Good afternoon, Members. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Mr. Speaker, the film sector offers extraordinary opportunities for Northwest Territories residents to share their stories, landscape, and talent across diverse audiences. Furthermore, the economic multipliers of film production are among the highest of all active industries in the Northwest Territories, with seven jobs created for every million dollars spent.

Through the implementation of action items from Take One: A Film Strategy and Action Plan for the Northwest Territories, we are working to fulfill the commitment made in our mandate to further the skills and competencies of Northwest Territories film producers; to build infrastructure, assist below-the-line crew and support services; and help develop marketing and communications plans for films made in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, this is the work completed day in and day out by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment through the Northwest Territories Film Commission. Since its inception, the Northwest Territories Film Commission has delivered funding and support to our local practitioners, assistance to visiting productions, location marketing, and is serving to raise the profile of Northwest Territories film locally, nationally and around the world.

To enhance industry funding and work to attract guest productions, the Northwest Territories Film Commission introduced the Film Rebate Program in 2015. Three projects were approved in the program’s inaugural year, and more applications are currently being reviewed for this year.

Mr. Speaker, to increase the profile of our industry, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment provided SEED funding to filmmakers to showcase their work abroad and to the Dead North Film Festival to help expand their exposure across the circumpolar world.

To strengthen our local industry, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, and its Film Commission Division, sponsored the Yellowknife International Film Festival, several Western Arctic Moving Pictures workshops, and numerous community-building events across the territory. Mr. Speaker, these are the types of investments and supports with which we are building our unique northern film sector.

Mr. Speaker, this last year has brought a number of notable highlights for our film industry and Commission. We witnessed one of our own achieve international attention as Melaw Nakehk’o came to life on the silver screen alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy in The Revenant. Melaw’s performance brought near-unprecedented exposure to our film industry. Behind her performance, it was the Northwest Territories Film Commission that provided assistance to the casting agency whose open call resulted in her receiving the role.

We saw Pablo Saravanja and Jay Bulckaert, two of many talented directors in the territory, jet to France to screen their short film Conibear. Jay and Pablo are always ambassadors for our film industry. They take leadership roles in festivals, share their talent through workshops, and network furiously when they go abroad, and always sharing the spotlight with the larger Northwest Territories industry. The Northwest Territories Film Commission was proud to have contributed SEED funding to their trip, and the professional development it provided.

Jen Walden, a fixture in the Northwest Territories' art scene, recently had her short film The Painted Girl recognized by Women in Film and Television – Toronto, with a screening in that city.

Meanwhile, our collective industry continues to move forward. The Northwest Territories Professional Media Association reached a milestone June 24thas they held their first-ever Industry Expo to share ideas and celebrate the many successes our industry has seen in recent years. The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment has provided funding to this organization since its establishment to assist in skill development within the Northwest Territories’ local industry. I would encourage my colleagues to visit the Association online and get to know some of the talented leaders driving film forward in our territory every day.

Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories' diverse and breathtaking topography is unique, and second only to its rich cultural and Aboriginal heritage in attracting and inspiring the interests of film producers and productions. There is a growing national and international appetite for the stories and characters that can only be found in our North.

We are pleased with the progress we have made, but we also know there is much left to do. We look forward to continuing our celebration and support of the film sector as we work to encourage and attract film productions to all regions of the Northwest Territories, and to contribute to employment creation, enhance our territory’s profile, and increase our industry’s creative and technical skills base. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I provide an overview of how GNWT departments, the federal government and the water boards collaborate to ensure high-quality drinking water is provided to the residents of the Northwest Territories. I also want to highlight some of the innovative work being done to support community drinking water systems.

Community governments own and operate the drinking water treatment plants in their communities. However, they are not in it alone. Four GNWT departments work together to support drinking water management: Public Works and Services, Environment and Natural Resources, Health and Social Services, and Municipal and Community Affairs. Jointly, these departments coordinate their services through the Interdepartmental Management Committee on Drinking Water and Wastewater.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources holds the primary responsibility for water resource management, including protecting municipal water sources in the NWT. ENR will soon be releasing an updated 2016-2020 Water Stewardship Action Plan. The action plan lays out a partnership approach to improve and enhance water stewardship.

This year, the Department of Health and Social Services is responsible for reviewing data collected by community governments during their regular testing of drinking water. Under the guidance of the Chief Public Health Officer, it is also responsible for taking action if any test results exceed the guidelines for Canadian drinking water quality.The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs provides support to community governments through the training and certification of water treatment plant operators; the provision of funding for the operation of water and sewer services and related capital; technical support for operations; and assistance with capital project delivery.

