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.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I was invited to travel with Premier Bob McLeod to attend the Dehcho First Nations Assembly in Jean Marie River. To sit once again in the circle of leaders, elders, delegates, and friends was an honour. Mahsi. Mr. Speaker, annual assemblies of Aboriginal governments are an essential part of unity, celebrating that we have survived another winter, and that we are grateful for the blessings of the land.

Mr. Speaker, as residents of the NWT, we all want jobs and a vibrant economy so that our communities abound and the quality of life builds upon the pillars of a greater Canadian society, of love and respect among families, neighbours, community and all the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, from the teachings of Dene elders and as Indigenous peoples is the value of service unto others, which is, I hope, universal in nature. In that respect, treaties between Dene and the Government of Canada were founded on an idea of peace and friendship; that Dene will live in peace so that their way of life will continue and friendship with visitors to the traditional territory will be maintained. Today, that commitment of faith in the treaty continues to be upheld by Dene, that our way of life and connection to the land will continue as the river flows and the grass grows.

Mr. Speaker, governments and Indigenous people have to work together. We all have to strive for common interests of our people that we serve. In 1999, 21 common ground principles were developed between Dehcho First Nations, the Government of Canada and the GNWT. Then the working group of the parties moved the region into the present day Dehcho negotiations. Mr. Speaker, I'll have questions for the Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations at an appropriate time. Mahsi.

Masi. Members' statements. Item 4, reports of standing and special committee. Item 5, returns to oral questions. Item 6, recognition of visitors in gallery. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I'd like to recognize Tom and Nancy Makepeace. A little story about Tom. He participated in the previous elders' parliament and he helped guide me to get to this Assembly today. Also with them are their in-laws, Steve and Kate Kelly, from Brampton, Ontario whose son is up here working presently and hopefully stays to add to the number of residents in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I too would like to recognize Tom Makepeace. I worked with Tom Makepeace for about 20 years when we were both with Housing, and his wife Nancy, his in-laws Kate and Steve Kelly. Interestingly, they're from Brampton, Ontario, the biggest riding in the federal government. So I thought was interesting; we're here in very small riding. So welcome to the House.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd also like to recognize Tom and Nancy Makepeace, my constituents. Tom is my unofficial political advisor when it comes to housing, so. Welcome to their relatives as well. Thank you very much for being here. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Hay River Centre -- oh sorry, Yellowknife Centre.

---Laughter

You just gave him an extra seat.

---Laughter

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's my pleasure to recognize today Mr. Dick Abernethy who has now become a constituent of my riding. Welcome to Yellowknife Centre.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize Yellowknife North resident Barb Cameron and welcome her to the gallery. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll get on the Tom Makepeace bandwagon here and recognize him in a different avenue. Mr. Makepeace has the love of fastball and I had the opportunity to work with him numerous years with the NWT Softball Association, and Ms. Barb Cameron who was an instructor of mine in an RLP Program. Welcome to the Assembly. Thank you.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we missed anyone in the gallery welcome to the Chamber. I hope you are enjoying the proceedings. It's always great to have an audience in the gallery. Masi.

Item 7, acknowledgements. Item 8, oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the items in our mandate is jobs in small communities and really that's kind of spread out through the government, so I'm going to ask the Premier a couple of questions on that. I'd like to ask the Premier: what is the plan to increase jobs in small communities? Thank you.

Masi. Honourable Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Having lived in a small community I recognize the importance that any job will have in the smaller communities, even a part-time seasonal job. Working through the Department of Education and the number of different government departments, we feel it's very important to find opportunities for jobs in smaller communities. We see it as a function not only of government but also industry and the private sector, and so in every instance we work to further the creation of jobs and business opportunities in the small communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Premier if there could be a place in Cabinet where Members from the small communities who want to look at the various ways where we can maybe present something to the government. Right now if I want to talk about one program or another I have to go to the various Ministers. So I'd like to ask the Minister if it would be possible for the Minister to appoint one Minister that could be responsible for trying to consolidate an area where we could discuss jobs in small communities?

