Thank you. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The COVID-19 global pandemic has had profound effects on people around the world, including residents across the Northwest Territories. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment has been working tirelessly to adapt its programs and services to help lighten the economic, social, and emotional weights of the pandemic, and I would like to provide an update to the public about those efforts.

We recognize the essential role that licensed early learning and childcare programs have for our youngest residents and their families. As a result, ECE has continued to flow existing funding for licensed programs to daycares and day homes, regardless of whether they have chosen to close or remain open, since the start of the pandemic. In addition, ECE helped coordinate with the NWT health authorities to match parents working within the healthcare system with childcare as well as coordinating an online list of open licensed early learning and childcare programs throughout the NWT.

To provide further support during this challenging time, we responded with an additional $5.1 million in temporary subsidies, including a 33 percent subsidy for parents who are essential workers and an additional wage top-up of up to $1,000 a month for childcare staff or family day home operators providing care during the pandemic.

Mr. Speaker, ECE continues to work closely with licensed early learning and childcare programs to pass on regular information updates from the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer, including best practices for early learning and childcare, to ensure programs that are open remain operational and ones that have closed are able to reopen quickly.

In our junior kindergarten to grade 12 education system, significant efforts have been made by educational staff, students, parents, and guardians to accommodate the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation. On March 24, 2020, based on my recommendation and the initial recommendations from the CPHO, all elected NWT education leaders made the decision to keep schools closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year and to proceed with plans focused on a distance-education approach for the continuity of learning for all junior kindergarten to grade 12 students.

On March 30, 2020, we released the NWT Education Bulletin, which set the framework for continued learning. Since releasing the NWT Education Bulletin, ECE has provided additional support to teachers on all aspects of at-home learning, including providing distance supports for students with complex needs, course completion processes for high school students, and at-home Indigenous language learning, amongst others.

ECE is providing guidance to support Indigenous language instructors during the COVID-19 pandemic as part of our ongoing support for continued learning. Some language instructors have been collaborating with other-subject teachers to incorporate language into their units, and many schools are using social media and school websites to promote and teach language and culture during school closures.

Mr. Speaker, on May 12, 2020, the Emerging Wisely plan was released, which contained a recommendation for the reopening of schools. On May 13, 2020, education leaders, with my support, decided that the challenges faced by schools due to the pandemic would make it impossible to reopen now and that the focus needed to be on planning for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year. The Department of ECE continues to work closely with education bodies and the NWT Teachers' Association on continued learning for all NWT students for the 2019-2020 school year and on planning for the fall.

Mr. Speaker, for grade 12 students who have worked so hard towards graduating and planning their next steps for them, career and education advisors are reaching out to students by telephone, email, and video conferencing to ensure they are aware of the supports available to them. These advisors will continue to offer their support to all interested grade 12 students from now until September, to support those dreams of where their adult lives would take them. I send my congratulations to all NWT high school graduates. You have worked hard, and you made it.

For post-secondary students accessing student financial assistance, their funding continued for the remainder of their winter semester, and for those repaying loans, we deferred all payments to the end of September 2020, with no interest accrued during this time period. Student case officers also reached out to every single student receiving student financial assistance to ensure they had information on how to return home safely, including contacts for travel agencies, information about self-isolation requirements, the self-isolation plan, and the orders of the Chief Public Health Officer. For students who will not have the opportunity to work to repay loans or save, the Student Financial Assistance program provided information on accessing income support and federal benefits.

Mr. Speaker, to ensure the most vulnerable residents have enhanced supports for themselves and their families, the Income Assistance program made a number of temporary changes beginning in March.

• We provided a one-time emergency allowance for income assistance clients registered in March. Individuals received $500 and families received $1,000 in order to ensure they could purchase the necessary supplies to self-isolate for two weeks, if necessary, and to encourage physical distancing.
• Monetary donations, such as gifts from friends, family, benevolent organizations, or Indigenous governments intended to provide support during the pandemic have been exempted from the calculation of income assistance benefits, through the end of June. We also made the decision to exempt the one-time Special GST credit for low and modest income residents, the one-time special old age security and guaranteed income supplement payments for seniors, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, and the Canada Emergency Student Benefit for students.
• Administrative processes were streamlined to focus on quick responses and turnarounds for clients, including payrolling all clients through the end of June so that they do not have to report each month.
• The "productive choice" reporting requirement was also removed, and all clients were directed to engage in only one productive choice: taking care of themselves and their families.
• Finally, all clients were automatically assessed for both basic and enhanced needs.

Seniors receiving the Senior Home Heating Subsidy received a modest increase to their benefit beginning in April 2020 and automatically had their applications renewed for the 2020-2021 year to allow them to maintain physical distancing.

Mr. Speaker, labour development and standards programs and services at the department include the labour market programs; apprenticeship, trades and occupation certification; employment standards; and the NWT Nominee Program. These programs provide a range of financial supports to students, apprentices, employees, employers, communities, and organizations. Clients have been advised that funding will continue as planned until the end of their programs, tuition refunds would be provided as required, training costs reimbursed, and funding for community and organization training and employment projects would continue.

In the areas of culture and heritage, Mr. Speaker, the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre and NWT Archives closed to the public on March 16, 2020, due to the serious health concerns posed by COVID-19. Focus was placed on ensuring the public was aware of the museum's extensive virtual exhibits and online resources. Staff worked hard to ensure delays in funding to NWT artists have been minimal and that accommodations are in place for arts projects impacted by the pandemic, and archaeological permitting and land reviews have continued with minor delays. Phase 1 of emerging wisely recommends museums and art galleries reopen. While reduced hours and reduced public programming are expected, the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre is gearing up to open its doors to the public before the end of the month.

The Francophone Affairs Secretariat worked quickly to streamline services available to our francophone population. Services TNO positioned itself as a hub for all non-health-related information for our French-speaking residents and provided them with a single point of contact for all requests. The secretariat also provided 24/7 translation services to ensure that our francophone residents had timely access to the vital information being shared by the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer, the Department of Health and Social Services, and every other GNWT department involved in the COVID-19 response.

