Masi. Please be seated. Good afternoon, Members. Members, [Translation] on behalf of the Assembly, I'd like to thank the elder, William Greenland for joining us today and leading us in prayer. Masi.

I would also like to thank the Pages we will have with us throughout this sitting. We have students from:

• East Three School in Inuvik;
• Ecole Boreale in Hay River;
• Angik School in Paulatuk;
• Chief Jimmy Bruneau School in Behchoko;
• Ehtseo Ayha School in Deline;
• Paul W. Kaeser School in Fort Smith; and
• Sir John Franklin High School in Yellowknife.

They are here for the session. Welcome, and thank you to all the Pages who will be with us during this sitting. One day, these young people will be our leaders. They are the future of this great territory. Please join me in thanking them and welcoming them to the Assembly.

Our official languages are an important reflection of the culture and heritage of the Northwest Territories. Throughout the country and around the globe, Indigenous and minority languages are languishing and need to be preserved and celebrated. This is best done through the use of our languages.

I am pleased to advise Members of this House and the public that throughout this sitting we will be providing interpretation in the following languages:

• Tlicho;
• South Slavey;
• Chipewyan; and
• French.

Members, please remember to leave your dials on channel two for English.

I encourage everyone to use and develop your language skills to preserve and strengthen all of our official languages. Colleagues, it is my pleasure to welcome you all back to the Chamber to resume the 3^rd Session of the 18^th Legislative Assembly.

Colleagues, autumn is upon us and winter is just around the corner; too soon, some might say. I know that your summers were busy with work in your constituencies, work in your committees, and the ongoing work of government. Although we lead busy lives, I hope you were also able to find time for family, close friends, and yourselves.

With our summer behind us, it is time to look forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie before us as individuals and collectively as Members of the 18^th Legislative Assembly.

As we enter the final year of this Assembly, it is of the utmost importance that we consider why we are here. We were elected to represent and serve our constituents and all people of this territory. We can only achieve this if we continue to work together showing respect for this House, each other, and ourselves.

That is not to suggest that we will not have disagreements. We will, but we must be respectful and professional when we have these disagreements. This respect and professionalism is in keeping with the rules of our Legislative Assembly and our form of consensus government, and in keeping with the expectations of the people who elected us.

Now I wish to advise the House that I have received the following message from the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories. It reads:

Dear Mr. Speaker,

I wish to advise that I recommend to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, the passage of

• Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2019-2020;
• Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2018-2019; and
• Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2018-2019.

during the third session of the 18^th Assembly. Yours truly, Margaret M. Thom, Commissioner. [Translation ends]

Masi, colleagues.

Item 2, Ministers' statements. The Honourable Premier.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome my colleagues back to the Legislative Assembly for the continuation of the third session. This will be a very active sitting for us as we continue making important decisions to create a strong future for the Northwest Territories.

With one year left in our term, we are getting into the home stretch for the 18^th Legislative Assembly. At the beginning of our Legislative Assembly, all Members agreed to adopt an ambitious mandate based on our shared priorities. Our plan, the first of its kind produced by the Government of the Northwest Territories, included over 200 specific commitments that the government would undertake over its complete four-year term to advance the priorities of the Legislative Assembly.

Following a review of our progress and some amendments, the mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories now includes 233 commitments. To date, we have completed 104 of these commitments. We have made good progress in our commitments, Mr. Speaker. As we enter into the final year of the 18^th Legislative Assembly, the Government of the Northwest Territories expects to complete many more.

Engaging with the government of Canada is an important part of how our government is fulfilling its commitments on behalf of the people of the Northwest Territories. Even after devolution, the federal government has substantial responsibilities in the Northwest Territories and an important role to play in working with Northerners to create sustainable, social, and economic development.

That is why the Government of the Northwest Territories has been working hard to ensure that Canada understands the needs and priorities of Northerners and the potential impacts of their decisions and policies on the North.

Our efforts have included clearly making the case for Northwest Territories' priorities like Taltson expansion, investments in transportation infrastructure, and assistance in getting our communities off diesel in our direct contacts with the federal government and in the media through vehicles like the red alert.

We have also taken advantage of our opportunities to engage with parliamentary committees to ensure parliamentarians in all parties understand what makes the North unique and its unique priorities. That has included presentations by our government, the Senate Committee on the Arctic, and the Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples last month, and a meeting with the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development last week.

That work to raise the profile on the Northwest Territories and get our priorities on the federal government's radar is starting to pay dividends. At the end of June, our government and the Government of Canada announced a joint $140 million investment in the Mackenzie Valley Highway, including the construction of the Great Bear River bridge and the construction of an access road from Wrigley to Mount Gaudet. These are important projects for the Sahtu and Dehcho regions that will help support further economic development and advance our vision of connecting communities down the valley.

Just this morning, Minister Wally Schumann and federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna announced the approval of funding under the federal Low Carbon Economy Fund for several Northwest Territories projects.

Approval of these projects is an important part of fulfilling Canada's commitment to help the Northwest Territories implement the Pan-Canadian Framework on Climate Change and will improve energy security for our residents, stabilize the cost of living, and address the impacts of climate change.

Another positive step was announced by federal Minister of Intergovernmental and Northern Affairs Dominic LeBlanc and Minister of Natural Resources Amarjeet Sohi of a path forward on Arctic offshore oil and gas development last week.

Resource development has been and will continue to be a significant sector of the Northwest Territories' economy, responsible for providing jobs and prosperity for our people. It has been no secret that the oil and gas sector has struggled in recent years, and that has had a negative impact on the people of the Beaufort Delta and Sahtu regions in particular.

The news that Canada is prepared to move ahead with a science-based review of their indefinite moratorium on Arctic oil and gas development and that the Government of the Northwest Territories will have a role in that review is an important step in the right direction for the territorial economy, and a signal that Canada has heard the message that Northerners must be involved in making decisions about the North.

We are also pleased that Canada has announced it will take steps to fulfill its commitment in the devolution agreement to negotiate co-management of offshore oil and gas development with our government, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, and the Government of Yukon.

These two commitments, along with the resumption of production in Norman Wells following the completion of repairs to the Enbridge Line 21 pipeline, are positive developments for the NWT economy, and we are pleased to see movement in this important sector again.

While these developments are welcome, the Government of the Northwest Territories understands that promoting the long-term economic and social development of the territory needs to take a broad view that includes multiple sectors. It is also going to take a practical plan that will help focus efforts and investments into those sectors and projects that can create the greatest sustainable benefit for our people.

To be successful, that plan has to reflect the broadly held priorities of all Northerners, including the Government of the Northwest Territories and Indigenous governments. It will also have to be a shared plan that all our governments are committed to following and implementing.

