Good morning, Members. Ministers' statements. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Mr. Speaker, the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre has acted as the territory's museum for the past 40 years. The institution cares for a large collection of objects representing the peoples, cultures, history, and land of the Northwest Territories on behalf of all people who live here. Yet, the heritage centre is more than a museum. For 40 years, it has produced exhibitions, housed the NWT archives, undertaken archaeological expeditions and place names research, and administration. It also provides technical, logistical, and financial support to individuals and organizations involved in cultural activities and the arts.

The heritage centre works with communities and groups across the territory to care for, research, and celebrate our rich cultures, history, and languages. The centre supports community members to tell their own stories, highlighting northern culture and heritage to more than 60,000 visitors each year with innovative projects that have been celebrated on the national stage.

Mr. Speaker, in April, the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre received a Canadian Museums Association award for outstanding achievement in exhibition for one such project, "We Took Care of Them, Special Constables in the NWT." This nationally significant exhibit honours Indigenous Northerners who worked as special constables and as seamstresses, guides, and interpreters. By sharing the skills needed to live and work in the North, local people often made the difference between life and death to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The We Took Care of Them website is the first online museum exhibit to be available in all 11 NWT official languages. The heritage centre staff also created six travelling exhibits that members of the RCMP are circulating to communities across the North. Developing these outreach projects along with the main museum exhibit ensures that Northerner's stories are made available beyond the walls of the physical building, to people across the territory and around the world. The We Took Care of Them project was developed collaboratively by the government of the Northwest Territories, the RCMP, and the people of the Northwest Territories who contributed their stories. I would like to extend my congratulations to everyone involved.

Mr. Speaker, while it is heartening to look back and celebrate the achievements of the past 40 years, it is also important to build on these successes, explore new possibilities, and look to the future. I am proud to say that the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre has developed a national reputation for excellence in exhibits, conservation, archival management, and archaeological research. To continue this work and ensure that our building accommodates current and future programming, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is undertaking a study of the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre to address building deficiencies and explore a mid-life systems retrofit.

Mr. Speaker, on June 15^th, we will host a birthday party to celebrate 40 years of operation for the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. This free public event will feature culture- and heritage-related activities, including storytelling, talks by museum and community experts, traditional games, and music, to highlight and celebrate the work of the heritage centre. I encourage everyone to come out to the party, have some fun, and learn more about the activities and the work that occur in the building to serve and represent all of the people of the Northwest Territories. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To advance our government's commitment towards community wellness and safety, we are taking steps to improve the care for our people by working with the Registered Nurses Association of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut to explore the creation of one self-regulatory framework for all nursing professions in the Northwest Territories. Currently, to practise in the Northwest Territories, registered nurses and nurse practitioners apply for licensing to the association, while licensed practical nurses apply for licensing to the Department of Health and Social Services. This dual registration process can be confusing for nurses, including new graduates as well as those relocating to the Northwest Territories. Removing barriers so that nurses can provide invaluable health services and care and improving the ways that we support our nurses during their work is what is driving our work with the association.

Mr. Speaker, nurses are the heart of our healthcare system. They are often the first point of contact for individuals seeking healthcare in our communities, and they provide invaluable service. As highly visible role models, nurses promote healthy living by personally adopting a healthier lifestyle and by encouraging residents to make healthier choices. Today's nurses not only serve at the front line, but publish scientific research, develop mobile medical applications, and are actively engaged in addressing healthcare policy. They are the face of healthcare for many in the North and collaborate with their colleagues, from social workers and physicians to hospital administrators and public safety personnel, to ensure that our residents are taken care of and are receiving quality care.

This is why, as part of the National Nursing Week earlier this month and in recognition of the exceptional services that nurses provide to residents and communities on a daily basis, I signed a memorandum of understanding with Mr. Rommel Silverio, president of the Registered Nurses Association of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. This MoU commits the Department of Health and Social Services and the association to create one regulatory framework for all nurses. Having one body that regulates the practice of nursing for all registered nurses, nurse practitioners, licensed practical nurses, and registered psychiatric nurses in the Northwest Territories will streamline licensing and ensure that all nurses have greater access to training and resources to perform their scope of practice safely and collaboratively within the health system.

Mr. Speaker, to establish a single body that can regulate all nursing professions, we will require adjusting the legislative framework. The project will hopefully be completed during the life of the 19^th Legislative Assembly and, as we are nearing the end of the 18^th Legislative Assembly, we felt that it was important to start the work now by solidifying our intent to carry out this work in the years to come.

I want to thank all of our nursing professionals throughout the Northwest Territories for being the face of healthcare in many of our communities. Working closely with the Registered Nurses Association of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, our government is committed to finding ways to advance our goal of best health, best care for a better future by improving the care we provide to our residents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to move item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery prior to members' statements, and address it presently. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Unanimous consent granted

Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, we are joined today by the grade six class from Princess Alexander School. They managed to make their yearly trek up here despite some concerns that they wouldn't make it because the bus that was carrying them was coming out of high level. I would like to introduce half of them, and then my colleague from Hay River South will introduce the other half.

We have Mr. Jacob Alyward, Avaia Ashton -- and I'm sorry if I've mispronounced that; I was just introduced to her -- Joshua Barnes, Cameron Bateman, Julianne Groenewegen, Brayden Michaud, Ethan Morin, Rylee Robillard, Corinne Smith, Shelby Snow, Thomas Smith, Caleb Swan, Diesel Beaulieu, Bert Buckley, Phoenix Casaway, Otto Peter, Danika Coakwell, Leland Lafferty, Keanna Dryneck, Adrian Drakes-Bilodeau, Jessie Brant, a teacher, and then some chaperones, Mark Harris, Nikki Ashton, Scott Cloutier, and Bertha Smallgeese. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize the P.A. School that's on their trip, and their teachers and chaperones. I don't think I'm going to do as good a job as my colleague from Hay River North. Some of these names are a little tough: Charlea Chocolate, Daide Coleman, Delayna Cross, Gracious DeVera, Everett Durocher, Miah Harris, Louis King, Natalie Linehan, Lexus Pellissey, Jack Pettipas, Mackenzie Schwartz, Ryan Tambour-Wilson, Deacon Tybring, Kasthon Vyse, Xavier Graham, Raiden Gully, Brody Hodgeson-Beaulieu, Kaydence Lockhart, Ian Cayen, Brianna Simister, Charlene Smallgeese. Stephanie Haas, teacher; Kathleen Groenewegen, chaperone; Sandy Cowgar, chaperone; Tamarah Pellisey, chaperone; and James Dixon, chaperone. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Welcome to our Assembly. It's always great to have an audience, especially the young generation. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Great Slave.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to welcome the following people from the Registered Nurses Association of the Northwest Territories of Nunavut who are with us here today: Rommel Silverio, who is the President; Denise Bowen, the executive director; Jan Inman, the director of professional conduct review; and Shawna Tohm, the director of regulatory services and policy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for being here today.

Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I agree, it is great to see all the youth here today, and so I want to take this opportunity to welcome all of the youth climate strikers who are here today. In particular, I want to acknowledge some residents from Yellowknife North, Ella Kokejl, Mokoa Kokejl, Jack Kotaska, Aurora Nind, Emma Willoughby, and, of course, I want to thank them all for reminding us that leaders today must take action to protect their future. Thank you for being here, and welcome.

Masi. Member for Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have amazing constituents at Range Lake. We have so many hours given back to our community, but what's more exciting is to see our youth stepping up and using the community lens. Part of our climate change activists who are here today is Ms. Anusha Sivakumar, who I know personally, has been our Page. I know her mother. She's a wonderful person, and we're hoping that you'll keep this up right through as you become an adult. Congratulations for all you do, all that you all do for our future.

Masi. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize our gallery of youth and the climate change protestors there, Ms. Emily Bayha from the Sahtu. Thank you.

Masi. Member for Yellowknife South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am very pleased to recognize two constituents from Yellowknife South, Jan Inman and Tenisha McMullen. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Item 3, Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to talk about climate change, which now, without a doubt, is a climate crisis. I've spoken about this issue before, but today, as wildfires drive people from their homes, I feel a new sense of urgency.

Here's why: The Canada Climate Change Report shows our northern climate is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world. Further, warming is accelerating and it's effectively irreversible. As people have said, there is no plan to refreeze the Arctic. The cause is carbon dioxide emissions from human activity. We can see the results for ourselves in the Northwest Territories: shorter ice road seasons; thawing permafrost; unpredictable precipitation; and intense wildfires.

Mr. Speaker, I see a real disconnect in my own life. I believe the science, but my response doesn't live up to this emergency. Sure, I do easy things like recycling, composting, and riding my bike to work, but my life hasn't fundamentally changed, and it's time. It's time to take more meaningful action.

Young people are leading the way. They are inspired by Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teenager who started the climate strikes that are now popular everywhere. They believe that the climate crisis is going to dominate their lives and the lives of their children. They want to commit to change. Some students in Inuvik and Yellowknife have started increasing climate crisis awareness with public events such as the one that's here today. They want us, as adults and leaders, on board.

Mr. Speaker, this is a huge problem, but there are actions we can take that will make a difference. Government has a role to play by providing leadership and funding. Let's develop a retrofit economy that will create jobs while reducing energy consumption in our homes. Let's continue to makeover our power grid so that it's green, with additional solar and wind power investments. It's time for an updated version of the One Tonne Challenge program of 15 years ago to get people to change behaviour that's hurting rather than helping the environment.

While we're at it, government could take a close look at its own consumption patterns. What if there was a whole-of-government approach to the climate crisis managed by a secretariat that would look at government's procurement of everything from trucks to roads to assess the impact on greenhouse gas emissions in order to make informed, less harmful choices?

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Mahsi, colleagues. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Here's the thing: we are already paying the cost of the climate crisis, so why don't we invest in mitigation as well? There is no downside, so what are we waiting for?

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Good morning, Mr. Speaker. Today is World Climate Change Day. It is important to note that this is a very significant day. We all need to do our part in preventing impacts to the Northwest Territories, Canada, and the rest of the world. There is evidence over the past years that our land is drastically changing. This, of course, is due to climate change.

The Government of the Northwest Territories has taken a strategic approach to developing renewable energy sources. Mr. Speaker, more planning and promoting on our part should be taken seriously. These energy-efficient solutions ensure the strength of greenhouse gas mitigation efforts. Homeowners, businesses, and industry really should take a closer look at wind and solar sources to heat and power our homes and businesses.

The effects of climate change that we are witnessing in the Delta include, but are not limited to permafrost thaw slumps forming along the rivers; thawing permafrost resulting in damage to highways; drier forests in the NWT resulting in extreme forest fires; changes to biological events, such as timing of wildlife migration; hunters and trappers having shorter seasons to gather food for their families; shorter winter roads due to freeze-up occurring later; and ice roads closing earlier in the spring.

Mr. Speaker, energy efficiency means direct savings and less of an impact to our environment, and we should really keep that up. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. It won't surprise Members of this House, but I have already made 10 statements on climate change and carbon pricing during the 18^th Assembly. At some point today, most of us will walk by the students on the climate change strike outside of this building. We owe it to them, and the others who will follow us, to make our positions very clear and on the record regarding the climate change crisis.

I would like to start with an apology to our youth. We have failed them so far, although there is a narrow window where we can still save this planet, according to the International Panel on Climate Change. Unfortunately, Cabinet's plan is not going to get the NWT where we need to be. It was one year ago today that I called out Cabinet's climate change plan and urged the federal government to reject it. I will repeat that call again here today and hope that all NWT residents will also reject Cabinet's plan.

Forty-four percent of the greenhouse gas reductions to meet the pan-Canadian framework target are to come from huge expansions of the Taltson Hydro facilities. There is no money to build the dams or power lines, which will cost billions, and no confirmed buyers either north of the lake or into the provinces. Cabinet's Energy Strategy is masquerading as an infrastructure proposal to the federal government. Taltson expansion will divert time and effort away from building energy self-sufficiency, especially in our smaller communities.

Cabinet's carbon tax proposal is unfair, as the largest emitters, the diamond mines, will get all their payments back. Individuals, families, and small businesses will subsidize the required GNWT contributions to Taltson expansion and the limited investments into renewables.

Lastly, the Auditor General's finding on our failed climate change leadership has not been addressed. Cabinet has made no changes to provide the required leadership and authority to take real action on the climate change crisis. I have called for a climate change act, mandatory consideration of climate change implications in all of our spending, and infrastructure submissions that prioritize projects that show the greatest greenhouse gas reductions in our communities over mega-projects, especially investments in approved energy efficiency in our housing.

