Good afternoon, colleagues. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Mr. Speaker, the transformational changes we have been making across the education system are gaining momentum to help fulfil this government's mandate commitments towards education renewal.

Under the Skills 4 Success strategy, grades nine to 12 students and youth aged 18 to 24 across the North will soon have access to career and education advisors. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment has already hired six to work with students to help them navigate their best academic path from "classroom to career."

The career and education advisors have been hired for initial two-year terms based in Yellowknife, but each one is responsible for a specific region. This will enable the team to research and develop a consistent approach for delivering the educational advisory services to students and youth across the Northwest Territories. They will work as a mobile team to provide services both in person and by distance.

School pilots are planned for the 2018-2019 winter semester to pilot the new resources and approach in selected schools throughout the regions. The permanent locations of the positions will be determined once the results of the pilots are available and informed decisions can be made as to where the positions would best be placed. Work is being planned in consultation with education bodies and regional ECE Service Centre staff to build upon and strengthen existing resources.

The advisors will work as a mobile team to provide advice to students and youth so that they can make informed decisions to improve their education and employment outcomes. They will also support youth aged 18-24 to become re-engaged in learning, promote skilled trades as careers, and assist students with finding financial supports for in-demand occupations.

Mr. Speaker, the department has also been working to solidify all of the components of the High School Pathways initiative. This work includes new high school completion options, new courses, counselling supports, and technologies to better support students and offer them new opportunities. I am pleased that courses on life skills are now being added, so students have an understanding of finances, budgeting, self-awareness, and decision-making, as well as preparing them for further education or training and giving them effective tools to manage their lives.

Focus groups with students and teachers, as well as community town halls, will take place in the spring of 2019 to engage parents, students, and communities. The new High School Pathways model will roll out across the Northwest Territories one grade at a time, starting with grade seven students in September 2019-2020.

As a part of the High School Pathways initiative and as a further contribution to Indigenizing education, ECE will begin the development of a new Northern Studies 20 course that will be required for graduation.

Northern Studies 20 will be focused on opportunities for students to learn about land claims, treaties, and implementation agreements, as well as more in-depth learning about the Northwest Territories' style of consensus government. Northern Studies 20 is expected to be fully implemented in 2023-2024, with the first cohort of grade 11 students following the new High School Pathways model.

Mr. Speaker, another objective of education renewal is to assist students to be able to access the courses necessary so they can attend any post-secondary school they choose. A critical initiative we have in place, and one that has proven to be successful, is Northern Distance Learning.

Northern Distance Learning allows students to remain in their community and take higher-level academic courses via a video conferencing network out of Inuvik. Education, Culture and Employment worked with education bodies to identify the next four small communities to offer Northern Distance Learning in 2019-2020, and they are Fort Providence, Lutselk'e, Paulatuk, and Whati.

There will be a total of 15 schools accessing this service in 2019-2020. The program will be expanded further in 2020-2021, for a total of 20 schools that will offer a comprehensive education in students' home communities.

Students will experience high-quality and uninterrupted Internet service through dedicated bandwidth purchased specifically for the delivery of this initiative. It is important that every student have an opportunity for quality education, and we are proud that we are now able to offer this opportunity to students in small and remote communities.

Mr. Speaker, no single group or organization can accomplish change alone. Our partnerships with our school bodies, the NWT Association of Teachers, parents, and community members are critical to our success. Positive, healthy experiences for children of all ages are a shared responsibility that includes business and community partners, health services, government, and families working together toward a common goal, the healthy development of the children of the Northwest Territories. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Ministers' statements. Colleagues, I'd like to draw your attention to visitors in the gallery today. Here with us, Mr. Anthony W.J. Whitford. As many of you know, Mr. Whitford held many roles, former Commissioner, former Speaker, former Minister, former Member, former Sergeant-at-Arms, honorary Clerk at the Table, and member of the Order of the NWT. Please join me in welcoming Mr. Whitford to the House this afternoon. It's always a pleasure to have you in the Chambers. Item 3, Members' statements. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Last week, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, CRTC, which is a federal regulatory body that oversees all Canadian broadcasting and telecom activities, released a report on aggressive and misleading series of sales practices within the telecommunications industry.

Mr. Speaker, this report has long been awaited because many Canadians, including many Northerners, have long suspect the existence of such sale practices. After months of research and cross-country consultations, the CRTC has concluded that there is, indeed, a high prevalence of aggressive and misleading sales practices within the telecom and television marketplace. Such sale practices are found to exist in all manners of sale, including in-store and over-the-phone, door-to-door and online.

Mr. Speaker, some examples of these negative sales practices include sale agents not accepting no as an answer or service providers making it difficult to change or cancel services or sale agents withhold key contractual terms or provide inaccurate consumer information. Of course, some service providers engage in such practices more than others. However, these practices are occurring to such an extent that it is resulting in harm being done to consumers.

Mr. Speaker, these situations have a potential to inflict both mental stress and financial hardships with consumers. Moreover, the effects of such harms are amplified when it comes to vulnerable populations such as seniors, persons with disabilities, and people with language barriers. Other vulnerable factors include low-levels of digital literacy skills as well as lower education and income levels.