I want to thank the staff of ECE and the NWT education authorities for their incredible work in adapting to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. The situation created by the pandemic has been unprecedented and so has the response from our staff. I want to personally thank them for all their efforts and hard work.

Mr. Speaker, everything we have responded with over the last few months has come about through an imperative to support Northerners, to make sure all Northerners had answers to their questions quickly, and critical programs were modified to meet their needs. As we move to adapt our programs further, the residents and communities of the territory are our primary concern, and we commit to continuing to provide the supports and services residents need during this difficult time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Northwest Territories is home to approximately 45,000 people, with just over half of the population being Indigenous. The other half of the population consists of people who come from elsewhere.

For thousands of years, the Indigenous people of what is now the NWT governed themselves. Indigenous people possessed governmental jurisdiction over lands, including property rights. European settlement, colonization, and commercial interests resulted in the erosion of those rights. Fortunately, those rights were never extinguished, and yet today the Indigenous people are forced to negotiate for much less. This injustice has to be corrected, and it requires this government's support.

Mr. Speaker, the point I want to make is that, prior to contact, Indigenous people survived in the harshest of conditions and governed themselves. It was only after European contact did the tide turn, when the government of the day decided they would make the lives of our ancestors better. In reality, the eradication of a people and a history was nearly realized. A way of life was almost lost, children were scooped up, languages were beaten out of those in residential schools, and communities were relocated for various reasons, all to the detriment of those whom Canada and this government had promised to protect.

Today, many Indigenous people are living in poverty, living with addictions, finding themselves homeless, are being incarcerated at elevated rates, losing their children to the system, looked at as government freeloaders, passed over for employment and procurement opportunities, and being beaten down at every turn. Life is not getting better.

Mr. Speaker, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms allows for special consideration of disadvantaged individuals or groups. Based on that, this government has adopted policies that give priority to Indigenous peoples of the NWT. However, it does not go far enough. We need to extend that same preference to our procurement policies, to our healthcare and housing system, to our education system, and to ensure Indigenous people are treated fairly and provided every opportunity. It is imperative we start to fulfill the promises that others have neglected to do.

Mr. Speaker, when I look around this Chamber, I know all of the Members consider the NWT home, but, when I look deeper, I see those who look at the NWT as more. It is their history; it is their way of life; it is the place their ancestors are buried; and knowing that, one day, it will become their legacy to their children and future generations. Thank you Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I want to talk about my leadership in my riding of Nunakput over the past COVID-19, the 40 days that we went through as a leadership in our communities. It has created unprecedented challenges to our government and the people across Nunakput. Our remote communities fear the community spread of the virus is limited to our medical support made the challenge for COVID-19 even more daunting in our riding. Today, I would like to acknowledge the leadership of my work to keep my community safe for my leadership.

I want to acknowledge the hard work of the following mayors and their hamlet councillors, Mr. Speaker. Mayor Erwin Elias, Tuktoyaktuk mayor, thank you for all the hard work you have done. Ulukhaktok Mayor Laverna Klengenberg, Paulatuk Mayor Ray Ruben, Sachs Harbour Mayor Norman Anikina, you did a lot of hours and a lot of concern for the people, and you really showed awesome leadership during this pandemic. The pandemic is still on, also. I also want to acknowledge the community corporations, the chairs in our government, and our federal government for helping assist people to get through this pandemic and providing food and the extra funds they were getting through the federal government and through our ECE. Thank you very much. These leaders have kept the level of hardship during this crisis, the recommendation to the Chief Public Health Officer and so on.

So far, we have been fortunate. We have stopped COVID-19 in our communities, and we have to keep making sure that we stay vigilant in regard to this, Mr. Speaker. I want to remind the people in my riding that we are still in the midst of a pandemic. Do not let our guards down because round two is coming. Governments across Canada are bracing for a possible second wave for COVID-19. We are washing our hands, practising social distancing, being careful to prevent the spread of this virus, and watching for upcoming weeks, what that brings us. I want to extend my thoughts to my elders. Thank you for your guidance and wisdom on the impacts of COVID-19. This made life difficult for our elders, and they are not alone. I want to let them know that. Thank you to the family members who did watchcare for our elders. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.

---Unanimous consent granted

Again, I want to thank the family members who took watchcare over our elders during this pandemic. I am here for the people of Nunakput, and I encourage you to keep reaching out to me so I can bring your issues and concerns to our government and so we all work together and get through this pandemic. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Members' statements. Member for Thebacha.

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would like to reflect on the actions of last week in which there was a motion put to the floor of the House to remove the Cabinet Minister. While I am six months into my term as a rookie MLA and still learning the ropes as to procedures in the House, procedures for committee meetings, procedures for dealing with Cabinet Ministers, and a host of other procedures, policies, regulations, and legislative acts, Mr. Speaker, of course I am not new to the political arena, having served terms on local government counsels, the Dene Band, and hamlet councils, but nothing can prepare you for life in the big House. This arena has one collaborating with colleagues from all the regions of the Northwest Territories on a host of issues affecting their respective ridings. One thing is for sure: we even agree to disagree. At times, frustrations and anger take the place of common sense. Perhaps it's the pressure of knowing that the whole of the Northwest Territories is watching our every move. Are we going to be rock stars and solve all our territorial problems overnight? Or, failing that, perhaps we can take it out on a Minister or two, or three, or four.

I shared with my colleagues an event in my past life while attending the Deh Cho First Nations assemblies during the summers. At the beginning of the assemblies, there's a fire feeding ceremony. The significance of the fire feeding ceremony is the release of unhappy memories, fears, negative emotions, anger, and anything that you are holding onto that doesn't serve you well. Fire also keeps you warm. The event that I recall is an elderly Dene woman speaking before feeding the fire to tell all the leaders that they should not fight amongst each other. "You have work to do for your people." Those are powerful words spoken by an elderly Dene woman, especially in that setting, the fire feeding ceremony. Perhaps we need to adopt more of the Dene culture and traditional practices here in the territory.

