Good afternoon, Members. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that the Government of Northwest Territories has signed a bilateral agreement with the federal government to invest new resources into mental health and addictions services, as well as home and community care. This investment will provide approximately $6 million over the next five years, including $2.4 million for mental health and addictions services and $3.6 million for home and community care services.

Not only do these investments support key objectives in both our Child and Youth Mental Wellness Action Plan and our Continuing Care Services Action Plan, they also align with the mandate of the 18th Legislative Assembly. Our government has made a commitment in the mandate to support elders to live in their homes as long as possible and to providing quality long-term care when this option is no longer available.

The investments for home and community care will be used to develop a paid family/community caregiver option for residents who manage their own care. This initiative will provide individuals with an option to meet their care needs and access home supports currently not available to them through an existing home and community care program.

It will also support the implementation of an updated, evidence-based assessment tool for home and community care, called the International Resident Assessment Instrument. This new tool will ensure individuals receive home and community care services based on their assessed care needs, with the goal of supporting seniors and elders in their homes and communities for as long as possible. Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories has a history of resilience, strength, and a strong commitment to helping one another. However, the impacts of colonization and residential schools continue to challenge the wellness of our people and communities.

One area where we can see evidence of these impacts is the issue of suicide. Currently there are a number of services available across the Northwest Territories to assist residents facing mental health challenges, including the Community Counselling Program, the NWT Help Line, the On the Land Healing Fund, Mental Health First Aid, and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training.

While these services and supports are already in place, we know that we can do more to support communities, and our government has made a commitment in its mandate to enhance access to culturally appropriate programs and services. One of the ways we will be doing this for suicide prevention is by targeting investments for mental health and addictions to the development and implementation of a Territorial Suicide Prevention and Crisis Support Network.

Mr. Speaker, this initiative will enhance culturally appropriate approaches to suicide prevention, provide support to communities to build a sense of hope and meaning, while also improving our ability to provide a timely response to community needs in the event of a crisis. This support network will complement our existing mental health and addictions options and is in line with the Strategic Framework for Mental Health and Addictions Recovery and with the recently released Child and Youth Mental Wellness Action Plan.

I would like to thank the Government of Canada for their 10-year commitment to strengthen supports for home and community care and mental health and addictions in the Northwest Territories. These investments will improve key services for residents of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Mr. Speaker, this is Education Week in the Northwest Territories. I would like to celebrate the educators who have dedicated their careers, and lives, to teaching our children and youth. I would also like to share how I and the Department of Education, Culture and Employment are supporting their success.

Right now there are more than 800 educators here in Yellowknife at the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association Educators' Conference. They are working together to strengthen education in the territory by participating in workshops, professional development, and training sessions.

Mr. Speaker, the theme of the 2018 Educators' Conference is Our Students, Our North, Our Success. The conference has included the very best resources, expertise, and speakers for our educators. I encourage all my colleagues to welcome and thank the teachers they meet this week in town. Mr. Speaker, the Educators' Conference is just one example of the strong relationship between the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association.

As part of education renewal, in the 2017-2018 school year the Strengthening Teacher Instructional Practices three-year pilot was launched in collaboration with the Teachers' Association and the Northwest Territories Superintendents' Association to support excellence in teaching and learning.

Mr. Speaker, we know that teachers are one of the most important factors in student achievement. High-quality instruction improves student outcomes. Teachers need time to properly plan and to develop their teaching strategies and instructional practices.

While there are other factors that influence student outcomes, there is strong evidence to show that supporting teacher wellness, giving teachers more time to prepare, assess, and collaborate, and providing strategic professional development opportunities are critical in improving teacher practice and student academic success.

Mr. Speaker, the Strengthening Teacher Instructional Practices pilot allows schools to schedule as many hours as they feel are required to properly deliver the curriculum, subject to the legislated minimum of 945 hours of instruction. Starting in the 2017-2018 school year, schools were permitted to submit proposals to redirect up to 100 hours of instructional time divided evenly between teachers' professional duties and collaborative professional learning. It is up to the school principal and the education authority, in consultation with the superintendent, to decide the appropriate amount of time.

Each school submits a Strengthening Teacher Instructional Practices proposal outlining how their teachers will use their time. A committee made up of the department, the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association, and the Northwest Territories Superintendents' Association reviewed and approved each proposal.

Mr. Speaker, all schools participating in the Strengthening Teacher Instructional Practices pilot this year have split their redirected hours equally between time for individual professional duties and learning, and collaborative professional learning. No resources are directed away from the students. The activities in some schools included collaborative evaluations, assessments, and goal-setting, while in others staff worked together to improve student mental wellness. For example, in the Dehcho Region, one school spent their Strengthening Teacher Instructional Practices hours developing a school-wide bullying prevention strategy; another worked on positive behaviour intervention, culture, and events; and yet another, on Dene language for educators.

As we celebrate our educators this week, the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association provides a wonderful opportunity for students to celebrate their teachers, as well. The Thank You for Making a Difference initiative highlights the contributions of dedicated educators who make a difference in the lives of students, with students themselves submitting messages of appreciation and nominating them for individual and school prizes. All of the thank you messages will be delivered to teachers during this Education Week.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to offer my personal thank you to the teachers who made a difference in my life and to the dedicated educators who continue to teach our children and youth. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on what we thought was an emerging market in our territory, a chance at a new innovative economy, an economy our government was very proactive in nurturing and has invested heavily in public infrastructure to support it. Instead, Mr. Speaker, the federal government appears once again to be impeding our economic ambitions.