At the beginning of last week, I invited leaders from all the Indigenous governments and their economic development arms to meet with Ministers Robert C. McLeod, Wally Schumann, and myself for an in-depth discussion about the future of the NWT economy.

Over two and a half days, we had some frank discussions about how we can work together to promote the economic development of the whole territory, not just our individual regions. We took a hard look at the challenges we face, including those we sometimes create for ourselves, and at the opportunities for economic development we think we can realistically pursue.

At the end of our discussions, leaders agreed that we need to take immediate steps to address the economic challenges the Northwest Territories faces, in order to ensure a sustainable future for the North and its residents.

Leaders also agreed that large-scale investment in northern energy, transportation, and communications infrastructure corridors is key to creating investment and economic opportunities in all sectors.

Our goal remains to create a prosperous, sustainable future built on the foundation of a strong, diversified economy, which consists of traditional sectors like tourism, agriculture, harvesting, cultural arts, and fishing, but also recognizes the large role that non-renewable sectors like mining and oil and gas have and will continue to play in our territory.

At the end of the symposium, leaders agreed to consider establishing a working group with representatives from the Indigenous governments and the Government of the Northwest Territories to identify economic opportunities and concrete next steps that we can take together to ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for all Northwest Territories residents.

I have always said that partnership is an essential feature of how we do business here in the Northwest Territories, and I want to thank all the participants at last week's symposium for coming to the table with their ideas and a willingness to look for solutions. I look forward to continuing our work together in the coming months.

Identifying the shared economic priorities of our government and Indigenous governments will help us create consensus we need to move forward as a territory. It will also help our government as we continue to work with the federal government on completing an Arctic Policy Framework that will set out federal priorities and spending commitments for social and economic development in the North.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I do want to note that during this sitting we will be debating the Government of the Northwest Territories Infrastructure Acquisition Plan for 2019-2020.

Our government's capital budget is a significant investment in our communities and in the future of the territory, and this year we will be tabling the biggest capital plan we have ever proposed.

We often hear about the need for spending on transportation infrastructure, and it is true that that is a priority for this government, partly because we are able to leverage substantial federal funding for these projects with a comparatively small investment of territorial money.

We should not, though, let those projects overshadow the many smaller but equally important projects in our communities that provide housing for our residents, schools, and health facilities.

Mr. Speaker, as an example of this investment, in the past few months, we have been able to open the Woodland Manor extension in Hay River and new health and social services centres in Norman Wells and Fort Resolution. Other health infrastructure projects are on the horizon, including the completion of the new Stanton Territorial Hospital.

I look forward to discussing our proposed infrastructure budget with Members during this upcoming sitting, Mr. Speaker, and continuing to work with them to fulfill our commitments to create a strong future for all residents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Colleagues, I would like to draw your attention to the people in the gallery we have here with us. I am pleased to recognize His Excellency Vikas Swarup, High Commissioner of India to Canada, and his wife, Mrs. Aparna Swarup here with us. Both join us here today from the Embassy of India in Ottawa. Welcome to our North. Welcome to our Assembly. Masi. And, of course, our very own Carmen Moore; thank you for all your excellent work. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for the Status of Women.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the International Day of the Girl Child. Plan International Canada, with all-party support from the Canadian Parliament, led global efforts to recognize this day. Their actions resulted in October 11^th being recognized by the United Nations for the first time in 2012 as a day to champion the empowerment and rights of girls around the world. This is a powerful accomplishment, and I am extremely proud of our country's leadership in this effort.

The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, our Prime Minister, put action behind the words and gave us Canada's first Cabinet with an equal number of men and women. Our Prime Minister took the lead in this and, as elected Members, we also need to stand and show our commitment.

Mr. Speaker, Members of the Canadian Parliament did not let party differences hinder their support for establishing this day. In a show of cooperation and serving as tremendous examples, they stood united in support of girls everywhere. Similarly, we, as elected Members within our consensus government, must stand together united in our support to improve the circumstances of girls in the Northwest Territories and beyond.

Mr. Speaker, do not get me wrong. I am not asking Members to give up their seats. I believe in allowing the people to vote for the Member they feel best represents them. What I am asking is that each Member show our support by working to empower girls, by questioning why certain situations impact girls more than others, by continuously looking at ways to break down barriers, and by using a gender lens that considers how each decision and every piece of legislation we pass will impact the diverse populations within our territory.

Mr. Speaker, with our support, shown by standing firm beside them and lifting as many barriers as we can within our power, we will all make a difference in the empowerment of girls and equality of humankind.

I invite each Member of the Legislative Assembly to join me in recognizing the International Day of the Girl Child. Mahsi cho.

Masi. Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Premier noted, we heard the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna, this morning announce a new funding from the Government of Canada's Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund. That was a very welcome announcement, and it will go a long way in helping residents and businesses adapt to our changing environment. So it is fitting today to speak about the urgency of responding to climate change.

Climate change presents an existential threat. It causes more chaos and disruption, costs more billions, and more lives, every year. We humans have been taking resources out of our environment, while pumping pollution back in. Our ecosystem has been irreversibly changed and, as we know, climate change knows no borders.

It's urgent to move, Mr. Speaker. Last weekend, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a dire warning to the world: we have just 12 years to make significant changes in our carbon production that causes climate change, or face dire consequences.

The IPCC report says a 2 degree average rise in global temperature will cause extreme heat waves, wildfires, flooding, drought, sea level rise, and extensive poverty. Does this sound familiar? It says, "Every one-tenth of a degree is a choice between life or death." It's possible to slow this trend and limit temperature rise if we make tough decisions and take decisive action, now.

Mr. Speaker, the report emphasizes that the wheels of irreversible damage are turning fast. Climate change is a reality, and the world's scientific community agrees, human activities are a primary cause.

Here in the North, we are rapidly approaching a number of tipping points. Even if we stopped emitting carbon by 100 per cent tomorrow, it would not reverse the warming trend and avoid the impacts that come with thawing permafrost, melting icecaps, eroding shorelines, increasing winds, massive forest fires, and dissipating water levels that we currently experience.

Lastly, Mr. Speaker, I am more than pleased to see this government develop the 2030 NWT Climate Change Strategic Framework, and I commend them for that. It calls for action; to reduce our use of fossil fuels, broaden our knowledge and awareness, and build resilience and adaptation. For our sake, and future generations, action can't come soon enough.

At the appropriate time, I will have questions for the Minister of ENR. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. Here is my annual "What I did for my summer holidays" report. Right after our last sitting, my wife and I went for a four-week holiday to Ireland to visit family and take in the Wild West.