I believe that all Ministers have that responsibility, but specifically, we have the Department of Education that deals with the labour market so they have a very good idea of what opportunities are at career centres. But certainly, as myself as the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, we are very interested in whatever ideas the Members may have about increasing jobs or opportunities in the communities, small communities or all communities for that matter, we'd be very interested in hearing them.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I spoke today about youth tours and the importance of them. Today I have some questions for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Mr. Speaker, as we were going through the business plans in the budget process we didn't see a budget line for youth tours. As part of the mandate, can the Minister please advise how youth tours are funded and where it is identified in the department's budget? Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is correct, there was no specific line item for youth tours; however, there's other opportunities within the budget and, as Members will recall, there was a number of line items that were dedicated to the youth. There's the Youth Corps funding and a number of other pots that the youth have been accessing to go on the tours that the Member speaks of. But there is no specific line item for the tour itself. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the Minister for his answer. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister advise if the department has established plans to do youth tours this fiscal year in the five departmental regions?

Mr. Speaker, that level of detail… we leave the operation of the department up to them and if it becomes a… but I can find out about the tours. The Member could probably answer that because he used to work at MACA. But I'm not sure who puts in the application for the youth tours; if it's something that the departments put together or they work and take applications from those in the regional centres that have a desire to offer youth tours. So I will find out what the details are and share it with the Member.

I thank the Minister for the answer. It's been seven months so I'm not too familiar with how youth tours are happening presently. My understanding is the youth tours focus on physical literacy presently; however-- it is very important to do this, however, we used to do leadership style with arts, music, leadership opportunities for the youth. Can the Minister speak-- confirm the department will look again at expanding the tours to include these other areas?

Mr. Speaker, as I committed previously I will find out the details. Again, I'm not sure who actually does the tours. I know we provide a lot of funding. I know we do take in a lot of applications from those that are interested in offering youth tours, bringing in guest speakers. I know we take the application, we provide the funding, but I'm not sure if we actually organize the tour itself. We have a number of our people, our youth workers, go out into the communities, and with our recreation partners we have a lot of opportunities that are available for the community. But as to the actual organizing of the youth tours I will confirm that and, again, share it with the Member.

Masi. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I again thank the Minister for his answer. In regards to he spoke about the youth officers and those positions, and I realize in some of the regions right now we have summer students fulfilling mandates for summer programs and that. Can the Minister confirm that these positions will, especially in the South Slave and the Deh Cho, be filled within this fiscal year? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the youth workers in the regions are folks that have been there for a long time, and when they're not running for the Legislative Assembly they continue to provide a lot of good work in the communities. We actually have two of them in here today that we've had to fill their positions after they left, so. I will ensure the Member that we will do what we can to have these positions filled. Again, I leave the running of the department up to the department and I will ask them for an update on specific issues such as this one.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As mentioned earlier in my Member's statement, I direct my questions to the Minister of Lands and it's in regards to the land reformation, I would say, on this new consolidated comprehensive resource management framework. I compliment the Premier on the statements made yesterday on resource development and a draft strategic plan yet to come by the end of this year. Strategies and plans and so on are nice to have; it gives you a foresight on where you are and where you want to go. Part of the approach would be to proceed as mentioned yesterday on consolidating the different departments, Lands, ENR, ITI, Finance, and work in accordance with the Land Use and Sustainable Framework to evolve our legislative, regulatory and policy systems. It seems to me that the sustainable framework exists. If it does, would the Minister of Lands provide some clarity on the current status of our land administration proceedings? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Lands.

Yes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Land Use and Sustainability Framework is our guiding document for sustainable land and resource management. We can assure the Member that in June 2016 we will engage other departments to seek their input on the work completed to date and help shape and develop the implementation plan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Will the Minister provide some information on how what this existing framework looks like, who is taking the lead role, and what departments are included in supporting the framework?

The Department of Lands is taking the lead role. We are working with other departments that would have an interest in this, and I would have to get the exact departments that are taking part in the work of the committee, and I will share it. I'll share it with the Member.