Mr. Speaker, I am talking about the remote sensing satellite facilities in Inuvik, the satellite antenna sites that dot the Inuvik skyline, which many of my colleagues have toured, but today remain idle and unlicensed by the Government of Canada. It has been two years since Kongsberg Satellite Services of Norway and Planet of the USA invested millions of dollars to locate to Inuvik to complement the existing federal satellite site.

Mr. Speaker, recently Prime Minister Trudeau was in San Francisco praising Canada's progressive approach to attracting the global technology sector, but it seems nothing could be further from the truth. Other competitive jurisdictions license remote sensing facilities in as little as 30 to 60 days. Canada's lengthy, outdated approach is jeopardizing our future.

Mr. Speaker, our government has invested over $100 million in fibre optic infrastructure down the Mackenzie Valley, and even more into ongoing operating costs. We know this investment would not have been possible without support from the satellite industry in Inuvik.

Inuvik, with its unique geographic location above the Arctic Circle and full community amenities, makes it the optimal destination for remote sensing in Canada. In the last two years, a small private satellite facility constructed seven satellite antennas and is hopeful for many more to come. This is an exciting opportunity for Inuvik and the NWT, but with applications taking up to two years to process in Ottawa, it could end up economically devastating to our territory. Some within the satellite industry are already advising antenna developers to not apply in Canada due to the lengthy and arduous process to get approval.

Mr. Speaker, we have built the fibre optic line. We are investing in enhancing our geomatics centre to become participants in this rapidly growing sector. All of the proactive work by this government is at risk because of the federal government's inability to provide certainty for this industry and its future.

Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Premier at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I once again rise to speak about the quality of medical travel services received by residents of Hay River who are not covered by the GNWT's benefit plan. Spoiler alert, Mr. Speaker: the quality is poor.

I have addressed this issue with Member's statements and in question period. I have brought it up with the department during committee meetings. I have bombarded the Minister of Health's inbox, and I have discussed this issue with him over and over again. However, Mr. Speaker, the level of service has not improved.

Last time I brought this issue up in the House, I told the story of my constituent who was informed by the medical travel office that they had booked his flight, but for the day before. Well, in the meantime, that very same constituent had to once again travel for medical reasons. This time, First Air called him and informed him that the flight was booked and it was departing in two minutes. Needless to say, that flight was missed, as well. That is the third missed flight for this one person, and they each occurred because the medical travel office failed to inform him that his flight was booked.

Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, getting on the flight is only half the battle. If you have a medical appointment in Edmonton, there is a good chance you have to be at the airport in Hay River before 7:30 a.m. so you can catch the flight to Yellowknife; then you have to sit in Yellowknife and wait for your afternoon flight. If you are lucky, you fly to Edmonton, but you might be heading to Calgary for another layover before you finally get on the flight to Edmonton. If either of those two afternoon flights is delayed, you might not get to where you are going until 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning, making for an 18- or 19-hour travel day, and then you have to make it to your 8:00 a.m. appointment.

Mr. Speaker, I hear about this happening all the time. In addition to the problems with bookings, there are problems with the flow of information. During the seven- or eight-hour layover in Yellowknife, patients are eligible to spend the day resting at Abel House, but many of them do not know because they are never informed. When you are flying home from Edmonton, you can get a wheelchair at the airport and skip some of the long lines. I have a constituent in his 80s who stood in line at the airport for over an hour the day after heart surgery because he did not know, because no one told him.

Mr. Speaker, these issues have been brought to me over and over again since I was elected. I cannot just keep telling my constituents that I am working on it. Something has to change. I will have questions for the Minister of Health at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I also would like to express the concerns raised by my honourable friend from Yellowknife North regarding the length of time it takes to approve and issue a remote sensing licence under the current Remote Sensing Satellite Systems Act.

As it stands today, while other jurisdictions have updated their regulatory regimes to accommodate a remote sensing licence in as little as 30 days, Canada still requires two years. The space industry is evolving, and the remote sensing sector is growing all over Canada, including here in the Northwest Territories.

This is a perfect example of the knowledge-based economic development that I have advocated that this government pursue in order to create a truly sustainable and diversified economy since the beginning of my tenure as the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Kam Lake.

Through the inability of the federal government to provide regulatory certainty to the remote sensing sector, it has stalled new developments, and we must continuously push forward and put pressure on our federal counterparts to approve the current licences on the ground and to streamline the regulatory process. This is a great opportunity, Mr. Speaker, that will create many more jobs and economic growth when these licences are approved and when we can gain certainty over this growing sector of our economy.

The commercial satellite sector is growing at a phenomenal pace. For Canada to effectively compete in this highly competitive global market, regulatory certainty is required. Many jurisdictions today recognize the importance of attracting and promoting the space science sector and have streamlined their regulatory regimes accordingly to become competitive. The space industry has transitioned into a highly competitive commercial market, and they will locate where conditions are most favourable. We know that Inuvik has some of the most favourable conditions in the world, not just in Canada.

Our government has made a significant public investment of over $100 million plus operating costs to high-speed fibre optic infrastructure from Inuvik to Alberta to support the data requirements in the satellite industry in Inuvik. When this is approved, licences, we will clearly indicate to the growing market that we in the North are open for business.

There can be no denial that in order to create the level of certainty in this new sector of our economy, the current regulatory regime must be overhauled and I hope this Cabinet will step up to the plate and advocate for a regulatory reform at the level of the Government of Canada and protect our economic advantage in Inuvik. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Tourism is a growing sector of our economy. In Fort Providence, we see a lot of traffic on Highway No. 3, and I know there is great potential to increase the tourists' experience in our area.

