve to add capacity to our industry.

Mr. Speaker, the Yellowknife International Film Festival celebrated its 10^th anniversary this year. Its program featured talented filmmakers from across the world and numerous workshops on marketing, distribution, and production. I am pleased to report the festival was a success, building the international profile of our industry, providing opportunities for skills development within our local industry, and offering an outlet for NWT artists to share their work. Among the films that were screened were six made-in-the-NWT productions.

Our government takes pride in supporting this festival each year, and we will continue to invest in the opportunities it provides to advance growth in our film industry. I congratulate the Western Arctic Moving Pictures team for their leadership, both in the presentation of the festival and in our industry.

Another recent success in NWT film was the premiere of the Fort McPherson and Yellowknife "The Sun at Midnight," a feature-length film from Jill and Jackfish Productions and NWT film veterans Kirsten Carthew and Amos Scott.

This film was conceived and created exclusively in the NWT, with much of its cast and all of its crew hailing from within our film industry. It has also marked a banner moment for one of our government's newest programs. "The Sun at Midnight" was the first made-in-the-NWT film to receive funding through the NWT Film Commission's Film Rebate Program.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to continuing to streamline and enhance our offerings to the film sector. It is why we have chosen to increase access to the Film Rebate Program by decreasing the required minimum expenditures and enhancing the rebate percentages. It is why we have earmarked more support for film, and it is why we continue to talk with our industry stakeholders on how to improve the production environment even further. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier this year, the Government of the Northwest Territories took part in a national business satisfaction survey known as "Taking Care of Business." The survey is administered independently by the Institute for Citizen-Centered Service.

Between January and June 2016, more than 200 NWT businesses were surveyed to get feedback on government service delivery. The results will help government identify priorities for improving service to businesses.

The Department of Finance has received the most recent results for the NWT. Our service reputation score, which is businesses' general perception of government services, has improved from 60 to 66 per cent. Our overall client satisfaction score was good, holding steady at 59 per cent, slightly above the national average of 58 per cent. While we remain on par with other jurisdictions, there is still room for improvement.

The survey indicates that businesses want to see the government go the extra mile to resolve issues in a timelier manner. They want easier online access to service, improvements to the quality of online information, and improved responsiveness to e-mail communication.

As discussed in the House before, the Service Innovation Strategy is the GNWT's plan to use technology to improve service delivery, including enabling more services online. The Office of the Chief Information Officer helps departments put these services online and monitors both business and citizen satisfaction through the national Taking Care of Business and Citizens First surveys.

The department coordinates cross-government initiatives, including planning for an online portal, a one-stop shop to access online services, which is a commitment made in this Legislative Assembly. Finance also coordinates service delivery training for managers and front-line staff across government to improve internal and external service. More than 350 front-line employees and 60 managers have taken part in this training to date. Courses have been offered in Yellowknife, Hay River, Norman Wells and Inuvik.

I want northern businesses to know the GNWT values their input. We want to see businesses succeed and continue to make the NWT their preferred place for doing business. We will continue to participate in these surveys to check in with businesses and residents on how to better serve them and thank all respondents who took part in this survey. Later today, at the appropriate time, I will table the results of the survey Taking Care of Business 5. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to talk about the GNWT Human Resources. For many years, this government has tried to employ a public service that's representative of the population it serves. However, Mr. Speaker, I think the approach is wrong. I think the reason we have no reasonable success is that we cannot achieve our objectives by looking at the entire NWT as a whole. We must start looking at representation by population on a community-by-community basis.

Firstly, the goal of the Affirmative Action Policy is 51 per cent priority one employees in the GNWT. Yet, in 2014 the number of people who would qualify for priority one status is 46 per cent. Therefore it becomes a little more difficult than at the onset of the Affirmative Action Policy in the 1980s. Mr. Speaker, I am speaking of people over the age of 15. That is a much better statistic to work with. It's referred to as the "participation rate."

The second point is that it makes application of this policy difficult in Yellowknife. Fifty-two per cent of our public service resides in Yellowknife, yet only 17 per cent of the GNWT public service is priority one status. Mr. Speaker, this seems to be a low number. However, only 19 per cent of the population of Yellowknife would qualify for a priority one status under the GNWT's Affirmative Action Policy. That is about 50 employees, and that would be easily achievable if we were to use that target.