In terms of solutions, Mr. Speaker, while the report did indicate that service providers do have internal measures to monitor such sales practices, they vary from one provider to another. Overall, existing internal measures are insufficient. The report also noted that based on evidence gathered, many people are unaware of what options exist to seek redress in this area. For instance, the report discovered that many Canadians don't know that there is an independent body dedicated to resolving telecom consumer complaints, which is called Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services.

Mr. Speaker, while this report does fall under the federal jurisdiction, my goal with this statement is to help raise awareness around this issue with people of the NWT because, clearly, more work needs to be done in addressing negative sales practices within the telecom industry across this country. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I rise today to speak on the importance of learning new languages and how language learning connects us to our culture and heritage and is kept alive by the hard work of dedicated community members who promote and preserve language-learning in our communities. Although there are many different organizations devoted to language promotion in the Northwest Territories, I want to take the time today to recognize the NWT branch for Canadian Parents for French and the many volunteers who support the organization.

I first learned about Canadian Parents for French, or CPF, when I was looking for extracurricular activities in French for my son, who I am proud to say is enrolled in a French-immersion program and is well on his way to fluency in both English and French. I was so impressed with the quality of the CPF programs that I immediately joined the organization and continue to support their important work in the NWT.

Canadian Parents for French [Translation] is dedicated to the promotion of learning of French as a second language for young Canadians. In 1977, Keith Spicer was the Official Languages Commissioner for Canada. He was interested by the bilingualism of young Canadians. He met parents across the country who wanted that their children would learn a second language. This small group, originally started with parents, became a national network made up of 10 chapters and 150 sections all over the country. Over the past four years, local chapters in the Northwest Territories have already consulted with groups and native governments for developed strategies and to ensure the preservation and teaching of other official languages.

Mr. Speaker, the ability to speak several languages or any language gives our young people a competitive advantage to help them find work and to find new friends who come from different cultures. This ability to speak several languages also gives a different perspective on the world, how an individual understands definitions and complex situations. That is to say, the ability to think, to express yourself, and to feel the feelings of other individuals gives unlimited advantages. [Translation ends]

Language is, without a doubt, an important part of shaping individual and community identity. With 11 official languages, each one unique and priceless its value to our Northern heritage, keeping language-learning strong is so important in achieving that goal. It is thanks to organizations like Canadian Parents for French that we can ensure future generations will continue to reap the benefits of speaking more than one language. I want to express my personal gratitude for this wonderful organization and the volunteers who work hard to make it a continued success. Merci, Monsieur le President.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs for developing the Youth Ambassador Program and giving Northern youth an amazing opportunity to volunteer and experiences events across Canada and even internationally.

I have had the opportunity to witness first-hand what they experience at these events.

I would like to thank the staff who spent the past year getting our youth ready for the 2019 Canadian Winter Games experience in Red Deer.

Mr. Speaker, I could spend hours talking about this great program, but I think it best to use words from our youth from Sambaa K'e, Fort Liard, and Fort Simpson.

"The trip to Red Deer was very tiring, but very worth it! It's so nice here. I went to a two-hour shift and traded some pins, and I've learned how to use the transit system. I've met a few people from different provinces, and I'm really looking forward to next week!" Aaron.

"I am excited and proud to be part of the NWT Youth Ambassadors Program again and to be in Red Deer, Alberta, volunteering at the Canada Winter Games. The journey here was quite tiring, but it was really worth it. So far, my shifts have been at the Red Deer Curling Centre, and I have met lots of people from all over Canada! I advise the youth in the NWT to sign up for this program next time because they're missing out on an awesome experience if they don't!" AJ.

"I am excited to be a part of the NWT Youth Ambassador Program for the Canada Winter Games. The trip was exhausting but was worth it! Today, I started my shift at 7:00 a.m. for volunteer services. The job is excellent. There is a lot of friendly people that I greet, and I check them in and out. Given this opportunity to gain new experiences and seeing people all around is amazing. Pin trading is slowly starting to take over me, but I hope everyone here has an amazing time as I am." Angel-Rose.

"It's been really interesting working and taking in the entertainment while being in a place I haven't been before. Two days ago, I was able to go to a Brett Kissel concert. It was a lot of fun! I had a blast, and that will probably be my best night in Red Deer!" Zaida.

In closing, I would like to thank all of the youth for their hard work and the department for their commitment to our youth, and I wish them all the best. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. World Water Day, led by the United Nations, will take place on March 22^nd. For the past 26 years, the United Nations has partnered with countries and communities around the world to raise public awareness of the importance of fresh water and sustainable management of water resources. This year, World Water Day will focus on the theme "Leaving no one behind."

That means advocating and taking action for access to water, protecting and managing water resources, and educating ourselves on issues of water access, pollution, treatment, and sustainability.

Here in the Northwest Territories, the federal and territorial governments are working with local leaders and educators in Tuktoyaktuk as well as the Inuvialuit Water Board to celebrate World Water Day in that community.

If you are in Tuktoyaktuk on March 22^nd, there will be World Water Day events at Kitty Hall from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., including information booths, activities, challenges, displays on water and waste, and even door prizes.

There will also be opportunities to learn about water treatment, with a presentation from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and options for a tour of the community's water treatment plant.

Tuktoyaktuk youth are also getting involved. Students from Mangilaluk School worked hard on submissions to a poster contest and an emoji contest, both around the theme of raising awareness around water needs and water pollution.