People used to stop on the shore of the mighty Deh Cho to wait for the ferry not far from the tiny blue sign that identifies the waterway as the Mackenzie River. Today, tourists on the highway cruise right past the sign and over the Deh Cho bridge, perhaps unaware of the significance of our greatest river. If they blink, they might miss it. The sign, I mean.

The Deh Cho is not only our greatest river, travelled by Dene people for thousands of years. It is Canada's greatest. The Mackenzie crowns the second longest river system in North America, more than 4,200 kilometres long. Our river sends more than 300 cubic kilometres of water into the Beaufort Sea. There is a lot of water under our bridge, Mr. Speaker.

The little blue sign by the road hints at none of this. The unsuspecting tourist may not know that the Deh Cho's second name comes from Alexander Mackenzie, an enthusiastic Scottish tourist and fur trader of some fame who came this way in 1793.

I'm just getting started, Mr. Speaker. I have yet to dive into the Deh Cho's cultural and economic significance. Yes, and say a few words about the great Metis riverboat captains, but first I want to note that on the north side of the river is a large display where visitors can read all about the Deh Cho bridge and marvel at the engineering feats involved in its construction. With sincere thanks to the Department of Infrastructure and the community, we now also have warning signs for pedestrians who may be walking along the road. I feel confident that this department will erect a larger, more colourful sign to note the Deh Cho for highway travellers.

Before I turn to some of the greatest Dene legends about the Deh Cho, I feel it is time to invite the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment to do its part. In fact, it is past the time we have a roadside park to commemorate the Deh Cho and Mackenzie River. Perhaps we can open it in time for the 60th anniversary of the highway.

Now I want to speak briefly about the giant beavers and the two great men with medicine powers. Oh, no, Mr. Speaker, I must have missed your sign. My time for this statement has run out. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the GNWT has committed to implement a carbon pricing system this year. It is great that we are making headway by taking accountability for our contribution to the greenhouse gases, and a carbon tax is necessary for reducing our carbon footprint, but at the same time we want to improve residents' quality of life and not make their lives harder.

In my riding, propane and diesel are the main fuel sources used for heating, though many also try to use wood and pellet stoves to reduce costs. Most electricity is produced through diesel. This means that, in my riding, residents face a carbon tax for both heating and electricity. With costs for propane and diesel already significantly higher in the North than the rest of Canada, and still increasing, a carbon tax will add to the residents' disadvantage.

Mr. Speaker, although there are proposals to return carbon tax revenue to residents, these will not return the full amount, meaning an increased financial obligation to residents, without alternative fuels to turn to. Not in my riding, at least.

The purpose of the carbon tax is to reduce carbon emissions. This means that revenue from the tax should decrease over time as we reduce emissions. My fear? Well, it is that, while Nahendeh will see costs go up, we won't see emissions go down because there has been little planning for alternative fuel sources.

Some NWT residents can use hydro. A government discussion paper released in July stated that Taltson Hydro Facility will be expanded. This means that, for Fort Smith, Hay River, Hay River Reserve, Enterprise, and Fort Resolution, a shift from carbon-based fuel to hydro is much easier than for Nahendeh.

Other communities can turn to solar. The introduction of solar diesel plants in Colville Lake has saved the community an estimation of 37,000 litres of diesel fuel, one fifth of the community's annual fuel usage. This is a great start, but now the work seems to have stalled. Colville Lake has seen significant benefits, yet the government won't look at expanding to other small communities until they study it further.

This does not get the smaller communities in my riding the help they need. The communities that rely on diesel need the government to think big, to show leadership, and take action, and not rest on their hydro, wind, and solar laurels. We must explore alternative energy sources. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources tabled a document on "Waste Resource Management Strategy" and potential economic and environmental benefits resulting from household, commercial, and industrial sources at municipal landfill sites. Mr. Speaker, the strategy complements the many inventory studies completed, in particular a technical report waste inventory dated November 15, 2013, for the Sahtu communities.

Given this pre-cost inventory assessment report and avoiding waste hazard materials potentially entering into the community watersheds, this would be a meaningful portion of the action plan if initiated. Mr. Speaker, execution of the strategy would provide a variety of economic benefits and waste safety training, packaging, disposals, and the Waste Resource Management Strategy is linked to the NWT Water Stewardship Strategy Action Plan.

As you can see, Mr. Speaker, implementing this strategy in collaboration with other communities only complements our government's mandate, cleaner community environment, while providing meaningful business and economic opportunities. Mr. Speaker, later I will have questions for the appropriate Minister. Mahsi.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. It was very disappointing to hear the Premier reject the report and findings of the Ministerial Special Representative on Arctic Leadership, Mary Simon, in this House on February 13th.

Ms. Simon held 65 engagement meetings involving 170 people, including the Premier, and received 34 written submissions to help her prepare her report. That's a lot more than the zero public engagement that the three northern Premiers undertook in putting together the Pan-Territorial Vision for resource development. Whoops. Sustainable Development.

Ms. Simon's excellent report made a number of recommendations in the areas of education, research and Indigenous knowledge, infrastructure, broadband telecommunications, housing, reducing fossil fuel dependence, Arctic conservation, addressing the mental health crisis, and specific suggestions for the development of an Arctic Policy Framework. This balanced approach truly reflects sustainability in its broadest sense by including aspects of environment, economy, culture, wellness, and social development.

Recently the Premier tabled a document titled "We are One Mind" prepared by Dene Nahjo, Our Voices, and Qanak, who are collectives of emerging leaders from the Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut. This document offers their perspective on the Arctic Policy Framework. Recommendations are made under three themes: one is Northerners leading northern policy engagement; another is protecting future generations; and healthy economies is the third theme.