Mr. Speaker, I spoke to two Dene women who broke the glass ceiling effect in their bids for top leadership positions. They both do not have an easy ride in their roles but are strong in their convictions and will not be bullied. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Mahsi.

---Unanimous consent granted

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, and mahsi, colleagues. Having told my story to my colleagues and the fact that this Assembly is the first in Canada to have a gender-balanced government, and the fact that we now have more women in Cabinet positions, and the fact that they are working tirelessly, I stated I do not support the motion to remove the Cabinet Minister.

Mr. Speaker, I apologize to the House for the disruption caused by the past week's activities. The harm this has caused the Members on the other side of the House. I truly look forward to getting down to business and the deliberations for the benefit of all the residents of the Northwest Territories. Mahsi.

Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Members' statements. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the past few weeks, throughout Canada, we have watched our seniors' homes be the hardest hit by the pandemic. The number of deaths and the truths about the care that they have received in private seniors' homes is heartbreaking and should not happen in a country like Canada.

I am grateful that the Northwest Territories cares for our elders and puts their health at a high priority when they are in one of our long-term care facilities or living at home. When the NWT began to make decisions to protect our residents, they took into account our elders and our most vulnerable. They closed visiting to long-term care facilities and they limited travel to the small communities to decrease the risks. They found ways with technology to connect them with their families, and I want to thank the health authorities for that.

Mr. Speaker, one area that we seem not to be able to put a high priority on is having translators in our long-term care facilities. Some of our elders who have to live in long-term care, English is not their first language. In Inuvik, we have elders from all over the Beaufort-Delta and the Sahtu living there. We have amazing staff and programming there, but what they are missing is translators. Some of our residents have dementia, and family members often report their loved ones with dementia sometimes live in the past, even reverting back to their first languages. What I have been told by family members, as well, is that, when their family members are upset and confused, it is someone who can speak to them in their first language who can usually calm them. However, it's not just dementia patients; it's all patients who come into our hospitals. They should have the opportunity to have someone speak to them in their first language. We have 11 official languages in the Northwest Territories, and we need to give them that same level of respect as we do the French language, not because it's law, but because it's the right thing to do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I'll have questions for the Minister of Health.

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Members' statements. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today, I want to speak a bit about the COVID economic situation in the territories that is affecting the entire country. There is no doubt that a lot of businesses, large and small, have been taking a huge hit financially. Unfortunately, it is very likely that we will see some of these companies go under as a result, and a lot of jobs, too, with it.

Mr. Speaker, most economic experts are saying that this recession is actually worse than the 2008-2009 great recession that we endured 12 years ago. COVID-19 has induced a global economic recession that we have not seen since the Great Depression in the 1930s. This is concerning, and I believe that this government needs to take proactive steps to address this issue. On that note, I'm going to go back 90 years, as I mentioned, about the Great Depression and a tool that the United States used to dig themselves out of that Great Depression, and that was the New Deal. During that time, President Roosevelt enacted a number of economic reforms. He took reform measures in areas of agriculture, reforestation, infrastructure, housing, finance, and labour, and a lot of those infrastructure projects are still in existence today, in terms of highways, bridges, dams, and that sort of thing.

Mr. Speaker, how is this relevant to our situation now? Right now, our economy is very interdependent on the mining sector. They create a lot of jobs directly through their mining operations, and indirectly through contractors and subcontractors. Theoretically speaking, if all our mining operations were to cease right now, a figure that I dug up was the unemployment rate would be 37.5 percent. That's shocking. It's a startling figure. I also want to mention that such a cease of operations would affect contractors such as the De'ton Cho Corporation in my riding, and the Denesoline Corporation.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, what can the GNWT do if faced with such a crisis? I believe we can turn to history and enact our own version of the New Deal by creating employment through investments in our infrastructure, reforestation, and housing. It's something to think about. Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. The Support for Entrepreneurs and Economic Development, or SEED, program is promoted as "one part of the Government of the Northwest Territories' ongoing investment in a diverse, sustainable economy." This is obviously increasingly important as we move towards economic recovery from the pandemic.

The Assembly passed an interim budget that included the first quarter of operational funds for each department on March 16. Some departments also received all of their grants and contributions funding, including Industry, Tourism and Investment. This was done in anticipation of the economic downturn and to ensure that the GNWT could quickly respond with financial assistance, including the SEED program.

A constituent complained to me about a response received from ITI on March 24 regarding his SEED application. "ITI is working with other departments to develop a coordinated response to the COVID situation. Until that response is finalized, we have been instructed that we will not be accepting any new applications to SEED for the 2020-2021 fiscal year."

My constituent did not receive any further communication from ITI on the availability of SEED funding for 2020-2021 by April 22, so I contacted the Minister for an explanation. Six days later, the Minister replied that guidelines would be completed within a week to ensure coordination of SEED with federal programs and a focus on COVID-related recovery. I replied immediately saying there was nothing on the ITI website to inform SEED applicants of this delay or on the amounts of funding for each of the eight SEED streams. After eight more days, the Minister responded to say that there was no firm budget for each SEED stream, and that the applications would be handled at the regional level. The guidelines were supposed to be forthcoming within a couple of days.

The much anticipated guidelines were finally released on May 11, eight weeks after MLAs approved the ITI budget. It's not clear why it took so long, too long, to open up the application process and develop a one-page, seven-principle guideline for funding approval. I'll have questions later today on why the SEED funding was delayed as this is clearly not how we wish to be approaching economic assistance and recovery. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The weather was lovely here in the North Slave this weekend so some people decided to go camping. I saw campers in sandy spots at the end of short bush roads all along the Ingraham Trail, and I heard there was a big group of 20 trailers by the Cameron River Bridge. Mr. Speaker, this would normally be a good news story: Northerners get out camping in nice weather, but these campers are not in campgrounds. I wonder where their sewage is going, where their garbage is going, what they are using for fire pits. These are important questions if we want to keep the off-road areas free from the unwanted human footprint.

