Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Finance.

Ministers' Statements

Mr. Speaker, today I am speaking about family and gender violence. This is a painful subject for so many people. I will now pause for a moment, Mr. Speaker, to give survivors the opportunity to choose whether they would like to listen.

We are in the midst of Family Violence Prevention Month. I would like to recognize that November 25th was the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The 16 Days are an opportunity to come together as Canadians and with partners around the world to call out and speak up about gender-based violence, and to renew our commitment to ending violence against women, girls, 2SLGBTQQIA+, and gender diverse individuals.

In Canada, we also observe the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, remembering the women who were murdered during the tragic mass shooting at Polytechnique Montreal on December 6, 1989.

These months and days of recognition, action, and activism tell us that we are not alone in this problem. We see it elsewhere in Canada and across the world. But family and gender-based violence is pervasive in the Northwest Territories. We have the second highest rate of family violence in Canada. It is clear that colonization continues to have cascading impacts on Indigenous lives in the Northwest Territories. Because of intergenerational trauma, the legacy of residential schools and the systemic racism that continues today, we must work even harder to educate ourselves and learn from each other to broaden our understanding of this history and the work that must be done.

The impacts of colonization are illustrated not only by high rates of family and gender-based violence but by high suicide rates, overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the child welfare and the criminal justice systems and the pervasiveness of addiction and poverty in Indigenous communities to name a few. These issues are interrelated and compounded by one another.

To interrupt the cycle of family and gender-based violence, we must not only take an integrative whole-of-government approach but also a territory-wide approach that includes Indigenous government partners. Our strategy must meet the unique needs and be reflective of the voices of Northerners. I am proud to say that the Government of the Northwest Territories is working to reconcile Indigenous experiences by taking steps to acknowledge and address the profound impact colonization has had on the Indigenous population. The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Action Plan will highlight several innovative ways that departments are delving into the work required to begin and promote healing in the communities in the Northwest Territories.

The transformation of our Women's Advisory Office into a better resourced gender equity division is supporting improved cross-departmental coordination on gender issues, including family violence. To inform this approach, the GNWT plans to engage Indigenous governments, community stakeholders and service providers over the next few months. The goal of this work is to identify best practices, align existing GNWT work and, based on community input, identify priority areas for investment over the coming decade.

Mr. Speaker, within the Government of the Northwest Territories we are reaching across departments to bring programs, resources, and support together. We are listening to experts, partners, and allies like the Native Women's Association of the NWT, the Status of Women Council of the NWT, the Rainbow Coalition of Yellowknife, the YWCA, shelters and victim service providers to inform our approach and continue to engage and listen.

Mr. Speaker, this is critically important work. Survivors have identified a need for overlapping, person-centered supports and services that make them feel comfortable when reaching out for help. We need to ensure our frontline service providers are trauma and violence informed and have a thorough understanding of the history of Northerners. We also need to shift perspectives when determining what those who use and perpetuate violence in their relationships need.

The Government of the Northwest Territories has many programs and services to support survivors of family and gender-based violence and those who have used violence in their relationships. There is a need to coordinate the many programs we fund and offer. The Territorial Family Violence Strategy that will be developed will take this into consideration and recommend ways in which to improve our current approach.

Mr. Speaker, we are making progress, but we have much more work to do. I commit to keeping the Members of this House advised on the progress of this initiative. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Honourable Premier. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment. Thank you, Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this government has committed to transforming our education system with the goal of improving the lives of all our residents. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment has some exciting initiatives being undertaken in collaboration with education partners, industry, Indigenous governments, and the federal government.

Mr. Speaker, it can be argued that the greatest returns on investment come from investing in early childhood education. That is one of the reasons that this Legislative Assembly has made it a priority to advance universal child care by expanding availability and affordability. We have gathered perspectives from Indigenous governments, licensed early learning and childcare programs, and early childhood educators, and have completed a review of our current funding programs. We will report on these engagements and findings in the coming weeks, and these reports will inform the development of the 2030 Early Learning and Child Care Strategy.

This strategy, along with the soon-to-be finalized Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, will mark a monumental step toward improving the quality, availability, and affordability of licensed child care throughout the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, increasing education outcomes in the NWT to the same level as the rest of Canada is our mandate, and while investments in early learning and child care will go a long way to achieving this, we must do more. That is why we are also modernizing our Education Act and renewing our junior kindergarten to Grade 12 curriculum.

Modernizing the Education Act is critical to ensuring we are able to make coordinated, system-wide improvements to meet the needs of students across the territory, so that we can better prepare our youth to succeed in life. As part of this work, we have conducted a first round of engagement with Indigenous governments, education leaders, the Northwest Territories Teachers Association, parents, special interest groups, and the public.