I know it's set out in our mandate, or this 18thAssembly mandate here, with different time frames on the various initiatives. I just could give some examples: The Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act, tentative target date is 2019; Oil and Gas Operations Act, it's a medium priority and its target is within this Assembly; and another example is NWT Lands Act, the tentative target date, 2018-19 fiscal year; Commissioner's Land Act, 2018-19 fiscal year. There's various initiatives under way. That's why earlier I had mentioned using the words "a comprehensive consolidated approach," if we can get a master framework or maybe even expand on the existing framework that the department's taken a lead role on. So if the Minister would agree to providing a consolidated approach on this new revised plan, if it is going to be a new revised plan, could the Minister provide that to this side, taking into account the various initiatives and dates set out?

With the new authority we got through devolution two years ago, we've had a lot of work to do. We've started the Land Use Sustainability Framework, and this will let us have an opportunity to do some of the work that we need to do. Down the road, we have the Commissioner's Lands Act and the Territorial Lands Act that need to be reviewed if there's some amendments that we can make in the short term. In the longer term, I think the goal of this government is to see the two acts amalgamated, but that is a huge undertaking. We may do some of the preliminary work in the life of this Assembly. But, if there are amendments that we could make to help us with our decision making and streamlining our process, then we'll certainly entertain that, and we will, as I've always said, we will keep committee informed as to some of the plans we have going forward.

My last question, there, Mr. Speaker, is that will the Minister take into account and invite or include comments provided by industry to provide them with some comfort that their expertise or their experiences in dealing in the North, including and following their compliance set out in permits issued, get them involved to provide some oversight or some suggestions? Would the Minister entertain that? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We welcome up comments and suggestions from all interested stakeholders. Obviously, we're going to get some comments from industry, but we will get a lot of comments from the general public, as well. So we welcome all comments and recommendations and advice that we're given. We'll take all that into consideration as we move forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Members of this House have been challenged to undertake gender-based analysis, and today I have some questions for the Premier as Minister of the Executive. What kind of gender-based analysis training is available to deputy heads of departments? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Honourable Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the years, the government has provided gender-based analysis training to senior management, and it's provided on an indeterminate basis and is generally done through the Office of the Status of Women Council.

In 1995, the federal government made a Cabinet decision, required all federal departments and agencies to specifically implement gender-based analyses by establishing an analytical process or framework for assessing the potential impacts of legislation and policies on different groups of women and men. Today, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat ensures that departments and agencies incorporate gender considerations where appropriate into the design of policies, programs, initiatives, and services. Does our equivalent, the executive secretary or Cabinet Secretariat perform the same function as the Treasury Board of Canada in determining if policies, programs, initiatives, and services are in fact incorporating a gender-based analysis or GBA?

Over the years, this government has taken different approaches to gender-based analysis. At one time, we had every department in a room reviewing how to apply gender-based analysis. The conclusion was to have a gender-based lens that was used. We do a similar, very similar, process with social programs, where we apply a social lens. Our Cabinet secretariat performs this function. If all that fails, we do have a Minister responsible for Women that makes sure that a gender-based analysis is applied.

So, if I understand the honourable Premier correctly, there is a gender-based analysis component to the Cabinet Secretariat. What is the consequence if a policy, program, initiative is found, if the design of such a thing is found, to not meet the test for gender-based analysis? Is that program, policy, or the like sent back to the department for review?

Like all Cabinet decision papers if they fail to meet some of the needs of the different lenses that are applied, they are sent back.