Further, Mr. Speaker, we don't want bears interacting with humans. The bears have recently emerged from hibernation, and they are looking for food. I saw one last week near the Prosperous Lake boat launch. A camper who is not careful with food storage and garbage could have some unwanted company, and a fed bear is a dead bear. As well, Mr. Speaker, having fires outside of fire pits isn't a good idea, especially at this time of year. The ground, until today, was dry, and the trees haven't leafed out yet. The deep lakes are still frozen and inaccessible to water bombers. I'm sure campers are being careful, but fire pits are the better option.

Then, there's the need for physical distancing. It's unlikely that 20 campers clustered together are following the social-distancing guidelines or complying with orders to keep outside gatherings to 25 people or fewer. In fact, those guidelines aren't being followed at all in the day-use area. There was the better part of 100 people at the Yellowknife River day-use area on Saturday. Mr. Speaker, all of these risks could be mitigated if the campgrounds were open. We have beautiful campgrounds with all the amenities and sites spaced well apart. What we need to do now is open them before freelance campers create unintended problems. I will have questions for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.

Mr. Speaker, I woke up mid-day to my husband standing over me. He took a deep breath and bravely said, "I can't do this anymore." After an awful pregnancy, we welcomed our third child. For his first eight months, he cried and never slept. Yes, eventually, our baby stopped crying and started to sleep, but I did not. Daytime became the hunting ground of my self-care, and nights became the slaughterhouse of my self-compassion. Mr. Speaker, I love my children, and I'm a good mom. Having a third child felt like being capsized at sea, gasping for air, and then, being passed a screaming and told, "Hold this." I felt shame. I felt unworthy, and I felt defeated. I had evolved into a dark, empty shell of a human being. I was numb. I was debilitated by self-judgment and frozen by stigma. I denied myself a label that came with a solution because somehow it meant I wasn't a good mother, an honest business owner, or a valued community member.

I built a business around my happy family, selling people visual promises of their happy families. I mislabelled my emotional imagery at the happy imagery, and in my mind, admitting I wasn't happy violated the integrity of what I had built. That day as I lay in bed, my husband told me he couldn't watch me fade away. I had no fight left, but luckily, he did. That was the start of my self-care and compassion journey. I accepted a label of post-partum depression and a journey that included rewriting my definition of self-care from something as small as showering every day to as big as simplifying my support system.

If you have not yet battled your own brain, you know someone who has. According to the World Health Organization, depression is the leading cause of sickness and disability globally, yet there is still a cloak of silence that wraps itself around mental health because we feel warmer that way. Stigma becomes the monster of mental health that bullies us into silence, and silence is killing us. Today, as we battle COVID, we need to make sure people have the resources to stop battling themselves. We need to take off the disingenuous warmth that silence only temporarily offers. We need to get uncomfortable before we can get comfortable. Until this moment, I could count on one hand, the number of people who have heard my story. There is an underlying stigma of weakness associated with mental health, but having and sharing emotion is not weakness. I am not weak, and neither are those of you that are listening. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we head into what is likely to be a very large, global recession, I believe it is time for the Northwest Territories to double down in diversifying its economy and building a knowledge economy. I think one of the best ways we can do this is to continue forward in our path to create a polytechnic university; a polytechnic university that will meet our increasing skilled labour demands, which will allow industries in the North to build skills and experience to eventually compete for contracts, not just here in the NWT but across Canada and the world. Mr. Speaker, I want to see a university with northern, southern, and foreign students all coming here to learn together. I believe, in the past, there have been many northern economy success stories, but where we often see as northern businesses who get too successful, grow too large, and they pack up and move their headquarters. We need to break that cycle.

Mr. Speaker, I don't want the diversification of the economy debate to be an anti-mining debate. I think that is a false dichotomy, and we must build upon what we have. We are about to spend a billion dollars on Giant Mine remediation. I believe we have to build the skills to make sure that we get every dollar out of that contract. Mr. Speaker, we are leaders in geoscience. We are leaders in mining logistics, ice road building, and so many of these knowledge economy skills that we can build from the resource sector, Mr. Speaker. These are all things we can and should teach in our new polytechnic.

Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt we are government economy, and as the recession comes, this is, in fact, a good thing for us, to have a stable flow of government money into our economy. I have no issues with this, but every single dollar we invest must grow our economy to be more diverse and more resilient, such that in further economic downturns, all of our companies can find alternative means to succeed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment to make sure our plan to establish a polytechnic university is still on track.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.

Masi, Mr. Speaker. There is no place in the NWT more vulnerable to COVID-19 than our long-term care and seniors' homes. To illustrate, Mr. Speaker, in Canada, these homes account for an incredible 80 percent of all COVID-related deaths. That equals more than 3,000 deaths in Quebec; and in the case in Ontario, more than 1,500. That's as of May 20, 2020. Mr. Speaker, this raises critical concerns about the ability of our seniors to cope with an outbreak of COVID-19 in our territory. At the appropriate time, Mr. Speaker, I will ask questions of the Minister of Health and Social Services regarding the precautions of our seniors' homes have taken against the threat of COVID-19. Masi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take this time to express my deepest condolences to the family of Ms. Judy Lafferty who had passed away peacefully Sunday morning in Fort Good Hope. She was surrounded by her loved ones. Ms. Lafferty is well-known across the Northwest Territories for her exquisite, very well-detailed handcrafted art, sewing, and traditional practices, and delicately preparing flawless moose hide, providing tanning workshops throughout the Northwest Territories.

Ms. Lafferty's art is well-designed. Her moose hide jackets, slippers, bead work were bought across Canada and throughout the Northwest Territories. Attending fashion symposiums, and also displaying her talent in New Mexico where she shared her talent, her traditional knowledge, and language with the Navaho Nation. Ms. Lafferty is a national treasure. It is saddening, and it is a huge loss to the women of the arts for the Northwest Territories. Ms. Lafferty proudly displayed her unique designs representing the Northwest Territories at the recent Arctic Winter Games set up for arts and crafts in March of this year. Ms. Lafferty mentored several women, passing on her traditional knowledge and skills to empower Indigenous women throughout the Northwest Territories to rebuild their skills and provide the importance of guidance to empower each other.