Ireland has a vibrant economy that does not rely on non-renewable resources. Tourism is booming in Ireland. On July 12, the Oireachtas, or Irish Parliament, passed a law to sell off its investments in fossil fuels. I'm proud to be an Irish as well as a Canadian citizen, and wish our Cabinet was as forward-thinking.

It was very hot in Ireland, while the Northwest Territories was drowning in rain. I know the Finance and Environment Minister was chalking up the money saved on forest fire fighting, and urge him to reinvest it in renewable energy and economic diversification.

In August, MLAs met for a Caucus retreat at Lac La Martre Adventures Lodge. We shared our individual summer activities, how to improve consensus government, and our work at the Legislative Assembly. There was discussion around increasing the participation of women in the Assembly, and our transition to the next Assembly as well. Many thanks to Lac La Martre Adventures, and to the youth and elders who visited us from Whati.

For the third year, I hand-delivered newsletters throughout the Frame Lake riding. It's very helpful to meet many of my constituents at the door. Issues raised included:

• the need for more investment into renewable and alternative energy and how this should be coordinated with carbon pricing;
• our limited capacity for climate change research and planning;
• the slow pace of land use planning;
• economic diversification for life after diamonds;
• more work needed to lower the cost of housing;
• barriers to employment from the cost and complexity of getting federal pardons;
• need for greater efficiency in government and investment into longer term, cost saving measures (e.g. early childhood development); and
• opportunities for further development of a knowledge economy with post-secondary education.

I look forward to raising these issues again as part of our sitting and to having them addressed in the 2019-2020 budget. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.

Monsieur le President, as the 18^th Legislative Assembly enters the final year of its term, it is important to take stock of the state of affairs here in the Northwest Territories and the well-being of the people who elected us to serve them as decision makers and representatives.

Since taking office in 2015, the public has been led to believe by the Premier and Cabinet that the NWT is securely on the right path to a prosperous future. GNWT press releases and Ministerial talking points repeatedly insist that our fortunes continue to grow, despite significant evidence to the contrary.

Following current trends and measures, real economic growth is forecast to fall almost every year well into the 2030s. Unemployment is set to rise in the Northwest Territories, while wages are not expected to keep pace with inflation over that same period. As more and more Northerners move elsewhere to live and work, many homeowners are concerned as to the security of their investments and savings locked away in their homes.

Average working families are increasingly unable to make ends meet and, according to a report on NWT food insecurity and poverty, more and more families are becoming reliant on food donations. The rates of police-reported crime and the Crime Severity Index have reached record highs. In fact, we are number one, Mr. Speaker, in Canada, according to the most recent statistics released in 2017.

Despite these hard facts, the leadership of this government continues to dodge questions and avoid taking responsibility for the very real problems that demand real solutions. For example, recent media reporting on poverty in the Northwest Territories pressed a Minister of this government on the aforementioned statistics, and the response was all-too familiar, referencing of "strategies," "partnership," and the need "to see data over time."

Mr. Speaker, the data the Minister referred to is readily available through the poverty indicators from the NWT Bureau of Statistics, going back all the way to 1984. Income assistance cases have increased 23 per cent from 2009 to 2016. Mr. Speaker, there is sufficient data, and yet we are hearing the same delay tactics that we have always heard.

According to a recent plan review, only 37 per cent of mandate commitments can be considered substantially complete, with one department having zero mandate commitments after three years into our term. This government cannot continue to dodge questions and avoid responsibility when decisive leadership is required to meet the challenges of today and lead us into a stronger and more secure future.

Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Premier about his leadership over this government. Thank you.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to celebrate National Coming Out Day. In fact, today is the 30^th anniversary of National Coming Out Day, which began with the March on Washington by gays and lesbians demanding equal rights.

Mr. Speaker, coming out as gay or lesbian, transgender or two-spirited, queer or bisexual is an important way to assert one's identity, to live freely and openly, and to seek support from allies. It is a milestone for every person who has ever done it, and the reaction from family and friends is a topic of conversation forever after.

Mr. Speaker, the reason I speak of this today, the reason there is an awareness day, is that there is still discrimination that must still be challenged and support offered to those who come out now.

I came out about 20 years ago. It took me a while to get there. I didn't have any role models that I knew of in my family, none in my peer group at school, and few in the public eye except for Ellen DeGeneres, who had come out the year before.

Living openly as a gay person in a small town in Labrador was daunting, but hiding seemed worse. I started by telling friends and, after getting a positive reception from them, I slowly moved on to my family. Nobody freaked out. It's also fair to say that not everyone was excited by the prospect. They feared I would face discrimination and bullying, as well as limits on my opportunities. The prevailing advice was to "keep this news to ourselves."

Mr. Speaker, when I arrived in Yellowknife in the spring of 2000, I connected with a queer support and advocacy group called OutNorth. There, for the first time in my life, I felt a sense of community and full acceptance. This was the time when gays and lesbians were lobbying government for equality rights, including the protection of sexual identity in the Human Rights Act, the right to adopt children, and the right to marry. It was not an easy journey, but we slowly, primarily through court action, got the rights we needed, wanted, and deserve.

I would like to think the coming out journey is easier for young people today. In Yellowknife, they have the Rainbow Youth Centre, a safe place to spend time, participate in programs, and use the centre's resources. Schools are now more welcoming, with gay/straight alliances or similar groups for queer youth to connect with.

One of the most important changes in the last 20 years is the emergence of role models who came out, live openly, and advocate publicly for equality and acceptance. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Here in the NWT, there are role models in every area of our community, including me. I am here today to say: come out when you are ready. There are lots of us here to support you in living your best and happiest life. Mahsi.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Mr. Speaker, today's statement is a gentle reminder of why we serve and to whom we serve as privileged Members of this, the 18^th Legislative Assembly.

Each of us in this Assembly have each been entrusted with a grave responsibility, accountable to our individual constituents, the ones that voted each of us into our respective privileged and humbled positions to serve all Northerners.

The positions of MLAs, Cabinet Ministers, Speaker of the House, and Premier reach far beyond our constituents. We also serve each other.

Yet, let us not forget the most important One to whom we are ultimately responsible and accountable, the Lord, our Creator, to serve with personal integrity, compassion, kindness, ethical professionalism, as well as gentle mindfulness, humility, and dedication.

We each need to be reminded of this because of the frailty of our human nature and the very essence of what it means to be human.

We each struggle and are challenged with personal and professional dilemmas. However, let us not allow these struggles to define our character, instead how we rise above them and resolve them be the mark we strive for, collectively, working together, not against one another.

Indeed, there is strength in numbers. May we each embrace our appreciation for one another and cultivate and nurture our professional relationships as examples of honesty, integrity, commitment and passion, inspiration and empowerment to those we serve.

