Mr. Speaker, I have a return to Written Question 9-18(3) asked by the Member for Nahendeh on March 15, 2018, to the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, regarding societies' eligibility for the business incentive policy.

I am pleased to provide the following information to address the questions asked:

1. The Business Incentive Policy does not infringe on any legal rights of incorporated societies. Section 4(2) of the Societies Act does not require the Government of the Northwest Territories to extend the benefits of a policy instrument such as the Business Incentive Policy to incorporated societies, as these benefits are not vested in law but rather set at the discretion of Cabinet through policy only.
2. A business meeting the requirement of section 6(2)(e) must also meet one of the requirements of section 6(2)(a) to (d) in order to be approved as a Business Incentive Policy Business. If a society applies to be incorporated or owns a business, that business may apply to be registered under the Business Incentive Policy so long as it meets the aforementioned requirements.
3. It is not the intention of the Government of the Northwest Territories to make any amendments to the Business Incentive Policy specific to incorporated societies. It remains the Government of the Northwest Territories position that the Business Incentive Policy scope as a policy instrument continue to apply to only those incorporated enterprises under comparative funding and tax structures. That is not to say other procurement policy instruments and tools cannot be used to encourage incorporated societies to participate in sectors of our economy in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to Written Question 8-18(3) asked by the Member for Kam Lake on March 14, 2018, to the Minister of Health and Social Services, regarding health information systems.

It is important to clarify that the purpose of the Health Information Act is to balance the collection, use, and disclosure of personal health information for the provision of health and social services, with the safeguarding of individuals' rights as set out in the act. Health information custodians are charged with the responsibility of complying with the act as well as appropriate use of one or more health information systems or applications designated by the Department of Health and Social Services to facilitate such compliance in the course of providing health and social services. There are health and social services information systems used throughout the Northwest Territories. Most of the systems and technology are proprietary, and the extent of modification allowable is limited by the technology. Later today, at the appropriate time, I will table a list of these health information systems to which health information custodians must provide information under the act. This list includes brief descriptions of the information systems.

Of the information systems used by the Health and Social Services Authorities and the department, 15 have been designated as Electronic Health Information Systems under section 6 of the Health Information Act Regulations.

The department's investment in electronic health information technology includes the assessment and, where required, update, modification or purchase of technology to support the work of health information custodians. Further, the department's training for health information custodians regarding the Health Information Act facilitates the appropriate use of this technology to fulfill responsibilities to their patients or clients and ensure compliance with the act. The department has not identified any existing health information system that currently requires modification, so no cost estimate is available at present.

As old technology is replaced and the department makes new investments in information systems, advances in technological options to support custodians in meeting their obligations to provide safe care and improve client outcomes are carefully considered. The department and the health and social services authorities continue to make investments in technology that enable best care and improvements to health outcomes for our clients.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to Written Question 7-18(3) asked by the Member for Yellowknife Centre on February 23, 2018, regarding the Housing Core Need Action Plan.

The estimated $20 million of planned initiatives for 2018-2019 will be resourced from the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation's 2018-2019 capital plan, the base funded programs included in the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation's 2018-2019 Main Estimates, and available internal cash resources realized from sources such as the sale of housing assets, mortgage collection efforts, and any residual budget surpluses. A current assessment of available internal cash resources was undertaken during the development of the 2018-2019 corporate plan and will continue to be assessed as part of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation's annual business planning process.

The planned investments set out in the Towards Level Ground: Addressing Persistent Core Need in the Northwest Territories report were identified, taking into account the feedback received from the Housing Engagement Survey and the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation's available resources.

Specific areas of core need will be addressed through a variety of Northwest Territories Housing Corporation's initiatives and programs. The following are approximate projected numbers of households to be assisted by initiative: Emergency Repair - 348, Seniors Aging in Place Retrofits - 150, New Unit Construction - 135, Major Homeownership Repairs - 84, Rent Supplement Programs - 100, Policy Renewal - 40, Lease-to-Own Repairs - 90, Public Housing Portfolio Rebalancing - 30, New Seniors Housing - 40, Housing Support Pilot - 20, New Home Program - 11, Community Housing Support Initiative - 10, Habitat for Humanity - 3, Sahtu Homeless Shelter - 4, and Northern Pathways - 12.

Recognizing that a number of the planned investments set out in this plan involve territory-wide, application-based programs as well as a draft future year capital plan, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation is unable to provide an exact regional breakdown of these investments at this time. The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation is planning to include in its annual Corporate Plan a status report on each of the Plan's initiatives, including actual spending by region.

The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation's 2018-2019 Main Estimates includes a $600,000 funding allocation to the Rent Supplement Program. Recognizing that the historical utilization rate of this program has been approximately 40 per cent of that amount, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation considers the current base budget adequate at this time. The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation will continue to assess the results of this new program and explore opportunities to align with upcoming federal programming.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to Written Question 3-18(3) asked by the Member for Frame Lake to the Premier on February 7, 2018, regarding the Government of the Northwest Territories' participation in the Association for Mineral Exploration Roundup in January 2018.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to advise this House that six Ministers and 28 staff were in Vancouver at the time of the Roundup. While attendance at the Roundup may not have been the sole reason for travelling to Vancouver, all Ministers, Members of the Legislative Assembly, and staff attended one or more events at this year's Roundup.