With her kind heart and deep compassion for people and willingness to see the good in everyone, her passing will have a significant impact on our traditional arts and culture for the Northwest Territories. Today, I want to acknowledge Ms. Judy Lafferty's family, friends, and the community of Fort Good Hope, include my constituents of the Sahtu region, in her legacy, contributions through arts and crafts and leadership throughout the Northwest Territories. Thoughts and prayers are sent to the family. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Sahtu. Our thoughts are prayers are with the family and the community. Mahsi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the indirect impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic has been on people's mental health. Today, I want to speak to the fact that it can take strength, courage, and sometimes both to seek help for illnesses that may not have obvious physical symptoms.

Eight years ago, when my daughter was born, I experienced postpartum depression. It has taken me years to even be able to say those words, postpartum depression, and it still makes me uncomfortable. At first, I insisted that my behaviour and feelings were from a lack of sleep, but as weeks turned into months, I slept less and less until I was unable to sleep at all. I became increasingly irritable, distant, and angry. Always seeing myself as a problem-solver for others, I insisted that I could think my way out of this. I read every book there was about infant sleep and, still running my own law practice, threw myself back into work. I tried to rationalize my behaviours away, and I continued to blame myself for what I was feeling or, some days, not feeling.

My spouse finally put a label on what was happening and insisted that I speak to a professional. At first, that label made me angry, but ultimately, this is what gave me permission that it was okay for me to not be okay. I came to accept that it was not my fault that I was experiencing a mental illness, that I had not failed, and that I deserved help from others. That's a hard list of acceptance for many of us, Mr. Speaker, particularly when we prize characteristics such as strength, problem-solving, and independence, and it is hard to admit when the thing that defines you can, in fact, be holding you back from getting help.

Over the last several months, the world has been through rolling shutdowns as we've watched COVID-19 march across countries and decimate healthcare systems. It is okay to not feel okay throughout this, or with the impacts that this is having on individual lives and communities. Mental health wellness resources are not just there for someone else; they are there for everyone. Do not let a misperception about what mental illness is make you hesitate about whether your feelings warrant checking out the available resources. For those who work for any level of government, Mr. Speaker, there is a good chance there are some great resources out there in the human resources systems. Many large private corporations have mental health and wellness services, and the GNWT has a variety of programs available for all different kinds of mental health support. If someone stops for even a moment to wonder whether they should check into these options, I sincerely hope that they do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife South. Members' statements. Item 4, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 5, returns to oral questions. Item 6, acknowledgements. Sorry, we didn't have notice for acknowledgements, so we'll do that tomorrow. Item 7, oral questions. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will direct the questions to the Minister of Finance, and possibly the Premier. As this government was initially put in place to govern the territory and support the Aboriginal inhabitants, I am curious as to the amount of funding on a per-capita basis spent directly on Aboriginal people through the various departments and also the total amounts in labour directed at Indigenous government employees. The first question I have is: can the Minister confirm what amount this government will receive in revenue for the fiscal year 2020-2021 from Canada through territorial financing and other revenue sources? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wasn't actually sure if the question is simply the total revenues, which, of course, is $2.1 billion; but alternatively, if we're looking to remove from that general revenues of non-renewable resource revenue at $33 million and the tax revenue of $277,000, then that would leave the remaining amounts, which is the amount that we get from Canada, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Yes, the total amount is good. Can the Minister confirm the total estimated expenditures for all departments for the year 2020-2021? She can either break them down by department, or she can give me the total.

For reference, I am looking at the summary of operations expenditures page, which is in the main estimates binders, and that does have a breakdown by department and also by expenditure category, showing a grand total of expenditures of $1,895,865.

Of those amounts for each department, what amount by department goes directly to support or care for Aboriginal people in the NWT? I am looking for a number, a per-capita number, I guess it is. The reason for this is that I want to know what we're doing with the money that is coming in from all sources, and how much is actually going to assist or to support Aboriginal people in the Northwest Territories.

I suppose one answer is that every dollar spent, to a degree, supports the Indigenous people in the Northwest Territories insofar as it provides the day-to-day functioning, programs, and services of the Government of the Northwest Territories that help all of the residents of the Northwest Territories, including Indigenous people. To the extent of breaking it down per capita or by demographic, certain programs and services, certainly, I will make an effort to go back and see which programs and services are targeted specifically to Indigenous groups in the Northwest Territories, but as far as breaking down program by program, again, so many of them are so intertwined that that would be an impossible task. I won't be able to do that to the extent that I gather the Member is actually seeking here.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that answer, and I would still like to see some numbers. I don't want it to the penny. I just want a general number. The reason why is that we do have people who come up from the South to support what this government is doing with respect to Aboriginal people. At the same time, they bring family members down, and they're taking beds away, possibly, from Aboriginal residents, say in extended care, or whatever. I guess I just want to know what's going on. In saying that, it seems that we just continue on, and I want to know from the Premier or the Minister if it's going to be business as usual. Are we going to really direct some of our energy towards making sure that Aboriginal and Indigenous issues are dealt with in a timely manner, and that we are actually providing support for them, and that we are actually receiving the funding that we require from the federal government and other sources to make sure that we are addressing their concerns? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, this seems to be a whole-of-government response. I think, perhaps, it is appropriate that I turn it over to the Premier.

Thank you. Honourable Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are a couple of things. It definitely isn't going to be business as usual as the last Legislative Assembly. I mean, we don't even have the same Cabinet here, so it couldn't be business as usual, Mr. Speaker. However, I heard the question, and it's an interesting question. When he asked about breaking it down by department, it would be almost impossible, Mr. Speaker, because it would be identifying, as well, how many Indigenous people are in public housing, how many Indigenous people are taking post-secondary education, how many identified at post-secondary education. I'm not even sure that my own children, who are Metis, identified as Metis when they applied for post-secondary. Those are questions that are out there. It is a lot easier if you say "how many Indigenous people are hired in the government"; that we have statistics for, and I watched that very closely over the last Assembly, as well.