Specific recommendations include creation of a Northern Policy Institute and the University of the Arctic, stronger recognition of Indigenous languages, investment in childcare, development of Indigenous protected areas, and more. This report also takes a broad and balanced approach to sustainability.

The directions of these two reports stands in contrast to the narrow focus of the Pan-Territorial Vision for Sustainable Development put forward exclusively by the three northern Premiers and the direction that the Premier seems to want to take on the Northwest Territories Chapter of the Arctic Policy Framework. I will have questions later today for the Premier on these matters. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the NWT Rental Office provides recourse under the Residential Tenancies Act when landlords and renters are in dispute. One of the most common disputes, of course, is a tenant's failure to pay rent. As it turns out, not being paid is only the beginning of the landlord's troubles.

Let me explain. Let's say a landlord is owed three months' back rent for a total of $6,000. That is big money. The landlord goes to the rental office. She files an application for a court order to recover the debt. Next step: a hearing to lay out the facts. According to figures contained in the 2016-2017 Rental Office Report, only 12 per cent of hearings take place within 60 days, 28 per cent take more than 120 days, and the vast majority, almost two thirds, take in excess of 90 days from the time of the application. The importance of this time lag is that the landlord does not get a penny until the court order is in place.

Mr. Speaker, a constituent of mine filed an application last April and was lucky to get a hearing in just six weeks, but the follow-up action, the written order to recover the rent owed, was not issued until August, more than three months later. Then, there is an additional wait for the garnishee order. All told, it took almost half a year to get the legal authority to recover her debt.

Even at this point, the landlord's troubles are far from over. Now they have to collect the money. The property owner goes to the last place of employment they know of for the tenant, and they hope the tenant still works there. Of course, losing your job is a common reason for not paying your rent, so that is often pointless. The same goes for a bank garnishee on someone who is unemployed.

Obviously, Mr. Speaker, the point here is timeliness. Yes, landlords need to prove they are owed the money, so a hearing with a decision and a garnishee order are all necessary steps, but wait times have bloated over the last year.

The 2015-2016 report says that only 9 per cent of hearings took more than 90 days, compared to 63 per cent last year. As to the time between the hearing and the written order, we have no way of knowing, because the Rental Office Report does not include that crucial set of figures.

The rental office is an example of citizen hardship because essential government functions are starved for resources. I will have questions for the Justice Minister. Mahsi.

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

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to talk about early childhood development. I am concerned about the potential effects that certain government programs can indirectly have upon our children. Junior kindergarten and other daycare programs have a large body of research on early childhood development that has not yet produced a scientific consensus as to the meaningful benefits that children can gain and maintain in the long term.

I must also state that I do recognize that there has been much study and evidence to suggest that having a robust universal daycare program can provide many benefits to parents and the economy. Even a recent study done this by government has underscored those points. The focus of my statement, though, is about the impacts that such programs can have on our children.

Mr. Speaker, there are reports in jurisdictions that have yielded results within the concept of education-based junior kindergarten, where such programs can have the potential to impede the social and emotional development of children by removing them from family care and into a classroom setting too early.

Mr. Speaker, a jurisdiction like Finland has a play-focused universal daycare in place and the option of a Child Home Care Allowance program. This program provides a monthly allowance that is based on income and the age and number of children in each family. It is designed for family members to stay at home and care for their young children.

Mr. Speaker, I know that a strong family unit is the basis for a strong and prosperous society. I also know that children's first five years are the most crucial for social, physical, emotional, and intellectual development. I believe that this government should consider investing in other programs in order to enable children to develop the strongest possible relations with their parents. I also believe that any junior kindergarten and non-parental daycare programs that are also supported by this government should primarily emphasize play, as opposed to instruction.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are many studies and organizations which state that play is critical to the development of children to foster future citizens who are happy and healthy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my constituents have been reporting hazardous conditions along the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway since it has opened. Mr. Speaker, the highway is not well-marked, and there are no turn-outs to get off the road. The lack of signage is a major hazard and should be completed or improved.

Even though residents of Tuktoyaktuk and the region have become familiar with the road, there are still many incidents, usually involving poor weather conditions. I have heard that vehicles are stranded in snow in the middle of the road. If the highway cannot be cleared on a routine basis, there should be travel warnings issued notifying the public.

A recent significant accident on the highway to Tuktoyaktuk involved the community's mayor, who was a builder of the highway and very familiar with road conditions. Mr. Gruben narrowly missed being hit himself when his vehicle was struck by an oncoming truck. Visibility was obviously poor, and the highway conditions should have triggered a travel warning.

Mr. Speaker, the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway crosses a very windy region where strong gusts and blowing snow can cause poor driving conditions. When there is snow on the road, vehicles behind a transport truck can find themselves in whiteout conditions. The highway is not wide like an ice road, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, travellers should be aware that the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway passes an extraordinary landscape. There are few trees in some areas, and temperatures can be extremely cold in the winter. There are no shelter points between Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk. There is no communication. It is not the place to be stuck or broken down for very long; without help, freezing is a very real danger. There are no established first responders or communication along the highway, so people must travel prepared. Mostly, residents and travellers need to be reminded that it is not completed.

Mr. Speaker, I am concerned particularly for the inexperienced northern drivers and tourists. Mr. Speaker, I strongly advise travellers to check the road condition updates on the Department of Infrastructure's website. In addition to highway improvements, Mr. Speaker, I believe we have some work to do to safely promote our most northern highway. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery.

