Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is my home. I was born here. I am Dene. I lived, worked, and invested in the NWT all of my life. Since the start of this 19th Legislative Assembly, I have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to deliver my response to the Commissioner's opening address, which was delivered by Commissioner Margaret Thom on February 5, 2020.
What the Commissioner outlined was a mandate of the 19th Assembly. While I may not agree with all of the priorities that were listed, there are a number of them that I do support. In addition, I will outline my priorities that I would like to see completed during the remaining three-and-a-half years of this Assembly. I will also address my thoughts on the Government of the Northwest Territories' response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, our goal as a true consensus government will only be reached if the quality of life is matched across the board for the entire territory, regardless of community, ethnicity, gender, or age.
I am going to highlight 10 priorities that I support. The first item is food security. I support Indigenous and community governments locally producing goods through greenhouses, gardens, and traditional food harvesting.
Secondly, I support increasing the availability of mental health and addiction programs for those in recovery, especially an aftercare transition house located in Fort Smith. We can no longer ignore the impact of addictions in the NWT, one of the highest in the country, and as a government, we must address this.
Thirdly, I support developing a universal childcare strategy across the NWT. Children are our future, and it is our responsibility to ensure their basic needs are provided for in every community of the Northwest Territories.
The fourth priority I support is expanding the availability of distance learning capacity in all communities of the Northwest Territories; modernizing the Education Act and funding framework; and the piloting of a classroom assistant program. It is important to continue the transition of Aurora College into a polytechnic university with a strong, impartial board, with representation from every region across the NWT. All primary and secondary students need to have access to the same level of education across the Northwest Territories and to be able to access post-secondary programs in the Northwest Territories.
The fifth priority that I support is about increasing economic diversification and employment in all communities. We need to improve upon the number of journeymen and apprentices in the small communities and regional centres, expand the knowledge economy, expand tourism in all regions of the NWT, and allow home businesses to operate in public housing units. We need to support small- and medium-sized businesses to expand all sectors of our economy wherever possible. We must be more innovative, creative, and have an open mind and neutral approach to new business ideas, so that our economy can recover and be profitable.
The sixth priority I support is about reducing red tape and easing some regulations in an effort to help small businesses. This includes strengthening procurement policies, like the Business Incentive Policy, BIP; the Northern Manufactured Products Policy; and the government's approach to public-private partnerships. Each of these areas helps to spur on economic growth and helps to retain more of the wealth that is generated here in the Northwest Territories.
The seventh priority I support is promoting local competition. There needs to be an increased awareness of Northwest Territories' contracting opportunities. We need to actively encourage Northwest Territories businesses to apply for BIP status, with a less complicated process, and develop a singular yet comprehensive website where vendors can shop online.
The eighth priority that I support is ensuring that this government collaborates with Indigenous governments to develop and implement regional mineral strategies, increase resource exploration and development, increase funding for mining incentive programs, and explore the feasibility of the exportation of liquefied natural gas. I am a firm supporter of increased resource exploration and development, as this funds our social programs and infrastructure projects.
The ninth priority I support is settling and implementing land, resource, and self-government agreements with Indigenous governments. We must settle the major outstanding and ongoing land claim negotiations that have been ongoing for many years, decades even for some. Only then will the NWT become a more attractive location to do business and gain investments.
Finally, the tenth priority I support is investing in vital infrastructure projects across the NWT. This includes:
- the Taltson Hydro Expansion;
- the Mackenzie Valley Highway;
- the Slave Geological Corridor; and
- expanding Internet services in all communities.
These major infrastructure projects have great potential to increase development and encourage economic activity for the Northwest Territories.
My Priorities for the 19th Assembly
Mr. Speaker, here is my list of my priorities I would like to see achieved for the constituents of Thebacha, the South Slave Region, and the Northwest Territories as a whole. I want to make clear that no one priority is more important than the other, so I am listing these items in no particular order.
Number one is to fix, improve, and update the Fort Smith Regional Airport. During the last Assembly, actions were taken to diminish our airport without proper consultation with the people of Fort Smith. No Indigenous leadership was consulted and neither were the businesses who were directly impacted by the government's unilateral decision. What the Government of the Northwest Territories did has resulted in a lesser, lower-quality airport than before, putting the community at risk. What needs to happen to reconcile the error that was made by the Government of the Northwest Territories and do right by the constituents of Thebacha is the following:
- a new and improved terminal to be built;
- the runway to be restored to its original width;
- all LED lights to be properly reinstalled and in working order; and
- ensure the stakeholders of the Town of Fort Smith to be properly involved and consulted during the entire process.
Number two is building a new territorial fire centre for the Northwest Territories to replace the existing fire centre in Fort Smith. It must be state-of-the-art and contain the highest degree of technology and equipment, including fibre optics, in order to be on par with national fire centres. Geographically, the South Slave is the northernmost part of the boreal forest, making us the most vulnerable to wildfires. The territorial fire centre not only serves all of the NWT, but has agreements with assisting national and international fire centres.
Number three is Aurora College and the future of the polytechnic university. Fort Smith has developed and earned the reputation of being the education centre of the Northwest Territories through staffing incredible, competent people. Aurora College is an extremely important part of the fabric of Fort Smith and has been since 1968. Over the decades, employees have come from various backgrounds and many places around the country to make Fort Smith their home. There are also employees from the North who are Aurora College graduates themselves. In addition to providing advanced education to all northern students through trades and degree programs, Aurora College continues to meet the needs and benefits of all northern communities. The economy of Fort Smith is dependent on the college, and the new polytechnic university headquarters must remain in Fort Smith.