Hopefully, it won't be businesses as usual. I know that, in the last Assembly, when I was watching around HR, human resources, hiring for the GNWT, I was adamant about the number. In all honesty, I was the Minister of Status of Women; I was advocating about how many Indigenous women. One thing that I never got to is how many are in management positions. Hopefully, that is something that we will be looking at. I know I am a strong advocate. I know my Cabinet are strong advocates. We will be looking at that as we go forward.

The best answer is: do we have enough money for Indigenous governments? Absolutely not. We don't have enough money, Mr. Speaker, for this government. Land claims and self-government agreements, those are the answers for Indigenous people. The more that we can get those through, not pushing them through, but work them through, actually will give the power to the Indigenous governments, and therefore, Mr. Speaker, we will have a huge impact on Indigenous people. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Honourable Premier. Oral questions. Member for Monfwi.

Masi, Mr. Speaker. No one is more vulnerable to COVID-19 than elders living in long-term care and seniors' homes. COVID facilities in these homes have become a national scandal. In light of the alarming death rate in such homes, I have a number of questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. The first question I have is: what special COVID-related training have staff at the territorial long-term care and seniors' homes received in anticipation of a possible outbreak of the virus in our territory? Masi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On March 12^th, we began implementing preventative measures several days before we had an active case. We did things like prohibiting visitors, stopping day programs, using social distancing, screening staff before and at the end of their shifts, wearing masks continuously, cleaning common high-touch areas, following 14-day isolation protocols. These are all some of the preventative steps we have taken in preparation for this pandemic. Staff are all trained. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

In light of the documented danger of long-distance airborne transmission, what consideration has the government given to retrofitting the territorial seniors' homes? I am referring to the virus-scrubbing systems of the type being integrated into the hospital's HVAC system.

I am not sure the specific details on the question, so I can get back to the Member.

My third question, obviously, is at the systemic level. What is the Minister doing to improve entry-level training standards and staff retention at our elders' care facilities? What steps have been taken so far, to date?

I am not aware of what exact measures have taken place. However, I do want to let the Member know that we don't anticipate easing any of our current preventative practices right now in the long-term care centres. We are just going to continue with some of the processes that we have been doing.

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

Masi, Mr. Speaker. I may have to do a written question because I need more information pertaining to this. These are questions that have been asked by the seniors and family members in my community. The next question I have is in follow-up to my last question, Mr. Speaker: what systemic steps is the Minister taking pertaining to another very vulnerable segment of our population? I am referring to those disabled adults residing in group homes and other residential support programs, Mr. Speaker. Masi.

I heard the Member say that he would be willing to share some of his questions and send it over to me. We can respond as a department. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Health. Is the health authority actively looking at hiring translators in the hospital in Inuvik? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Right now, in Inuvik, the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority in the Beaufort-Delta region is actively recruiting for a Regional Indigenous Wellness Coordinator. This position will lead the incorporation of Indigenous languages into programming and service delivery. Thank you.

That's the first I have heard of that; I am starting to hear some good news. Will the health authority find ways to work with our Indigenous groups to have translators, in the meantime, in our hospitals and long-term care?

The idea of the Regional Indigenous Wellness Coordinator is to be able to work with stakeholders, residents, and staff to determine what are some appropriate means to support languages and also have translators in our centres.

One last question for the Minister: will she commit to having her department resolving this issue immediately, at least for the residents who are in our long-term care now?

The Inuvik Regional Hospital and the long-term care in the Beaufort-Delta will work with current healthcare practitioners who are able to speak additional languages. Currently in the hospital, in the Beaufort-Delta, we have a list of translators who can be called upon for translation services when required. We also have access to interpreter translator from Ulukhaktok via FaceTime and phone. We do have some of these services that are available, and I hear what the Member is asking to commit to. Right now, our department is committing to this position. Once we get the position, we can start to roll out how we continue to work with Indigenous groups.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, my statement was on leadership in regard to the mayors in the communities of my riding. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to know from the Minister of MACA: what are we doing in regard to our weekly meetings with our mayors and chiefs across the territory? Is that still happening? The information is flowing on COVID-19 and the pandemic moving forward on the potential round two of COVID? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We were meeting since March, the beginning of March, when COVID-19 first hit us. We were meeting weekly with both the municipal governments and the Indigenous governments every Friday, in fact. When the session started a week ago, two weeks ago, we asked them if they would take a break for session and meet with the officials because of course I will be in session. They were going to take a break, but, Mr. Speaker, I just saw an email come through my desk that they are actually having a meeting this Friday, as well. My understanding is that the mayors and the Indigenous governments will continue meeting with officials until session is over, at which time they will reinstate meeting with me.

No, that is good to hear. Things move forward without even us being there, so that is a good thing. It shows true leadership in our territory. What is our Minister looking at our emergency plans now, on the go-forward with this pandemic? I know that this is all new to us. We had everything but pandemic in our emergency plans. I want to know and make sure that the Minister is making sure that we go forward with all of our communities, all 33 communities, with an emergency plan with a pandemic stage on an upcoming pandemic in regard to, I said, COVID-19 second go-around, so making sure of the safety of our communities.

Some work has been done with the municipalities. Some work needs to be done. When COVID-19 first hit us, we focused on the immediate needs, making sure that people understand the orders and how to address the orders. That was our main focus, but as we move forward, we realize that even in the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, when we did our emergency management plans for each community, they did not include a pandemic. They talked about forest fires, and they talked about flooding. Absolutely, that work is going to have to be done for 33 communities, and it has to be done for us as a Government of the Northwest Territories. That is work that goes forward. The other thing that is huge for municipalities right now is we are still advocating with the federal government to see what relief they will come through. We have been compiling the costs for the municipal governments. However, the Canadian association of municipalities actually sent a request to the federal government, asking I don't know the amount of money, but it was billions of dollars, for all municipalities. We are advocating, lobbying for that money, and watchful to see what comes out of that.