I humbly and gently remind each of you, along with myself, to take time for personal and professional self-care as and when required. Personal awareness and reflection is the doorway to effective and efficient leadership. This perspective and mindset reminds us not to allow our egos to take the lead but let our professional integrity be the lighthouse which illuminates each and every decision that affects each resident of the Northwest Territories.

Let us not lead with selfish intent and motivations, but rather let us lead with the greater good for one another and for those with whom we serve, always and forever at the forefront of the position we have been gifted as Members of the 18^th Legislative Assembly.

In closing, I would like to quote Maya Angelou: I have learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and welcome back, colleagues.

Mr. Speaker, political development for economic sustainability, this process paves the way for investment certainty and creates a climate for economic growth and an economy that is culturally appropriate.

Mr. Speaker, allow us to reflect and review the indicator dates leading to support this process since the November 2017 inception of the red alert issued by our Premier McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, this summer, recognition should be given, starting with June on the MacKenzie Valley Highway announcement and the Bear River bridge, the success of the Enbridge Line 21 HDD project, federal Ministers' engagement trips to Yellowknife, Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples, and the continued IGC, Intergovernmental Council, discussions and consultations.

Mr. Speaker, drafting a framework to capture local Indigenous rights and public concerns, Mr. Speaker, designing a territorial environment that allows more transfer of decision-making authorities to a modernized, sustainable pan-territorial structure is prosperity.

We truly are on the threshold of a new regime, and, through collaboration by stakeholders, we can develop a model that would be for generations of economic growth.

Mr. Speaker, advancing the 2014 devolution agreements is an example of our government-to-government relationships, a consortium that included resource revenue sharing. This model will include reconciliations that addresses environmental land management, responsible resource development, and Indigenous participation.

These principles, Mr. Speaker, are fundamental elements to see projects like the Enbridge Line 21 HDD and the 1987 Chevron Fort Good Hope Joint Venture, a first-ever equity participation from local community. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Mr. Speaker, through collaboration, a new framework from devolution, and section 35 principles creates the new foundation for rules of engagement to political and sustainable economic development, progress through partnerships. I thank the leadership of the Sahtu region for participating in the recent IGC economic conference in Inuvik. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In February of this year I spoke in this House about the Willow River Bridge Project, which would include an all-weather road. The Minister of Infrastructure and I agreed that the community of Aklavik, working with his department, had already done a great deal to advance this project.

From environmental impact screening and a development of road plans to the launch of a community-based working group, Northerners have been hard at work to make this dream a reality.

Right now, without a bridge or all-weather road, access to this part of the foothills of the Richardson Mountains is limited to a few months in the fall and winter, when a bridge can be built out of logs for ATVs and snowmobiles, and later by ice roads.

This means no reliable access to traditional trails, limited access to gravel resources, and missed opportunities for economic development, recreation, and tourism. If we work together, Mr. Speaker, it doesn't have to be like this.

This project has been in the works for a long time, and the GNWT has been a strong partner so far. Continued commitment from the government will mean the realization of long-standing aspirations for the community.

The planning studies have been completed. The proper permits are active for the next few years. Mr. Speaker, we know what we need to do. Going forward, our first priority is to fund the installation of the Willow River Bridge. That's where we need the GNWT's support to come in.

Back in February, the Minister spoke of applications to the first-come/first-served CAP funding as well as potential new opportunities from federal infrastructure. I'll have questions about the department's progress on these funding matters at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to start this sitting off by highlighting some of the much-needed infrastructure that has been completed within the riding of Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Mr. Speaker, over the past number of months, my riding has seen the completion of some major capital projects. For example, we have seen the completion of Highway No. 6, which is a 90 kilometre highway that leads into Fort Resolution. This project has been a long time coming, Mr. Speaker. Back in 2007, it was one of the first things I pushed for after being elected.

Mr. Speaker, today we have a brand new highway that is fully chipsealed. While there are some spots that continue to be problematic, without a complete realignment of the highway in that area, it will likely remain that way. However, as long as the work to repair these spots is completed by local workers and the Department of Infrastructure continues to work with local people who are knowledgeable on the highway, I am sure the constituents will be pleased. The project has employed many local people.

Mr. Speaker, we also opened a brand new health centre in Fort Resolution, which is one-and-a-half times bigger than the old health centre, and that, too, was built by mostly local people. Of course, there was some expertise that had to be brought into the community, which filled in the gaps where local expertise wasn't available.

This health centre, Mr. Speaker, has allowed all of the Health and Social Services functions to be brought under one roof, which includes homecare, family services, general health services, and social services. There was a lot of work performed by many local organizations that helped move this project to completion. I spent many hours talking to local leaders about this project.

Moreover, Mr. Speaker, at the end of last month the community of Lutselk'e was able to reopen the Lutselk'e Dene School as a brand new building. The entire school was re-built from the foundation up. In fact, there was work also done under the foundation. Many residents of Lutselk'e have a brand new school in their community.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the government for the work they have done on these projects. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. However, there is more to be done in capital infrastructure in the Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding. As we move through this sitting, I will be asking about these much-needed projects on behalf of the constituents of Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Marine Transportation Service provides the essential delivery of goods, fuel, and services that the Nunakput communities rely on annually. A barge was expected to reach Paulatuk around August 12^th, but residents report that the barge and their goods did not arrive. Subsequently, the barge deliveries were cancelled due to the ice conditions in the Beaufort Sea.

MTS issues go well beyond the impacts of our changing climate. This year's failure to deliver goods by barge will have a very negative social and economic impact on Nunakput residents and businesses.

Mr. Speaker, purchased vehicles, fuel, and construction materials are stuck in Inuvik. We don't know when these goods will be delivered. We wonder whose houses won't get built this year. The phones are ringing day and night about the lost business and frustration of customers who ordered the freight. Mr. Speaker, I think that they deserve an honest answer.

For example, what will the Minister say to the people who will be out of work because of building materials that didn't make it in? One contractor had eight guys on the job and has had to scale back already because they are running out of material. This means that four families likely won't have a home this year.

Mr. Speaker, action needs to be taken to move as much freight to the coastal communities as possible, but I also want action taken so that barge deliveries are reliable in the future. They should never have to wait two years for their goods.

With the new Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway, MTS can utilize Tuktoyaktuk as a port and staging location for its northern service to coastal communities. With the window of the operating season so short in the Arctic, we need to seriously look at Tuktoyaktuk as a logistical site for supplying the North.

Mr. Speaker, the issue of the barge cancellation began in Alberta, where the petroleum products were purchased, where inspections failed in the Northwest Territories, halfway down the Mackenzie River.