The residents of the NWT deserve much better on the issue of the climate change crisis, reductions to our cost of living through energy self-reliance, while building a greener economy. We need new leadership, vision, and action, and our youth today are showing us the way. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday I spoke about the need to support and pay attention to our youth. Today they are just outside and right here in our gallery, telling us themselves. We need to listen.

Mr. Speaker, this is the climate strike organized by Yellowknife students in the past few weeks. They are joining thousands of young people across the country and around the world who are rising up to challenge the status quo. They are challenging the world's leadership to take serious steps and make fundamental changes.

Here are some of the messages that they need us to hear and understand, Mr. Speaker:

• our actions on climate change will define the lives of the younger generation;
• confronting climate change requires new thinking, vision, and leadership;
• we should create a centre of climate change and innovation to bring everyone under one roof that include:
  • youth,
  • elders,
  • scientists,
  • engineers,
  • traditional harvesters,
  • industry, and
  • governments;
• we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions urgently;
• government and industry must incorporate environmental cost accounting to assess true costs and find efficiencies; and
• climate change, adaptations, and innovations must be taught in schools.

Mr. Speaker, the reality of climate change might be an inconvenience for many of us, but for our youth, it is nothing less than a dire threat to their future.

I am glad to say that important steps are being taken. We have signed on to the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. We have adopted the 2030 Energy Strategy and Action Plan. We have developed a Climate Change Strategic Framework, and there is a forthcoming action plan. That framework commits us to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent over 2005 levels by 2030. We have initiated solar projects in Colville Lake and Fort Simpson. We have wind turbines being set up in Inuvik, and Diavik Mine has relied on wind energy for many years now. I'm glad to see that other initiatives, like small community micro-grids and proposals for testing renewable diesel, being talked about.

These are steps in the right direction, but the young people outside and in our Chamber today remind us that we must continue moving in this direction. Thank you to the youth for taking your stance, for raising your voices, and for challenging us to be the leaders on climate change that you deserve. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Agriculture and industry has been around for many decades, since the early days of the Norman Wells Oil Field discovery. Tommy the Ox assisted the first explorers in this discovery.

Agriculture still remains a presence in the community today. My committee colleagues witnessed this during the committee consultation meetings by visiting the Sahtu Gardens on May 8^th, a private enterprise with some farm animals and crops of choice. A similar example is that a resident can harvest 25,000 to 30,000 pounds of potatoes annually.

Mr. Speaker, the Agricultural Strategy provides unique opportunities for home, food, nutrition, and security. Our community residents are resilient, and what better way to take advantage of the strategy and of our 24-hour daylight?

The NWT Agricultural Strategy provides an outline of guidance to assist our residents on supports and resources. It should be noted, Mr. Speaker, that the window to our summer grow season is limited. In order for this strategic approach to bear fruit, in addition, the Department of ITI must ensure that our regional staff are sharing the same priorities as our residents.

Mr. Speaker, history is continuing to repeat itself from the early days to the very same soil that attracted the earlier explorers. Through its advanced techniques, the Agricultural Strategy can assist with home-grown opportunities while creating experiences for our youth in the process. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about an issue that has garnered increased national attention over the past few years, that being sterilization without proper prior consent. Unfortunately, the concept of either forced or coerced sterilization of women is not a new phenomenon for Canada, nor is it solely a part of our history. In fact, there is mounting evidence across our country that proves just how far this practice has reached and, in some cases, continues to reach.

Mr. Speaker, let's consider the history of coerced sterilization in Canada. In two provinces, this practice was lawful, as it was enshrined in law for Alberta and British Columbia between the 1930s and 1970s. A Parliamentary inquiry from the mid-70s public documents reveal that the federal government was also facilitating a soft program of sterilization across the NWT and Nunavut through the 1960s and 1970s. In that time, the number of women who were sterilized without full knowledge or consent was in the thousands, and that is not even counting the number of women who may have been sterilized without even knowing it, let alone the number of undocumented sterilizations that occurred off the record books.

Mr. Speaker, while it may sound like the practice of coerced sterilization is firmly behind us, it still persists today, as evidenced by two class-action lawsuits currently being litigated in Alberta and Saskatchewan for hundreds of millions of dollars. Between the two cases, there are hundreds of Indigenous women who have alleged coerced sterilization over the years, with some alleging as recently as December 2018, to have occurred. Additionally, prosecutors involved in these cases have noted numerous other records of coerced sterilization in Ontario, Manitoba, Quebec, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories. In fact, the same issue was brought up in this House in 1998 by a former Member, who talked about an NWT woman who had undergone sterilization unbeknownst to her after delivering a child at the Charles Camsell Hospital in Alberta. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Mr. Speaker, I have some anecdotal evidence to share on this matter. Last month I spoke to a woman who discovered that her daughter, a young, university-educated Indigenous woman, was asked by her doctor if she was interested in sterilization. For her situation, such an inquiry was unprompted and highly unnecessary. I urge all citizens to be vigilant. If you suspect that you or someone you know has been pressured for sterilization, make it be known. No person should have the procedure performed on them without free, prior, informed consent. Anything else would be a violation of the victim's human rights. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On March 15, 2019, a fire broke out on the 11^th floor of the Mackenzie Place high-rise. Luckily, everybody made it out safely, and the Hay River fire department quickly extinguished the fire. Unfortunately, the resulting water damage and loss of power meant that the building was deemed not safe for habitation and, just like that, 123 residents were left without a home and, in most cases, with nothing more than the clothes they were wearing.

Before I go any further, I have to commend the efforts of everyone in Hay River and KFN who sprang into action and helped the evacuees by providing accommodations, meals, toiletries, and so much more. Our community always steps up in times of need, and this was no exception.

However, despite everyone's best efforts, the effects of the fire are still being felt. Many evacuees were able to find rental accommodations in the private market, and the Housing Corporation managed to provide housing to many more. Unfortunately, according to the most recent statistics I have seen, a number of evacuees are still facing serious housing issues. Eighteen people are considered to have unstable housing, meaning they are couch-surfing, camping, sleeping in cars, and so on. Essentially, these people are homeless. Another 28 have temporary housing, which means they could become homeless.