Mr. Speaker, in addition to participating in mining- and exploration-focused events and to support our government's ongoing efforts to raise awareness and understanding of the NWT's leading approach to Indigenous partnership and reconciliation, I took the opportunity while in Vancouver to meet with groups of students from Simon Fraser University.

I also had the opportunity to deliver a keynote address at the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade and to participate in a round table discussion held at the Simon Fraser University Centre for Dialogue between NWT representatives, provincial and federal public servants, British Columbia Indigenous representatives, and representatives of environmental organizations.

The total cost of air travel for the 34 participants was $41,730. All travel was economy class, except some southern ministerial travel which was accommodated through business class travel when economy class travel was not available.

Participants' accommodations costs varied by lengths of stay but have been calculated at a total of $43,550 for the six Ministers and 28 staff. Other expenses for the 34 participants such as meals, incidentals, and taxis totalled $27,055. No allowances were paid.

The GNWT paid $6,035 in Roundup registration fees, and exhibition costs charged to the GNWT totalled $63,186. No consultant fees were paid.

The GNWT supported the participation of 14 individuals representing NWT Indigenous governments in this year's Roundup. The contributions toward these "other NWT representatives" totalled $63,000.

The hospitality events hosted by the GNWT were a Premier's Luncheon, and Indigenous Partners' Breakfast and an NWT Open House, costing a total $32,973. Each of these events provided NWT Cabinet Members with opportunities to address and network with large gatherings of industry representatives, including prospectors, geoscientists, investors, suppliers and those interested in the mineral exploration industry.

The GNWT's direct costs and contributions associated with the participation at Roundup in 2016 totalled approximately $137,000, in 2017 approximately $196,359, and in 2018 approximately $277,530. The increase in annual costs to attend Roundup can be attributed to an enhanced GNWT presence at this year's Roundup, indicative of the NWT's commitment to promoting and supporting responsible mineral exploration and development in the NWT.

The GNWT continues to view active participation in the Roundup as an effective means to promote the NWT as a destination for mineral exploration investment and new mining developments. Our investments are beginning to show returns with new exploration companies entering the territory, increased claim-staking and new activity in regions that haven't seen exploration for some time.

Resource development plays an important role in the NWT economy. The opportunity to engage with stakeholders at this conference allowed us as leaders to advance our objectives on growing a sector of the economy that provides jobs and salaries to thousands of NWT residents.

Promoting awareness of NWT priorities and advocating for its interests on the national and international stage is an ongoing responsibility that Ministers and staff undertake by participating in a range of events, including meetings with other government leaders and dignitaries, representing the NWT at Federal-Provincial-Territorial and other intergovernmental meetings, and attending and presenting at conferences, trade shows, workshops and other events like Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada, the Geosciences Forum, Opportunities North, Meet the North, and later this year the Anti-Poverty Roundtable and the Alternative Energy Conference. While the GNWT does not track specific results for any particular event, this is part of the ongoing work of promoting the interests of the Government and people of the Northwest Territories that is common to all governments.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I have a return to Written Question 10-18(3) asked by the Member for Yellowknife North on March 15, 2018, to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, regarding the Seniors Home Heating Fuel Subsidy Program.

The Senior Home Heating Subsidy, or SHHS, is intended to assist low- to modest-income seniors with the cost associated with heating their homes. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment, or ECE, undertook a review of the SHHS and has as a result implemented a number of enhancements to the program including:

• Extension of the program to seniors who rent their own self-contained unit that have heating costs in addition to rent;
• Increased eligibility income thresholds;
• Removal of the phase-out income thresholds to ensure eligible seniors receive 100 per cent of the subsidy;
• A monetary-based subsidy moved from a fuel allocation subsidy to ensure seniors receive their full benefit; and
• A modification to how communities are allocated to specific zones to better reflect the cost of living in each community.

The change to a monetary-based system was implemented, based on a sound methodology that determined a consistent and fair subsidy amount for seniors. By ensuring that the subsidy amount is appropriate, seniors will continue to receive support towards the costs of heating their homes. This change also ensures that seniors receive 100 per cent of the subsidy, whereas under the previous program seniors were underutilizing their benefits.

The change to a monetary-based subsidy will continue to enable seniors to choose one or more heating types or suppliers and provide seniors the flexibility to determine how much of their subsidy is paid to each of their suppliers.

As previously noted, the enhancements include a rezoning of communities to better reflect the cost of living in each community. Each zone was determined using the Living Cost Differential; a method used to determine the different cost of living in each community by measuring the cost of a basket of goods and services. The three zones were determined by grouping together communities with comparable costs for goods and services.

The SHHS has been expanded to allow seniors who rent their homes and have a heating cost to access the program. The SHHS is intended to assist seniors with the costs associated with heating their homes. By increasing the income thresholds and eliminating the phase-out income thresholds, extending the program to renters, and ensuring all seniors receive the full subsidy, we believe that over 300 seniors will be positively impacted. Later today, at the appropriate time, I will table details of the changes in the zones and eligibilities of the Senior Home Heating Subsidy Program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.