Mr. Speaker, moving forward, the Minister should take a hard look at MTS operations and make a plan that will serve the people of the territory. That is what governments are meant to do. The human costs of this year's failure of service seem to be overlooked. The GNWT's mandate is to improve the quality of life for our residents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it has been just over three years since the Members of this 18^th Assembly were elected. With less than a year remaining in this term, I find myself reminiscing, and that has brought up a lot of mixed feelings.

I wanted to become an MLA to effect real change, and while I have been able to contribute and get a few things done here and there, I have to admit that I am disappointed with where we are now compared to where we were when we all took office.

There are issues that I bring up with Ministers in their offices, with the departments in committee meetings, and on the floor of this House, year after year after year, and unfortunately I have to bring them up again in this sitting because they haven't been adequately addressed, if they have been addressed at all.

I am disappointed that I constantly have to reassure my constituents that I am still working on the issues that they bring to me over and over again. Frankly, it is not that reassuring that I work on the same issues year after year without any discernable progress.

While I can't speak for the rest of the Members on this side of the House, I wager that nearly every one of them has the same opinion. Many of us share the frustration that we hear from the public every single day.

Like I said, assessing our situation has brought up mixed feelings, Mr. Speaker. While I am disappointed, I am also optimistic and excited because we still have a year left to get things done.

I can't let this job get me down, Mr. Speaker. The privilege of being an MLA comes with too much responsibility. I have learned a lot in the past three years, and I truly believe that, if we listen to each other and work together, we can make the most of our final year and tackle some of these ongoing problems.

Mr. Speaker, I am going to keep fighting for improved healthcare and mental health services in Hay River, for adequate funding for schools across the territory, for a more diversified economy and better support for small businesses, for the government to live up to its funding agreement with communities, and for solutions to all of the other ongoing problems, and I am going to do my best to light a fire under this Cabinet so that, when I reminisce a year from now, I will be proud of what this Assembly accomplished. It is going to be a challenge, but I am confident that we can do it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Minister of Lands.

Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Oral Question asked by the Member for Frame Lake on February 15, 2018, regarding any potential federal indemnification of TerraX at the Ptarmigan Mine Site. The Government of Canada has confirmed to GNWT officials that no form of indemnity has been offered to TerraX related to the Ptarmigan Mine Site. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Kam Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I would like to recognize a long-time friend of mine, Mr. Michael Beauchamp, who joins us today as a visitor in the gallery. Thank you.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier I spoke about MTS and barge deliveries to the northern part of the territory, and my questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, my first question to the Minister is: what commitments are in place to ensure that cost of living for coastal communities in Nunakput doesn't rise from this error? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Infrastructure.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, this isn't an error; this is a situation that happened because of unfortunate ice that came down. I have been on TV. I have been interviewed a number of times around this issue. I have reassured the public through the media that the Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to arranging and covering the costs of the air-lifted goods to the communities.

In particular, we want to get in the fuel. We have an RFP that is closing today on air-lift of fuel into the communities; that's our number one priority, even though there's no immediate danger of a fuel shortage within the communities. Once that is completed, we are also at the same time looking at all the commodities on a commodity-by-commodity basis and a community-by-community basis, but the community of Paulatuk will be the first to be addressed through that, and we were going to be looking at it on a customer-by-customer basis. As of today, our staff and our ADM has flown in to meet with the community of Paulatuk. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I don't think there was any ice on August 12^th for the first delivery, but I appreciate the department's effort to go and explain to the community what's going on. I think that's very essential and important for something like this.

Mr. Speaker, the cancellation happened last week. We'd like to think that the department would move faster on an issue like this for larger centres. This means the department will consider some store items as non-essential that are delivered to Paulatuk, Mr. Speaker, on this air lift. Store shelves and business shelves may likely remain empty throughout the year. Mr. Speaker, why is the request for proposals for shipping goods only closing today?

As I've said, the RFP is closing today for the air-lift. One of the things that we wanted to make sure is we wanted to make sure the airline companies had enough time to make sure this was a feasible, fair process for them to bid on it. We don't want it to be a rush thing and cause us more problems down the road. So that RFP is closing today. I suspect the fuel delivery will start and commence as early as next week.

You know, there are a number of things that have to be put into place when we do this, around the logistics things. We have to transfer freight off the barges to our storage facility in Inuvik, we have to re-pack containers so they're suitable for air transportation, we have to organize loading and unloading of aircraft in the communities, we have to prepare staging areas. So there are a number of things that we have to do for this air resupply program, and hopefully it's going to commence, as I've said, as early as next week.

I appreciate the response from the Minister that they're starting to move on this issue. Mr. Speaker, the Minister is also a businessman. I would like him to put himself in the place of businesses that will lose out on a whole year in a place where there are no roads, paying off goods that they cannot receive. Mr. Speaker, can the customers who lost out on the business and harvesting opportunities from this cancellation get compensated by the Government of the Northwest Territories?

Yes, in my previous life, I was a businessman, and if I lived in the High Arctic I'd realize there are some substantial risks to getting my freight in, just because of the conditions that these people live in and the challenges of getting up there. Cargo is offered and shipped with no guarantee of delivery; people know that when they sign their bill of lading. The turbulent conditions clearly lay that out. There is also insurance payable to third-party customers to ensure they carry insurance on their cargo in case it is damaged, but we went out of our way as a government, and that's one of the reasons we purchased this MTS, to bring stability to this, because I've said publicly and I'll say it in this House: if this was a private company that owned this, they would phone you and say, "Do you have cargo on your freight?" Yes? Let's deal with that. If you don't, "Where do you want your stuff parked until next year?"

We're trying to make the best we can of this situation and look after the residents.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know, for someone who's struggling up north with these issues right now that they've faced, Mr. Speaker, I know MTS is owned by government, but they need to run it like a business, not like government. Mr. Speaker, complaints all around across the territory, likely even MTS employees, say that, you know, the responses are slow and very rare, if any at all.

Mr. Speaker, earlier, I spoke about using Tuktoyaktuk as a site and how important it is to separate the southern part of the territory and the northern part of the territory. Mr. Speaker, there is a hub in Hay River, but there's also a hub in Tuktoyaktuk which serves the Arctic Ocean. Mr. Speaker, will the department commit to utilizing Tuktoyaktuk as a logistical point for MTS deliveries to Nunakput communities in 2019 and to the future for better productive service? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The short answer is, no, we're not going to be looking at Tuktoyaktuk in the short term because Hay River is the most intermodal northern connection to the whole continental supply chain; that's where the majority of the fuel comes; that's the majority of our freight; and at this point in time right now, we're still going to use Hay River. Tuktoyaktuk could be an advantage at some point. I've said that we would continue to review our ongoing operations as we go forward. I'm not just blaming the ice for this whole thing. There could be some lessons learned from the department and scheduling of barges and such going forward.