Mr. Speaker, the government must take a proactive approach to affirmative action and start developing plans within communities where there are larger concentrations of employees, and work with the regional management committees to address this issue. It is easier than you think, when you consider that 21 communities have a rate of 45 per cent priority one status or higher. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. The current situation is filled with uncertainty and confusion. The hiring department, the Department of Human Resources and, of course, most importantly, applicants trying to get into the GNWT, whether they have priority status or not, are all unhappy.

So, Mr. Speaker, as you can see, in order to achieve a public service that represents a population it serves, all it would take is some effort. Today, I will have questions for the Minister of Human Resources on his thoughts on how the government plans to move forward with this policy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This week, in recognition of Small Business Week, I've been speaking about the importance of small business. Small businesses are important everywhere, in any economy, but even more so in the NWT. Businesses in our communities face unique challenges related to high costs, large distances, and small markets. Yet, our communities are full of business success stories, and we all know a healthy small business environment is good for our communities and regions. It provides opportunities and diversification and makes our economies more robust and stable.

So what can the rest of us do to support small business? Consumers have a lot of choices these days as to where they can spend their dollars. Online shopping is pervasive and more internet sellers are established every day. That puts local small businesses at a huge disadvantage. So how can we help them compete? Each individual can do their bit, but as a government, we have the opportunity to make larger changes to the playing field. One thing we all should do as individuals and as government can be summed up very simply: buy local.

Mr. Speaker, the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce knows how important this is, so every year it promotes the local economy with the Shop YK Passport Program. We need to find ways to do the same thing at the territorial level. We must establish policy that ensures that government and industry operating in the NWT are doing the bulk of their spending and employing here, too. We can help local businesses get started, but government and industry need to be their customers as well.

Mr. Speaker, every dollar spent here is an investment in our families, businesses and communities. I encourage my colleagues, my constituents, and all the residents of the NWT to spend your money at home, shop local, and government policies much encourage the same approach across the board. For our economy, our community, and our neighbours, it's the right thing to do. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On Monday, October 3^rd, I had the pleasure of being part of the grand opening of a supported independent living complex for seniors in Fort Liard with Minister Cochrane, Minister Abernethy, and Minister Moses, Chief Harry Deneron, Metis President Ernie McLeod, and the Mayor, Steven Steeves. Mr. Speaker, the Housing Corporation worked collaboratively with the Department of Health and Social Services and consulted with the elders in the community to develop a building that supports seniors to age in place and in their communities.

Mr. Speaker, I'm proud to say that we had more than 40 people attend the official grand opening of the building. The previous weeks saw the building have a soft opening, with over 75 residents attend this event. The residents of Fort Liard are very proud of this new facility in their community. Mr. Speaker, this building is very warm and welcoming. It has a gathering area with nine units. One is for a caretaker and his wife; six units for seniors without challenges; and two units that are built and accessible for people who have wheelchairs.

Mr. Speaker, the biggest thing for me is making sure we're not moving seniors away from their families, friends, and also they are our past, which is our foundation, our tradition, and they need to stay in our communities. Mr. Speaker, it is about giving the elders and seniors the dignity to live in an environment they are familiar with. They have earned it. Another great thing about this project is its built-in caretaker unit, which will ensure that the building is safe and secure. This has given an employment opportunity to someone in the community, which is very important.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased with this investment and this priority of the government. This centre supports our elders in remaining here in Fort Liard and near their friends and families. I can only hope that the Minister and the Housing Corporation have plans to build smaller, five-bedroom units, a variation of this unit, in smaller communities in the NWT to continue to support one of the mandates of the 18^th Legislative Assembly, supporting elders to age in place. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The former Member for Weledeh asked about emissions, fluids and inspections at the hydraulic fracturing operations carried out by ConocoPhillips in 2014. There was a secrecy ban on the release of some information at that time. I asked again about it on the understanding that the secrecy period had now ended.

I will leave alone the issue of which Minister is actually responsible for the Office of the Regulator of Oil and Gas, as that one looks like a hot potato. Let's focus on what was said in the Premier's September 28^th response: "Only 28 per cent of the load fracking fluid was recovered from the Dodo Canyon well and 24.5 per cent from the Mirror Lake well." I guess the rest is still down there somewhere. Is this the best we can do at recovering this stuff that is injected into our groundwater?

Next, the Premier says that the volumes in composition of the fracking fluids are found on a website called fracfocus.ca. When I looked at the website and the reports for these wells, I found that some of that data may be confidential "business information," and that the totals "may not equal 100 per cent due to the redaction of proprietary components." This doesn't leave me very comfortable that we actually know what is going into the ground or its possible effects.

