The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think over time, we come to speak of different departments as if they were living and breathing persons with their own personalities and their quirks and their faults. I often talk about the Department of Lands still operating as if it was a department of the federal government and that devolution is not really completed.

Mr. Speaker, we talked about Justice as if it's a bunch of lawyers and they have this really small kind of world view and are very risk adverse. And Mr. Speaker, often when we talk about the Department of MACA, we talk about their inability to get legislation done. Mr. Speaker, this is a conversation I would like to end in this Assembly and future Assembly's going forward. And I think no one better than Minister Thompson is suited to do it.

I believe ENR, after taking over 12 years to get the Wildlife Act as finally developed the internal capacity to pass bills and work cooperatively with Indigenous governments. I even believe the Department of Lands will get its Public Land Act Regulations in force and is on its way. But I don't believe this of the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Speaker.

In any Legislative Assembly, the Department of Justice by far surpasses other departments in bringing forward bills. We know in this Assembly the Department of Justice, being full of lawyers, is good at getting legislation done. I would like to, one day, say that about the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Speaker.

I believe at the root of this, it is an underfunded department and under prioritized. We know that we need to do more about public safety and emergency response. We know that climate change will make these concerns even more relevant. The majority of infrastructure publicly held is owned by municipalities. We know we need to do more work on municipalities' infrastructure first before our own.

Mr. Speaker, I believe many of the holdups and fights we have having in this territory can be solved through MACA legislation. Whether you are dealing with a hamlet, a designated authority, a city, a town, or village, or a bunch of people living on public land somewhat illegally due to leases, that is all issues that can be solved through MACA legislation.

These are large conversations. They are related to self-government negotiations. There is decades of work to be done here. There is decades of work to be done in building standards, in how we fund municipalities, and how the future of this territory works. I will have questions for the Minister of MACA if whether we can get MCACA on the right path to be a great department at passing legislation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Okay, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I'm going to be speaking about housing again. Housing crisis in Tlicho regions.

Mr. Speaker, I'm going to be talking about housing today because it is an important issue. Our community members in Tlicho region and all of NWT are facing a very serious problem. Many of our people do not have a basic need being met, which is housing.

Mr. Speaker, we all know that each person deserves a home, a home that keeps us safe, warm, and secure. Home is a place of love and family. It is the foundation of our well-being.

Mr. Speaker, we also know that having a home gives us a higher quality of life. In order to provide a high quality of life, each person in the community must have a housing available that is affordable to every income level.

Families without secure housing live with greater fear, stress and instability. This impacts the children, the youth, and youth in many ways. Some of the children and youth are unable to live with their own families. As a result, everyone is spread into different homes. Without a home, our people are having a hard time to provide for themselves and their family. This is unacceptable, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, many community members in the Tlicho region want to own their own homes but it is unaffordable because of high mortgage and high cost of living. Mr. Speaker, one of the ways to address the housing crisis in Tlicho region for the NWT Housing Corporation is to promote homeownership program. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation. Mahsi.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this sitting, as we work through the capital estimates, the GNWT tabled a procurement policy review. I support infrastructure spending and the economic development it brings. But for your territory to see the benefits of this capital budget, we need procurement that increases benefit retention and grows the NWT private sector through meaningful spending.

While I recognize the GNWT is preparing a response to this report, there are some simple procedural changes that could be implemented immediately to improve fairness and transparency in the procurement process today.

Businesses have concerns about communication and procedural fairness of how bids are administered, advertised, or requested, and how the government is evaluating value for dollar. Businesses feel they are being shut out of the opportunity to apply on bids and do not believe their BIP status is giving them the intended advantage.

Mr. Speaker, less than one percent of businesses are benefitting from their BIP status. BIP was recognized as ineffective on bids over $1 million and that the total value for contract expenditures for BIP businesses is decreasing. The report supports some concerns from the businesses that I serve but one of the strongest points of change I see has nothing to do with changing a policy or reevaluating a bid system.