The other point I want to make quite clear is that a lot of people have phoned me thinking we have one barge servicing these communities. We have five barges, tugs, going simultaneously supplying all these communities up and down the river system and on the Arctic coast. We had a challenging ice season and some Members think it's maybe kind of funny that we should run it as a business. It didn't work out so well when the business ran it; they went bankrupt. That's why the government of the Northwest Territories stepped in to protect the residents of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I have some questions for the Minister of Education, Culture, and Employment following up on my constituency newsletter drop earlier this year. The federal government is improving parental benefits under its employment insurance program. Parents can share the 40 total weeks in various combinations, with a minimum of five weeks available for each parent, effective June 1, 2019. What is our government doing to coordinate NWT parental benefits available to our residents with this new federal initiative? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Education, Culture, and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are aware of the changes to the Canada Labour Code, and we are working diligently. Our employment standards acts usually mirror the Canadian Act as well, so we're actually working at this moment to develop a plan to engage stakeholders around the changes that need to be made. We're looking at a couple of changes. Some of them are in the federal legislation, but some of them are our own, too. We're looking at leave provisions for parents, family, caregivers, and victims of domestic violence, but we're also looking for inclusion of domestic workers, for example, nannies and things. We're seeing an influx of that coming into the Northwest Territories. So we are expanding what we're doing, actually, into developing a more comprehensive workers' Employment Standards Act that meets the needs of the residents of the territories currently. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I want to thank the Minister for that response. I did give her a heads-up about these questions, and I appreciate that she's doing some work on the Employment Standards Act. That's one of the things that does need to change, to make sure that we're ready for this June 1, 2019 deadline. Can the Minister tell us whether it's the intention of our government to actually get those changes to the Employment Standards Act done in time to meet the federal employment insurance benefits changes that are to come into effect on June 1, 2019?

We are working diligently to be as timely as possible. Like I said, we're doing a stakeholder engagement. That should be done by the end of this fiscal year. Then we're suspecting that we'll have a legislative proposal ready to be delivered to the standing committee early in 2019. So we are trying to get it done as soon as possible.

I appreciate that we are all working under some timelines here with this, but if we don't get an LP until early next year, I'm worried that this not going to happen in time for June 1, 2019, but I want to move on.

The last areas, as I understand, that may need some changes with regard to coordination of our parental benefits with the new federal program changes will be in the area of collective agreements. Changes to collective agreements may also be needed to fully protect the position or job until an employee returns from parental leave. Can the Minister explain what steps our government is taking to change collective agreements in light of the new federal employment insurance changes in parental benefits?

My understanding is that negotiations are currently under way. Therefore, it would not be appropriate to discuss them on the floor of this House at this moment.

Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President, and I thank the Minister for that. There are negotiations going on, but it takes two to tango, and I'm sure if our government were to come to the table and with an offer to deal with this even in advance of the overall package, that would probably be much appreciated.

I would like to know, though: how will the Minister and our government as a whole communicate these changes in parental benefits under our jurisdiction to the public? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

It's really important, actually, when we make changes to the Employment Standards Act that the public is notified of them. They impact everyone, workers and employers together. We are committed that we will do a full communications layout. We will be putting ads in the newspapers to engage employers, stakeholders in the consultation process. We will be posting it on our Facebook, on our website. Once the changes are made, if changes are made, then we will actually be doing the same again, posting them in the newspaper, trying to engage them as much as possible. I would appreciate if MLAs are willing to help as well by posting them on their sites as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my questions are for the Minister of Finance. Mr. Speaker, I have heard a number of constituents who are government employees have come to me about concern with special leave. In my past experience working for the government, I understood it was for, you know, death, marriage, weather, and mechanical issues. Unfortunately, there seems to be some confusion about how it is implemented.

Mr. Speaker, does the department have a policy that supervisors can use to help them implement special leave? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, situations that qualify for extensive special leave provisions are set out in the collective agreements in detail. There is no additional government policy on administering special leave. We pay our managers to manage. There is some discretion that they should be able to use, so there are no additional policies on special leave. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the Minister for that answer. I agree that we know we hire managers to manage, but we sometimes need to have some clarity on how this is implemented. Can the Minister advise us if these supervisors are trained on how to implement special leave?

Questions regarding the application of special leave are covered with supervisors during the labour relations training sessions. Any supervisor can contact their human resource client service manager for advice if they receive a request to access special leave.

Thank you, Minister, for that answer. At least we have some process to it, and I appreciate that. Mr. Speaker, in the High Arctic or in the North, we do have problems with mechanical. Would this be considered special leave?

Employees can be eligible for up to five days of special leave with pay where special circumstances prevent the employee from reporting to work. A list of examples is provided within the collective agreement, but that list is not exhaustive. Each situation must be assessed on its facts to determine whether or not the employee is eligible.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the answer from the Minister. Can the Minister please advise: should a manager implement it and say no, is there an appeal process so that individuals can move it up the chain? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Special leave already exists to address various circumstances. The managers, as I said in responding to question number one, the managers are paid to manage and they need some discretions to have at their disposal.

As far as the appeal process goes, I'm sure they can appeal to higher up if they feel that they have not been fairly dealt with. Sometimes, they go as far as the MLAs in the Minister's office. They do have people who they can talk to if they feel that they have been unfairly treated. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. At this point in the life of the 18^th Assembly, we ought to be able to see clear results from the success of the mandate based on the work of the Executive Council, yet our economic and social realities are far from ideal. The mandate of the 18^th Assembly was designed to address these issues, and yet little more than a third of total mandate commitments are substantially completed.

Although the Premier calls this "good progress," many of my honourable friends on this side of the House would disagree. Can the Premier explain why so little progress has been made on implementing the mandate of this government? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. The Honourable Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would have hoped the honourable Member would have been listening intently when I delivered my sessional statement, where I said we made substantial progress. In the statement, and I'll repeat it for the Member, at least I said that 103 commitments had been totally fulfilled. We have 127 commitments in progress, and we expect to have them all addressed by the end of the 18^th Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I did listen intently to the Honourable Premier. In fact, I changed my question to incorporate his good progress remarks.

Mr. Speaker, the numbers that we gleaned from business planning was 37 per cent. I did the math of the Premier's numbers of around 44 per cent. Does the Premier truly believe he can accomplish more than the 50 per cent of the mandate commitments in one year?

Yes, we have reviewed them. We reviewed them this morning. They are well in progress, and many of them are ongoing commitments, so I fully expect that the majority, if not all of them, will be done by the end of this term.