Masi. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final question would be: is this training available beneath the senior management level? Are we rolling this out to all our policy shops in the departments? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My understanding is that this training is available to all departments, and I think it must be successful: 64 per cent of our work force is comprised of women; 50 per cent of our deputy manager cadre are women; women are part of our affirmative action policy, so, if a man and a woman apply for a senior job, the woman has priority. So I think, as a government, we're doing a very good job in these areas. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture, and Employment. Aboriginal Head Start operates in eight NWT communities. Each program site is community driven. It's fully resourced and staffed with early childhood educators. It scores well on evaluations. It connects children with their language and culture. Does the Minister support the continuation of the Aboriginal Head Start program in the NWT? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we do support the Aboriginal Head Start. I support Aboriginal Head Start program in the Northwest Territories. Any type of early childhood development programs that we can offer in all of our 33 communities in the Northwest Territories, I do support. It is a mandate of this government. I know where the Member's going in terms of bringing in junior kindergarten, and that's also one essential piece of the mandate developed by this 18thLegislative Assembly, and that is to support quality early childhood development in collaboration with existing organizations. Our department is working with Aboriginal Head Start in seeing how we can work together to provide these essential and critical programs and services to families and to the children.

What I'm interested in knowing is how the Minister is going to accommodate Aboriginal Head Start and, for that matter, the Montessori school in Yellowknife, as well, while introducing junior kindergarten in every NWT community? How will they coexist, especially in the small communities?

Yes, it is a priority to try to get some early childhood development programs in all of our communities throughout the Northwest Territories. We are continuing to meet with Aboriginal Head Start. I believe we just had a recent meeting with them earlier this month. We want to see how we can implement the two programs together. Moving forward, in August, we're going to be holding our Third Annual Early Childhood Development Symposium here, in Yellowknife, and, at that time, we'll sit down with all daycares, licensed daycares, day homes. We'll get information from Aboriginal Head Start.

As the Member knows, September 2015, we did have a technical review of junior kindergarten which became public in January. Out of those, out of the review, we did get input from Aboriginal Head Start. We also got input from licensed daycares. So we're continuing to work with these organizations to ensure that we're all on the same boat in providing early childhood programs and services to families and to the children that need it.

It is my understanding that Aboriginal Head Start came away from their meeting referred to by the Minister without feeling that they'd been heard, let alone accommodated. So I am going to back to my question about what the government is going to do to address the concerns about JK implementation that was raised, has been raised, by Aboriginal Head Start. It's just simply the case that there are not enough children in the small communities to have both programs, so how will the government choose which one to continue funding?

Just going back a little bit further, to the report. There was eight recommendations that came out of it. We are following the most critical one, is that going out and doing more consultation. In terms of the Aboriginal Head Start, we do fund them yearly of $100,000. The junior kindergarten is an optional program. We are working with communities. I believe we have one community right now that does provide Aboriginal Head Start as well as junior kindergarten. We also had recommendations of having Aboriginal Head Start in the morning, junior kindergarten in the afternoon to look at all ways we can show support to the organization but to the families, as well.

In terms of Aboriginal Head Start, as well, we are looking across Canada at other jurisdictions that offer Aboriginal Head Start and have been almost forced to look at two- and three-year-old admissions when junior kindergarten was implemented within their jurisdictions, and we want to see what kind of successes that's coming out of those. So we're looking at jurisdictions in that sense that have had to look at enrolling two- and three-year-olds and seeing the impact of that. So we're looking at all different options to move forward. I said the most critical piece of that review was to go out and consult and continue discussions. We'll hear more at the symposium in August, and we'll take it from there.

Masi. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. It's my understanding that the Aboriginal Head Start and Montessori schools are staffed with early childhood educators rather than Bachelor of Education teachers, so I'm just not clear how, what, the government's commitment is to the resources to put all of these programs in play in all the communities of the NWT. Most particularly and to my colleague's point, what will happen to the 40 staff who are now associated with Aboriginal Head Start? Mahsi.

Earlier in the session, I did make a statement in this House, changes to early childhood program funding. We're focusing on three areas: operating subsidies, early childhood intervention programs, as well as supporting new early childhood licensed operators. I'll get new stories right across the Northwest Territories. Aboriginal Head Start, we'll continue to support them. We give $100,000 every year, and we're looking at what other jurisdictions are doing where they've had to implement, who are implementing, junior kindergarten took effect. We're seeing what kind of successes, challenges, are there, and we're going to take those, that kind of information, moving forward and see how we can make it successful here, in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I was very pleased to attend the Dehcho First Nations Assembly along with the Premier. One of the announcements was that a Ministers' Special Advisor will be appointed. Can the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs explain the role of the Ministers’ Special Advisor and, if any, are any timelines that might be attached to the position? Mahsi.