Mr. Speaker, it begins with a shift in focus. Procurement is viewed as a service to government. The role of this unit is to take the procurement needs from government departments, format them, put them out into the global market place, and then work with government departments to choose the bid, largely a process that ends in lowest dollar winners. But one easy fix is an evolution of procurement to industry facing service that communicates and consults with industry for it is relationships with business owners by spending time outside the office, works with vendors to regularly improve process, analyzes data to identify NWT industry gaps, and strives to bring procurement to NWT businesses.

Mr. Speaker, I believe there is great value in involving and connecting our disjointed and inconsistent procurement policies but I believe there is more to gain from a shift in the public service of procurement to focus on who they serve and that is the people and interests of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Members' statements. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on Friday evening, our Inuvik volunteer fire department responded to a fire at the temporary location for the Inuvik warming shelter in Veterans Way. All staff and residents got out safe but due to the damage, they were relocated to a new location - a new-old location I should say, on Berger Street. And as per the fire chief's public update, it was stated that it was an electrical issue.

Mr. Speaker, on Saturday night, they then responded to another second fire at the same location, and this ended in a total loss of the building.

Mr. Speaker, I want to take this time to thank the Inuvik fire department and all its volunteers who went out and fought this fire in the minus 30 temperatures. Your service to Inuvik is extremely valuable.

I also want to thank the Northwest Territories Power Corporation staff that restored the power to our residents as quick as they did. I would also like to make a note that my constituents were after the Minister of NWT Power Corp.

Mr. Speaker, the residents in this facility are our most vulnerable, especially during these winter months, and I'm thankful for the quick action on the Housing Department that got the residents into their temporary location right away. But, Mr. Speaker, moving our most vulnerable from an old vacant building to another is not a solution. We have been told that we are to receive a GNWT homeless strategy, yet we have not received this.

Mr. Speaker, in our territory we have many under housed residents in all of our communities. In the smaller communities, we tend not to know that they are there. However in our regional centres, and the capital, we see many residents that tend to move to access some of these important services they cannot get in their home community.

Mr. Speaker, this crisis is more than a shelter. It's the services and the support that these residents require, as well as the shelter, to be able to begin assisting our underhoused residents of the Northwest Territories. I will have questions for the Minister responsible for Homelessness and Housing Corporation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

HON. SHANE THOMPSON Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Miranda Marie Isaiah was born on November 6, 1979. Miranda was born and raised in Fort Simpson where she lived her whole life. She was an only child to the late Caroline Isaiah. Miranda was raised by her late grandparents Mary Rose and Charles Isaiah. Miranda had a very close relationship with her granny.

Miranda had the greatest sense of humour. Whenever you talked to her, you could guarantee she was going to make you laugh or tell you some crazy joke.

Miranda was a kind and giving person. She was always willing to give or share what she could with anyone. She would be seen driving around the community handing out meals and/or sandwiches to those that didn't have anything to eat. As well, she always had water available to give away. She always liked to share especially when she cooked meals. Nothing would go to waste.

During the flood, Miranda's amazingness showed through. She helped those needing help with the basics. Whether it was blankets, food, a helping shoulder or being there for people she would do what she could.

Miranda was a loving and caring mother to her three boys - Tanner, Nogha and Hudson. The boys were her pride and joy. There was nothing she wouldn't do for them. Miranda was a stay-at-home mother to ensure her children were looked after.

Mr. Speaker, Miranda was a strong and independent woman who was stubborn when she felt she was right, which was most of the time according to people that know her. She didn't like to ask or reach out for help from anyone. She would always find a way to make thing work out even if it was challenging times for her or her family.

Miranda was looking at going back to work at the long-term care facility once her boys were in school. She always spoke about her enjoyment working there and helping the Elders. As well, the Elders would really enjoy when it was her shift.

Family and friends would like to thank everybody for their kind words, comforting hands, donations, thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. In Miranda's fashion, they ask everyone to take care of each other and remember to cherish the time we have with each other. Mr. Speaker, she will be sadly missed by her family and friends. Thank you.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Nahendeh. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and the community. Members' statements. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Acknowledgements. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the NWT Territorial Police Service Agreement, there is no mention of the need for the RCMP to provide the Legislative Assembly the financial statements of its yearly expenditures. Can the Minister explain why there is no public financial statements from the RCMP submitted to the Assembly? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.