Colleagues, I would like to draw your attention to visitors in the gallery. We have with us a very good family friend, Marnie Villeneuve, also known to be the education leader of the North. With her is also Michelle Brown, both from Fort Smith and long-time dedicated teachers in the North. I would like to say welcome to our Assembly.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is a great honour to recognize our president of the NWT Teachers' Association, Mr. Fraser Oliver. He did a great job this week with the Educators' Conference. It was well-attended with teachers from across the Northwest Territories, and I welcome all educators here in the gallery today. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also would like to recognize Marnie Villeneuve and Michelle Brown, residents of Thebacha.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I spoke earlier today in my Member's statement with regard to the satellite industry up in Inuvik and the benefits that it has had for the people of Inuvik and the Northwest Territories. I spoke about the infrastructure investment we've made in the fibre optic line.

We know that there has been some outside investment with regard to putting new antennas in Inuvik, but the application process seems to be arduous and long. I'd like to ask the Premier about the antenna application issue. It's been going on for a couple of years. I'd just like to know: has our government been aware of these delays, and if so, what are we doing to let the federal government know how these delays can be severely impacting our economy in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. The Honourable Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to reinforce the tremendous opportunity that this satellite facility has, not only for Inuvik, but for the whole Northwest Territories. Inuvik is the best location for tracking satellites, and when we went on a satellite tour in Europe, we become readily aware why because, when we visited the launching facilities in Korona, we were told that to have success in launching a satellite, the longer you can talk to it, the more chance of success. In Korona, they can talk to satellite for nine minutes an hour, but if they twin to Inuvik, they can talk for 30 minutes an hour, so the chances of a successful launch is significantly improved. I just read recently that, in the next few years, there will be over 4,000 launches of satellites, so it's certainly an important area with tremendous opportunity.

We are very concerned about the delay. Certainly, we, myself, and officials, and a number of Ministers have interacted with the federal government Ministers, right up to the Prime Minister's office. I would like to take credit and say that we understand a decision will be made this week on the licence, but there have been other players, and the Member of Parliament for the Northwest Territories has spent a lot of effort on it, and the Senator chairing the Arctic Consult Senate Committee. My officials have a call with Global Affairs Canada tomorrow to obtain more information on the licences and how it applies or the impact for our planet Inuvik satellite. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you to the Premier for his comments. It's appreciated. I know that he recognizes the importance of the opportunities this industry can provide to the Northwest Territories. It seems as though to some degree there might be some approvals imminent, and that's positive as well.

As I alluded to in my statement, Mr. Speaker, there are folks who are starting to suggest that Canada is not a friendly jurisdiction for this industry, and although there are many maybe approvals here on the horizon, these were long-standing applications. What has the federal government indicated to our government as the reasons for these delays?

This is an area where the advances are very rapid, so it's a concern when it takes two years for a licence to be approved. However, the federal government recognizes that the legislation is old and processes that are currently in place need to be updated, given the significant advances. Part of the delay was they have a federal government site that was developed and there was also a site that was developed by the private sector. This was the first international application that was received. They had to make sure about national security issues, and also perhaps the fact that the construction of a facility was done before the application process was approved may have had an impact on it as well.

Thank you to the Premier for his reply, and I hope that certainly we can continue to voice our concerns to the federal government that there needs to be some streamlining with regards to these application processes, and that there needs to be improvements made to the legislation.

With regard to approvals of these applications, what do we know? Do we know, is it now going to be just a straightforward kind of approval, or are there a number of conditions that are attached to these approvals? Do we know anything along those lines?

Our expectation is that we'll get more details when our officials talk to the Global Affairs Canada later this week, which will allow us to try to make things better going forward.

Also, we're hoping that Planet Lab with this pending approval will see fit to revisit their decision to pull out and take their antennas out.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My last question is: certainly, we can't expect to promote the Northwest Territories as a place to build antennas if applications take two years to approve. Other jurisdictions clearly can streamline this process. What can our government do to put pressure on the federal government so that we can start to fast-track some of these applications? Certainly we don't want to have folks who have already made investments starting to dismantle their antennas and relocating them into other jurisdictions. What are we going to do to put pressure on the federal government to start fast-tracking these applications? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I think the fact is that the federal government is well aware of the potential for satellites in the Northwest Territories. Certainly, Natural Resources Canada was aware of it. They invested a significant amount in developing the federal site. The other federal Ministers, including the Prime Minister's Office, is well aware of it now, and certainly we will continue to work with the federal government to find ways to resolve the issues so we can continue to grow the industry in the Northwest Territories. We can work with them to identify to them where we see the bottleneck so that certainly updating the current legislation would be a good start. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier I spoke about conditions on the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk highway. My questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, I know that no matter how many signs you put on a winter road, especially up in the North in the Arctic, the chance of an accident are still very high. Mr. Speaker, my first question to the Minister is: what is the department's plan to improve signage and highway markings between Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Infrastructure.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, our highway meets the national guidelines with respect to engineering, signage, and design posting limits along that highway. We've all had an opportunity and Cabinet has had a chance to drive it.

The further work that we're going to commit on signage going forward is there is going to be some information signage installed and some more delineators to add to driver comfort along the highway. We realize that this piece of highway is in one of the harshest conditions in Canada, or anywhere in the world, and people must have to drive accordingly through it. As the Member referred to the accident in his Member's statement, the RCMP are investigating that. They will determine what the causes were of that accident, and we'll have a look at it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate the response from the Minister. It's good to see that work is going on to improve the highway. Mr. Speaker, my second question is: under what circumstances does the department issue public alerts on road conditions for the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway?

We have our web page where we continually update the highway conditions of the highways in the Northwest Territories. The department also uses Twitter on a lot of occasions, because I always re-tweet out what the department is putting out there, from waits on winter roads to closures of the Dempster and such.