I'd like to congratulate the students from Mangilaluk School and the winners, Emily Panaktalok-Raddi, Corabella Chicksi, Zoey Warren, Miley Wolki, Tameqaw Pokiak, and Jaden Cockney. If you make it out to World Water Day in Tuktoyaktuk, be sure to look out for their art on display.

Mr. Speaker, I definitely encourage people in the region to attend and learn more about water management in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was recently concerned to learn that measles virus has spread to the NWT, and more specifically, to my region in the Beaufort-Delta. This concerns me, because measles is a very serious and contagious disease caused by a virus. It can spread quickly through the air from an infected person when they cough or sneeze.

Measles causes a red, blotchy rash, high fever, runny nose, cough, and red eyes. Most people recover fully from measles within two to three weeks, but measles can be dangerous, especially for infants, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems.

Complications from the measles disease can include:

• Ear infections;
• Pneumonia; and
• Encephalitis, or swelling of the brain, which can cause seizures, brain damage, or death.

Mr. Speaker, immunization is the best way to protect against getting measles. Measles-containing vaccines are safe and extremely effective. Higher-risk individuals exposed to measles should immediately contact their community health centre or healthcare practitioner. Two doses of the vaccine are almost 100 percent protective.

Because of immunization, measles is now a very rare disease in Canada, but outbreaks still occur. Most cases occur in people born in 1970 or later who have not received two doses of measles vaccine and were in the same room as someone with measles. Most at risk are Canadians who travel overseas to areas with lower immunization rates or to areas with outbreaks.

I am very concerned, and I want to ensure my constituents, especially children and parents, have access to the important health information and vaccines that can protect us from this disease. I'll have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services later today. Thank you.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I am excited to report that today is the first day of the 37^th Annual K'amba Carnival. That's right; since before some of my honourable colleagues were born, a team of dedicated volunteers from K'atlodeeche First Nation, led by super volunteer Diane Fabian, have organized a winter festival that has been going strong since 1982.

This winter gathering commonly sees visitors from northern Alberta and British Columbia, and from all over the Northwest Territories. Many also come home especially for the carnival.

The carnival takes place on the first weekend of March. This year, activities start today, February 28, and run through to March 3^rd.

I have taken a look at the agenda, and it is jam-packed with activities. The carnival started with a fire feeding ceremony today at lunchtime, and over the rest of the day we'll see some long-time favourite events, including the crowning of the Carnival Queen. We will also get to meet the carnival's brand-new mascot, designed by two Hay River artisans, Kim Lea and Trisha Laye, who will be revealed during the festivities.

On Friday, there will be outdoor youth games, a $10,000 bingo, and a drum dance; and on Saturday, things will get going with hand games, dog races, adult outdoor games, a talent show, and a country and western dance featuring Shane Daniels and the Usual Suspects.

If you thought things would slow down by the weekend, Mr. Speaker, you thought wrong. We will see a pancake breakfast, more hand games, dog races, and outdoor games, as well as a poker derby, the awards ceremonies and raffle draws, and a drum dance. After that, I hope the hardworking volunteers will be able to take a well-deserved break.

Mr. Speaker, I hope you and my colleagues will join me in congratulating the K'amba Carnival Organizing Committee for their incredible contribution to their community. They were recognized with an outstanding Volunteer Award in 2016, and they are as worthy today as they were then. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The government is considering amending its Employment Standards Act. A survey on the proposed changes closed about a month ago. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment is promising a report on what they heard soon, and I am looking forward to hearing that the changes to the act will include leave for workers who have experienced domestic violence.

Mr. Speaker, domestic violence leave is a period of approved absence from work. Employers covered by the Employment Standards Act would make the time available to employees. Employees could use the time to seek medical attention, attend counselling appointments, get legal advice, or find a place to live. The benefit to the employee is that they don't have to worry about job security while they are coping with domestic violence. The advantage to employers is that they are able to retain workers who might otherwise quit.

Domestic violence leave is now available in five provinces. The offering varies from five days of paid leave in Manitoba to 10 days of unpaid leave in Alberta. The federal government is also looking at introducing a combination of five days paid and five days unpaid leave for federally regulated industries, extending this benefit to almost a million workers.

If the NWT follows suit, there are several best practices to consider. The first is that there should be few barriers to accessing this leave. The second is that at least five days of leave should be paid. We know that many people struggle with the cost of living in the North, and they may be reluctant to take time off if the leave is unpaid. The next best practice is that discretion to grant leave should be up to employers, rather than some outside authority. They would decide how to verify the need and what, if any, written justifications they require. Of course, keeping all the information the employee shares confidential is of primary importance. Lastly, the allocation of the time should be flexible, so that employees can take the leave intermittently or in a block, depending on what they need.

Mr. Speaker, we are all aware of the epic rates of family violence we experience in the Northwest Territories, and of the difficulty of attracting and keeping staff. Domestic violence leave would address both of those issues, and I look forward to seeing it included in the forthcoming amendments to the Employment Standards Act. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. The Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment has issued 10 significant discovery licences for oil and gas since devolution. The area covered by these licences is almost 2,200 square kilometres, an area about 39 percent the size of Prince Edward Island.

Our government will get no revenues, generate no taxes, and ensure no employment and no benefits from these areas that are now tied up virtually forever.