The fact that we are more than two months on from the fire and are still facing these issues exposes deficiencies in both the availability of rental units in Hay River and in how the GNWT deals with those in need of social housing. Some of the evacuees facing issues might only be in that situation because rental units are sparse and the cost of rent is high. In a better market, they could find a place on their own. However, a third of the high-rise tenants had their rent paid by income assistance, making the high-rise the largest concentration of social housing in Hay River. Many of these individuals are considered hard to house. Some of them are banned from renting from the Housing Corporation because of arrears, and they have difficulty finding private accommodations because they have burned bridges with other landlords.

Mr. Speaker, to address the situation, we need a plan. We need a plan from the Housing Corporation. We need a plan from the Minister of Education regarding income assistance, and I have not seen anything yet. I have brought this issue up time and time again in this House. The last time I brought this up was 10 days before this event occurred. For years, the MLAs from Hay River have been trying to get the government to create a plan to deal with this situation, and now it's happened, and I still do not see a plan. I will have questions for the Minister of Housing, and, if I have time, I will have questions for the Minister of ECE, I will have questions for the Minister of Justice, and for the Minister of Health. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, all around the world, students have gone on strike. What would be so important to our next generation that they would feel it important to leave their classes for a day to exercise their freedoms of speech and assembly? The answer is climate change, Mr. Speaker. Many Members have spoken about that today, and I think it's important that this is an issue that is not falling on deaf ears. When our citizens speak out, be they students, be they regular-aged adults, be they seniors, we will always listen and bring their message to the floor of this Assembly if it is important enough to future generations and to the future of our territory.

Why are our youth striking when they are expected to attend school? Sadly, to so many young people, the consequences of climate change appear to be left unaddressed or, at best, getting lip service from governments across the country and around the world. The advice of experts is being ignored and oftentimes challenged by ideological opinions and personal views or the contingencies of everyday life and the cost of living, rather than the real issue, which is the future of our planet. This has left many students feeling that there will be no future for them, either. This is the second student strike this year. The last one occurred on March 15^th and saw roughly 1.6 million students striking across the globe.

Outside this House, one northern student has organized a strike. Her name is Ella Kokilj, and she says she is protesting because "we believe that climate change should be taken more seriously and that the North needs to show leadership in tackling climate change by ensuring we create an innovative and resilient society for our future."

Mr. Speaker, I hope all Members of this House will join me in passing along our encouragement to these students for their climate-change activism and take a few moments today to walk outside of the Legislature to speak to them and hear out these motivated and driven young activists.

Intergenerational equity and ensuring our lands and resources benefit future generations is a key concern for not only those students, but for all Northerners and must be at the heart of government decision making. Numerous statements have been made, numerous recommendations by standing committees, all around this topic, and yet we still find the government's plans and proposals lacking. We need to do more. It's not that nothing has been done. It's that not enough has been done because this is not an issue that can be ignored. This is a crisis that potentially will jeopardize the future of life on this planet, and we must take action today for all days to come. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A couple of weeks ago, we had Youth Parliament here at the Legislative Assembly, and my daughter, Marie Carpenter, was the member for Nunakput. Out of all the topics, the discussion talked about the costs of living in the North. Mr. Speaker, I will read her statement today:

"Mr. Speaker, the cost of living in Nunakput is the highest in the Northwest Territories. Increased fuel prices have affected the cost for food, whether from a grocery store or traditional food harvested on the land.

"Mr. Speaker, the rising cost has been hard on hunters living in Nunakput. Harvesting food from the land, lakes, and ocean is essential to our Inuvialuit way of life and the well-being of our communities. When families cannot hunt, they have to purchase all food from the store. Families simply cannot afford the price increases of fuel, food, supplies, and equipment.

"According to the bureau of statistics, the average personal income in Nunakput communities is not much more than $35,000 a year, compared to the $60,000 average for the Northwest Territories. It is very difficult, if not impossible, for many of my constituents to afford basic food from the grocery stores with such high costs.

"Mr. Speaker, data published by PROOF on food insecurity policy research showed that 17.6 percent households in the Northwest Territories are food insecure, and over the 30 percent of the territory's children live in food insecure homes. Recent studies and news articles across the North have shown that we cannot rely on the federal government's program, Nutrition North, to fix food security issues. We can see the proof of this data each time we go to homes, schools, and health centres in Nunakput.

"Mr. Speaker, focusing on improving these statistics will benefit the mental and physical well-being of families, especially children, in Nunakput. It will overall reduce our government spending in areas such as health, education, and social services. The mandate of this government has called for action to reduce the cost of living and poverty, not to increase it. The mandate also called upon the government to promote the consumption of traditional foods, such as fish and wildlife, to improve nutrition, and to improve wellness and the way of life of Indigenous peoples in the territory.

"Mr. Speaker, food security needs to be the focus of our government, now and into the future. As leaders, we must align our policies with other levels of governments to ensure that our families, elders, children, and youth can be strong and sustain an Inuvialuit way of life by having healthy food options harvested from our land and in Nunakput communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker."

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Tim Brown came into this world, August 5, 1966, and left on May 5, 2019.

Tim possessed wisdom far beyond most people, a rare way with words, and an ability to explain things that never came across as condescending, but, rather, as enlightening. During or after a conversation with Tim, you may not always have felt smarter or necessarily agreed. You would, however, more often than not, feel better about whatever it was that you were talking about. If you were brave enough to debate with him, rest assured you would know where he stood on a subject in no uncertain terms by the end of the conversation.

Over the years of people knowing Tim, through their most difficult times and struggles through life, Tim was there for them, offering an ear to listen, advice or encouragement when needed, or a kick in the butt or a hard truth, if that was what was required.

To borrow a phrase Tim would often use, "the reality is," Tim was by no means perfect. He would say so himself. Some people might say that he was, at times, not nice, and they would be correct. Others might say he was an amazing and kind person. They, too, would be correct. The reason for this is quite simple. Tim did not treat people poorly; he treated them accordingly, meaning he treated people how they treated him. If you were nice, he was nice in return.

Tim was a great storyteller, and as such, people enjoyed Tim's time, especially if it was about fishing or his family.

To Tim's family, especially Melinda, Finn, Coleman, and Rebecca, I will tell you this: Tim would be the first to admit he was not perfect. What you may not know is that, in conversations with Tim, he would say that he may not have been perfect, but when he looked at his wife and children, he knew that he had gotten something in his life perfectly right. To borrow another phrase Tim would often say, "make no mistake about it," Tim loved his family, his wife and children.