Mr. Speaker, during these engagements we heard clearly that this process should not be rushed, and we agree. In order to create an education system that truly reflects, engages, and supports all our residents, we will need to take our time and work collaboratively, and we are committed to doing both. That means that the development of a truly modern Education Act will extend into the 20th Legislative Assembly. During this Legislative Assembly, we will pursue minor legislative changes to address many of the operational issues identified during public engagement, while also continuing that broader conversation.

In addition to our legislative work, we are renewing our junior kindergarten to Grade 12 school curriculum. ECE began exploring and evaluating the curricula of the western Canadian provinces in 2019. Over the last several months, the department invited Indigenous governments and key education partners to attend consultation and engagement sessions, and welcomed public input through an online form. Five main themes have emerged as priorities through that engagement process:

• the importance of Indigenous ways;
• high school transitions;
• rigor in curriculum;
• accountability for learning; and,
• key learning for life.

In the coming weeks, I look forward to sharing the results of these engagements, and a decision on our future provincial partnership. As we move forward with this renewal, ECE will continue to engage with our education partners and will include them in planning for curriculum adaptation, teacher training, classroom resources, and large-scale assessment tools.

Mr. Speaker, learning does not stop after high school. The Skills 4 Success initiative aims to improve employment success by addressing gaps in skills for in-demand jobs and by more effectively responding to employer, industry, and community needs.

Over the past summer, the department held virtual roundtables, interviews and online surveys with residents and stakeholders to find out how well the current programs and supports are working, and what we could improve. This feedback will shape the development of a new four-year Skills 4 Success Action Plan that we will release in the new year.

Mr. Speaker, careers in trades offer good pay, ample opportunities for advancement, and lifelong learning. ECE is always working to improve supports and opportunities for residents in the trades. For example, the department recently launched the Blue Seal Program.

A Blue Seal certificate holder not only meets the NWT's high industry standards in a skilled trade but also has the knowledge and drive to succeed in business. Last week I had the honor of signing the first two Blue Seal certificates ever issued by the Government of the Northwest Territories.

This program will increase opportunities for NWT residents to advance their careers and highlight their professionalism.

I am also pleased to announce that the department has released new trades entrance requirements, which will come into effect January 2022. This change, which is a result of our work with Indigenous governments and industry, will better align the requirements with our high school curriculum and will increase opportunities for our residents.

Mr. Speaker, we have made great progress on these key initiatives, and I look forward to updating the Legislative Assembly as they continue to move forward.

I also want to thank both the department staff, who have dedicated countless hours pursuing the ambitious goals we have set, as well as everyone who we engaged with over the past year. Their time and energy is laying the groundwork for the future prosperity of the Northwest Territories.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our JK to 12 and post-secondary educators, as well as our early learning and child care staff across the territory, for their hard work and dedication in supporting our youth, families, and residents throughout the pandemic. Your resilience has been inspiring, and I am grateful for your professionalism during this challenging time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Honourable Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise the House that the Honourable Julie Green will be absent from the House later today to participate in a conference call with federal/provincial/territorial Ministers of Health. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Honourable Premier. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. Member for Hay River South.

Mr. Speaker, today is the day where most government departments will require proof of vaccination from employees who wish to continue working, and for those unvaccinated employees not willing to follow PPE protocol, tomorrow they may be sent home.

Mr. Speaker, questions are asked of me as to how this government, as an employer, is going to guarantee the safety of those that are vaccinated in the workplace when working alongside someone who is not vaccinated. Could this be considered an "unusual danger" as defined in the Safety Act?

Mr. Speaker, any employee or contractor has the right to have this matter addressed in accordance with the Safety Act. The Safety Act, in section 13(1) defines "unusual danger" to mean, in relation to any work, "a danger that does not normally exist in that work."

Based on that premise one can then argue - because COVID-19 is new, was not something present in the workplace prior to the pandemic, it is a risk that does not normally exist in any workplace - COVID-19 may then be deemed an unusual danger.

The Safety Act, in section 13(2), further states that "a worker may refuse to do any work where the worker has reason to believe that (a) there exists an unusual danger to the health and safety of the worker."

Mr. Speaker, the Safety Act then goes on to state that "On refusing to work, the worker shall promptly report the circumstances of his or her refusal to the employer or supervisor who shall, without delay, investigate the report and take steps to eliminate the unusual danger in the presence of the worker and a representative of the worker's union...”