On the Tuktoyaktuk to Inuvik Highway, I think a lot of people maybe even don't even realize they're driving by, because as the Member said, people don't pay attention to signage sometimes. At the beginning and at the end of both sections of the highway, there's a sign up there to say if the roads are open or closed.

It is good to see travellers using the website. I have noticed Facebook is probably the number one user-interface for road conditions. Mr. Speaker, I am talking about winter conditions, and my question is: what will the department do to improve the information it provides to road travellers about winter safety?

First of all, drivers must drive according to the conditions. The maximum speed is posted for optimum conditions, so if the highway is 100 kilometres per hour, that is for optimum conditions. If there is bad weather, well, then you have got to drive to those conditions. To ensure safety in the Northwest Territories, the highway system is a top priority of our department. We are always promoting safety as the number one thing. Driver education is one way that the department is working to communicate to residents in the Northwest Territories through advertising, enforcement, signage and such. Infrastructure has posted a new sign at the entrance of this highway, as well, to let residents know that they can go to the website to have a look at this stuff. We are continuing, as I have said, to update our web page and to use Twitter to do these things around road safety and guidelines.

Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the response. Mr. Speaker, my final question is: will the department increase the frequency of snow clearing on those sections of the highway that are subject to high winds during drifting snow? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

On this section of highway, we have a Government of the Northwest Territories employee and a maintenance contractor who inspect the highway twice a day to make sure the road is safe and cleared. If it is snowing or blizzardy and driving conditions are conditions that need to have the road closed, that will be informed and we will post that. There are protocols around highway maintenance of when the road needs to be plowed, and those are at the discretion of the maintenance contractor and the GNWT employee, and then they will follow up on that. For moving forward, being this is the very first year of this road operating in these conditions, I think the department is already looking at certain areas of difficulty that have snow drifting. They are going to have a look at what they can do for procedures to address that, be it snow fencing or some other means of something to help address that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister of Finance some questions about how we are using our potential in the satellite industry to grow the knowledge economy. My first question for the Minister is: can the Minister advise the House on what resources have been allocated by this government in its budgets to promote the NWT as a destination of choice for the global remote sensing sector? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do know that this government spent $91 million in getting the fibre optic line up and running, and I think it is a very good investment. I think we expect to see a return on our investment. As far as the Member's question as to the exact number that we have in the budget towards promoting that, I do not have that exact figure at hand. I will find it and email it to the Member.

I would hazard to guess that, if I asked the same question about promoting our mineral sector, the Minister could find those facts and fingers at his fingertips, so can the Minister develop the same approach to promoting investment in working with his colleagues in the mineral sector for the global remote sensing sector? If we want to grow it, we need investment, so is this work something he can do?

As far as finding the figures on investment in mining, I would not have that at my fingertips, as well. The Minister of ITI might, but I will not. I do know that this government is investing a significant amount of money in trying to promote the knowledge industry because we do recognize that it is a way forward. We have taken a couple of tours in Europe to try to promote it. I have tasked my officials with finding some industry magazines that we could possibly promote the geographically gifted area for retrieving satellite information in Inuvik, and I have also asked them to see if there are any industry type meetings that I could go to to promote the Northwest Territories. Again, we are also, as the Premier said before, working with the federal government to try to see if they can streamline their whole legislation so that it makes the Northwest Territories an attractive place to invest because it is an attractive place to invest.

I appreciate the Minister's support for this important industry. This is another example of how we have natural advantages in the North tied to our unique geography, tied to our natural resources, and we need to use every one of them to grow the economy. On the issue of lobbying the federal government, has the Minister in his work with the fibre optic link had the opportunity to develop any regulatory improvement proposals to share those with the federal government? Has he done that work?

In our discussions with the federal government, my discussions with the Finance Minister, we have raised the issue of our concern with the act and how improvements need to be made. As far as actual regulations and a proposal to put forward, I am not sure. I do not believe we have done those yet, other than having conversations with them and attending meetings, but I will confirm to see if we have made an official submission to this particular issue, and I will share that with the Members.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If the Minister finds that an official submission has not been made or the consultation has not been done on improvements, is that something he will undertake? Can he make that commitment to pursue this issue, working with his Cabinet colleagues so we can clear up this regulatory bottleneck and get certainty over our remote sensing opportunities in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I can assure Members of this House and members of the public that this is an issue, the Mackenzie Valley fibre optic line. We recognize that the area in Inuvik is very good for retrieving satellite information, so the decision to put a fibre optic line in and invite industry to come in and put up their satellite dishes, we recognize how important that is as we go forward. We have put a lot of effort into this. We have had a lot of discussions with the federal government. We are trying to do what we can to see if we can streamline this process and have more investment made in the Northwest Territories. As Finance Minister and our Cabinet colleagues and, actually, as an Assembly, we all do what we can to try to promote all types of investment in the Northwest Territories. If there are ways we can make Ottawa aware of some of the challenges we face, then we will certainly address those, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services about medical travel services in Hay River. The Minister is well aware of the issues we face in Hay River and has committed to look into them. The last time I raised the issue in the House, he noted that Hay River is unique in the way the medical travel services are provided. That is probably good for the rest of the territory, but not so good for us. Basically, because the services are provided through a contract, the department has little control over delivery. So, since this has been identified as a problem, what has the department done to remedy it? Thank you.

Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in September I indicated that we were going to look into this issue and try to make some improvements in Hay River. Since that time, we have done some analysis on how it is done. The Member is correct. It is the only place in the Northwest Territories where the service is provided by contract as opposed to being provided by the territorial health authority. As such, the contract is going to be expiring in March of this year. We are not going to be renewing the contract. We are going to be moving forward with creating a position in Hay River as part of the Territorial Health Authority to provide consistent quality medical travel services in Hay River and the surrounding area.