Next, the Premier discusses that the wells were monitored by the company while in operation and inspected by OROGO. Unlike our land and water co-management system I can't find these inspection reports in the OROGO public registry on its website. After the company closed the wells, there is no monitoring done, and apparently OROGO has recently launched a voluntary monitoring program relying on local land users. This doesn't sound like a well thought out strategy where these wells become public liabilities. This is not consistent with a principle of polluter pays. In Alberta, there's an abandoned wells fund paid for by industry.

The company's surface and groundwater monitoring reports for hydraulic fracturing are apparently filed with the Sahtu Land and Water Board. Finally, monitoring and inspections of these activities is carried out by Environment and Natural Resources, but I can't find any evidence from the Sahtu Land and Water Board that anyone from GNWT actually reviews and comments on these reports for any potential problems. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to my colleagues. In conclusion, what this response to my written questions shows is a convoluted regulatory system for oil and gas, a lack of transparency, and the failure to ensure that we are not creating liabilities for future generations. This is not why we got devolution. I will ask questions later today for the Premier or whoever's in charge of oil and gas these days. Merci, Monsieur le President.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker the Rainbow Centre in Yellowknife offers important support to young people, especially those who identify themselves as queer, meaning gay, lesbian or bisexual, or who are questioning their gender or sexual identity. The centre offers programs by youth and for youth. The centre officially opened at the end of August with several of my colleagues in attendance along with our Member of Parliament and the Mayor of Yellowknife. Mr. Speaker, the Rainbow Youth Centre is open thanks to a small group of hard-working volunteers. Jacq Brasseur, Nicole Garbutt and Nancy MacNeill recognized that queer youth needed peer support. Together they founded It Gets Better Yellowknife five years ago. Earlier this year, they had a successful week of community-wide discussions around gender and sexual identity under the Days of Pink banner.

Mr. Speaker, these passionate volunteers recognize that queer and trans youth needed a dedicated safe space of their own. They obtained funding from the GNWT Departments of Health and Social Services, MACA and the Health Authority to rent a space the size of a living room to make this dream a reality. Kudos to the government for making this funding available to the Rainbow Coalition of Yellowknife.

Most nights of the week volunteers offer programs that address a broad variety of issues from support groups to confidence-building activities, and from discussion about addictions to providing a place for the parents of queer youth to meet for support. This is important: it's also a place to have fun. On average, ten youth visit the centre each day. That's not all; these tireless volunteers provide outreach to the broader community in the form of workshops and training opportunities for government, business, non-profit, school and anyone else who wants them. They also provide consultations and support to other non-profits looking to make sure their programming is inclusive. Simply by being, the Rainbow Youth Centre is a beacon of tolerance, acceptance and credibility within our community.

Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to congratulate the Rainbow Youth Centre for receiving the Territorial Youth Centre's Award of Excellence last month. Mr. Speaker, when I was young and trying to understand my sexuality there was no Rainbow Centre to help. Having a Rainbow Centre in Yellowknife is a great accomplishment, not only for the youth who visit but for all of us. I offer the young people who established the centre and volunteer at it my warmest congratulations. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the rate of reported spousal assaults in the Northwest Territories is one of the highest in the country, second only to Nunavut, measuring in at nine to 12 times the provincial average. Members of this Assembly recognize that fact as a crisis. In our priorities document before we created the mandate we committed to taking action on the crisis of family and community violence. When the mandate was developed we made a commitment to continue to support healing programs for men who use violence in intimate relationships, such as a New Day Healing Program. Today I'd like to talk a bit about the New Day Healing Program. Through 2015 this program for men who use violence saw 138 clients made up of 65 new male clients on a one-on-one basis, 28 female clients and 48 clients in group therapy at the North Slave Correctional Centre.

From January to September of this year they saw a total of 195 clients that have already been seen to date; 71 male clients, 28 female partners who sought help and safety planning and 89 clients at the correctional centre. This, combined with 31 repeat clients from the original program, makes for a total of 348 clients served by only two staff over a period of two and a half years. This program is the only program in the Northwest Territories that allows for self-referrals. People do not have to get arrested, be incarcerated, or be in a medical crisis to get service. They're the only program that employs Indigenous counsellors, northern Indigenous students, elders and traditional healers and uses traditional healing programs. They deliver group and individual therapy, as well as do presentations to community meetings with other service providers and do group therapy in communities with men and boys at risk of perpetrating abuse. They've been recognized by the Public Health Agency of Canada Aboriginal Best Practices Program, and, as this government has stated previously, this program is in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action to address residential school trauma. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. This New Day Program has presented both nationally and internationally and soon there will be a national CBC documentary just about this program and how effective it has been. The last thing in speaking to New Day, they say we know this program works because people come back, and that speaks highly to its success rates.