Significant discovery licences arose in the federal legislation that we inherited for petroleum resources. They allow companies to have exclusive ownership of oil and gas rights without having to do any work or pay any fees, forever. Companies can even get these licences without doing anything except being near another significant discovery licence. A Minister could require drilling to take place, but this has never been done. Such licences amount to a resource giveaway that does nothing for our economy or for future generations.

Unfortunately, this has happened under our watch after devolution. The Minister had and still has options to change this bad move. This should have been fixed right after devolution, rather than waiting for five years. There was no reason to wait this long, and other options may have been open to the Minister.

Some of the ways to deal this problem include fixed terms for significant discovery licences, limiting their size, setting work requirements or fee payments, or even eliminating such authorizations so an operator would move directly to a production licence. Solutions are the subject of a bill before this House, and I will not discuss this any further.

Needless to say, I will have questions for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment over the post-devolution issuance of 10 significant discovery licences, how this happened, and what options may be open to generate benefits and revenues. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is going to be a very scary weekend in Yellowknife. People from all around the circumpolar world are going to invade the capital, making our townsfolk quake in their boots and hide their eyes.

No, Mr. Speaker, it's not the zombie apocalypse, and it's not mosquito season. No, tonight is the kickoff to the Dead North Film Festival. This festival is entering its eighth year showcasing independent short horror films produced around the north.

Dead North is, as they call it, the "twisted brainchild" of two Yellowknife filmmakers, Jay Bulkaert and Pablo Saravanja of Artless Collective, a Yellowknife North media production company, by the way.

Since 2012, over 130 short films have been produced for Dead North by filmmakers from the NWT, Yukon, Nunavut, and as far away as Iceland. After Dead North, many of those films have travelled even further to festivals around the world, including Fantasia, imagiNATIVE, New York City Horror Film Festival, and the famous Cannes Film Festival.

This year's Dead North Film Festival will screen a record number of films. As well as screenings, the festival has visiting guests and offers workshops that provide mentorship to young northern filmmakers just learning their craft.

Mr. Speaker, Dead North is just one example of how the NWT arts industry is growing and succeeding. Over the last 10 years, the Yellowknife International Film Festival, sponsored by Western Arctic Moving Pictures, has also grown by leaps and bounds. WAMP's annual 48-Hour Music Video competition also draws a large turnout every year.

These reveal something great going on, Mr. Speaker. The northern arts community told us for years that they were ready to grow and expand into new things. This government has listened by expanding our support for the arts. Soon our new arts strategy will be released, providing further support for filmmakers, visual artists, carvers, writers, craftspeople, musicians, who all make up essential parts of our growing arts community.

Mr. Speaker, our mandate goal of economic diversification has not been achieved equally well in all areas, but in the arts, and film and TV in particular, I think we can all be proud of its success.

In particular I want to congratulate the founders of Dead North and all of the filmmakers, actors, technicians, and volunteers who work hard to make it possible. Thank you, and we'll see you at the movies, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the latest round of UNW negotiations sparked a lot of conversations about the cost of living, and not just among unionized employees, but also among those in the private sector, where step increases and annual increases aren't necessarily the norm.

Businesses across the North are struggling, and with increases in the minimum wage, ever-increasing WSCC premiums, and the upcoming carbon tax hitting small businesses harder than anyone else, it is increasingly difficult for companies to just keep people employed, let alone increase wages to keep up with the cost of living. I have heard these concerns from industries across the board.

Addressing the rising cost of living for unionized employees is easy. You just plug some numbers into a collective agreement. It is considerably more difficult to address in terms of the private sector, but there are some obvious things that this government can do.

We can do a better job of ensuring that the money that the government spends stays in the NWT. With a downturn in Alberta's economy, southern companies are looking for work, and because of their lower overhead, they are often able to underbid local companies. While saving $100,000 on a $10 million contract sounds great, that's $10 million not going into the pockets of Northerners.

We also need to get our WSCC premiums in check. On average, employers in the NWT pay double what they would in Alberta, and our private sector employers are paying rates that are two to six times higher than the GNWT's rates.

We need to do a better job utilizing the Business Development and Investment Corporation, so that it lives up to its mandate and provides support to new businesses as they are developing and assists existing businesses through these tough economic times.

All of these things can be done and would actually take relatively little effort. However, Mr. Speaker, there is something that could be done with virtually no effort and would have an immediate and noticeable effect for small businesses. We can reduce taxes on small businesses.

Most small businesses in the North qualify for the federal small business deduction, meaning that they pay a 4 percent corporate tax rate. I propose that we reduce that rate to zero percent. That would put about $2.5 million in the pockets of private sector employers and employees and help them cope with the ever-rising cost of living.

Mr. Speaker, reducing taxes is in the mandate of the GNWT, but there appears to be no effort to fulfill this commitment. Before the end of this Assembly, I will table a private Member's bill to reduce the tax rate for small businesses to zero percent. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure today, as always, to recognize a man of many hats and resident of Yellowknife North, Mr. Tony Whitford.

I would also like to take this opportunity to recognize Jay Bulkaert and Pablo Saravanja, the founders of Dead North Film Festival and the owners of Artless Collective.