Not only is he addressing the issue; he is also creating a job in Hay River; well, I guess, a government job. He is taking one away, though, so I have to be careful what I say here. I appreciate that something is being done, but how can I assure my constituents that this change will actually result in an improvement in service delivery? Precisely why should we expect the Territorial Health and Social Services Authority to provide a better service than we are currently getting?

I think the Member actually answered some of his own questions in his preamble. Building upon the comments that the Member made, one of the advantages of having the territorial authority do this, as opposed to a contractor, is we'll be able to ensure that our people have the best training and are completely familiar with the processes and programs that are in place. Also, we have to recognize that people go on holidays, people are occasionally sick; people might want to, you know, go on training or other development. Currently if that happens we're not always guaranteed that the person who is going to be backfilling is trained. By being part of the Territory Health and Social Services Authority, if one of our persons were to leave or go on holidays or be sick, we know we've got a group of competent, fully trained staff who can backfill on a minute's notice in Hay River; which means they will always have quality people, competent and qualified people, with lots of backup to continue to provide services at all times.

I'm a little under the weather myself, today. It would be nice to have a bit of backup here. Because of the timelines involved -- I mean, I think it's end of March you said the contract is expiring -- will there be enough time to hire and train this new employee?

We are going to move forward as quickly as possible to staff that position, but we acknowledge that it may prove difficult to get somebody. We've gone out for competitions before for lots of different jobs and not been successful on the first round, so we want to err on the side of caution here. What we're going to do is, for the first couple of months, we're going to work with the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority, who is going to identify a person who can help us during the transition phase while we're out recruiting so that there is no gap in service. We also want to make sure that we have the best equipment and the appropriate equipment for our new person in Hay River to provide all the services. We want to make sure they're fully trained. So even after we hire them, they might not be full on-stream until we get them properly trained. So we figure this is going to take six months;, but there's going to be no gap in service, because we're working with Hay River to provide some temporary backfill in that area.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So just to clarify, there will be a person physically in Hay River who people can go and see about their medical travel issues? Because I know sometimes, you know, with elders, it can be a little difficult if they have to speak over the phone, or those kinds of things. So I just want to confirm there will be a person who people can go see in Hay River. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

That's the plan, Mr. Speaker. Initially it will be somebody from the Hay River Authority. We're going to work on an agreement there. Our expectation is we're going to go out for staffing immediately and fill that position, get that person trained up. As for all medical travel, I mean, it is a nine-to-five job. There will be times when people do have to call, just so that we're clear that it's somebody always available 24/7. It's a nine-to-five job, there are some after-hours calls, and we'll be able to provide that support, as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Justice. The 2016-2017 NWT Rental Office Report shows an enormous increase in wait times from the norms of the previous five years. Why has the turnaround time between the dates of application filing and the dates of hearing become so long? Thank you.

Masi. Minister of Justice.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the period of 2016-2017, there were actually fewer applications, but there were more complex issues involved in those applications. Also, too, the long-standing rental officer retired, so that left one rental officer working there. Those two issues led to delays, which we fully acknowledge. Now, I have noticed that the numbers for the period from April 1, 2017, to January 31, 2018, do represent an improvement. So we are committed to improving those numbers further, Mr. Speaker. We knew there were also pressures on the office administrator's workload, and those procedures have been streamlined. So we think that all these adjustments will lead to improved service, which, of course, is our aim. Thank you.

I appreciate the response from the Minister. Can the Minister tell us whether he has allocated additional resources to this office?

Yes, I can advise that we have allocated additional resources to the office. We have entered into a contract to have a second officer, a second rental officer, work there on a part-time basis. So we believe that that will reduce the workload.

I appreciate the Minister's response that there is, in fact, more staff available. He said that service time had been improved. So, for example, what percentage of applications are now taking more than 90 days to process?

I don't actually have those figures, but I will undertake to provide them to the Member opposite.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that commitment from the Minister. I'm looking for another commitment, and that is that the Minister will direct the rental office in its annual reports to track this indicator, which is not only the waiting time for applications, but the lag between applications and court orders in future reports. Thank you.

The annual report covers the number of applications filed, the number of hearings held, and the elapsed time between filing and hearing. This information has been included as a performance measure in our departmental business plan for a number of years, and we'll continue to do that. We do recognize that justice delayed is justice denied. We do realize this is an important issue. We are taking measures to improve service to the public. Thank you.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Earlier I had mentioned in my statement, here, the resources management strategy. My first question to the Minister of ENR is: is the strategy going to be coordinated with other departments? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.

Mr. Speaker, yes. We do work with other departments as we work on strategies because sometimes there are times when there is cross-over; it's inter-departmental. So all the departments will usually work together as we bring these strategies forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks to the Minister for that reply. Seeing that it's a multi-department, coordinated, cost-shared effort, would the communities be involved in their particular landfill as part of the engagement?

There is an opportunity through the engagement process with stakeholders. If there are concerns with landfills in the communities, I'm sure the community governments will bring those issues forward to the department when they're doing their consultations. There is also an opportunity for online comments, so all those factors are taken into consideration. If communities have a concern, then they have an opportunity to bring that concern to the department.

I'm glad to hear from the Minister that there is going to be some community consultation on describing the details of the scope for the clean-up. My next question is: when is this consultation going to occur in the Sahtu communities?

