I'd like to defer that question to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Premier. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just in regard to the fire at the Hay River high-rise, I want to follow up with the Member. It is quite lengthy, and there is a lot of detail with what the fire marshal has displayed. I'll follow up with the Member on that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know there is going to be a lot of talk about the national co-investment fund and how this program is rolling out. I just want to make it very clear that this is a federal funding program that the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation is acting in support, to try to program deliver and try to connect and outreach the CMHC to access these programs throughout the Northwest Territories. This summer, the Housing Corporation had mentioned we had visited 14 communities out of the 33. Out of those 14 communities, every Indigenous group was consulted. We did meet with them and also to provide them with an update on how the program works. It is $60 million.

I am committed, and I want to spend that money by the end of this government. I want there to be applications coming forward. My department is working strategically on how are we going to be partnering up with CMHC to tell the federal government we are not a southern jurisdiction. The way we do business in the Northwest Territories is different. It does not match the way that the program is laid out.

In regard to my colleague's region, I just wanted to provide him an update that we do have housing retrofits happening in Tuktoyaktuk this year with the completion date of 2021, materials and labour and major retrofits on four units. Paulatuk, we have major retrofits on five units, as well, with the completion date of February of 2021. Materials and labour on four additional units in Paulatuk, as well, with a fourplex that is being finalized in Inuvialuit Regional Corporation. Sachs Harbour we have three major retrofits, two units that's completion for December 2020. Tuktoyaktuk, as well, we have materials and labour on one unit and the tender will be going out in February 2021 and the delivery date of October 2021. Just to further update my colleague, we are working on a community plan, and we are starting the consultation and hopefully the completion would be within 2021, as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Minister, for that update, too. I see that, but we need new units. We need more units. The units that we do have we could have had about another 20 more units because there is so much mould and stuff going on in the community. People are getting sick. I'm thankful to hear that. I know that's happening, but we need more units. We have either sell out what they can get rid of to get it out of the system because I know we're only allowed so many units in the community. We have to get rid of some of the old units and put some new ones and bigger ones, fourplexes. We need more fourplexes. We have young families in regard to that.

I know the Minister tried to come up to my riding, but at the time I wasn't available to do a tour. I'm inviting the Minister to come up with me to see firsthand what's happening in my communities in Nunakput and hearing it from my constituents and seeing what we need. We need to work together and spend this money. I'm here to help her to spend this money. The NGOs got a list, IRC, community corporation. Like I said, priority one is my constituents in regard to proper allocated housing in regard to a roof over their head and homelessness, also. That's my next question.

I hear the plea from the Member. The lack of housing throughout the Northwest Territories is quite significant, and we are working with each of the communities. We do have partnerships, as well, with the Indigenous groups throughout the Northwest Territories. I did send out notices to the Indigenous groups in Nunakput, but the invitation to invite was declined due to COVID. We are scheduled to go to Tuktoyaktuk possibly the third week of November. I'll be speaking with the Member.

I'd like to thank the Minister for that. We do need to get this money flowing. Last time the money was being spent was eight months ago. They have to have somebody hired right away at the department of housing to start allocating and start getting priorities set to start spending this co-investment money. It's free money. I really would like to see if we could, what's the timeline for that person being hired in the department to start spending the $60 million?

The Housing Corporation is in the process of hiring a person right now. Hopefully, we'll have the hire completed and done and in the office by the end of November. I just wanted to elaborate on the co-investment fund. It's a federal funding that is provided to the Northwest Territories, also the Rapid Rehousing Program funding, as well, but these are federal funding programs. The Northwest Territories does not have direct access to it. We are supporting these federal initiatives, and we are trying to get the messaging out there so NGOs, stakeholders, and Indigenous groups can come to the table, submit their application. We as a Housing Corporation can provide our technical support. I have also advised my department to make our construction plans and our building plans available to these applicants, as well.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to invite CMHC on that tour in regard to seeing. They came to Tuktoyaktuk about two years ago. We told them all our issues, and we never heard back from them. I would ask the NWT representative invited onto that tour of Nunakput and whatever tour she is going on in regard to other than my riding, but I think it's a real priority. It has to be done. We have been sitting. If they are holding $60 million of the territory's access to funding, it should be spent, and it's urgent. Some people are homeless. Some people, they need a little bit of a light to say that -- I know this Minister is trying, and we are here to help her. Help me help you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you for the Member's comments, as well. During these tours, CMHC is travelling with us, as well. The purpose of CMHC to be travelling with the Housing Corporation is to provide those introductions, as well, and to build those relationships with the communities so we could see these applications completed and we could see successful applications delivered from the Northwest Territories. Also, the commitment to get houses on the ground is absolutely a priority for this government, for the Housing Corporation, as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. I ask if all possibilities were looked at prior to the creation of the secretariat with the bottom line in mind. I would like to reiterate that we had a state of emergency, which has since been removed but currently still have the public health emergency. Mahsi.

Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Honourable Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I had stated earlier, the formation of the secretariat was because there were multiple departments that were working on different initiatives. Oftentimes the right hand was trying to figure out what the left hand was doing, so the secretariat formed, I think it was just about a month ago, within that. When the secretariat formed, Mr. Speaker, we were hit with the increases of the cases, the second wave coming in southern Canada. We did not have a lot of time to do a lot of consultation, and our communication was not the best on that. We have spoken to address that before.