The Government of the Northwest Territories has made a commitment in its mandate to continue to monitor drinking water quality and to support the development of community-based water monitoring systems. In 2016-17, MACA will be installing remote monitoring systems in NWT water treatment plants in Aklavik and Tsiigehtchic and investigating other communities for similar installations. Four communities, Lutselk’e, Jean Marie River, Wrigley, and Fort Good Hope, currently have these systems installed and are fully operational. This type of system allows GNWT staff in regional centres to monitor systems in real time, log long-term trends and more easily provide operational support to community government staff.

This year, MACA and PWS will be working with the communities of Paulatuk, Wekweeti and Gameti on the completion of new water treatment plants. When these plants are complete, all NWT communities will have modern water treatment plants which meet the strict Canadian Drinking Water Quality Guidelines. This is an important milestone for our government and our people, Mr. Speaker. If the public is interested in learning more about drinking water in the Northwest Territories, or in their community, I invite them to visit the GNWT’s drinking water website at www.nwtdrinkingwater.ca. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On April 28, 2016, Thomas Simpson School in the Community of Fort Simpson had the opportunity to have Theo Fleury as a guest speaker. He gave two powerful presentations, one to the community and one to the school. This was the final leg of his tour which included trips into Yellowknife, Behchoko, and Hay River.

Mr. Speaker, Theo's presentation was on trauma he suffered as a child growing up with his parents who struggled with addictions, and the sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of his junior hockey coach. Theo Fleury told the audience that, by breaking the silence of his own abuse, it ultimately put him on the path of healing. He spoke out about how society put mental health, addictions, and trauma into separate boxes, but they all live in the same house.

Theo encouraged people who had gone through trauma and abuse to reach out to the community members who can help them. There are a lot of people out there who would like to and are willing to help, and they would love to help you out.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank the RCMP and the Northern Safety Association for coordinating this event; as well, the Mackenzie Rec Association and the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs for providing some of the funding throughout the tour.

There was a lot of local support for this tour in Fort Simpson. I'd like to thank them for providing this great opportunity for our youth. This tour came about from youth asking for it. They requested this. They asked for it because, when we are doing youth conferences in their communities, other people were not getting opportunities to see it in other, smaller communities.

Over the years, there has been a variety of presenters in there, whether it's Olympians, Minister Moses was out on tours, and they got the message to these people, the young people, to get them the education that they need, not just in the school. Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, it's all about the youth building their foundation. Youth Tours give them the opportunity to explore and expand their knowledge, similar to the Youth Ambassadors Program. Later today, I will have some questions for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to talk about junior kindergarten, specifically the impact implementing junior kindergarten will have on existing early childhood learning programs for four-year-olds. There is no question that there is an urgent need for early childhood learning programs in the NWT to stimulate the development of children and set them up for a positive school experience.

Mr. Speaker, several communities already have early childhood learning programs in place, including eight communities with Aboriginal Head Start and a number of programs in Yellowknife such as the Montessori School. All of these programs include four-year-olds. All of them have a stake in junior kindergarten because the implementation of junior kindergarten may put them out of business, whether their programs are free or fee-based.

The review of junior kindergarten released earlier this year addressed this point. It said, "there is a need to address confusion over why ECE, which funds and supports early childhood learning programs, including Head Start and Montessori, now appears to be competing with itself."

The federally funded Aboriginal Head Start Program has operated in the NWT for 17 years. It is community-driven, play-based, and culturally connected. The programs are well-staffed and resourced. Evaluations are positive of the language and skill development the programs provide.

What happens to the Head Start program when the four-year-olds move to junior kindergarten? In small communities like Fort McPherson and Paulatuk, there aren't enough children to make two programs viable. What happens to the Aboriginal Head Start staff if their program closes? Most likely they will be laid off, because junior kindergarten will be staffed by school teachers. These concerns are shared by the Montessori School in Yellowknife, which has operated for over 40 years. The loss of four-year-olds will lead the organization with no choice but to cut jobs and increase costs to families.

The point, Mr. Speaker, is that it's time for ECE to engage the current providers of early childhood learning programs and consult with them to provide cost-effective community options for early childhood learning. What they're offering isn't broken and doesn't need to be fixed. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to address my comments here later to the Minister of Lands. Through devolution we have seen a number of benefits being transferred to our government. It has been a little over two years that we have seen that transfer. It gives us two years of experiences and two years of reconsideration of what has to be done, what has to be reorganized, what needs to be done in the area of development as well as protection. I think what we can do is have responsible development in a manner of planning for that, and everything seems to go in a smooth transition and a save-on-budget manner if it is planned for, Mr. Speaker. In addition to the hard work and the reorganization and our administrative legislation that will become, I would like to ask some of the questions on the administrative mandate projections there, later to the appropriate Minister, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address a controversial issue facing our government: the issue of carbon pricing. Carbon pricing or carbon taxation is becoming one of those red-flag issues where everyone's opinion is strong. Some think it is an absolute necessity in order to encourage cleaner alternative energy. Conversely, its opponents say it is a tax grab by governments that doesn't help the people who need it most. Regardless of the varying opinions, this is an issue that we are going to have to face and one that we have to come to understand.