I do know that there was a regional meeting held in Norman Wells, the regional centre for Sahtu, in January of 2018, so there was an opportunity there for some community input. Then there will be some public engagement on the discussion paper, and we're looking for the draft strategy and implementation plan to be ready for review and comment in the fall of 2018.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister keep my office posted so that, if time permits, I might be able to attend these community consultations? Thank you.

I do commit to keeping the Member informed. As I said before, I do know that they have had a number of regional meetings taking place in January and February. Actually, I think the last one was on February 14th. There was one other community that wanted to have a meeting, so I think they are trying to fit that in there, but I will keep the Member informed as to any potential meetings that are happening in his riding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I spoke about some of the challenges in my riding for carbon taxes and green gas and energy and that. My questions are to the Minister of Infrastructure.

My first question: has the government considered expanding the Taltson hydro dam system, and are they looking at expanding that to the Nahendeh riding as well? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Infrastructure.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Government of the Northwest Territories is actively considering the transmission expansion of the Taltson system into the communities of the South Slave in particular. This will be reflected in our 2030 Energy Strategy and Action Plan.

With that being said, we are looking at expanding into the Fort Providence and the Kakisa area. That is a 140 kilometre T-line expansion, and we are also looking at possibly expanding into the Whati off the snare system, which is a 65 kilometre expansion T-line section.

As for the Member's question around the Nahendeh riding, being part of the road system, the communities of Jean Marie, Fort Simpson, and Wrigley would be technically challenging at this time moving forward, given the link to the line and the system's stability concerns, but I think it is something that we are going to look at doing in the long-term. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to thank the Minister for that answer. I greatly appreciate they are potentially looking at that. My next question is: what actions has the government taken to help Nahendeh communities reduce diesel usage, especially for the smaller communities?

First of all, I want to thank the Member for giving us a heads up on this question here. There are a bunch of things we have done in his riding. In Fort Simpson, we are looking at LNG. It was a commissioned study in 2016, a liquefied natural gas vaporization study. An LNG facility in Fort Simpson is being considered as part of the Energy Strategy and Action Plan, and that is in development right now.

We have biomass wood pellet in Fort Simpson. In 2012, it's a GNWT-owned biomass central heating system for the rec centre and the elementary school. Combined heat and power in Fort Simpson; the GNWT investigated a megawatt scale of combined heat and power. I know they ended up going to a smaller pilot project. They have had to redesign the electrical system, and that is hopefully going to be installed on that part of the project this spring.

There is significant solar power in the Member's riding. There are 224 kilowatts of installed solar in six communities in his region, and in the five remaining Nahendeh region candidate communities we are looking at and have talked about a number of times in this House, a Colville Lake project and the newly installed variable speed generator, which is in Aklavik, and we will have a look at these technologies going forward if they are viable to use in his region.

Those are a lot of projects. Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Ministers for ITI and Infrastructure and Finance for that great information. It is good to hear all of that stuff.

Mr. Speaker, my third question is: it's my understanding the estimated direct costs for carbon taxes starts with $10 per tonne in 2018. That increases $10 a year until it reaches a cap of $15,000 per tonne in 2022. It is estimated that high-use households will pay $880 to $1,015 per year. Will the government ensure that the Nahendeh residents are able to choose alternative fuel sources by that time?

As the Member knows, the Minister of Finance has been working closely with the federal government to understand the full impacts of carbon tax on the Northwest Territories and the cost of living and doing business here.

In addition to that, though, the federal government tends to reflect the unique circumstances in the NWT. The Premier has had that commitment from the Prime Minister on this specific topic. Regardless of the carbon tax, our department is moving forward with our energy strategy, which will help with alternative and renewable options for people in the Northwest Territories.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for that answer. I realize it was kind of a unique crossover with Finance, and I appreciate the Minister working with the Minister of Finance to get this information out there. With the challenges of no alternative fuels in the short term, how will the government mediate cost-of-living increases being imposed on residents by this carbon tax? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

One of the key messages we heard coming out of the carbon tax public engagement was the concern over the cost of living, as we have said, and doing business in the Northwest Territories. The second part to considering a carbon tax is what will we do as a government with the revenue that is generated from a carbon tax.

I support using a portion of these revenues to offset the high cost of living in the Northwest Territories, for sure. The reality of the NWT is that we have a high demand and high prices already for fuel and electricity. While we want to continue to advance alternative energy projects, we will also want to mitigate the impacts on our residents and our businesses. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. In my statement earlier today I noted the extensive public engagement undertaken by Mary Simon as the Ministerial Special Representative on Arctic Leadership. I understand that she actually met with our Premier as well. I am wondering: can the Premier tell us what he talked about when he met with Ms. Simon in her work as Ministerial Special Representative on Arctic Leadership? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. The Honourable Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The MLA for Frame Lake is on record as stating he wants no mines, no oil and gas, and in his Minister's statement, I am not surprised at the line of his questioning.

I met with the Ministerial Special Representative on Arctic Leadership in February of 2016. I spoke to her about our shared interests in closing the gap to create meaningful outcomes for people living in the Arctic, working to better the lives of residents, and building productive and collaborative relationships. We discussed lowering the costs of living by building infrastructure, education, training and capacity development, community wellness, youth development, suicide prevention, and balancing efforts to grow and diversify the economy with environmental sustainability and climate change.

I emphasized the importance of Northerners making decisions about the North, and I believe that was reflected in her final report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am happy to take the promotion from the Premier inviting me over to that side of the House any day. What I would like to ask the Premier next, then, is if he could tell us whether GNWT prepared a written submission for the Ministerial Special Representative on Arctic Leadership, and if so, can he table it in the House?

There were two letters written to Ms. Simon during her engagement process, and I would be pleased to table them at the appropriate time.