According to our processes here, what we learned in business plans stays in business plans, so I'm not allowed to provide much detail, but I know for a fact that some of these mandate commitments are shifting, changing, and we have had good indication that some of them will be abandoned. Can the Premier speak to that? If he's now saying they are all going to be complete, are his Ministers on the same page? Or is the Premier providing new direction to his Cabinet at this point in time?

This government has been fully transparent in everything that we have done. We have tabled three reports, including the 2016-2017 annual report on March the 3^rd and two progress reports in June and September. We also will be tabling another annual report for the 2018-2019 fiscal year after March 31, 2019. As well, a final report on the Government of Northwest Territories' progress on the mandate before the end of the term of the 18^th Legislative Assembly.

Not only the Members are on that side, but everybody in the Northwest Territories can see for themselves the amount of work that this government has done and how much we have accomplished.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Obviously, from the statistics I quoted, we are not in the clear for returning to the times of prosperity before the great recession. Even if I agreed with the Premier that the mandate was well along to being completed, things don't seem to be changed.

Based on their assessments and their analysis and all the work that they have done in advancing this mandate, when will the conditions start to improve in the everyday lives of Northerners and for our economy? Thank you.

I don't know if the Member is flipping or flopping. In November of last year, he criticized heavily not only in this House, but in the media, about issuing a red alert where he felt I was being too negative about the state of our economy. Today, he says that I'm leading people to believe that the future is too rosy. Well, I mean, the reality is that our economy has gone through a tough time. It's going through a tough time, and we are working very hard to make it improve. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services about the day program for seniors in Yellowknife.

To recap briefly, AVENS ran the program until it closed about a year ago, and then the department advertised for a new service provider in the winter, but had no success finding one. Then the department advertised again over the summer. My question is: what response did the Minister get to the second call for interest in running the program? Mahsi.

Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is an incredibly important program, and following up on the Member's recommendations in one of our previous sittings, we did go out for another call on that RFP and we reached out to potential proponents to get some additional input on what wasn't right in the first RFP. Unfortunately, we had the same exact result. There were no applications or no submissions submitted on that RFP. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you to the Minister. I'm wondering what the Minister's understanding is of why the non-profit agencies aren't bidding on this opportunity.

There was a variety of concerns raised by potential proponents. One of them was space, and having some dedicated space for the type of program that we were hoping to deliver. There were concerns about being able to provide, you know, the care for higher-need seniors in this program. There were some budgetary concerns, as well as some other minor administrative-type concerns, but there were a number of concerns raised by potential proponents.

In some communities in the Deh Cho, also in the Beaufort Delta and Behchoko, an adult day program is delivered at least three times a week. So why is it possible to make those services available in those communities, but not in Yellowknife?

There is a variety of different day programs that are provided. There are those day programs that are provided by different organizations to provide socialization and those types of things. There are also day programs that actually provide some sort of respite to family or other caregivers, where family members can come out of the home.

We have provided a number of them. We can do it in Yellowknife. I don't think there's any reason why we can't. We had pursued a model where we were seeking somebody to provide some of that higher-acuity respite day program-type services. We have been unsuccessful.

Mr. Speaker, I did meet with the Yellowknife MLAs on September 13 to explore options that are available to us, based on what we learned from these experiences. Based on that meeting, the department is actually going to move forward, and we are convening a meeting of other community stakeholders to explore other creative solutions for the delivery of a day program here in Yellowknife.

We believe that there is an appetite. We just have to find the model here in Yellowknife that works for those residents who need those services. I applaud and thank the Members for meeting with me and sharing their insight at providing some direction on how to move forward.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I realize the Minister is attempting to find a solution to this impasse. The fact is, this is an urgent problem. We have both frail seniors and seniors who have dementia who need these services. Families need the respite of having their people go to these programs during the day. I would like to hear a sense of urgency from the Minister, an indication of the time that it might take to get this program up and running. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I share the Member's concerns, absolutely. I mean, we have gone out for RFP on this twice. We had hoped that we would find a proponent. The model that was suggested doesn't work. I met with the MLAs. We have come up with some proposals to move forward. We are taking action. A meeting is booked for October 18^th between the department and other stakeholders to actually start breaking down some creative solutions to address this problem.

I see it as a priority. The department knows it as a priority and we are trying to get something on the ground as quickly as we can. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier I spoke about what we have done in the last three years, and what we haven't done. So I want to start off this sitting the way I start off every sitting, with questions to the Minister of ITI about the proposed fish plant in Hay River. If the Minister wouldn't mind once again giving us an update on the status of the fish plant, including things such as the estimated dates for breaking ground, for completion, and for the start of operations? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Industry, Tourism, and Investment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't think I want to answer all four of his questions in one question, so I'm going to just answer part of it to give him another opportunity.

As the Member knows, we're moving forward with the design and construction of the fish plant in Hay River. We have already finished our design brief on this facility for the fish plant. We have moved into the detail design of it now. We continue to work with the fishermen in Hay River on this whole process of the design stage of it. We have picked our lot where we want to have this in Hay River, and expect construction to start in the early spring, but that's all conditional on getting Infrastructure Canada's Investment in Canada Plan funding the Food Security Program, but that's in its final stages. I suspect we are going to hear something shortly on the announcement of that.

The Member is quite aware that last year we went out, we used CanNor funding. It was kind of a unique situation. We went out and bought some of the equipment, but we took advantage of a CanNor program that was about to expire to buy some of the equipment for the new fish plant. That's basically where we are at on the building. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

That was almost the same answer I got last time, but there's a bit of progress there, so I will accept it.

Last month, the federal Minister of DFO established a ministerial advisory panel to look at ways to transform the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation. The panel will explore new governance and ownership models that support collaboration and cooperation amongst fish harvesters and involve them in decision-making. My question to the Minister is: how will ITI support our fishermen to ensure they are fully involved in this process?

The Member is quite right. The new Minister, Jonathan Wilkinson, announced that on September 21^st. He's the new Minister replacing Dominic LeBlanc. As the ministry advisory panel, we were informed of this situation.

I am looking forward to having discussions with the Minister on this advisory panel going forward, but we want to look at this as a new opportunity and a new partnership opportunity with the federal government.

I have stood in this House many a time saying the challenges that the fishermen had around the Freshwater Marketing Corporation and the lack of investment in the Northwest Territories in the last number of years. That's why we came out with a fishing strategy of our own, how to break away from that and have the possibility of marketing our own fish nationally and internationally. We will continue to look at this new situation with this Minister going forward, and work closely with the Fishing Federation on the ideas that DFO brings to us.