We also have some friends of Dead North here with us as well, Tim Jones, and of course, we have Mandy McDonald here as well. Thank you for being here. Welcome.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to recognize some of my friends from the Canadian Parents for French organization. We have Maggie Hawkes, board member, Jessica Payeur, the executive director, and Wendy Karstand, who has been president of the organization for the last six years and is retiring this year. The success of the organization couldn't have been done without her, and I want to recognize her time with the organization and thank them for being here today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Ruth Caroll, originally from Fort McPherson, who is living in Whitehorse at the moment, who is our interpreter for the Gwich'in language. I would like to thank you for all of the work that you have done this week, and safe travels back home. Thank you.

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

Merci, Monsieur le President. I would like to recognize a couple of Pages who are residents of Frame Lake: Monika Kunderlik and Grady Stabel. They have been working with us throughout this long sitting, and I really appreciate their efforts. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we missed anyone in the gallery, thanks for being here with us. It is always good to have an audience as part of our proceedings. Masi. Sorry. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a couple of Pages from Yellowknife South: Janica-Lei Silverio and Tyson Lafond. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier my Member's statement was on World Water Day with the United Nations, and I have questions for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. Mr. Speaker, I am aware that ENR will be running a few activities in Tuktoyaktuk for World Water Day for the general public. Can the Minister tell us a bit more about how ENR recognizes World Water Day or other engagement activities for water awareness? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, International Water Day, as the Member pointed out, is held usually on March 22^nd, and it aims to highlight the importance of fresh water and the sustainable management of freshwater resources. We recognize the importance of that. Earlier this year, the chair of the Inuvialuit Water Board reached out to our office requesting support for an event planned for the community of Tuktoyaktuk to celebrate this year's World Water Day. In October of last year, I provided a letter of support and committed department officials to work with the board in a collaborative manner on this important event.

I appreciate the response. Mr. Speaker, organizations like the Inuvialuit Water Board have an important role to play in sustainable water management in the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, my question to the Minister is: what is the working relationship between the department and the water boards across the Northwest Territories?

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, we have a longstanding relationship with the Inuvialuit Water Board as well as with the other Water Boards across the Northwest Territories. It is extremely important that we work closely with them to advance issues. They work cooperatively on a number of public outreach activities such as regulatory guidance, training, and education. At this year's World Water Day in Tuktoyaktuk, ENR staff will actually be going into Mangilaluk School with staff from the board and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, to provide education outreach to students grades one through six.

Masi. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the response. Getting back to water boards, environmental boards, they carry a lot of Indigenous knowledge and are very key in the role that they play in decisions on major projects across the territory. Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge that, and I respect that, and kudos in involving them in the decisions moving forward. Mr. Speaker, ENR is to lead on some very important water management work, including trans-boundary water agreements. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell how Indigenous governments and traditional knowledge are incorporated into this work?

The GNWT has signed three trans-boundary water agreements with its neighbouring jurisdictions. In 2002, we signed one with the Government of Yukon. 2015, GNWT signed trans-boundary agreements with Alberta and British Columbia. Under these agreements, traditional local knowledge is a cross-cutting theme. Traditional local knowledge is important for setting and assessing trans-boundary objectives and forming all aspects of learning plans, informing long-term monitoring, and informing decision-making under these important agreements. Mr. Speaker, also in 2015, the GNWT signed an intergovernmental agreement which outlines the role of Indigenous governments in implementation of our trans-boundary agreements, including Indigenous representation on established bilateral management committees. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A follow-up to my Member's statement, I have a few questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. I'd like to ask the Minister: how did this outbreak of measles happen? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The case involves an individual who travelled from an international destination to Inuvik by airplane. The journey returning to Inuvik took them through Yellowknife and Norman Wells on February 13th. Prior to contacting, the department has actually begun that, and has started to reach out to everybody that has been contacted as part of our normal protocol when there's an infectious outbreak. We've been working to follow-up with everybody that was identified as a possible contact. The chief public health officer issued a public health advisory on February 22^nd regarding the one confirmed, laboratory confirmed, case of active measles in the Northwest Territories. A second advisory was issued on February 24^th to provide some additional information to residents across the Northwest Territories so that they understand what possible contact locations may have been and what actions they can take to protect themselves and their families.

Right now, how many cases of confirmed cases of measles are there in the Northwest Territories?

The last update I had, and I believe it's still current, was on February 24^th, and at that time, there was one laboratory confirmed case of measles in the Northwest Territories.

What can unvaccinated people do if they suspect they have been exposed to the measles virus?

Obviously, we'd encourage everybody who isn't vaccinated to get vaccinated. I know that, for children under 12 months, they can't be vaccinated until they reach a year. If somebody feels like they've come into contact or they feel like they're having symptoms or if unprotected people actually develop the symptoms, they should remain in their homes and call their health centre immediately. Calling a health centre in advance ensures that the health centres can take the precautions necessary to prevent additional transmissions or additional contacts and reduce the number of people who may be affected. High-risk individuals who are exposed to measles should immediately contact their health centres and healthcare practitioners to figure out how best to engage assistance and make sure they get the supports and care they need.

Masi. Oral questions, Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister answered a part of this next question, but I'll ask: what can people do to protect themselves from the measles virus?.

