Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to join my colleagues, leaders from across Canada and around the world, and ordinary people everywhere in speaking out against the terrible events that took place in Quebec City on Sunday.

For centuries, the people of the Northwest Territories have had to rely on each other. We know that we are stronger when we stand together than when we stand alone. Respect, tolerance, and diversity are the essential part of the northern character. In fact, that ability to be warm and welcoming is an essential part of what it means to be a Northerner. People from all over the world and every faith have decided to make the Northwest Territories their home, and we are glad and honoured to have them. Exclusion is not and has never been the northern way, nor do I believe is it the Canadian way.

Mr. Speaker, this terrible act of violence carried out in a place of worship strikes at the very heart of what makes us Canadian. The Canada I love does not believe in exclusion. It does not believe in hate. As Canadians, we must continue to speak out against it and we must raise our voices and say, "Not in our Canada, not in our Northwest Territories." During these troubling times, it is important that we reaffirm our commitment to the values of acceptance, compassion, and openness that define us. We need to reach out to all of those that may fear for their safety following Sunday's attack and make sure that they know that they are welcome here, that the Northwest Territories is their home, too.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues for speaking out today. I also want to thank the organizers of the vigil held last night at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Yellowknife. I was pleased to see so many people coming together to support our Muslim brothers and sisters in this difficult time. It confirms my belief that the people of Yellowknife and the Northwest Territories are fundamentally open and welcoming to others, no matter where they come from. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, [translation] today the little girl, Doris and Daniel McQueen's little girl, Doris' granddaughter, Ava Lizotte, was remembered in a tribute December 9, 2016. It was just a few months ago that she was playing soccer [translation ends], running dogs with her dad, teasing her brother, kissing her mom goodbye before she went on a trip. Then she was gone.

The death of one so young, bright, and talented as Ava placed a heavy cloak of sadness on the families of Yellowknife and the Northwest Territories. Her full name was Ava Margaret Doris Lizotte. Her parents loved her name, meaning life and vitality, and decided to bless their child with this name. She was also named after her great grandmothers: on her mother's side, Margaret Bishop from Balcarres, Saskatchewan; and, on her father's side, Doris McQueen from Rocher River, Northwest Territories.

Ava was born August 6, 2005 and the joy of her parents, Courteney and Trevor Lizotte of Yellowknife, NWT. At the time, Courteney was a teacher at Kalemi Dene School in Ndilo and Trevor a correctional officer at Yellowknife Correctional Centre. Ava joined her older sister Sadie in a growing Lizotte family. The third child was born in 2009, a little boy, this time named Logan Lizotte, born May 18th. Trevor was so proud to have a son to join his sisters, Ava and Sadie, in completing the Lizotte family.

Ava lived an active life in Yellowknife, NWT, going to school first at NJ Macpherson Elementary, then Range Lake North School. This year, 2016-2017, was Ava's first year in the intensive French course with her 31 classmates making up two classes. She was a smart, savvy young girl, enhancing her education by learning a second language. As well, Ava excelled in arts and crafts, having a very assertive and unique style.

Dog mushing was in Ava's blood, carried down from her great grandfather, Danny McQueen, and her father, Trevor. Ava participated in shorter-distance races held during the Canadian Championship Dog Derby at carnival in Yellowknife. Her big northern family was proud of her when she zoomed over the finish line, taking first place in the four-dog class. Nothing could beat this little champion.

Ava was invincible, fearless, and a force to be reckoned with until one day she began complaining to her dad that she had a sore leg. She stayed home from school for two days, at which time her dad brought her to Stanton emergency ward. No sooner said than done, Ava was medevaced to Edmonton where she was treated by a team of expert pediatricians at the University of Alberta Stollery Children's Hospital. Sadly, she was diagnosed with a rare blood infection and died several days later. She was only 11 years old.

Please join me in this tribute to Ava Margaret Doris Lizotte, honouring her young life through continued story-telling, sharing memories that she has left us with. This beautiful little girl from Yellowknife is now a little angel, but she will be forever remembered. God bless Ava and her family and friends. Thank you.

Masi. Our prayers and thoughts to the family, as well. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today it saddens me to inform this House that Joe Punch passed away on December 7, 2016, at the long-term care unit in Fort Simpson. As most people who are aware of Mr. Punch, he was a father, husband, grandfather, great grandfather, uncle, and a friend to all that knew him.