If we're going to continue to tackle this problem, this crisis of family violence, and change our dubious distinction as the second worst in Canada we need to continue to support healing programs like this, and A New Day is a great place to start; a great program to continue working with, to continue to expand. I'd today like to commend them for their efforts to help Northerners help themselves and focus on preventative care. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the month of October is the month to promote awareness of breast cancer and liver cancer. Today I'll use my Member's statement to talk about the presence of cancer in the lives of Northerners. We know that the Northwest Territories performs poorly on many health measurements when they're compared to the rest of Canada. This includes physical activity, daily smoking, heavy drinking and healthy eating. These factors contribute to other health issues, including cancer. In fact, cancer is one of the NWT's top three leading causes of avoidable death. Knowledge is power, Mr. Speaker. We need to talk about these things, we need to learn. For example, thanks to strong public awareness campaigns we know that smoke can seriously increase as a cancer risk. But did you know that alcohol, even drinking in moderation, also increases your cancer risk? Many people do not.

Mr. Speaker, we often speak of battling or fighting cancer. The problem with talking like this though is that it sets up winners and losers, when we know that all patients supported by our medical professionals are doing their best and fighting in difficult circumstances. Mr. Speaker, cancer can be beaten, but right now not all cancers can be beaten. But working together on research, prevention, screening and treatment, I hope to see us get there.

Mr. Speaker, finally I'd like to recognize all Northerners who are dealing with the effects of cancer on their lives and the lives of their friends and families. I hope they know that they are not alone and that as their representatives we will continue to support them. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Member's statements. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over the years I have sat in this House, but my constituents in Tsiigehtchic look forward to this time of year, not only because it is the time of hunting and fishing, Mr. Speaker, but it is also one of the times during the year that we have a full qualified nurse, during freeze-up.

Mr. Speaker, I can't express enough the relief in the community during this time when we have a nurse in our community. Mr. Speaker, I think we're a little ways off from getting a full-time nurse in Tsiigehtchic, but I think we're making progress with the new unit that's been put in Tsiigehtchic for both nurses and the RCMP. Mr. Speaker, I'll have some questions for the Minister later today. Mahsi.

Masi. Member's statements. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my statement is on the devolution and the transfer of responsibilities negotiated over many assemblies at a cost. Now that we are faced with the largest oil field industrial reclamation in the North, which also occupies the NWT Power Corporation's power plants and land tenure issues and for other various liabilities that could be viewed as a transfer to this government after the post-devolution of this piece of property is cleaned and transferred.

I will later have questions to the Minister of Lands. It could be also viewed in light of the fact that it's Small Business Week, that this could be a huge contribution to the economic community, the business community. Already we have seen permits being applied for by the occupant and a cost quotation estimated at spending $178 million for the reclamation. I would think that's a sizeable market to track the small business community during this particular week. Later I will have questions, as mentioned, to the Minister of Lands. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Member's statements. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the last sitting I spoke about shoreline erosion in the Community of Tuktoyaktuk. Mr. Speaker, the climate is changing on a global scale with profound effects on local marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems across all continents. Moreover, although most regions of the world will be affected by these global processes, some of the areas of types of ecosystems such as the Arctic will experience effects of climate change more dramatically.

Mr. Speaker, as the Arctic melts the sea level is rising, the loss of our ice is challenging our communities dependent on snow and ice and turn these coastal communities at sea level, the global community shares that we are more common than we are different. In our relationship to the land the challenges we face as our land is changed rapidly and unpredictably, and the best practice is to mitigate these changes and adapt to the challenges. Subsistence-oriented communities have a multi-dimensional relationship with the land, the environment, the animals, and the plants it provides. This relationship is spiritual, physical, economic and cultural. Subsistence-oriented communities including both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples depend on natural resources for our livelihoods and cultural identity.