Mr. Speaker, we accept that climate change is a reality and that it is caused by human and industrial activity. If we listen to the overwhelming majority of scientists, we know that we have to sharply reduce the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere. Proponents say that some way of putting a dollar value on carbon emission is a necessary mechanism to manage and encourage this reduction. But there are many questions, and no one has all the answers. Mr. Speaker, do we know how bad a carbon polluter the NWT really is? We have a tiny population and a huge land mass. We know that some released carbon is re-absorbed by forests and wetlands. How much? We don't know. We know that we burn significant amounts of diesel which creates greenhouse gas, but we also generate a portion of our electricity needs by hydro. We have solar power projects in Fort Simpson and Colville Lake. We have good corporate citizens like Diavik Mine, which built the NWT's first large-scale wind facility. We have governments and residents doing good things to reduce their own emissions. All of these factors contribute to the position of our territory on the carbon scale. We know that Canada is a small contributor in the world scale of carbon emitters, and the NWT is a small player in Canada. So where do we sit on the scale? Again, we don't really know.

Mr. Speaker, the federal government has indicated that it is willing to consider a carbon tax as a tool to fight climate change. It is incumbent on all governments to do the research and consider the options. We need to recognize that the impacts of a carbon pricing regime will be significant in the long-term. When the time comes, the NWT needs to be ready to engage from a position of strength and knowledge, so we know where we stand. Later today, Mr. Speaker, I will have a couple of questions for the Premier regarding where we stand as a government and territory regarding our carbon position, and can we and could we benefit from any such pricing or tax. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. The Minister of Environment and Natural Resources released the 2015 Environmental Audit yesterday. The GNWT is to be congratulated for coordinating the responses to the audit, which are found in the document itself.

As Members of this House know, I have made several statements about the need to get our financial security system in order to prevent further public liabilities. Here are a few quotes from the 2015 Environmental Audit carried out by an independent third party. "We found significant unresolved challenges with the management of security deposits which existed prior to devolution and were recognized in the fall 2012 report of the Commissioner on Environment and Sustainable Development ... There does not appear to be a robust information management system to address the handling and processing of securities and to support sufficiency analyses and risk assessment for the GNWT. We were unable to confirm that all security established in land use permits and water licences had been collected by the responsible departments." The audit goes on to say, "GNWT has recognized these challenges. It has established the Liabilities and Financial Assurances Division within the Lands Department," but most importantly, "documentation outlining the Division's vision and implementation strategy were not available." The audit recommended that "GNWT-Lands should develop policy documents outlining its approach to and timeline for establishing a structured approach to securities management within the NWT."

Unfortunately, the GNWT response is rather light and noncommittal, stating, "The GNWT supports the intent of this recommendation. The Department of Lands will work with other GNWT departments as required." These are shocking findings at a time of fiscal restraint and after more than two years of GNWT managing financial securities. There is still no timetable or plan to avoid large liabilities and manage our resources gained under devolution in a financially responsible manner. I will have questions for the Minister of Lands on our management of financial securities later today. Masi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.

Masi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have spoken in this House on the need to diversify our economy quite a few times during this sitting by offering suggestions on tourism, tax reform, and developing our knowledge economy, and showing clear examples of how private sector has got that ball rolling. The last ten years, northern industry has provided more pride to us Northerners than the film industry, from thrilling reality TV that unique Northerners perform in in their equally unique jobs to feature films that focus on our stories, living our way of life, never before has the rest of the country and indeed the world been so curious with our spectacular Northwest Territories. I, for one, think we must do as much as we can to keep that industry in motion.

Mr. Speaker, earlier today, the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment spoke about Take One, the NWT Film Strategy and Action Plan. Those involved in creating Take One suggested, Mr. Speaker, that these recommendations need to be completed in a timely manner if the industry is to remain sustainable. Implementing the film rebate program was a great first step by this government, and continuing to support it in this budget is a positive measure. There is still much to do.

We need to assist local production companies grow into more established businesses that can hire locally and that can provide professional standardization of the industry. We also need to incentivize more productions outside of the capital so that all of our communities can benefit and demonstrate our diverse natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. We, as leaders, must be partners with northern filmmakers so that we can support their endeavours while also creating more awareness that the North has award-winning filmmakers, festivals, and locations that film companies will want to invest in.