Now, I'm going to go out of my way and say that they are going to bring the best idea forward. Maybe it's no better than what we presently have, but we will be apprised of the situation and work closely with the fishermen.

It's my understanding that the chair of that Ministerial Advisory Panel is none other than the former DM, Peter Vician, who I believe was the godfather of this commercial fishing strategy. So hopefully our fishers are well taken care of.

I would like to ask the Minister: what is the status of the fish sector support officer position that we approved in last year's budget? Has this position been filled?

I do not have that information with me, and I hope to get back to the Member on that.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.

I want to thank the Minister for his assistance with this. You know, I give him a hard time that it's been years and we haven't really made progress on it, but I understand there are a lot of moving parts there. There are the feds, which we are very dependent on; there is working with the fishermen who are busy fishing. They don't have time for all these meetings. So I want to thank him for the work and the staff for the work they have put in on this.

My final question is about the governance model that is going to be used to run this proposed fish plant. When I talked to the fishermen, there were concerns about: who is going to make up the board? Is it going to be representative of the fishermen? Maybe they don't want fishermen on there. Maybe they prefer to be fishing. There are a lot of issues surrounding this, and the Minister is well aware of it. What is ITI doing to ensure that there is a proper long-term governance model for the fish processing plant?

As I have said in this House, we are working closely with the fishermen in Hay River. The Tlicho Fishery has put forward their own business plan. There were a number of concerns even around, I think, the last set of questions that the Member gave me, about the O and M of this operation. At that time, I reassured him that, in the worst-case scenario, the way we have looked at it and done our numbers, this thing would still make money, but we are going to work closely with the Tlicho Fishery on how this fish plant is run and designed.

It is imperative that we work closely with the fishermen because they are the ones who fish. They know what to do. I am not a fisherman. I couldn't tell you what to do about fishing, so we need to work very closely with them.

What we are there to do is to help support them and guide them to where they want to go. Do they want to be part of the Freshwater Marketing Corporation? Do we still want to break away and look at going, like I said, on our own and marketing our own fish internationally and nationally? At the end of the day, I would think every Member in this House wants to see more money into the pockets of fishermen, and that is what we are trying to do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources with regard to the 2030 NWT Climate Change Strategic Framework. Mr. Speaker, as I spoke about earlier today, as I mentioned in my statement, the impacts of climate change, the severe impacts, are right here and upon us. We are feeling those every day.

I would just like to start by asking the Minister: the strategic framework will give rise, obviously, to an action plan, which we know is still in process, but can the Minister update the Members and update the residents of the territory on the process and what the next steps are to achieving the action plan? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in one of our Cabinet meetings that we had this morning, we had a briefing on the action plan, and that is going to be brought to Cabinet for approval.

What we will do is we are going to give that action plan to the Regular Members. We are also going to release it to the Indigenous governments to review. We will be sharing it with Canada and our other partners to review the draft action plan, and there will also be a public review going on concurrently with the organizations that I just mentioned that we are going to give the plan to. Committee will have an opportunity to see that action plan before it goes any further. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you to the Minister for the reply. It is very positive news to hear that, in order to take the next steps, the Minister and Cabinet, in fact, are going to engage extensively with various stakeholders and especially with Members across the floor here.

I would also like to ask the Minister: given that the strategic framework includes a major goal of reducing GHGs to 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, Mr. Speaker, can the Minister advise what range of actions could be considered to lead to this reduction? I don't need specifics, but general would be great.

There are a number of initiatives that we are hoping to see go through to help us with our greenhouse gas emissions. Obviously, you have heard talk of Taltson quite a bit in this House, and the announcement that the Federal Minister and Minister Schumann made this morning also indicated that there was going to be some increased funding for the Arctic Energy Alliance, because our understanding is that their funding is getting fully subscribed to and maxed out very quickly. All that money is used to switch homeowners and members of the public to renewable resource type heating, and that, in turn, will help with the greenhouse gas emissions.

There are a number of initiatives that the government is working on and the people of the Northwest Territories should be working on to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by the target that the Member has pointed out.

Thank you to the Minister for his reply. The Minister has noted there was an announcement today with regard to $23 million coming from the federal government to help a number of our programs, and that is very welcome funding.

The Minister also mentioned in his comments about Taltson, and so maybe I will ask him: hydro power, specifically the Taltson project, has the potential to replace significant amounts of diesel to power communities and industries. Can the Minister maybe update the progress on the Taltson discussions or the Taltson business plan for Members and for residents?

My understanding is that we are still having discussions with the federal government on Taltson, though my understanding, again, is that they are fairly receptive to our initiative, because it does fit in within their mandate as well.

I failed to point out before some of the other projects that we are working on, such as variable speed generators in some of the communities. In the one community, I think we are almost coming up to a year where we are going to do an evaluation of the effect that it has had on the amount of fuel that they used. We are looking forward to that data.

There are a number of other projects, again, that we are talking about, but the Taltson one, in particular, I know that the federal government is listening to our officials and our Minister, because it does fit within their mandate. If that were to somehow go through, that would help us a great deal in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and providing clean energy to folks in the southern part of the Northwest Territories.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and we certainly look forward to hearing more detailed information about Taltson as we move forward, with regard to that business plan. Mr. Speaker, we know that transportation is obviously a critical piece to the North. It lowers the cost of living whenever we invest in that kind of infrastructure. We are building more roads, but roads are also going to naturally promote more vehicle and truck transportation.

One of the strategy's objectives is to reduce emissions from transportation by 10 per cent. Can the Minister maybe give us some specifics about how this might be achieved? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am glad that the Member mentioned roads, because when you have roads, if you have very good quality roads like they enjoy in the southern part of the Northwest Territories, then that obviously helps with the cost of operating your vehicle.

Other things that we are doing is supporting community-based initiatives, such as active transport, public transportation; leading by example in implementing fleet management for vehicles and heavy equipment; the marine fleet piloted a grant program for hybrid plug-in electric gasoline vehicles and charging stations in hydro communities in the southern part of the Northwest Territories; and supporting the installation of auxiliary heaters in fleet vehicles and heavy-duty vehicles to reduce idling. There are a number of small projects that we work on to try and get the 10 per cent on the transportation side.

If anybody knows climate change, it is the Northwest Territories. We have been dealing with the effects of climate change long before the rest of the country, and I would even say the rest of the world, because we have been working a lot in the past in trying to mitigate some of the effects of the warming temperatures that we have seen in the Northwest Territories.

We are pleased that the federal government is now actually coming to the table, and they are starting to provide a lot of funding for many of the initiatives. It is a good partnership that we have formed with them, and we look forward to more work with them in helping to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.