Mr. Speaker, we know our land and our Indigenous knowledge of ecological systems can reflect great time depth. Our knowledge can deepen our understanding of the climate change by providing insight into its effects on ecosystems and people. In all regions of the world Indigenous peoples are observing multiple linked environmental changes. For example, as noted above, Arctic coastal communities link changes in sea ice, ice cover and dynamics to coastal erosion and recently the need to relocate some communities, Mr. Speaker. People also recognize that these changes have ramifying consequences such as effects on animal migration patterns. Many of the effects on climate change on communities' lifestyles. Fine-scale environmental changes have enormous consequences for Inuit communities. Mr. Speaker, today I will have questions for the Minister of MACA on the Tuktoyaktuk mitigation planning project. Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I recognized the two pages that are here from my riding, but I got one of the schools wrong, so I'm going to do it again. I would like to recognize Bryanna Cheesma from the Kaw Tay Whee School in Detah and Joseph Charlo-Lafferty from the St. Patrick School here in Yellowknife. Also I'd like to recognize some other members from Detah that are here, our interpreter Mary Rose Sundberg of course has become a regular interpreter in the House thanks to you, Mr. Speaker. Also I'd like to recognize Mr. Ernie Abel, Ernie is a father of our hard working administrator Shawn Abel who's in administration here for us. I'd also like to recognize our deputy sergeant-at-arms who's also originally from Detah, Derek Edjericon. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize several Yellowknife South constituents. First of all, Mr. Eric Bilodeau. Mr. Bilodeau is a student studying politics in the North. Welcome to the House. Also two pages from Yellowknife South constituency, Drew Wolfe and Elle Mitchener, and I also recognize all the other pages in the House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's not often I rise up in the House and recognize people, but I'd like to recognize Ernie Abel, the executive director of Tree of Peace and also at the same time Mr. William Greenland, facilitator of A New Day program. Mahsi.

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's my pleasure to introduce Jacq Brasseur, she's the driving force behind the new Rainbow Youth Centre in Yellowknife.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At this time I'd like to welcome my cousin, William Greenland to the House and also a well-renowned artist here in the Northwest Territories. Welcome.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd also like to recognize Mr. William Greenland from the New Day program, Ernest Abel, Executive Director from the Tree of Peace. Thank you for all that you do for men in need. I'd also like to recognize Jacq Brasseur for her amazing work with the Rainbow Coalition of Yellowknife. Finally, I'd like to recognize my constituency assistant Garett Cochrane, it's his birthday today, and we're very pleased to have him in the Chamber. Thank you.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too would like to recognize Jacq Brasseur, providing small community contributions to our small communities and William Greenland, a familiar voice to our small communities providing announcements and emergency messages going to the smaller communities through the airways. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, as well, want to take this opportunity today to recognize a page that works with us that is also a Yellowknife North resident, and that is Rayyan Awan. I want to thank all of our pages for what they do for us. We're, frankly, lost without them, so we appreciate your efforts. I also want to take this opportunity to recognize Jacq Brasseur, who does a lot of work for the community, especially for Rainbow Coalition of Yellowknife as well as her involvement in the United Way. I, as well, want to take this opportunity to recognize a well-known personality, Mr. William Greenland, who I believe is still a resident of the Yellowknife North. Thank you.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Anyone in the gallery, welcome to our Chamber. It's always nice to have an audience as part of our proceedings. Item 6, acknowledgements. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge longtime Hay River resident, Alison Kilgour. Earlier this month, Ms. Kilgour received the Long Service Award for her 45 years of service with the GNWT. This is a milestone that only one other GNWT employee has ever achieved. Ms. Kilgour was raised in the North. After attending university, she moved to Hay River, began working at Library Services in the Hay River Centennial Library, and she has been there ever since. Her co-workers describe her as a model employee. It's assured that whatever task she takes on will be completed thoroughly and without compromise. In addition to acknowledging her achievement, I also want to thank Ms. Kilgour for her 45 years of dedicated service. Today is her last day with the GNWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Congratulations to her, as well. Acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier I spoke about the shoreline erosion in the community of Tuktoyaktuk, and my questions are for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Mr. Speaker, my question is: what is the department doing to help the community of Tuktoyaktuk address its long-standing shoreline erosion challenges? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs submitted a proposal to the federal and national disaster mitigation program. I'm pleased to report that we have been just recently approved for the amount of $250,000 through this program to complete a disaster mitigation plan for Tuktoyaktuk. The hamlet is also contributing $70,000 towards this project.

The mitigation plan will lessen the impact of future disasters resulting from intense wave action and severe storm surges. The plan will also guide the development and protection of critical infrastructure and improve planning and emergency preparedness and flood response. Both the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and the hamlet council are supportive of this work, and we're pleased to be able to complete this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, my second question to the Minister is: when will work be completed, and how will it involve community leadership and residents?