Tim is survived by his wife Melinda, his children Rebecca, Finn, and Coleman, grandchildren Davin Swallow and Sebia Nessel, and numerous nephews, nieces, and friends.

Mr. Speaker, it was fitting to see the local airline and helicopter companies do one last flyby at the airport as Tim's body was being flown to Yellowknife to be cremated after his service. This was a very classy action and greatly appreciated by his family and friends.

The Brown family would like to thank everybody for their support and prayers during their time of sorrow. Mr. Speaker, Tim is sadly missed and will never be forgotten.

Masi. Our condolences to the family, and also to the community, as well. Members' statements. Item 5, returns to oral questions. Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of ENR, responsible for the climate file. In my statement earlier today, I outlined some of the important points being raised by students bringing their climate action to the legislature today, so I would like to ask the Minister: does the government accept the need for some sort of environmental cost planning and accounting process so that the full cost of any program or project takes into account its environmental impacts and the need for any mitigation? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and we appreciate the fact that the students are here voicing their concerns about climate change. It is something that we in the North have faced for a long time before the rest of the country. Before it became flavour of the day, we were feeling the effects of climate change, particularly in the Mackenzie Delta, where I am from. We see banks falling into the river. I would hate to come to a point someday where we walk across the river because there is so much sediment in the water.

I appreciate the work that they are doing. They are obviously very passionate about it, and that is something that I would like to see them continue. Being the grandfather of six, I have a personal interest in this, because I do want to see the day where my grandchildren don't have to worry about the effects of climate change, and this is something that, as a government, we are making attempts to deal with. Like I said, the North felt the effects of climate change long before it was flavour of the day. Now, to the rest of the country and the rest of the world, welcome to the file.

Mr. Speaker, as we feel the effects of climate change, in our planning to do infrastructure, we have seen what it could do to some of the infrastructure that is already there, with the ground sliding into the river and some of the other effects that it is having on some of the local infrastructure. We have seen that. As we go forward, we will take into consideration all of that as we plan projects, and I think that it is already happening. As I said, we felt the effects of climate change long before the rest of the country. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you to the Minister for that reply and his acknowledgement of the effects that climate change is having on the north and that it is more dire than most other regions and that, for sure, in planning our infrastructure that we currently own and going forward, we have to take into account the fiscal and financial accounting aspects in order to overcome those.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to ask the Minister: what steps is the government taking to make sure that our young people are equipped to make contributions on climate action, by introducing climate change impacts, adaptation, mitigation, and innovation to the NWT education system? Is the Minister working with the Minister of Education to develop curriculum on climate change?

Again, recognizing the importance of the voices of the youth in the Northwest Territories, I believe it was in the Assembly before that we actually had a youth forum that the Premier of the day had implemented, and we got feedback from a lot of youth across the Northwest Territories. I think that there is some merit in the Member's suggestion. It is something that we could talk with the young people of the Northwest Territories about as potentially having, working with Education, some type of a climate change symposium, where we could get their opinion on what they would like to see taught in schools.

It is a serious issue, Mr. Speaker, and it is one that, the more we educate our youth as they are coming through the educational system, I think, the greater effect that it will have on the future of the Northwest Territories and our ability to deal with climate change.

I appreciate the Minister's response, and he did indicate the idea, potentially, of a symposium. Clearly, our young people have the most at stake. Maybe what I will ask the Minister is if he will, in fact, commit the government to at least consider establishing an ongoing forum or a symposium that can have regular constructive dialogue and that would seek advice from the NWT's youth on climate change?

We recognize that there are a number of other governments and organizations in the NWT with climate change roles. It would be difficult for me, at this stage of this Assembly, to commit the government to a symposium. Through the transition committee and providing some advice to the incoming 19^th, I think that we will hear it during the election period that is coming up; the election is on October 1^st. I think that we will hear a lot of concerns about climate change, and I am sure that potential candidates who are running will be telling the constituents their plans for how to deal with this ongoing issue. Let's make sure that it's a plan that they're passionate about, and not one that they're just saying to get the public's vote.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I agree with the Minister. We absolutely have to encourage our forthcoming leaders and we have to engage, actively engage our youth in getting to the table and having the conversation, but I also don't like the idea that we are pushing these sorts of things off. There is never a time where we can't keep the discussion going about climate change. I would also like to ask the Minister: has the government considered convening call it a client action group that would include youth, elders, scientists, even economists, traditional harvesters, et cetera, industry even, to discuss and seek innovative ways to achieve responsible development and a sustainable society?

Through a number of the initiatives and strategies that we come forward with, we go out and seek public opinion, consultation with affected stakeholders, and I think it's through that process that they are able to get their input. We have three months left in this Assembly. Again, I can commit to this Chamber that we'll explore the idea of doing something such as that and work with stakeholders. Again, we can make the suggestions, and as we've seen at the beginning of the 18^th, it will be upon the Members of the 19^th to determine at that time whether this is something that they want to implement, and I believe it is. I believe it's a serious enough issue, and again, I've said it two or three times now, we've felt the effects long before everybody else so we have taken steps to mitigate some of the effects it has.

There is a lot of merit in the Member's suggestion, and we've heard, and I'm sure everybody else has heard, the young people have heard. It's a commitment that I think this Assembly in this building, this institution, has to follow up on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I had a Member's statement about Tim Brown. Previously, before he passed away, I was at the airport and we talked about a situation that happened where a piece of equipment ended up falling through the permafrost in Fort Simpson, of all places. We were talking about it. It wasn't an operator. He did this job 20 years. It wasn't the equipment. What changed? The environment. I have some questions for the Minister of Infrastructure today, Mr. Speaker, and first of all, I'd like to thank Tim for bringing this forward. Can the Minister advise the House: what has the department done to prepare for climate change, especially with the issue on the southern part of NWT? I know we've done some good stuff in the north, and I've seen the work, the research done there. What about the southern part, and especially when it comes to airports and highways in the southern part of the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Infrastructure.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for attending today. I am going to take this opportunity to actually speak to a number of initiatives that the Government of the Northwest Territories is doing, because some Members in this House say they don't think we're doing enough. I want these young people to hear exactly what we're doing as the Government of the Northwest Territories, because I believe the actions that we are taking go beyond. A small jurisdiction like we are, we are punching above our weight, so I'm going to read every word on these questions.