Masi. Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too was very pleased to attend the Dehcho First Nations Annual General Assembly, and was very happy that the Member from Deh Cho, the Member from Nahendeh attended as well. At that meeting, it was announced that a Ministerial Special Representative reporting to the federal and territorial governments will come into effect, that this Ministerial Special Representative will provide objective advice on whether an agreement is possible and what the key terms of such an agreement might be.

I should note that this MSR, as we refer to it, is not a mediator or facilitator acting between the parties to negotiate or facilitate negotiations. My timeline is that Minister Bennett, the plan is for her to visit the Northwest Territories within the next two weeks, I think it's around July 18thor 19th, at which time we expect that the name of the Ministerial Special Representative will be announced. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

At a time when governments are thinking of reconciliatory steps in light of the TRC Action Plan, in the Minister's statement to the Dehcho Assembly yesterday he stated that this government's offer to the Dehcho will take on a new approach. Can the Minister explain how different the new approach will be from the old approach?

The new approach is that we have recognized that for the past 20 years all sides took very hard established positions and nobody moved and nobody blinked. So we feel that now with the new approach we've changed negotiators, we have different legal advisors, and we will be working with Special Joint Committee between Cabinet and committee. We have a new federal government that's very receptive and open, when we make a request we usually get a response within a few days. We have very open communications with the federal government.

The new Ministerial Special Representative will report to myself and to Minister Bennett. We have been having our negotiating teams talking so that we all start from a common ground, everybody is starting from the same understanding of where we're at, and we feel that this lays out a very new foundation so that we can have an agreement within the life of this 18thAssembly.

Of course there are other outstanding land claims. Can the Minister provide an update as to how other outstanding land claims will be addressed?

Yes, we recognize that there are still outstanding land claims, there are at least four. We expect to take a similar approach. We had talked to the federal Minister about it as well and we've met with all of the different Aboriginal governments that are involved in the land claim, obviously each are at different stages or levels of negotiations, if I can call it that, and/or expectation is that whatever we do at the Dehcho First Nations table will obviously have implications for other tables, and we recognize that. Our object is to settle the land claims, as we've said many times. We want to make some very good advancements in all of the four within the life of this government.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister agree that the 18thAssembly will work to complete all outstanding land claims and self-government negotiations before the 100thanniversary of Treaty 11 of 1921? Mahsi.

I think that's what we would like to aspire to and I think this next year will indicate whether we can achieve it or not. I think we're making very good progress on self-government negotiations up and down the valley. I think we're very optimistic that we can make some good progress on the Dehcho First Nations, and I believe that if we do that then we should be able to make good progress on the other negotiations.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are on our carbon value and carbon position as a territory in the government. Mr. Speaker, my questions are directed for the Premier. Some believe that we are a small population with a huge land mass and growing use of greener energy production. The Northwest Territories is a low-greenhouse gas emitter. So in that light, Mr. Speaker, other jurisdictions are doing work to determine their carbon value. Can the Premier explain what we're doing to research and establish baselines for our total carbon emissions, including our capacity for carbon absorption so we can determine, with certainty, where we fall on the carbon spectrum? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Honourable Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not aware of us determining our carbon value, but we are working to come up with a new climate change strategy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Some jurisdictions have come up publicly opposing carbon pricing, but the NWT, to some degree, has asked for flexibility as Ottawa is pressured internationally to adopt a carbon pricing scheme. Can the Premier describe how the flexible approach will benefit us? In other words, what do we intend to accomplish during this period of flexibility?