Mr. Speaker, upon completion of the investigation, and if the employee believes that the unusual danger is still present, can continue to refuse to work and the employer, worker or supervisor, is required to notify the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee; or, where no such committee exists, then a delegate of the chief safety officer. Upon such notice, a review by the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee or delegate is required.

If the employee is not satisfied that the "unusual danger" in the workplace has not been eliminated or reduced, an appeal to the chief safety officer, who would then be required to conduct a further investigation as soon as possible. The decision of the chief safety officer is final, with the exception of an appeal to the Supreme Court of the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the point is that it may be likely we will see some employees consider the risk of COVID-19 to themselves, their family, and contacts, when working alongside those that are not vaccinated, and deem themselves to be at risk thereby utilizing to Safety Act as a means of protection. Are we prepared for this course of action? I will have questions for the Minister Responsible for Finance at the appropriate time. Thank you Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, before COVID, we sat as equals and set the priorities for the 19th Assembly. Even then, we recognized the shortage of resident healthcare workers and tasked the government to reduce the number of health worker vacancies and our reliance on locums.

Mr. Speaker, there is significant strength in Northerners serving Northerners, providing trauma informed care. This not only fulfills our priority, it creates sustainable succession plans and recognizes the primary role education and meaningful employment play in connecting all community health indicators. I believe that, in essence, the GNWT recognizes this. But the existing process is subjective, inequitable, and not serving Indigenous northerners.

Over the last year, multiple public servants have been denied education leave to pursue nursing, or education leave supports for nurses pursuing higher certifications required by other units, or to work in remote northern communities. But while they continue to pursue their education goals on their own, they landed in courses with non-Indigenous non-Aboriginal public servants who were receiving the support of the GNWT to be there.

One of my constituents found themselves in this situation. An Indigenous Northerner from a small community graduated Aurora College nursing through the University of Victoria, employed by the GNWT, now raising a family and supporting trauma-informed client-focused nursing with a desire to increase education levels and ultimately their skill set leveraged by the people of the Northwest Territories.

It took five months of ongoing advocacy to get this Northerner the same supports their colleagues were receiving. These approvals are at the discretion of each employee's supervisor and often based on operational requirements. But from the perspective of the public servant, this leaves room for inconsistencies and inequitable distribution of education leave and government support.

This failure is a symptom of the GNWT silos with a clear lack of process to operate as one government supporting professional development of Northerners for hard-to-fill positions. Constituents either accept the ruling of their supervisor or enlist their MLA to advocate on their behalf.

Mr. Speaker, we are in a global shortage of healthcare workers. If we want recruitment to meet the priority set by this Assembly, we need to retain the ones we have and support the public servants who want to fill these roles. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to thank the Minister of Infrastructure and the Marine Transportation Services. I know the ice is frozen right now but I'm thanking them because we're only sitting now. Thank them for the service that they did for my riding of Nunakput. The communities of Paulatuk, Ulukhaktok and Sachs Harbour received their shipments in good order however the timing was delayed, Mr. Speaker. We have a limited number of barges in operation and in some cases it looks like contracts to generate revenues may have been prioritized over servicing my communities. This is a concern.

Mr. Speaker, a window of service to our communities and the barge is so short. The barge services if declines get prioritized over the communities, delays in schedule, the barges may have to fight against the ice our delivery essential for bad weather.

I don't need to think back too far when these barges didn't make it into the communities in 2018. Some of the -- all the communities that didn't receive any shipments of freight cost us -- due to ice blockages and weather, cost this -- former government millions.

This year the barges arrived in Nunakput at the end of September, before freeze up. Mr. Speaker, they have arrived but were delayed. Hunting equipment and boats that were supposed to come in the start of June only come in September so no use.

I will echo the Member's statement from last year to remind the Minister of the importance of barges for Nunakput, that these barges give people access to lower cost of fuel, food, building materials, shipments. Mr. Speaker, there's nothing less than an essential lifeline to the region. And this is part of the reason that the GNWT assumed the management of MTS at the time.

I would like to thank the Minister, again, and her staff for servicing our community successfully this season. I am concerned about timing, deliveries and priority to serve these communities ultimately at the residents' cost, Mr. Speaker. We have six and a half months before this next barge sails north so we have six and a half months to plan to get it right. I will have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, The NWT has always been a resource-based economy. Even before the onset of colonial settlement, the Yellowknives Dene made tools from copper mined on the banks of the very lake that my district is named for. Later today, we will hear SCEDE's report, and my opinion, on the GNWT's approach to the Mining Regime Fiscal Review. In my dissenting opinion, I lay out what I see as the reasons why this has not been a good use of committee resources. One area upon which I touch is exploration.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to expand upon this point further as I feel that at times residents, and my colleagues, miss the point when it comes to how important exploration is to our resource sector and therefore our economy.