Work will begin right away, in the fall of 2016. We're assuming that the project will take approximately 16 months to complete. Much of the work will occur during the summer of 2017. In addition to community visits, the project will involve engagement, consultation, and collaboration with community leadership and residents. We also recognize that traditional knowledge is a really important part of understanding flood risk and the damage that has occurred over the years. As such, this traditional knowledge will be incorporated into the research. We'll also be sharing the report with the federal Minister of Infrastructure and with the Minister of the Environment.

Mr. Speaker, my third question to the Minister is: given the effort is aimed at completing a planning study only, what can be done beyond this project to actually protect the shoreline and residents in the future?

The Government of the Northwest Territories takes the climate change and the shoreline erosion very seriously, so we have seriously invested time and energy into lobbying the federal government.

Once the mitigation options are identified through the plan, the hamlet may also submit future funding proposals through this program to help fund mitigation projects, such as potentially relocating structures to safer areas, diversions, and flood proofing. We're also going to continue working closely with the hamlet to identify any options and opportunities to action the recommendations in the plan. Of course, we recognize that good community planning will be necessary to ensure success in this project, so the hamlet is currently taking steps in this area through their review of a community plan.

Once again, the Government of the Northwest Territories takes this issue very seriously, and we're looking for all funding and options to actually implement the plan once developed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for that response, very detailed. Mr. Speaker, my final question for the Minister is: will funding be available in the future to complete mitigation projects? Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At the moment, the federal government has made funding available for only five years. However, there remains a great interest amongst the provinces and territories and, I believe, the federal government to address the climate change issues that we're experiencing.

Therefore, MACA will continue to advocate for disaster mitigation funding through its role at the federal-provincial-territorial tables. As before, MACA will continue to work with the community to prepare any proposal that they wish to advance. However, there are no guarantees at this time that approval will be received. The program is entirely merit-based, and approval depends largely on where the greatest cost savings might be achieved from future flood events.

The hamlet currently has the ability, also, to allocate a portion or all of their community public infrastructure dollars yearly to mitigation projects to support the erosion issue that is impacting this community. We do recognize that the community of Tuktoyaktuk is in serious condition, and we are doing our best to try to support them in mitigating this issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the June sitting, I asked some questions for the Minister of Lands. Today, I wish to follow up on these questions. Can the Minister please provide the title of the official who made the commitment to move ahead with the fee simple transaction at Cassidy Point? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Lands.

Mr. Speaker, the commitment to Cassidy Point leaseholders was made by the then assistant deputy minister of MACA in 1992. Thank you.

1992, that's a long time to follow through on a commitment. I appreciate the government's ability to do that. Could the Minister please provide this House, is there a tabled document that they can show, or was this a verbal commitment, a written commit? Can we table that document?

Mr. Speaker, I'm not able to table the 1992 letter to the Cassidy Point leaseholders. It's correspondence between a government official and private individuals about lease arrangements and contains information that is not appropriate for the public domain. However, I would be happy to share with the Member the exact wording made to the leaseholders at Cassidy Point. I'm quoting now: "The intention of Municipal and Community Affairs, MACA, is to grant title to the existing leaseholders on Cassidy Point by September 1993.

In order to accomplish this, a legal survey will be required to define the properties. The legal survey should be completed by September 1992 as a first step in the transfer of ownership. Title to only the Cassidy Point cottage leases are being offered at this time because of its long-term status as a cottage subdivision, its year-round access, and due to the absence of subdivision plans for other cottage areas on Commissioner's lands.

I thank the Minister for his answer. Can the Minister please explain to this House what arrangements were made with the Yellowknife Dene First Nation to allow this land to be sold instead of the common practice of returning the lease in the areas where land claims are not settled? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Department of Lands, under formal consultations with the Akaitcho Dene First Nation between December 2014 and February 2015 about offering existing leaseholders at Cassidy Point the opportunity to pursue fee simple title. This letter was also copied to the Yellowknives Dene First Nation chiefs. No concerns were raised during the consultation period. It is also important to note, Mr. Speaker, that Cassidy Point is not located within the Akaitcho Interim Withdrawal Area, which is an area temporarily protected from disposition in support of concluding a final agreement with the Akaitcho.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister, again, for his answer. I guess I'm a little concerned, if it's not part of that territory, then did they work with Yellowknife? But that would be further on, I'll be asking some questions on that. Will the Minister please explain if the arrangement made with the Yellowknives Dene or the Akaitcho First Nation or Regional Organization can be used in other unsettled areas? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is not GNWT policy to offer fee simple title in unsettled areas of the Northwest Territories. In certain circumstances, exceptions are possible, but it is important that we do not create a patchwork of exceptions and one-offs in our approach.