He wants to know what we're doing in the southern part for climate change around airports and highways. The Northwest Territories infrastructure network is vulnerable to the effects of climate change due to a reliance on ice roads and infrastructure built on permafrost. Changes in climate, including temperature, precipitation, or water levels, result in increased variability and could affect the reliability of our system. We rely on the stability of permafrost to maintain our highway and runway surfaces, and need sufficient water levels to operate the ferry and barge resupply.

To address and mitigate the future risk and changes, the department developed a comprehensive Climate Change Adaptation Plan which covers all aspects of transportation system. The department has been actively implementing the Climate Change Adaptation Plan for over five years now. We have invested in research and development, including installing and monitoring test sections all across the system. We are working with world-class research institutes such as University of Calgary, Carlton University, McGill, Laurier, and the National Research Council of Canada to undertake research development on the modelling of the future and developing mitigation and adaptation measures for our assets.

We have completed climate change vulnerability assessments across the system. We have been improving poor surface and drainage conditions on our highways and runways. We are working to realign winter roads to overland alignments, and we have been building permanent bridges at former ice crossings to stabilize the highway system.

We have also worked with other government departments on the overall Northwest Territories Climate Change Strategic Framework. We are leading the national-level Task Force for Northern Infrastructure, along with our counterpart territories and provinces, to ensure our infrastructure design, construction, and maintenance practices are climate change-resilient.

We have developed best practices in buildings for northern infrastructure, building in permafrost regions, building in winter ice roads, and we have recently been audited by the Auditor General in our plans and did receive positive feedback from the review of our work.

I think the Minister kind of answered my next question, but I'm going to actually ask it anyway: what mitigation adaptation has the department done to address the issues about low water levels, and specifically in the riding of Nahendeh?

I foresee some written questions are coming soon enough. Minister of Infrastructure.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are tracking the water levels carefully and monitoring changes. We have been in contact with the federal government about dredging to maintain navigational channels, which I talked about yesterday. For ice and ferry crossings, we have already converted some permanent bridges, and over the long term will continue to work toward converting them to permanent crossings. In the meantime, we have looked at alternative landing and crossing roads which may extend or stabilize the seasons.

Can the Minister advise us: has the department developed policies and procedures for staff and contractors in dealing with climate change issues?

Understanding climate and adjusting accordingly is inherent in all our operations of the transportation system. Climate change has been incorporated into our best practice documents and construction procedures and specifications. We keep involved at the national level to influence and incorporate research into updated national standards and promote professional development.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to thank the Minister for his answers as we move forward on this issue here. Has the department developed training programs for staff to help them to identify potential issues when it comes to climate change?

All engineers and technicians within the department have a professional obligation to keep track of the latest developments in their fields of expertise. We sponsor regular training and host a major conference to address current issues, including climate change. We also send our experts to conferences and working groups with their counterparts to review climate change issues at the national and regional levels, and we undertake risk analysis on all our major projects to ensure climate change resilience is addressed and also incorporated into climate consideration into all our operational activity.

As you can see, Mr. Speaker, we've done a lot of work around climate change, and we will continue to do so in the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I just want to set this up. Cabinet's climate change plan or approach is really made up of the energy strategy, the Climate Change Strategic Framework, and the carbon tax. My questions are to the Premier as Minister of the Executive and intergovernmental affairs. I'd like to know: how can the NWT possibly achieve the Pan-Canadian Greenhouse Gas Reduction targets when 44 percent of those reductions are to come from the mega-project Taltson expansion, and there's no money to build it; no confirmed buyers either north of the lake or into the provinces? How can we achieve that target, Mr. Speaker? Mahsi.

Masi. The Honourable Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Taltson project is important for many reasons and, as the Member knows, we received considerable support from the federal government to help with the development of this project and the overall business case. As we told the Prime Minister, we want to be part of the overall solution in dealing with climate change. I think that the federal government recognizes, as does our government, the potential of the project as part of the overall climate change efforts.

The reality is that remote mines make up 50 percent of our emissions profile and need to be part of the solution now and in the future. Taltson is best positioned to reduce industrial emissions and stabilize the costs of energy, north and south of Great Slave Lake. If the project proceeds, we can certainly achieve our greenhouse gas emission targets and provide clean energy to resource development for the next 50 years. This is a major project, however, and we are in the early stages. The Minister of Infrastructure is leading the development of the business case, and several discussions have already taken place with the Canada Infrastructure Bank. I think that it is fair to say that they have considerable interest. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I want to thank the Premier for raising the diamond mines, which is really my next question. Cabinet's carbon tax proposal, released in July 2018, is really unfair, as the largest emitters, the diamond mines, will get everything back. Individuals, families, and small businesses will subsidize the required GNWT contributions, the Taltson expansion, and the limited investments into renewables. Can the Premier tell us why the diamond mines will get all of the carbon tax that they pay back as rebates and grants from individualized accounts?

I just want to correct the Member, as what he stated isn't quite accurate. The approach announced in July 2018 only applied to non-motive fuel, not the carbon tax that the large emitters would pay on motive fuels. I wouldn't want the public to be under the impression that the large emitters wouldn't be paying carbon tax. However, as the Member would be aware, the approach to carbon tax that we developed needs to be consistent with the federal backstop. The federal backstop has an approach to large emitters that charges the carbon price on their output. I think that we would want to make sure that our approach aligns generally with the approach that Canada has taken, but reflects our northern realities.

We have always said that we want to mitigate the impact of the carbon tax on the cost of living. That is why we are exempting aviation fuel, rebating the carbon tax on heating fuel, and introducing the cost-of-living offset benefit when we implement the carbon tax. Our made-in-the-Northwest-Territories approach will help mitigate the impacts of the carbon tax on residents, on small business, and on those larger industries that are classified as large emitters.

I would like to thank the Premier for that announcement of changes to the carbon tax proposal on the floor of the House. The Auditor General's finding on our failed climate change leadership has not really been addressed. Cabinet has made no changes to provide the required leadership and authority to take real action on the climate change crisis. Can the Premier tell us why Cabinet has rejected the calls for a climate change act, mandatory consideration of climate change implications in all of our spending, and infrastructure submissions that prioritize projects that show the greatest GHG reductions as part of the efforts to deal with the climate change crisis?