I had the pleasure to get to meet Joe on my first trip to Sambaa K’e in the fall of 1992. Upon landing at the airport, Joe met the plane, and we had a good conversation as we walked towards the community office. From that moment, I realized he was a great story-teller and a historian of the area. Each trip into the Sambaa K’e would not be beneficial without getting to meet him and having some great conversation about life with him.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Punch was born around the Fort Providence area on January 17, 1926. He lived around the Mink Lake area until he was four years old, at which time he went to residential school. He attended school until 1940 and then went on to work on steamboats for an oil company and the Bay. In 1946, he moved to Sambaa K’e, where three elders took him under their wing and taught him how to live off the land. He would often be heard saying it was hard work but very beneficial for him and his future family. They took the time to pass on their knowledge, skills, teaching, and the love of the land, which Joe passed on to his family and youth in the community.

In 1956, the band of Sambaa K’e and Acho Dene elected Joe as their chief. This was Joe's first step into governance. He was a strong believer in Dene law and an advocate for self-government. Joe was passionate about the environment and the education of the youth and future generations.

Mr. Speaker, Joe was well known across the North. People had the opportunity to meet him at various meeting and assemblies, which lead to them to have a new friend. Throughout the years, Joe has written newsletters for the native press, a community reporter, and an interpreter. People looked forward to reading his articles or listening to him on the radio or in person.

Mr. Speaker, Joe was recognized for his volunteer work, once by the community and once by the Government of the Northwest Territories volunteer program that was sponsored by Municipal and Community Affairs. As well, in 2013, he received the Diamond Jubilee Medal.

He was predeceased by his wife, parents, two brothers, one sister, three sons, one daughter, and one grandson. Joe will be sadly missed. My condolences go out to his family, friends, and the community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Our condolences go out to the family, as well. Members' statements. Item 5, returns to oral questions. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to oral question asked by Mr. Vanthuyne on October 14, 2016, regarding strategic economic investments, specifically the Canadian Federation of Independent Business report and how we are working to improve our score as well as reduce redundancy and improve the frontline services to small businesses.

The 2017 Red Tape Report Card published by the CFIB gives the Northwest Territories a grade "F," stating the next steps for the Government of the Northwest Territories should be to make it a priority to tackle meaningful red tape reduction.

The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment has ongoing efforts in place to reduce the volume and impact of red tape for the NWT businesses. ITI continues to commit significant efforts to providing the BizPal program in the NWT and in 2016 welcomes the City of Yellowknife into the Program. The BizPal program is a multi-partnered online service that provides prospective business owners and entrepreneurs with one-stop access to permit licence information across Canada.

ITI remains committed to a one-window approach to service delivery and has provided significant funds to regional and community offices to assist businesses with red tape and other concerns.

ITI has invested significant efforts to reduce application paperwork. For example, the Support of Entrepreneurs and Economic Development policy applications are reduced to only two pages. Similar efforts have been made through ITI's other programs, and presently the framework is under way to make ITI program applications available online and electronically fileable.

I have recently sent a letter to the CFIB asking to meet with them to discuss how we can work together to make further improvements. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Returns to oral questions. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to oral question asked by Mr. O'Reilly on October 20, 2016, regarding the hydraulic fracturing regulatory system.

I have worked with my colleagues in the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources and Lands, given their different roles in ensuring securities are in place for resource development projects. We have also engaged with the Office of the Regulator of Oil and Gas Operations.

I would first like to highlight that there is a polluter- pay system to ensure that government is not left paying for clean-ups. The polluter-pay principle is fundamental to the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act and the Oil and Gas Operations Act, which does not place any limits for liability of any oil and gas operator for any damages it might cause.

As you know, the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act, or MVRMA, is federal legislation. It established a co-management system that provides for transparency through public registries, and a process that requires security deposits for land use permits and water licenses to be held by government to cover clean-up if a company were to become insolvent.

Post-devolution, the Department of Lands has established a new division dedicated to ensuring securities are in place to protect the public purse. Oil and gas operators are required to post securities under the terms of their land use permits and water licenses.

Outside the Mackenzie Valley, the co-management system developed for the Inuvialuit Settlement Region is governed by the Inuvialuit Final Agreement and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. This system also provides for public participation, transparency, and financial accountability by operators.

Your questions were largely focused on abandoned wells, which relate to the authorities of the Government of the Northwest Territories Regulator of Oil and Gas Operations, or OROGO.

The regulator is a regulatory authority under the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act, and therefore part of an integrated resource co-management system established by the Mackenzie Valley. OROGO is an active partner in resource co-management as a preliminary screener and through cooperative arrangements with the MVRMA Boards.