Number four is the Taltson Hydro Expansion. This major infrastructure project has been discussed at length in the NWT for several years. It is a priority item for this Assembly. Given the economic fallout that COVID-19 has induced, the Government of the Northwest Territories must pursue this project to lay the groundwork for economic growth and ultimately reduce power rates for the people of the Northwest Territories.
Number five is the implementation of the Salt River Claim, signed June 22, 2002. It's been 18 years since the Salt River claim, yet the implementation of the claim has not occurred. The Government of the Northwest Territories is a signatory to that claim and has a responsibility to ensure the federal government follows through with this implementation. My support for the NWT Metis claim is also a priority as these are my constituents. The work to complete this claim must be honoured, supported, and done as soon as possible. Any claim that is settled always has positive effects on the entire community, economically and socially. I want to support the leaders and the people of these two claims to ensure that these agreements are completed immediately.
Number six is to have the Fort Smith Correctional Complex that houses both male and female offenders resume the rehabilitation focus. This facility had a rehabilitation component in the past. The majority of these offenders are Indigenous and are products of multi-generational impacts of residential schools. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) provided Calls to Action outlining the need for rehabilitation as a key part of correctional programming. Part of the rehabilitation process includes an educational component, and we have the unique opportunity in Fort Smith for offenders to attend Aurora College and to return to home communities with new skills and certifications.
Pandemic Response.
Mr. Speaker, now that I have outlined each of my priorities, I would like to address our government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking into consideration the global recession that this pandemic has caused, our approach in recovering from this pandemic along with our shift into regular governance must have foresight for the long-term. It's very important that our government remains committed to transparency, accountability, and oversight. We must make decisions with proper checks and balances.
As a result of the damages inflicted by this pandemic, we're now faced with the daunting task of initiating our economic recovery. We must keep moving forward and work to rebuild our stagnant economy. We must be innovative and compassionate. We must be willing to think outside of the box from how things have normally been done. We cannot only operate on policies driven by bureaucracy, and we cannot lose sight of the people we are here to serve. We must also have open minds, open hearts, and be open for change, as we were elected here to do.
I want to make something clear. For the most part, I am largely happy with how our government has handled the health response of this crisis. Our Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Kandola, took strong measures, closing our borders and restricting all travel in and out of the territory. We acted fast and it has paid off well, as the NWT had only five cases, fully recovered, and we've not had any community spread, either. These are all very good indicators of our efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to address some of the gaps in our response. First of all, given the amount of money that was spent on the new Stanton Hospital, the Northwest Territories should have been in a better position for having stockpiled supplies of essential medical goods like ventilators, N95 masks, PPE, and other vital supplies needed during this pandemic. However, it's not only the capital that needs to be well-stocked with all relevant medical supplies. Each community health centre needs to be equipped with at least one ventilator, if not more, depending on its population, along with necessary supplies.
It's also important that all regional centres continue to conduct regular medical services for people, especially in times of emergency. This has resulted in the reduction of essential medical services ranging from lab services to cancer screening. Removing these essential services only weakens communities, which is detrimental to the regional population and is not the goal of this Assembly.
Similarly, our government must stop downsizing community health centres. This is not okay. I believe this reduction of services and lack of essential equipment contribute to our lack of preparedness in response to COVID-19. You must keep in mind that, whenever the next pandemic occurs, or when a second wave of the current pandemic hits, we need to be better prepared all across the board. That means that our government, including Ministers, support staff, and senior bureaucrats, must all be open to hearing constructive criticism, and be willing to compromise and be flexible with policy directions for departments.
Another aspect of our response that I am strongly against is the dial-a-bottle for delivery. The Indigenous leaders were very much opposed to this, as were the smaller communities, which is why almost none of them are participating in it. Only the capital implemented it so far. It also directly contravenes many of the regulations that were followed at the beginning of the pandemic to decrease the impact of alcohol in our communities. That says something about us that's not pretty. Many people claim to be fighting for the well-being of the peoples of the Northwest Territories, which is good to hear, but that's just it. It's just good words to hear. We, as a government, sound more and more hypocritical when we do things that will actually bring further harm to our people, like that of dial-a-bottle.
Mr. Speaker, one other issue that I want to mention is the senior management that work under the Ministers, along with the broader Government of the Northwest Territories. It is vital that all staff remain unbiased, apolitical, and impartial at all times. We as MLAs are the ones to be giving direction, because that is what we were elected here to do. The directions come from the elected officials.
The majority of Indigenous population of the Northwest Territories live outside of Yellowknife, so, if we truly want to create a more equal future for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations, then smaller communities in regional centres cannot continue to fall by the wayside and be unheard in policy. We must be able to think clearly in all of the best interests of the Northwest Territories. That means that we must cater to the needs of people outside the capital and provide them with the same lifestyle. How are we going to do this? Our government must be proactive, not only reactive, regarding all the issues that most affect us.
Mr. Speaker, I'm standing here for the people who are not heard, for the people who don't have a voice at the table. Are we really a consensus government when a majority of all our budgetary funds go to the capital? The centralizing of a consensus-style government is to allow all people at the table to have a voice on every issue that arises. When only a small number of people in that circle are making the decisions, we are failing the people of the Northwest Territories because the people they elected to represent them are not been given the right to speak on their behalf. As I stated in the beginning of my address, my goal as a true consensus government will only be reached if the quality of life is matched across-the-board for the entire territory, regardless of community, ethnicity, gender or age.
In closing, Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to be serving the constituents of Thebacha and the amazing people of Fort Smith. I will serve to the very best of my ability, and always in the best interests of the people of Fort Smith. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