Our government went through a very long consultative process and responded to what we heard. Through a review of climate change programs in Canadian jurisdictions, it was evident that the most important factors in the success of these programs were leadership and the authority to act.

Addressing climate change is a priority of this government. We have developed both a Climate Change Strategic Framework and Action Plan, which is linked to our work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the energy plan. Further, we have organized ourselves so that climate change is considered in all programs and at all levels of authority; director-level, ADM, deputy minister, and ministerial committees have been established. This leadership structure will focus government efforts as we move into the implementation phase of these strategies and plans.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Premier for that response. I don't think that committees are going to cut it. There has been one new committee established. The standing committee that reviewed the Climate Change Strategic Framework asked for a climate change act, some real action. That is not what we have.

While we have the students here in the gallery, we need some new leadership, vision, and action to deal with the climate change crisis. What would the Premier like to say to our youth to instil hope and confidence that the NWT is doing its part to meet the climate change crisis? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Addressing climate change is a priority of the 18^th Legislative Assembly. Within the life of this government, we have developed both a Climate Change Strategic Framework and Action Plan, which is linked to our work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the energy plan. The Government of the Northwest Territories is now poised to take real action over the next five years and make progress on our transition to a lower-carbon economy, improving our knowledge of climate change impacts, and building resilience in adapting to climate change. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are also on the climate, and they are addressed to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. Given the recent scientific studies about the rate of change, the accelerated change of the climate, it is now being referred to as a crisis. Does the Minister consider the current state of affairs, with the warming of the planet, a crisis? Thank you.

Masi. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I stated before, we have seen the effects of climate change, especially up in the Beau-Del, long before the rest of the country, and I do believe that we are getting to the point where it is becoming a crisis. We see that. I have said before that, in the Delta, we see ground falling into the water. You look around in the Beaufort and Tuktoyaktuk at the erosion on the shore there; that demonstrates the effect that climate change is having on the North. We recognize that.

The short answer to the Member's question is: yes, I do believe that this is serious enough to be considered a crisis. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you to the Minister for that response. During the consultation on the 2030 NWT Climate Change Strategic Framework, some people suggested that the GNWT create a climate change secretariat, such as exists in both Yukon and Nunavut, to oversee all climate crisis-related work, rather than compartmentalizing responsibilities in one department. Why did government decide to not take this advice?

Through a jurisdictional review of the climate change programs in Canadian jurisdictions, ENR found that, regardless of the organizational structure, the most important factors in their success were leadership and the authority to act. The GNWT, we believe, has accordingly taken a leadership role on climate change in the territories and organized itself so that climate change is considered at all levels of authority. As the Premier has stated before, at the director level, the ADM, DM, and ministerial committees have been established, and the leadership structure will focus government efforts to implement and report on the Climate Change Strategic Framework and to assist with the development and implementation of the 2019-2023 action plan. We also recognize the importance of working with our partners as we move to the implementation phase of the Climate Change Strategic Framework. To this end, ENR, we are actually exploring opportunities, approaches to coordinate the guidance work, such as through the establishment of a climate change advisory body.

I appreciate the answer. I guess I would prefer to see a somewhat independent office looking out for climate change rather than having the government do this directly. I feel that the results may be more credible, but it is what it is, I guess, at this point. I mentioned in my statement about taking a whole-of-government approach to procurement, screening it for how it is mitigating or making worse the issue of climate crisis, and I am wondering if the government is prepared to institute a whole-of-government procurement policy that takes this full-cost accounting into account.

That is a very timely question. The GNWT recognizes the importance that our government can play on influencing the market for the goods and services that we procure. Following engagement conducted in 2017-2018, ENR worked closely with the communities on the development of an NWT waste resource management strategy. The strategy is anticipated to be released in the coming month. As part of this strategy, goal number four focused on actions to greening government. Greening government means making decisions about what we buy, how we manage our assets, how we run our business to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, energy, water, and solid waste.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It sounds like this waste strategy may go some of the way towards answering this question. My final question is whether the government has any interest in reviving a program such as the One-Tonne Challenge that focuses on personal action and accountability. Does the government have any interest in drawing citizens individually into this, beyond taxing them with the carbon tax?

Again, we know the crisis that we are in with climate change, and I think the public is becoming more and more educated as we become more and more educated. Our youth are taking steps to become more and more educated, and I think, through that process, there will be a lot of people doing that on their own, reducing their carbon footprint and how they do business. If it's an initiative that could help us address the situation that we are in, then I think it's incumbent on this Assembly. I say "this government." When I talk about the government, I am talking all 19 Members. It's something that this Assembly can look at and possibly get behind and promote and see if we can make that initiative come to be. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. In my Member's statement, I spoke of a former Member of the House talking about coerced sterilization in the NWT. Following that statement, there was an article written in Windspeaker publication which described a GNWT program where coerced sterilization victims could come forward to begin an inquiry if they believed they were wrongfully sterilized. My question for the Minister is twofold: how long did the program run in that time; and, in that time, how many women came forward? Thank you.

Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a government, we acknowledge that the abhorrent practice of performing sterilization procedures upon Indigenous women under a forced or a coerced circumstance took place in the Northwest Territories in the past, long before any of us were in this House. I personally condemn the practice, as I know all Members in this House must, of coerced or forced sterilization. As a government, we take seriously the accounts that have been shared by residents. I would really like to commend the individuals for their courage in sharing their stories and bringing forth this issue.

Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, at this time, I do not have the precise information on the number of women who came forward under that GNWT program that was offered in 1998. It was a number of years ago. However, I would like to reconfirm that this government will always take seriously and respond to patients' accounts of forced sterilization. With respect to the information from the 1998 program, I will do my best to get that information and share it with the Member, as well as other Members of this House.

I would like to acknowledge once again that I agree with the Member that such practices are a violation of medical ethics and of a patient's rights to information and informed consent, so I thank the Member for raising the question.

I would like to thank the Minister for that response. Mr. Speaker, in December 2018, the federal Health Minister responded to an issue of coerced sterilization by inviting all provincial and territorial Health Ministers to participate in a taskforce on cultural competency in healthcare. My question is: what was the department's response, our department's response, to the call, and are we participating?