Frankly, the best way to protect against measles disease is to get immunized. Children 12 months of age and over and adults born after 1970 and onwards should have two doses of the vaccine. Immunization is available in all communities, all community health centres or local public health units. Measles can be dangerous for infants, and I think we really need to be concerned for those who are unvaccinated under 12 months. Pregnant women are also at risk. Those with weakened immune systems are at greater levels of risk. For these higher-risk individuals, a different form of immunization reduces the risk if given within six days of actual contact with somebody who has a laboratory-confirmed case, so there are other options. Measles-containing vaccine is available to all NWT residents. It's free, and it can be obtained at local health centres, public health units, and other places, so please get yourself immunized. If you have symptoms, contact your health practitioners right away. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A number of people have reached out to me recently and asked what was happening in regards to the Department of Health and Social Services' commitment to traditional names being allowed on NWT birth certificates and other forms of GNWT identification. Can the Minister advise us where the status of this commitment is? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. November 4, 2016, this Legislative Assembly passed Bill 5, which was a bill to amend sections of the Vital Statistics Act that would allow us to use traditional fonts on legal documents such as birth certificates and other vital statistics documents. This is a commitment we made. This is a commitment we intend to and will live up to. Our ultimate goal is to be able to have traditional names on our birth certificates, on our vital statistics documents, using the traditional font, which is truly the only way to recognize a traditional name. At that time, I said it's going to take a while for this to happen because there are multiple things that need to happen. One of the first things that we need to do is to develop a transliteration guide which will allow us to work with other jurisdictions like the federal government so that we can use our traditional font and our traditional names and have them used on things like passports, documents, and other things outside of our jurisdiction, outside of our responsibility.

Mr. Speaker, one of the biggest challenges of doing this work, and it's the right thing and we need to do it, is not producing documents with Aboriginal or traditional fonts, but it's actually the systems that we use, things like EMR, things like PeopleSoft, things like student financial assistant systems, our database systems that track information and allow people to get registered for health procedures and education, these types of things. Every one of those systems will need to be updated to recognize the traditional fonts in the Northwest Territories. Health and Social Services alone has over 40 systems that will have to be upgraded to recognized traditional fonts, and, across the government, over 400 systems will need to be updated to recognize traditional fonts. This is an incredibly expensive undertaking. I'm not saying that it shouldn't be done because personally I believe it should be done, but we need to make sure that we do it right and we get it right. We are making progress. The transliteration guide is under development. ECE has taken the lead on that. They have pulled together language experts to help them with that work. They are hoping to have the draft transliteration guide done in 2019, at which point we can present it to the federal government, and then we will begin the negotiations about trying to make sure that they can accept it and use it, so that we can pursue other documents. So it's still under work. We are still making progress. It is going to take a bit of time to realize this important commitment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the Minister for that detailed answer. That's greatly appreciated. One of the things he talked about was an acronym, EMR. Can the Minister explain what EMR is, because I didn't understand what that acronym means.

Sorry, I was just using that as one of the examples of the systems that are used by the Government of the Northwest Territories. EMRs are electronic medical records. Right now, EMR and every other system we have only recognize the Latin alphabet, so if an individual were to be using their name and using the traditional font, which is where we want to get to, those systems would not recognize those names, and that's a problem. It means we could inadvertently adversely affect somebody's care, their ability to go outside this territory to receive care. This is something we don't want to happen. We want to make sure our residents have the supports they need and that they can receive their services, so we need to work on the transliteration guide. We are also going to have to update many of our systems over time so that they can recognize the traditional fonts, which, like I said, we know is the right thing to do. We're committed to it. It's going to take a bit of time to get this work done.

The Minister talked about a lot of work being done, so does the Minister and the department have a timeline of when things are going to be completed?

We have timelines on when we will complete the portions that we are working on at this point, but to roll out on the bigger level, to make sure that people can get passports and other things using their traditional names with the traditional fonts, I can't dictate that timeline. We will have the transliteration guide drafted with our partners and Education, Culture and Employment in 2019; we are thinking mid-year. From there, we will be able to present it to the federal government. That could take some time, to actually bring that to reality and make it reality. In the meantime, we will continue to figure out what capacity our systems have in this territory to recognize the traditional fonts so that we can continue to move forward. I can't tell you how long it will take to work that process through the federal government and other partners.

We need to be careful to make sure that, once again, we're not adversely affecting our residents. By way of example, when I travel, I always hear the people at the front of the counter saying, "Your passport or your documents must exactly match the ticket." If your document uses traditional fonts, but the airline has no ability to use traditional fonts, you're not getting on that plane. We want to make sure that that doesn't happen.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister elaborating and giving us the information here today. People have been asking: in the meantime, is the department able to look at having birth certificates display both names, whether they be in traditional names in brackets or underneath the bottom there somewhere, so that they can actually have the person's name in there? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I have directed the department to do some additional work in this area to see if that is a possibility. It was a question I asked when I brought forward the legislation the first time, recognizing that it is going to take a bit of time to operationalize this and make this official. At that time, the concern was having a legal document that had two names on it could be problematic, especially when it came to being out of jurisdiction or working with the feds on things like passports. I have asked the department to explore that and seek a second opinion on that because, in my mind, it's not two names; it's one name. It's one name that is using the traditional font, which is a true representation of the child's name, or the person's name, and a Latin interpretation of it. It's not a different name; it's a font issue. So I have asked for a second opinion on whether or not we can put the name twice, the same name twice, using two different fonts on a document.