In the case of Cassidy Point, an exception was made to honour a long-standing commitment to leaseholders over two decades ago. Going forward, we want to rely on a systemic approach. Decisions will be based on broader policy goals of sustainable land management for the benefit of all Northerners, now a commitment to finalization of land claim agreements in all areas.

I suggest also, Mr. Speaker, that it is particularly important that the Government of the Northwest Territories honour its commitments no matter how old they are. It comes with the honour of the Crown. Thank you.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I have questions for the Minister of Justice. In the 17^th Assembly, the honourable Member for Great Slave was Minister of Justice at the time. During the time of his tenure as Justice Minister, he expressed his gratitude towards those involved with developing and delivering the New Day Program, as well as those men who were choosing a better way: "We know that family violence is deliberate. We know that violence is based on a pattern of behaviours against the will and against the well-being of family members. This program will be a significant step towards positive change." So that's when the pilot started, Mr. Speaker.

Today, my question for the current Minister of Justice: does the Minister recognize the significant achievements of the New Day Program in fulfilling the mandate of this Assembly and the designed intentions of the program, and does he commit to continuing to support this program after the pilot expires? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Justice.

Certainly, Mr. Speaker, this government recognizes the seriousness of family violence in the Northwest Territories. We are committed to the types of programs such as New Day. As the Member opposite likely knows, this is a pilot project, however, which ends on December 31, 2016. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

What is the intention of the department today? Is it to extend this program or is it to move forward with something different?

As I mentioned in prior questions, I think during our last session, there is a study of the program that is being conducted at this very time. I am expecting the results of that study within the next few weeks, I think by the end of November. At that point, we will decide which course we will take.

At this point, the facilitators of the New Day Program are unsure of their continuing role in delivering this service in the Northwest Territories. Can the Minister commit to meeting with the staff of the New Day Program and perhaps working on ways to improve the current existing program? I think Members of this House have signalled, by putting the name of the program in the mandate, that this is something we support, continue to support, and want to see preserved.

I am very much looking forward to receiving the report. It's going to be a very extensive report, and when I receive that, I'll determine what action we should take next.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister commit to providing that report and an update on the situation before December 31^st of this calendar year, when the pilot program is due to expire? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

No.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, there seems to be a differing opinion on this side of the House, but I don't think I can commit to any specific date, as I'm not certain when I will actually receive it, but it will be shared with Members opposite. Thank you.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Earlier this week, I asked questions about the change in Income Assistance Regulations. You will recall that the government has eliminated the food and clothing allowance for children under 18. The Minister assured us on both Monday and Tuesday that there have been no concerns brought to our office.

Mr. Speaker, a resident contacted me with his concerns about this reduction. The resident forwarded to me written responses signed by the Minister addressing those concerns, which he brought to the attention of the Minister. I'll table these e-mails at the appropriate time. Could the Minister please clarify his statement that he hasn't heard any concerns about the change in Income Assistance Regulations? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I will continue going on and saying that we haven't heard any concerns since the implementation of the Canada Child Benefit. Leading up to the Canada Child Benefit implementation here in the Northwest Territories, there were some concerns that were going around on Facebook and social media that were brought to our attention. We assured individuals that nothing was going to change; in fact, money was going to go up after August 1^st. So, yes, since we have the implementation, we haven't heard any concerns. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To say again, this is an e-mail exchange where the Minister has signed the e-mails and the resident has signed the e-mails, and he expresses his concern about the reduction of food and clothing allowances within the Income Assistance Regulations. Could the Minister please clarify that, in fact, he has heard concerns about the changes that have been made?

Any concerns that were brought to the attention of the office, we clarified the situation. As I mentioned, we've taken out the Canada Child Benefit that was introduced on July 1^st, so we wouldn't count them in the assessments, meaning that all children and all families, in fact, got the full amount of the Canada Child Benefit and we just clarified anything that came up. Since that, we haven't heard any concerns since then.

So is the Minister saying, then, that he has heard concerns about the changes in the Income Assistance allowances?

Yes. Prior to implementation, actually our CSO staff got very good training, should that anyone that's on income assistance that was concerned about the changes coming forward, that we are going to provide them the information that they need. If the client that the Member is talking about, and the Member herself or any Members of this House, any of the 19 Members that are concerned about the implementation of our changes to the income assistance we'd be glad to give an update; have them sit down with one of our client service officers. As I said, each situation is unique and different and we'd be willing to sit down and provide that information to clarify the concerns that the Member has.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I'm going to table these e-mails and I will pursue my concerns in greater detail at another time. But my last question in this string is to ask the Minister what his department has done proactively to explain the changes to people who receive income assistance about their allowances. Not about the child benefit, the Canada child benefit, but about the change in the income assistance allowances.