We have not discounted the fact that everybody is looking at carbon pricing or moving to a low-carbon economy. In our view, we can reduce our carbon emissions and our greenhouse gas emissions without having to introduce carbon pricing mechanisms, whether it be a carbon tax. We've already shown that it can be done. We've reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent since 2005 levels. We have indicated that to the Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister has said that he's prepared to work with us to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, and it remains to be seen what form that will take.

As I've said before in this House, we are prepared to go out this summer. We will ask the people of the Northwest Territories if they are willing to have a carbon tax, because we already live in a very high-cost part of Canada, and I don't think we should be penalized for where we live. We think we should have a very similar standard of living as the rest of Canada, and we're a very small population. Certainly if the population of the Northwest Territories wants to have a carbon tax, then that's what we will be consulting on, as well as what form our climate change strategy should take.

Thank you to the Premier, I appreciate his reply because, quite frankly, he has answered my next question, which was around the idea of, you know, as a territory we need to understand a little bit more about the potential for carbon tax, not necessarily the impacts that it might have as it relates to the cost of living, but the impacts that it might have as it relates to benefits, including financial ones that we might receive as a territory out of a carbon tax from a national carbon tax.

These are questions that need to be asked. A lot of us, myself included, don't really understand, and we want to know. So further to the Premier's comments, this government is committed to going out and gaining or establishing public consultation, which would be very much appreciated and I look forward to that, and I support the government in doing that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to talk further on this. I mean, there's a number of jurisdictions in Canada that have already introduced carbon pricing in one form or another. B.C. has had it for some time now; Quebec has some form of it through their gasoline tax; Manitoba just recently announced that they will be doing the same; Alberta, our neighbours, just passed legislation, most of it will be paid by industry. When I asked the Premier, she said, they were going to do it by exception; if there's communities that have no employment, that have no prosperity, they would exempt them from paying carbon taxes. So perhaps we could have something similar in the Northwest Territories. So there are lots of jobs, perhaps people will be willing to pay more so to protect the environment.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I had a good meeting with the Minister of Lands earlier today on the issue of financial securities, but I need to follow-up on some of the issues raised in the environmental audit that I spoke about earlier today. The GNWT response to the audit finding simply stated there was agreement with the intent of the recommendation and that work would be done with other departments, as required. Can the Minister of Lands tell this House why his department did not fully support the audit finding and what parts the department did not agree with? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Lands.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our response reflects that securities management is a shared responsibility and there's authority for securities in the MVRMA that extent well beyond our lands role. We will work with the other authorities that have responsibility for securities in order to meet the intent of the recommendations found in the audit. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate the response from the Minister. The recommendation was aimed at us, and there are things that we kind of should be doing. The auditor could not confirm that we actually hold all the financial security, as required under land use permits and water licenses. What specific actions is the Minister taking to ensure we can actually track this information better than the Federal Government that did not really do a good job looking after our resources?

We actually just received approval yesterday through a sub-process to implement information, our securities tracking system, I think that will give us the ability to keep up-to-date. As we learn more and more about our roles in the whole thing, you know, being in existence for two years, I think we've improved, and we look to improve even further. An opportunity we had today too was to meet with committee. We gave them an update as to some of the work we're doing. We got some feedback from committee. But the major one is the securities information tracking system, which will allow us to be able to track our securities. Again, we will keep Members informed.

I appreciate the response from the Minister. I know the money for that tracking system was carried over from last year. We're going to hopefully spend it this year and get the work done, and I look forward to getting those updates. But the auditor could not locate any vision or implementation documents related to our management of financial securities. Can the Minister tell this House if such documents exist and when the public will be fully engaged on a sound financial security system to prevent public liabilities, as set out in our mandate?

Mr. Speaker, we are currently developing a work plan and I have made the commitment that, once that work is completed, I will share the findings and receive feedback from committee as to what the next steps are. As with most things within the territorial government, we always welcome public feedback, and once we develop the work plan and we receive some feedback from committee, then we can determine the next steps as to the actual public consultation part of it. We always welcome any opportunities that the public wants to make comments on some of the work we're doing. We will get the work plan done and share it with committee, and then we'll determine next steps from there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.