That's not a solution, Mr. Speaker. I feel that that's a step to getting us to where we need to be. Ultimately, we just want to be able to have the one name using the one font, but, given that that is going to take time, I've asked them to explore the possibility of having the name on there twice, in two different fonts. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have more questions to follow up on the honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta on the measles situation. I'd like to ask the Minister: aside from the 1970s thing, how would an individual know if they have been vaccinated or not? Thank you.

Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. An individual's health records will identify when they were vaccinated and whether they actually received the two doses of vaccination. We strongly encourage anybody who doesn't know to get in touch with their healthcare system or the public health team, who will be able to verify your current status with respect to immunizations; for any immunizations, not just for the measles vaccine. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

What is the difference? What happened in 1970 that changed? Did they eradicate measles in 1970 and stop vaccinating people? I'm asking for an explanation from the Minister on that, please.

In 1970 the vaccine was developed and started to be administered to citizens across this country.

Then is the Minister telling me that, prior to 1970, there was no vaccination, so people born prior to 1970 were not vaccinated?

Unless somebody chose to pursue a vaccination afterwards, the answer is yes, you weren't vaccinated prior to 1970, because the vaccine wasn't really there. One of the challenges we had is measles is highly contagious; like, crazy, crazy, super contagious. It spreads very easily. The other challenge is, prior to the vaccine being available, the fatality rate of measles was about one in a thousand individuals who contracted the disease. When you say one in a thousand, it doesn't sound that high, but statistically that is a huge number of individuals dying as a result of measles. Since the vaccine has come in, measles in this country was all but eliminated, except for a few isolated incidents. Now that there is a movement by many people to not get vaccinated, we're seeing these things come back.

Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to ask the Minister if there would be any harm in being vaccinated if you've already been vaccinated and are not aware of it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I don't actually know the answer to that. I'm happy to follow up with some medical professionals who would certainly be able to answer that question in an appropriate way. I'd hate to speculate one way or another and give false information. I will get that information for the Member.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. In my Member's statement I outlined the great post-devolution resource giveaway through the issuance of 10 significant discovery licences by our government. Our government will get no revenues, generate no taxes, and ensure no employment and no benefits from these areas that are now tied up virtually forever. Can the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment explain what options he had available when applications for post-devolution significant discovery licences were received in his office? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When a significant discovery declaration is applied for by the proponent, we as a government, through the Office of the Regulator of Oil and Gas Operations, is required to review and identify the proponent's discovery and a declaration qualified as a significant petroleum find. Once they do that and it is deemed that, it has to come to my office, and as the Minister of ITI under the Petroleum Resources Act, I am obliged to issue an SDL, which is a significant discovery licence. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks to the Minister for that response. I take it, then, that he had really no options. Prior to devolution, the federal government issued exploration rights in the Northwest Territories, including exploration licences. In converting these exploration licences to significant discovery licences after devolution, were there any provisions available to the Minister to charge annual fees?

Given that the original exploration rights were issued by the federal government at that time, we had not yet begun our policy work on these types of things, on the Petroleum Resources Strategy, the PRA, and the Oil and Gas Operations Act, so the answer is no.

It has been the policy of our government to hold companies doing business here to the terms that they negotiated with the federal government, and future SDL rates were not stated in the terms and conditions of the original call-for-bid documents issued by Canada prior to devolution. The Government of the Northwest Territories would have been put at high risk for litigation and also communicated a message of uncertainty to industry if we had changed the rules without a transparent and open process.

Thanks to the Minister for that. I will pursue it with him a little later offline. It is my understanding that one of the ways to generate some benefits and revenues from significant discovery licences is to include terms and conditions in the original call for nominations and/or call for bids. Has the Minister considered this option, and are there any administrative policies or directives in place to allow for the imposition of annual fees for significant discovery licences that may be issued in the future?

Now that we have put some advance work into our policy and our direction of how we want to do this, we now have a fuller, more robust strategic framework on doing this. We will consider charging rental rates on future SDLs in the Northwest Territories. These things will be specified under the terms and conditions for future bids in the Northwest Territories when we do put out these documents for bids. Our administration policies allow us to do this going forward.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that new information, and I would really urge that he share that with the public and potential interests who are looking for oil and gas up here. I am not aware of it ever being made public. Mr. Speaker, there are now 91 significant discovery licences that cover about 4,650 square kilometres, or 82 percent of the size of Prince Edward Island, onshore in the Northwest Territories. Another option open to the Minister is to issue a drilling order whereby rights holders would have to conduct a drilling operation under the terms and conditions set by the Minister. Can the Minister tell us when he intends to issue drilling orders for any of the significant discovery licences, to ensure that people of the Northwest Territories accrue some benefits from these resources that are now tied up forever? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

I have no current plan to issue a drilling order on any SDLs in the Northwest Territories. It costs tens of millions of dollars to drill a well in the Northwest Territories, as many Members in this House know. There is no compelling reason to do it at this point. There is no way to even get this stuff to market. There are certain challenges around that, and we want to maintain a good relationship with industry moving forward. We want to be able to keep that leverage when we need it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am overjoyed to have a renewed call from this side of the House to lower small business taxes. This is an issue that I have raised, holding the government accountable to its mandate commitment to do exactly that, each and every sitting. I would like to ask the Minister of Finance today: I didn't notice a decrease to small business taxes in the budget; when does he intend to fulfill that mandate commitment? Thank you.