As I mentioned earlier, all our client service officers got the adequate training; the training that they need should any concerns be brought forth from our income assistance clients. As I mentioned yesterday, all the dollars that were going to the clients, ones with families especially, have actually gone up in every household. So any other further concerns, I'd ask them to go and speak to a client service officer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. My questions are about the government's policies in support of northern businesses and manufacturing. Northern manufacturing includes the full spectrum of the economy from agriculture to industry. How is the GNWT promoting local manufactured products and encouraging residents to buy local? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

I'm glad to answer this question, because before I got elected to the 18^th Legislative Assembly I helped move the manufacturing group together and get lobby together to how we can make things better within the GNWT and working with the manufacturers. Currently, the department is working with the Manufacturers' Association in updating their marketing plan moving forward, with a goal to help them promote their products both within the Northwest Territories and within industry and this is something that we are working on.

Thank you to the Minister for his reply, and I also commend the Minister for his previous efforts in this regard. Mr. Speaker, recently ITI provided a presentation at Opportunities North conference that showed small businesses were in significant decline in the NWT. How is ITI working to determine why small business is in decline, more importantly how will they correct this trend?

Yes, small business is in decline in the Northwest Territories and probably right across Canada in most jurisdictions as the economy has been in a downturn for quite a while. There are lots of challenges facing northern businesses. People are shopping online, people are going south to stretch their dollars as much as they can, but what is the department doing to correct this trend?

We have a number of programs that we're trying to do to help small businesses in the Northwest Territories, from the SEED Program, to marketing their programs, to assisting them with financing and stuff as such. We will continue to do that and we will continue to work with the small businesses and chambers across the Northwest Territories to try to correct this trend.

Thank you to the Minister for his reply. Mr. Speaker, my final question is: as we develop contracts for larger projects, are we emphasizing local benefits by ensuring that subcontracts are bundled into manageable accessible segments for local independent business?

As a government, we're always looking at how to maximize local and Northern content in all contracts and procurement in the Northwest Territories, and we will continue to review our policies and stuff moving forward to maximize that.

A couple of things that we do use already to help maximize local involvement is the BIP Policy; that gives someone local and northern content to give you a little leverage over anyone else, and also the Northern Manufacturing Policy has a whole different set of rules around it to help people purchase northern manufactured products in NWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. We just went through a business plan session with the departments; I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. The first time we went through this most of us were very new and I didn't quite understand the process, and I'm still not clear on some things and so I'd like to clarify with the Minister about some of the decisions that were made. Specifically, when the department is looking at cutting positions as was done throughout the GNWT, what factors are considered when determining which positions are expendable? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When the departments look at any kind of reductions within our programs, specifically when it comes to positions in the GNWT, we look at three factors. One is the nature of the position: does the incumbent require specialized training or could the task be delegated to others within the work unit.

Another one is the status of the position; whether it is vacant or not. The third factor that we do take into consideration is risks and impact on program delivery: could the program continue to be delivered with staff that are still within that division.

So what level in the government are these expendable positions identified at? Is it the office manager, regional manager, director, ADM, deputy minister, et cetera?

Mr. Speaker, all positions from entry level to management are looked at and reviewed and we base it on those three factors that I mentioned; mostly the one that would be least disruptive to the program delivery in that division.

My question, I must not have phrased it properly is: who determines if the position is expendable? Is it the deputy minister? Is it the ADM? Is it the director? Is it the director in consultation with the manager? At what level is that position identified and that decision made?

Given the confidentiality of the reduction exercise, senior management that the department delivered the exercise with the positions as mentioned from entry level to management.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So from the sounds of it, it's senior management, which I assume is above a director. I'm not quite sure what "senior management" means, but they identified positions that they feel as though could be filled by someone else or it won't affect the work being done on the front lines. So I just want to confirm there's no consultation with the actual office manager or a direct supervisor of someone's position who is up for the chopping block? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Going through such an exercise is difficult on our senior management. Obviously, we don't want to look at any positions being cut as affecting residents of the Northwest Territories, but we do look at the position based on those three factors. It's not based on the individual that's in that position, it's based solely on the position and using those three factors to identify should a job be cut that it will have the least disruption to the programs that they serve. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.