Citizens of the Northwest Territories expect transparency in the oil and gas regulatory system. Section 91 of the Petroleum Resources Act currently puts significant limits on the regulator's ability to disclose information about oil and gas operations in the NWT. Therefore, in 2016, the regulator issued an information disclosure guideline, which requires all applicants to complete an information disclosure consent form, outlining what information they agree to make public and what information they wish to keep confidential.

Since these guidelines were issued, OROGO has received five applications for well approvals and these applications, along with information requested from OROGO, responses from the applicant, and the final decision, are all available to the public on OROGO's public registry.

Under the Oil and Gas Operations Act, operators must obtain an authorization for each activity they wish to undertake and must provide the regulator with proof of financial responsibility in order to receive the authorization. Operators are responsible for cleaning up any spills or debris that occur as a result of operations, including as a result of incidents. Proof of financial responsibility is intended to allow the Regulator to pay for damages caused by incidents, whether or not they were the fault of the operator, up to certain prescribed limits. This could include paying costs incurred by the GNWT for cleaning up spills or debris, if necessary.

The funds accepted as proof of financial responsibility do not limit the total amount for which the operator may be found liable. They are not intended for general site remediation or reclamation, as these matters are the responsibility of other regulatory bodies, such as the land and water boards, and are over and above the amounts collected by these bodies.

Lastly, on the matter of wells that leak after being abandoned, permanently plugged, accordingly to the regulatory requirements, the Oil and Gas Drilling and Production Regulations require that wells be left in a condition that prevents leakage. Consistent with the polluter-pay principle, abandoned wells are the responsibility of the company that performed the abandonment, or any successor to that company.

I trust this provides you with assurance that the polluter-pay principle is already a well-established part of the regulation of oil and gas activities in the Northwest Territories.

The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment is also looking to improve upon this system. In the mandate of this Legislative Assembly, ITI has committed to developing and proposing amendments to both the Petroleum Resources Act and the Oil and Gas Operations Act. We are currently in the planning phases of this work, and later this year we anticipate public consultation on amending those acts. We anticipate that you and your constituents and citizens from across the NWT will participate in that process to support our work to improve our already robust regulatory system to further tailor it to the unique northern landscape. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Returns to oral questions. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife South.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Christina Popa. She is the executive assistant to the vice president of Public Service Alliance of Canada. I would also like to acknowledge Mr. Remi Kassem, who has several businesses in my constituency. Thank you.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Brad Mapes, former mayor of Fort Smith, who is a chaperone this week for two of our pages, Caleb Brake and Joseph Leguerrier.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to start by welcoming Diana Bui, who is my constituency assistant. It is her first time in the House. I would also like to recognize Erin Curry, who is one of our constituents from Range Lake. Good friend of mine, Alisa Praamsma, her husband, Jack Bourassa. Although not constituents, very good friends I consider close to my heart. Although Remi is gone, I really want to recognize Remi Kassem as well, who is a constituent in my riding. I want to offer my heartfelt sympathy. I am hoping that somehow they will see that love will outshine hate, and not all of us represent what happened. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to take this opportunity to recognize Jack Bourassa from the Public Service Alliance of Canada, as well as Alisa Praamsma. They always make their way here. She's the executive director of the Native Women's Association. They always make their way here to the Legislative Assembly on the important days. I also want to recognize and I'm not sure that they're still here in the gallery, but Shaleen Woodward is a Yellowknife North resident and is the acting deputy minister of DAAIR. I also want to recognize Martin Goldney, who is a Yellowknife North resident, the deputy minister of Justice.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in gallery. Item 7, acknowledgements. Item 8, oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, follow-up to my Member's statement, I have a few questions for the Minister of Housing. I'd like to ask the Minister, can the Minister offer any early observations from the survey data? For instance, how many people responded and how would that range across target groups? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of NWT Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As of late last week, we had 1,017 surveys received, which is quite a significant number; however, early in the week we had realized that, when I asked for a breakdown of all of the communities and the amounts of surveys, I realized that some communities still hadn’t received a significant number of surveys. We had agreed, and this will be the first time I'm announcing it, that we actually will be extending the survey for one more month because it is more important to try to get the idea, the solutions, from community people than it is for me to meet a deadline of January 27, so we will be extending it for one month. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I mentioned in my statement, many of the people in the communities don’t know where to access this information for the survey. So while the survey is running, how and where could people access this information?