Masi. Minister of Finance.

I knew that it was coming, Mr. Speaker. At the moment, we are not planning on decreasing the small business tax. Thank you.

Why is there no plan? The mandate clearly says, "This government will reduce taxes on small businesses." Why?

The mandate also has 234 other items besides this one particular one. We have made progress on a number of those items, and we will continue to do so. However, this is not one of the ones that we have treated as a priority at the moment. I have said before, and I will say in the House again, that our plan is not to decrease the corporate tax.

The Minister knows, as do all Members of this House, that the mandate is a shared responsibility on both sides of the House. The Minister has an obligation to listen to this side of the House. Will he reconsider the political position that he has taken and make this a priority?

I have been a Member of this Legislative Assembly for 14 years, and I think that that is because I have demonstrated an ability to listen to people, take people's advice, and bring their issues forward. We have 235 items on the mandate, a little too big, in my opinion, and I think that part of the advice that we should provide to the next Assembly coming in is to lower the number of mandate items and get to one that is workable. We have done that in the past. It has been successful. That doesn't mean that we are not doing our job in fulfilling a lot of the mandate commitments. We continue to work on them as the everyday business of the Government of the Northwest Territories. This is one of those items that, although it was in brochures and it will continue to be in pamphlet brochures come October 1^st, it is not one that we are looking at lowering right now.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Perhaps it's not that the mandate is too big, it's that the Minister doesn't have the time to dedicate to all of the commitments under his responsibility. Maybe he should get some help. I am willing to help him. Other Members on this side are willing to help him. We can put forward this legislation. If this commitment isn't needed, the Minister said before that we provide plenty of support, what new support is coming to small businesses in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

I think that one of the reasons that I have lasted so long as a Member in this Legislative Assembly is my ability to work with all of the Members of the Legislative Assembly. I think that is clearly demonstrated. I do listen to the advice of Members, and there are times where somebody actually has to make a decision. We have made the decision that we are not looking at lowering the corporate tax at this particular time. Thank you.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My statement today was about responding to family violence, but my questions are for the Minister of Justice about preventing it. In her most recent report, the chief coroner recommended that there be a long-term sustained public awareness program on family and domestic violence available in all communities. I would like to ask the Minister: what action has been taken on the coroner's recommendation? Mahsi.

Masi. Minister of Justice.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have looked at the coroner's report from several years ago and certainly noticed that there were recommendations with respect to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. As Members will know, the RCMP enter into agreements with local communities. I haven't reviewed those of late, but I know that those are important concerns, and it certainly is a concern of this government as we move ahead. That is certainly in our minds. I know that it is a priority for the RCMP, of course, the reduction of all kinds of violence, and that is also a priority for this Assembly. Thank you.

Just to clarify, the coroner's report that I am speaking about is the most recent one, dated 2017. These recommendations come from investigations into two domestic homicides that happened in the reporting period. The coroner's report stresses that public education is needed to raise awareness about the signs of abuse in communities so that people who are close to those who are at risk or who are abusive can intervene. My question again is: what action has been taken on this recommendation?

As I mentioned earlier, I have looked at and in fact have in front of me the coroner's report from 2017. It is a priority, of course, addressing this issue of family violence. It is a priority of the 18^th Assembly, and we are developing a comprehensive approach to addressing family violence. The goal is to identify best practices, align existing GNWT work, and identify priority areas for investment over the coming decade. We have contracted Aurora Research Institute to identify best practices to prevent and reduce family violence. They will finish their work early in the 2019-2020 fiscal year.

Thank you to the Minister for that answer. There were some things there that I had not heard before. When can we expect, then, a more concerted effort to take those findings and make them into a more comprehensive public awareness campaign?

As I mentioned previously, we have contracted Aurora Research to identify best practices. That is the first phase of this work. The second phase will be a strategic stakeholder consultation on the results of the research, to have meaningful guidance to balanced, research-based evidence with front-line voices and lived experience of Northerners. As I say, we have contracted Aurora Research to assist us. That is only the first step. The second step is action.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Thanks again to the Minister for that. Mr. Speaker, there is no increase in the Justice budget for the next fiscal year in the line " Protection Against Family Violence." I am wondering at what point this initiative the Minister has spoken of will be operationalized in terms of assigning spending to it. Thank you.

As I mentioned, we expect the researchers will finish their work early in the 2019-2020 fiscal year. At that point, we should be able to give a better estimate as to when we can move forward to the second stage. Thank you.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If you have been following the news, you may have read about a resident of Hay River, Mrs. Dawn Loutit, who late last week underwent a double lung transplant in Edmonton. She had been waiting for this for about 10 years. By all accounts, things went well, and she is recovering. I wish her all the best, as I am sure all of the Members do. I also want to thank the donor for the gift of life, essentially, that they gave her.

This has raised some questions coming out of Hay River about organ donation. I know that, for many years now, there has been talk about being able to donate organs and the process surrounding that and what we are going to do moving forward. I have some questions for the Minister of Health. I would like to start off with asking: what is the current process if someone wants to become an organ donor in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.