The federal government has formed a working group to look at ways of embedding cultural safety and humility into the design and delivery of healthcare services in Canada. This working group, as a note, will not deal directly with forced sterilization as part of its mandate. We do support the federal government's efforts to collaborate with provinces, territories, Indigenous groups, and national provider organizations on measures to improve cultural safety in the health system. We are participating in that working group. The GNWT is also committed to working with Indigenous governments in the Northwest Territories in our efforts to improve cultural safety here in the Northwest Territories.

As the Member knows, we have come forward with a Cultural Safety Action Plan to help us address the issues, the very real issues, around cultural safety that do exist here in the Northwest Territories, and we are determined to do our work in a culturally respectful, fair, and equitable way for all residents. We will ensure that any commitments made through the participation in the FTP working group align with our existing work here in the Northwest Territories in this area.

I do acknowledge and recognize the good work done by this department, our Department of Health and Social Services, on the cultural competency. I would like to ask the Minister about the federal task force and just a question asking the Minister if there is a current status since the task force was formed or, if not, then would the Minister provide a current status to the House once that status is available?

It's my understanding that the FTP working group is intended to be a forward-looking body that will examine ways of embedding cultural safety and humility into the design and delivery of healthcare services throughout the country. They intend to share information about initiatives and promising practice under way across the country, which is one of the reasons we are sharing the work that we have done. It's also intended to identify opportunities for collaboration between provinces, territories, and other bodies.

To date, Mr. Speaker, a draft terms of reference has been developed by the working group, including identifying some guiding principles. This, once again, is a federal document and federal initiative. As a first step, jurisdictions will be reaching out to their Indigenous partners to see if the Indigenous governments are interested in participating in the working group, and that engagement will hopefully be done soon.

Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Minister for that response. Can the Minister advise us if it's very clear to the practitioners that forced sterilization is not something that can and should be done in the NWT? Thank you.

Today, compared to when this activity was occurring, we have best practices and additional checks and balances in place to ensure that patients are given alternative options before referring a patient to sterilization procedures as part of pre-op. Today, it's also our best practice that patients are again asked if they fully understand the nature and the consequences of the procedures that they may be wishing to undertake, as part of ensuring the patient has provided informed and knowledgeable consent before the procedure is actually done. Additional supports can and could be offered, such as counselling, given that this procedure is permanent and irreversible in all situations. Yes, our practitioners know. Our practitioners understand the realities, and our procedures have changed radically since 1998, when that study was done by the GNWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess I'm not going to get to ask the four separate Ministers all my questions. Questions and answers are going a little long today, so I will keep this brief. I would like to ask the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation: what has been done to date to address the housing issues of the evacuees of the Hay River high-rise? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In response to the fire, the NWT Housing Corporation has developed a multi-stage plan to support residents that were impacted. That's done right across all departments. We knew it was something that needed to be addressed right away. All departments worked together to see how we can make an impact. On that note, I'm going to commend the Member in recognizing that the community did step up and that the fire department was onsite right away, and that nobody was harmed in any way as well, and they were all out safely.

Our latest update, the NWT Housing Corporation has housed seven individuals in an apartment complex. We've also housed four families in three-bedroom houses temporarily released from the federal government, and we have also renovated six units at the KFN, which are ready for occupation, and are in the process of renovating 10 or more which will be ready for occupation soon.

Mr. Speaker, just further to that, we will continue to update both the Hay River MLAs on what we are doing as the NWT Housing Corporation, and what we are doing as a government, working together, collaboratively, to address the situation.

I appreciate the update. That's basically the same update that I received back in April at the community meeting. There are still these 18 people who are homeless, essentially with unstable housing, and there are 26 who are temporarily housed. They could be the ones in the leased units from the federal government. Going forward, what's the plan? The Minister said there was a plan. Can you please elaborate on that, and tell us what he's going to do to make sure these people have stable housing?

Before the fire at the high-rise, we did meet with private industry. We met with the Town of Hay River to look at addressing some of the issues that are coming out of the community. As the Member knows, the available and suitable land is at a premium in Hay River, and we are trying to work with the municipality to address that, and we are going to continue to work with them in terms of developing a plan. We know that there are a lot of things that are coming down the pipe in terms of economic-wise. It was very unfortunate that the high-rise situation happened, and we'll continue to work with our stakeholders to look at addressing the housing needs in Hay River. As I mentioned, we will keep the Hay River MLAs up to date. We will continue to speak with our stakeholders, industry, as well as leadership in Hay River.

As I stated, 18 people are homeless. I know for a fact one of those is an infant. There could be other children, as well. I can't go back to Hay River and tell them that there have been talks. I need to tell them that there's a plan to put them in a home, and to give them somewhere safe. What can the Minister tell me that's happening to put these people in actual homes? I need a plan. When is there going to be a place on the ground that they can go and live?

A couple of things. Through the NWT Housing Corporation, we didn't have any housing clients in the high-rise. That's where we're doing the collaborative approach, working with all the departments to address the issue. At the same time, we are working with private industry. We're trying to work with the Municipality of Hay River. As you've heard in this House before, we do have the co-investment fund that we were able to carve out and put applications in. Those are some of the long-term solutions that we're looking at. It's not only the high-rise that is affected. We also had that senior planning study that I've mentioned in this House before that we are looking at a couple of municipalities, and Hay River is one of them that we need to address, and we'll continue to work to find a short-term and a long-term solution. I think, in the short term, we have addressed some of the families. Not all of them, but we do have to work together to find solutions.

Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister said there were no housing clients in the high-rise. Income assistance was paying the rent for about a third of the residents of the high-rise, which means that those people, for the most part, were on the housing waitlist. It's not like Housing doesn't have clients in there. They have people waiting to get into housing, so this is an issue. What can I tell them is going to happen in the very near term? What is the plan to house them in the very near term? I know there are long-term solutions. I know all about the rental issues in Hay River. What is the plan to get them in a house immediately? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I mentioned, we do know that there is a concern. Not a concern, but the available and suitable land and the lots that are available to construct new buildings is a concern, and we are working on that. What I'd say is that the government was working to try to address this, even before the fire began. Even before the fire had started, and the issue that we see ourselves before now, we were already in discussions with the Municipality of Hay River. I appreciate the fact that the K'atlodeeche First Nation has stepped up, and the work that we have done with the K'atlodeeche First Nations, as well. We are working on it, and it is one of the communities that we want to continue to find a solution, whether it's public housing or market housing needs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.