Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As mentioned in my Member's statement, my question is to the Minister of Lands. On the issue of a lands integrated risk-based strategy and land framework planning, advancing our progress in the Land Administration Regulatory Forum, what action plans have the department developed in preparation for engagement with all stakeholders? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Lands.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government believes that regional land use plans are the primary instrument to define where certain activities can take place in a specific region or area, and the Member opposite will know that that is a commitment of this government, to attempt to advance that in collaboration with our Aboriginal governments and, in some cases, in collaboration with the federal government. We are attempting to advance land use planning. In some areas, there are defined land use plans that are legally binding. There has been progress; progress is slow, and we are still working on this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

That leads me to my next question on settled claim areas. Are there joint planning meetings for the settled claim areas? Let us take the Sahtu for example. We have a settlement claim there with changes or proposed changes on the land regime. Are there regional planning workshops coming up in the near future or within the next 12 months?

I know that the government has approved contribution for land use capacity in the last several years: in 2017-2018, it was $375,000; in 2016-2017, $427,000; and in 2015-2016, $459,000. There is a commitment backed up with actual financial contribution to advance regional land claims.

Now, I do know also that the Department of Lands held its third annual Land Use Planning Forum in March 2017 to share information and perspective. We are committing both personnel and finances to this important subject.

Of those resources mentioned and the time frame mentioned, could the Minister elaborate a little bit more on what is being proposed as far as having a land workshop in the Sahtu, dates and times and places?

I am uncertain as to what the next steps will be in the Sahtu region, but I can check into that and get back to the Member opposite.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is more of a comment. I look forward to that information, and if the Minister could agree with providing that before the cancellation of this session. Thank you.

I will take that as a comment. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week the honourable Member for Deh Cho asked the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment a series of questions about the Small Community Employment Support Program. I would like to follow up with some questions here today. Mr. Speaker, last session, the Minister said the department was reaching out to various organizations and business communities to see how the Small Community Employment Support Program could be improved. During the budget session, I made the recommendation that we use the new influx of money to do that as job creation because most of the communities I represent cannot afford the percentage points that they need to access the program. Can the Minister please tell us when the survey and study was completed and if the report has been done on the findings? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned last week, the new influx of dollars into the Small Community Employment Support Program came into effect April 1st. We are about six months into this fiscal year, and we are still looking at how we can support our communities, support our partners so that we can utilize this program. I think it is a little too early on in this fiscal year to have any of that information, but I will make sure that our departments continue to work with our partners, our communities, to make sure that these dollars are being utilized to their full capacity.

I thank the Minister for his answer. I will take his word that there is no report there, then. However, during the exchange with the Minister and the honourable Member for Deh Cho, we heard that previous funding which was allocated for small communities was not fully utilized. We made a significant increase, influx, of money to the program so that we could create employment and small programs. During the exchange, we heard the department is looking at communities such as Behchoko, Hay River, Inuvik, Fort Simpson, Fort Smith, and Norman Wells to be allocated to apply for these funds. Can the Minister advise how these communities became "small communities?"

As a government, we have a responsibility to ensure that all residents, all communities, in the Northwest Territories have an opportunity to access our programs, our services. Because of population sizes, we should not be discriminating or leaving people out. That program, back in the previous years, was not fully utilized. It was about $1.24 million. We are trying to find ways, innovative and unique ways, to ensure that our communities, our partners in our smallest communities, have that opportunity to have job creation. However, as the government, I do not think that any community, regardless of size, should not be looked at as an opportunity to create jobs in their community. That is one of our mandates, is to create employment throughout the Northwest Territories.

I thank the Minister for that answer. I guess my next question to the Minister is: are we going to allow Yellowknife to apply for small community employment funds?

When the new dollars came out, we made some changes within the program, itself, so that we can help all communities. As Members know, the economy has taken a downturn. In some of our regional centres, we have fewer jobs, fewer opportunities, and we want to help every community to be able to create some kind of economy, as well as create jobs in some of these communities. That is our goal. That is our focus. We are going to continue to do that.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that answer. I guess my next question is: are we going to change this program, instead of calling it Small Community Employment Support Program, to "job creation" or "job support program for the Northwest Territories?" Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We are going to continue to stay focused on the Small Community Employment Support Program. As you know, this money came at the last budget. We are going to focus on making sure that those dollars get spent. We are going to take a review after this year on how the funding was allocated and spent this year and whether or not we fully utilized that budget, and we will make some recommendations in the next fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. The time for oral questions has expired. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to Commissioner's opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Committee Report 12-18(2), Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning Report on the Progress Review of the Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories, 2016-2019; Minster's Statement 186-18(2), Update on the A New Day Program; Tabled Document 416-18(2), Capital Estimates, 2018-2019; Tabled Document 419-18(2), Proposed Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories, 2016-2019 (Revised), with the Member for Mackenzie Delta in the chair.

Thank you, Members. I call Committee of the Whole to order. Mr. Beaulieu, what is the wish of committee?

Marci cho, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 416-18(2), Capital Estimates, 2018-2019 with general comments, the Legislative Assembly, the Departments of Municipal and Community Affairs, Lands, Environment and Natural Resources, and Finance. Thank you, Mr. Chair.