Mr. Speaker, as you and my colleagues might have been able to tell by now, I am the theatrical sort. This comes from my life-long passion for film. Before public service became my vocation, I even considered pursuing that passion professionally. Great Northerners like Amos Scott, Jay Bulckaert, Terry Woolf and Pablo Saravanja have devoted their careers and talents to making our film industry flourish. Let’s demonstrate that commitment to them by assuring their industry will not be left on the government's cutting room floor when choosing its priorities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this time to congratulate our newly elected president and vice president of the Gwich'in Tribal Council. Mr. Speaker, our new president is Bobbie Jo Greenland-Morgan. Our new vice president is Jordan Peterson. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with the newly elected leaders in the future, and I also look forward to a good working relationship. Also, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank former president, James Wilson, and vice president, Norman Snowshoe, for all their work representing the Gwich'in Nation. Masi cho, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Our congratulations to both individuals as well. Masi. Members' statements. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Yellowknife is sometimes referred to as the "great vacuum" because it sucks the jobs and wealth from the regions into the capital. At least that is what some people say. In the last Assembly, there was a focus on decentralizing positions out of Yellowknife and into the communities. I have heard time and time again from my constituents that this process needs to continue. However, Mr. Speaker, while I agree decentralization is a key to securing the NWT's future successes; I don't believe a piecemeal approach is the answer.

We need to take a step back, look at the geography of the territory and look at the competitive advantages of each region and community, and ask ourselves, if we wanted to design an efficient and economical government structure, keeping in mind that we have 33 communities that we need to keep viable, how would we do it? If we were honest with ourselves, I think we would say that we need to go from five regions to three, make Hay River the South Slave's regional centre and move a much, much larger proportion of government operations out of Yellowknife and into Hay River and Inuvik. Capacity is often a problem with filling positions in small communities. But by moving substantial control over operations to regional centres, we will be better able to provide supports to regional communities, which means we can provide them with more positions as well.

I appreciate the decentralization efforts that have been undertaken, but I believe a new vision for how we govern is needed. Right now our regional structure is based on politics rather than practicality. The South Slave is a prime example. Fort Smith is the South Slave's regional centre. If you didn't know the history of the territory, you would have no idea why. It is not centrally located. It is the farthest community away from every other community in the South Slave. Hay River, on the other hand, is the closest to all the communities. Hay River is also the economic driver of the region, yet ITI's regional headquarters are in Fort Smith. I could go on. I have nothing against Fort Smith, but this just shows that our basic structure is inefficient. There are other examples, like the way Fort Providence's transportation equipment goes to Yellowknife for service when Hay River is closer, or how some communities are administered from three different regional centres depending on the department.

Mr. Speaker, I am suggesting that this government take a long, hard look at how we do business. Just because we have been doing things a certain way doesn't mean that is the only way to do it. The voters want a change. Before my time is up in this Assembly, I hope to give it to them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Marci cho, Mr. Speaker.

[English translation not provided.]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to send my condolences out to Donald Beaulieu's family of Fort Resolution who sadly passed away on May 27, 2016. He was born on November 15, 1949. Mr. Speaker, Donald was a loving father and husband. Donald was one that would always tell others never to give up, and he always did the same himself. Donald loved sports and it made him very happy when he was involved in sports. He was a very good person, and he was always there for all the kids that were doing sports in his community. Donald was a very talented hockey player himself, and he also played softball and fastball. Donald loved to joke with his family and friends. He is survived by his wife, Carol, his daughter and his sons. He leaves behind many friends and he will be sadly missed by all. I visited Donald a few times when he was in the hospital. He had a very good attitude towards what he was facing although he knew what was coming.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to do a memorial to the late Bill Norn who was born November 19, 1949. They were only born four days apart, ironically. He died on June 4, 2016. Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge Bill as a very kind-hearted person to his family members. Any of his family members, especially orphaned children and so on, Bill took them in. His grandchildren, he raised his grandchildren and he was in a wheelchair. Anyone that needed help, Bill would be there to help. He was a very successful businessman despite his disabilities. He employed a lot of people. His big dream was to see Highway No. 6 completed, and he wanted to be involved in that. He is not going to see the completion of it, but he has seen the completion of most of it. I am sure that his son, Andy, will keep things moving. Mr. Speaker, Bill is survived by his brothers, Stanley, his younger brother, from Hay River, and Joe, his older brother from Res; his sister, Nora; his children Andy and Lisa; and his grandchildren who he had raised; and numerous other relatives and nieces and so on. His house was always a very busy place. I visited Bill in his home many times when he was wheelchair bound. I was sad to see both Bill and Donald die so young and leave us so soon. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Our condolences also go out to the family members as well. Masi. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.