I thank the Minister for that. In regard to our communities I represent, I have one on the highway and I have three with airline services. It has been a tough 40 days in regard on the go-forward. Working with our first 10 days of working with my mayors, that was non-stop and long days. The essential travel part, now, for our communities, to keep peace of mind for our elders in our communities, where does that fit in regard to essential travel? Are we making sure that the communities of Sachs Harbour, Ulukhaktok, and Paulatuk for essential travel, has that been the criteria yet with COVID-19, or did that loosen up in regard to that?

If I am on the wrong track, the Member can meet with me after and correct me, but I am thinking he is asking about essential travel as to workers going into the communities. That is the same as it was when COVID-19 first hit. The only people who are into the Northwest Territories are the essential workers, from out of the community. However, we do allow people from the Northwest Territories to still leave the territories, go South, as long as they have a self-isolation plan when they return. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No. Thank you, Minister. That was what I wanted to hear in regard to action plan. Now, that being said, for those three communities that are fly-in, for my home community of Tuktoyaktuk in regard to the check stops that we had in our communities, is this government going to support my community of Tuktoyaktuk in regards to helping them pay, or is the federal government COVID-19 going to pay the funds that was expended in regard to a check stop, when it put people's minds at ease and it calmed everybody down? I am hoping this government will support that in paying that bill for the community of Tuktoyaktuk. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

At this point, we have not been paying for any of the check stops that have happened in communities. We do have border patrols. We do have EMO that is on it, the enforcement and task force that are on it already. These are extra precautions that the communities, some communities, have taken upon themselves. At first, we were concerned about the health and safety of not only the people who were patrolling the check stops but also the people going through. We have not condoned the action, but we have not taken it down. I do know that we have given money to Indigenous governments. They can use that money as they wish for COVID-19, and I do know that the municipalities are seeking federal money. We are also getting them to compile their expenses. However, at this time, until we figure out what is happening with the federal government around municipal funding, we have not put any resources into municipalities, only on the Indigenous government side. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Mental health experts have cautioned that the fear of COVID, mounting death toll, economic downturn, and uncertainty is fueling a mental health crisis. What I would like to know is: how has the Department of Health and Social Services changed mental healthcare through COVID?

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Community Counselling Program continues to be available in the Northwest Territories, including locations here in Yellowknife, but during this pandemic counselling services have changed. We are now providing these services through telephone or by using virtual options like Zoom and FaceTime. I do want to note that wait times for counselling across our system have been eliminated, and residents can access same-day appointments. In addition, the federal government is also providing virtual options for all Canadians. The Wellness Together Canada is a free online portal with a variety of e-mental health apps focused on things like anxiety, depression, and stress, so the health and social services system is working to promote these options to the residents of the Northwest Territories so that they can have more options that are easily accessible from home through this pandemic.

While I appreciate the Department of Health and Social Services looking for new ways to provide mental healthcare to Northerners, the reality is that not every single person has access to using apps or video conferencing for mental health appointments. Many residents of the Northwest Territories simply do not have the minutes on cellphones to be able to access telehealth. What I would like to know is: will the Department of Health and Social Services still provide in-person counselling to people who simply cannot access these supports?

The Community Counselling Program has shifted. I understand the Member's concern about not being able to have the one-on-one. However, there are times when individuals may need to be seen by a health professional in person, so these are situations that we assess on a case-by-case basis.

Bringing home a new baby today would bring a whole new level of fear and anxiety with it for new moms, heightened anxiety as parents work to keep their tiny infant safe, increased stress as parents are potentially further isolated from their support networks. How has support for new moms changed since March?

Supports that were in place for new moms before this pandemic are still available. These are things like the Community Counselling Program, the Healthy Family Program, public health Moms, Boobs and Babies. These are some of the initiatives that we have available for moms. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are lucky that COVID-19 hit Canada as the sun was starting to come back in the North. Now that we are in phase 1, people are able to get outside and spend more time together while social distancing. Mr. Speaker, I am concerned that our second and potentially third wave will come as we are heading back into winter and that the mental health of Northerners will be further at risk. Self care for people includes exercise, eating properly, establishing a support network. What I would like to know is: what is the plan for the Department of Health and Social Services to help keep Northerners safe as we potentially might end up re-entering the containment phase as winter sets in? Thank you.

While we anticipate there will be a second wave of this virus, we really have no way of knowing what course this pandemic will take; however, the Health and Social Services system is actively working to ensure residents are aware of services and supports available to them. This is being done through traditional media platforms, website, Facebook pages, and sites. Also, it includes a focus on the wellness and ways to cope and take care of yourself. This type of information is important at all times, especially during this pandemic, and we will continue to provide support. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe now more than ever, we have to ensure that our plan to create a polytechnic university is on track, and ideally, I'd like to see it sooner rather than later. My question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Is the current timeline as set out on the mandate to establish a polytechnic university on track? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. All the activities planned to be completed in this Assembly are still on track to be completed in this Assembly. Like everything else, the last two months has been exclusively focused on COVID-19. We are about two months behind in a lot of ways, which has pushed some of the things I was hoping to have done this summer back a few months. Other than that, things are on track. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I think one of the most important conversations we're going to have regarding a polytechnic is whether there is a flagship programming; what new programs will come out of it? I understand this is the work that will be done as part of the strategic plan that I hope to see soon. I recognize two months' delay is understandable during COVID. Can the Minister update us on any decisions that have been made in regards to new programming for the polytechnic university?

No. This isn't the forum where those would be discovered. There won't be decisions made behind closed doors that someone has to ask me about. It's going to be a much more transparent process than that. What's happening right now is that there is a plan in place, and it's been refined. A lot of the work has been done, and I spoke about this, not in the last sitting necessarily but the first part of this sitting which we had back in February/March. I had a plan, and I was taking it to Cabinet so it could then be shared with the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight. I am just bringing it to Cabinet this week, and then hopefully, the standing committee can see that plan Thursday or Friday. It will lay out the steps that we are taking.