Since that meeting, though, I have reached out to Indigenous governments. We are still in that process. On September 30^th, I did meet with the Indigenous governments. There were eight of them in total. I had strong support, verbal support, that they actually said, "We support the creation of the secretariat," once we explained the aspects of it. The NWT Metis Nation, Gwich'in Tribal Council, Acho Dene, Akaitcho Dene, Salt River First Nations, North Slave Metis Alliance, and the Sahtu Secretariat firmly said, "We support the secretariat." There was one other one that wanted more information, so I will not mention their name. They have not given me concrete. Since then, I have also met with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, who also have given me strong support for creation of the secretariat, understanding that we needed to have better coordination in what we are doing. I have also met with other members, Chief Bonnetrouge, Nahanni Butte Dene Band and Dene Nation and the Dehcho First Nations, but then again, at this point, we have not got a solid. We have got soft supports, but they have not said, "We 100 percent support it," concrete.

We are doing our work working with our municipal governments, as well; we have met with them; the business community, we have met with them; and the Indigenous governments. Options, Mr. Speaker? I wish we had more time. This pandemic hit us really quickly at the beginning of this government. When we have had a chance to breathe, almost as soon as we could take a breath, the second wave was starting in southern Canada. Time has not been on our side. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to thank the Premier for her answer and for listing the First Nations that she had been in contact with. I certainly do not want to undermine the leadership's decisions from each of those regions, but my question had been if all possibilities, scenarios, were looked at prior to the creation, like having a think tank how we could do it. In my Member's statement, I had listed. We have up to 5,000, and now I am hearing close to 6,000 employees. Why did we not canvass? I am trying to get to the bottom line here.

We are paying an extra $87 million over four years. That is extra money for just 150 positions, which I believe we could have created from within our bureaucracy, our bloated workforce, and re-profiled the positions. I keep stating the state of emergency and the public health emergency, which probably is a strong tool to get you to direct those positions, something similar to what we have been hearing on the radio lately about the late Pierre Elliott Trudeau, who invoked the War Measures Act back in the day. That is why I keep harping on the state of emergency and this emergency that we have in place. This can direct us to do those things, and this is hurting our bottom line.

I kept stating in my statements that our small communities are suffering. There are lots of issues with housing. I don't want to repeat myself, but there are a lot of social problems there. I am trying to help out this government of why we don't go that route to look at savings to the bottom line in our budget. I am wondering if I could get an answer to that. Further to that, it's not too late to start recruiting from within. I don't mean this out of disrespect, and I really want to stress that. I certainly do not believe we need to pull retirees out of retirement to continue the work of the GNWT. Will the Premier look at using the current GNWT workforce to create this task force?

I would love to be able to say that we will stay status quo and we will use the current workforce. That is what we were doing at the beginning of the pandemic. I would have fought back and said that was the right way to do it, except I spoke to the employees who told me they were burning out. They were working way too much overtime. They were working seven days a week. It was not sustainable. It came from their mouths, saying that the current structure, the old structure, was not sustainable.

We do not want to spend a whole bunch of money, so we are looking at -- I can't remember the number. At the beginning, all of them were redeployed, but I do know that well over half of them right now are still redeployed from departments, people who are committed to helping with the health and safety. It's not because they need extra work. It's that they believe the cause is necessary. We do have a lot who are redeployed wit*hin departments. We have new hires, as well. Sixty-six of the 150 positions are going to be outside of Yellowknife. That means 66 positions outside of Yellowknife that are actually new jobs for community members.

Mr. Speaker, we speak in this House so often about the need for jobs in small communities. This is one option. It should not be riding on the health and safety, but it is an option for people. Again, I would love to have looked at it different ways, but it is coming from the staff and the people. Now, the Indigenous governments are saying that, as well. We need to have coordination within this, and this needs to be our priority. I keep going back to when I was fighting to look at different structures. Honestly, one Grand Chief told me and it stuck in my head to this day: how much money is one life worth? Mr. Speaker, that will probably rest with me until the end of this pandemic, and I ask MLAs the same question. Mr. Speaker, to all MLAs, how much money is one life worth?

I understand the federal government's partial contribution is welcome, but I do not see the guarantees for further funding in the coming years. T7*-his may be redundant on cutting other programs and services to keep feeding this secretariat. Will the Premier commit to revamping and looking at cost-saving ways to form this task force?

Absolutely, we're looking at cost-saving ways. That's why the secretariat was formed, to get better coordination, to be able to see what we're doing, to look at ways that we can actually be more efficient, more effective in our service delivery. I would like to say, Mr. Speaker, that, of the $31 million I believe it is, around what we're looking for in this supplemental that's coming forward, I believe it's around $23 million that is already funded from the federal government. The federal government in their Speech from the Throne identified the maintaining of COVID-19 supports as a huge priority in their government. We're holding them to that.

In my last meeting with the federal government, I emphasized the needs of the North and how vulnerable we were because we don't have the health supports that we need in every single community. Prime Minister Trudeau promised me on that call, and he has followed through, that he does care about the North, and he would get in touch with us and look at the additional money that we need. We are in the process. It is just being finalized this weekend actually, that we will actually be asking for more money for the secretariat. I do take to heart that the Prime Minister does hear us and is concerned about the North.

As well, again, since we formed the secretariat, we are looking at cost-saving measures. We are meeting with the municipalities, the Indigenous governments next week, and looking at isolation centres and what we could do with that, options of how we can afford that. That's the biggest expense within the secretariat is for isolation centres, critical for smaller communities, critical for our people. If we can find ways to get that down and still provide for the health and safety, then, we shall do that.

Thank you, Madam Premier. Final supplementary. Member for Deh Cho.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi to the Premier for her actions and work moving forward. I know you state that the Prime Minister does care for the North, but all the funding to cover COVID issues does not come from the federal government alone. It has been left up to the territorial government to find funds from other programs and services to continue the secretariat. I'm just wondering the scenario that I had before. If we had taken employees from within, this would have helped our bottom line tremendously. I'm just wondering, what is the COVID secretariat hoping to accomplish or change that will see a noticeable improvement over how we're currently delivering it from within? Mahsi.