I look forward to seeing that plan and the timeline for it. Another big, key question in getting this polytechnic off the ground is getting the capital funding, specifically, the capital funding from Ottawa. I know there was work to be done at the Fort Smith campus, work to be done at the Inuvik campus. Yellowknife is looking at the possibility of a new campus. Can the Minister update us on any progress that has been made towards obtaining the capital to building new infrastructure for the polytechnic?

That's part of the work that we'll be undertaking in the coming months. We need to come up with a facilities plan. There is clearly work that needs to be done at all the locations, and then, there's work that can be done in the communities as well in terms of the community learning centres and the different types of access we can have there. We are undertaking that work, creating a facilities plan to let us know exactly what we need. I'm anxious to get that money, too, but it's hard to go to the feds and say, "We know we need something, but we don't have a plan for you just yet." They don't want to give you money without a plan. Once we get that plan, then I'm confident the money will start rolling in.

Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of my concerns is that, as Aurora College kind of sits in this limbo, we don't seem to be investing in new programming because we want to wait to get the strategic plan in. I get that, but I'm a little concerned that we're not building the programming we have as we grow into a polytechnic. Can the Minister update us of whether there's any plans to introduce new programming into Aurora College, whether due to COVID-19 and the inability to have classes in the fall, will any programming be cut; how the programming looks due to the situation we're currently in. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I don't know if this is necessarily the time to be introducing new programming. The landscape has changed, and we went from in-person to distance learning in the matter of weeks. The focus right now is on preparing for distance learning, at least for the first semester. There is no plan to add new programs. However, the Member is right that we do need to grow our programming, and that's part of the transformation work, part of the strengthening of the foundation, ensuring that the administrative processes we have in place support the growth of programming. Maybe we take some of the administrative burden off of teachers and faculty. That's the type of work that's under way, as well.

We also have a new program review process, one that is nationally recognized. It lives up to national and international standards. Programs will be added or removed based on that. We're not just going to cut a program to save a couple of bucks. We're going to make sure going forward that we are doing this like a university would. This is going to be a world-class institution, and we're going to do things like we're a world-class institution. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. My question is for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Earlier today, I raised the issue of the eight-week delay in accepting SEED funding applications for 2020-2021 from the time that we approved the ITI budget until the release of a new guideline to assist with economic recovery. Can the Minister explain why there was an eight-week delay in opening SEED program funding for 2020-2021? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. ITI SEED program was announced on May 11, 2020, five and a half weeks into the new fiscal year. The SEED program began taking applications for the 2020-2021 year with an increased budget of $4 million. A new guideline was announced at this time, and all the SEED programs are available for funding. However, priority was given to supporting business development opportunities that are forward looking, supporting local employment, and have a plan that reflects our new economic realities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I don't want to get into a debate with the Minister, but it certainly was eight weeks since this House actually approved a full contribution funding for the department. There seems to be little clarity around the amount of funding for each of the eight SEED streams, and whether that money is divided regionally or some other way? Some of my constituents have said that that uncertainty is not very helpful. Can the Minister tell us whether there is any allocation of SEED funding by stream, region, or any other means, and how this will be communicated to the public?

As mentioned, SEED has a funding, or sorry, a pot of $4 million this year. It is my understanding there are not allocations to the different programs, but rather, we evaluate each application on a case by case merit. They are regionally evaluated. However, it is my understanding, there aren't certain amounts allocated to the regions. However, I will confirm that with my department.

I want to thank the Minister for that. Maybe that information might be posted to the ITI website so that members of the public would actually know, as well. The one-page, seven-principles guideline for 2020-2021 SEED funding is for a range between $30,000 and $75,000. The new guideline is not reflected in the application form or the ministerial policy that was approved in 2019. It seems to me to be a little bit behind the times. Can the Minister explain why the SEED application form and the ministerial policy has not been updated to reflect the new guideline?

It has been a very busy time over the last while. I did want to confirm that I have received confirmation from my department that there are regional funding allocations for the SEED program, and we can provide that for you. I do believe there is information available on the website. I can't really tell you exactly why that particular piece of information hasn't been updated, other than the fact that updating a ministerial directive, which is an overarching theme for my department, was not my priority at the time. My priority was to get the funding out to people. I will commit to the Member that we will update that immediately.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. I pointed this out weeks ago to her, so the delays in developing the new guideline and opening the SEED program application are difficult to understand. I think we have to be able to do a lot better. I listened to my colleague from Kam Lake ask questions last Thursday on the Minister's responses on the SEED applications to date. Can the Minister tell us whether there are any plans to seek additional funds for SEED or modify it further in light of the pandemic and need for economic recovery? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, my department constantly advocates and lobbies with the federal government for more funding for our programming, including SEED. We have numerous ongoing conversations with CanNor and with federal ministers in my FPT tables. Every time, I raise the issue of needing more business supports for Northwest Territories businesses, that we do fall through the cracks, and that the majority of our businesses are small businesses, which are already having economic uncertainty prior to COVID. Yes, we always look for more funding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. As I said in my statement, there was a lot of freelance trailer camping going on, on the Ingraham Trail on the weekend. I do appreciate that we wait all winter for a chance to be outside, but gathering in places other than campgrounds presents some risks to people and the environment. What is the risk to people of opening the campgrounds immediately? Thank you.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Chief Public Health Officer recently released Emerging Wisely and has identified certain permitted activities under the various phases. The opening of campgrounds is a permitted activity under phase 2. We are working toward opening campgrounds when the Chief Public Health Officer does move the Emerging Wisely plan to phase 2 to allow for overnight camping. I would like to emphasize that not all services will be open due to ongoing risk assessments, such as with the shower buildings. All parks are different and require different risk assessments. These will help identify what is the capacity or the use of that park. I will take this moment to reiterate: there is no compromising safety, and that is our number one priority for our staff, contractors, and the public. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks for that little sermon. What kind of oversight is your department providing over freelance camping? Is anyone talking to campers about bears and fire risks, for example?