In the NWT, it might be 15 years from deposit discovery to the onset of mine development, a sad fact that has been pushed to the extreme by our robust permitting system. Mr. Speaker, I fully support this regulatory system and the people that participate in it. I'm proud of our efforts towards social and economic responsibility that puts us at the forefront of responsible sustainable mining globally. Our agreements with First Nations and Inuit people are unparalleled to none. However, we must now acknowledge that we have developed a regulatory system so complex that it is expensive to get through, making it extremely difficult for new explorers that may want to come here.

None of this is new. It's been discussed for years; however, the effects of COVID have decimated this already struggling industry. The diamond mines, which in 2020 still accounted for 21 percent of our direct GDP despite COVID, will be sunsetting over the next decade. Add in the indirect economic impact as they leave, and we have a territory that is quickly becoming a welfare state. Currently, NWT exploration expenditures are mainly for advanced exploration projects and deposits, with very few grassroots projects on the horizon. These deposits are generally metallic, and metal mines do not have the same economic impact as diamond mining, contributing one-sixth to one-tenth economically in comparison.

The future of exploration, and therefore mining, in this territory is critically dependent on the partnership between industry and Indigenous governments and businesses, ensuring Indigenous voices are leading the conversation, not bureaucrats or legislators whose ancestors did not walk this land.

I encourage my colleagues on the other side to ensure that this engagement occurs at all opportunities and they actually listen to the people when it comes to the future of this sector.

Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. One of the federal government's major promises of recent years has been the creation of a national affordable childcare system in partnership with provinces and territories. While other jurisdictions have completed agreements, the Yukon signed its $10-a-day deal in July, parents here are still waiting. Media reports quote our childcare Minister as saying our deal with done by the end of the year although problems exist. One major obstacle being reported is lack of suitable buildings for new childcare spaces. Presumably creation of new spaces has to be a feature of any new agreement with the federal government.

Likewise, trained and quality staff are also a challenge. To provide the staff needed for the NWT to offer a truly universal childcare scheme, we will have to train a lot more staff we will hire outside the Northwest Territories. As we see with nurses, that can be expensive but without staff an agreement with the federal government is not a solution.

Then there is the issue of how any new childcare programs are going to be coordinated with existing programs, much of them offered by regional Indigenous governments.

These problems - space, staff, and flexible rollout - may be big but the need for affordable and universal childcare is the bigger problem by far. As I have been calling for since the last Assembly, we still need a new costed plan that deals with all these issues of space, staffing, and coordination, not some vague priority such as "advanced universal childcare by increasing availability and affordability." We need a costed plan for universal childcare and an agreement with the federal government to implement it now.

I will have questions for the Minister of childcare about when universal affordable child care is coming to the Northwest Territories and how an agreement with the federal government will make that happen. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you Member for Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member for Thebacha..

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak once again about the change in runway width at the Fort Smith Regional Airport. At this point, it is well known that I am deeply disappointed with the Department of Infrastructure's decision to reduce the size of the Fort Smith airport runway. And I am not feeling alone in this decision otherwise I wouldn't have had the support of 550 people, or the entire Fort Smith leadership, on side on this issue.

I just want to reiterate that leadership must prevail over bureaucracy. Government decisions need to be re-evaluated when a wrong has been done, and they need to know how to correct and respond to those decisions, especially when it has to do with public funds. Rational, reasonable, and financially responsible decisions that affect regional centres, such as Fort Smith, must be a priority.

Mr. Speaker, no matter how the Minister wants to spin it, there's a fundamental difference with how my constituents see the runway width changes compared to that of the perception of the Department of Infrastructure.

So the department sees no evil, hears no evil. Despite the will of the people rejecting these airport runway changes, apparently that doesn't matter. Apparently the department can do as it pleases to Government of the Northwest Territories infrastructure, despite any public outcry against any such decisions. I will have questions for the Minister of Infrastructure later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mr. Speaker, thank you. I've been talking about housing since the beginning of session, and I will continue do so because we need real solution for our communities in the Tlicho region and NWT.

Every person has the right to live in a safe and secure home. The well-being of our children, youth, families and communities depends on that. Canada has recognized housing as a human right in international law but here in the NWT we are struggling to provide housing. Each home should be a place of togetherness where our families have enough bedrooms and space for peace and privacy.

We all know in the communities how stressful overcrowding is in the home. It impacts our community members' mental wellness and makes things worse for those who are struggling with addictions. The spread of COVID-19 has shown how dire the housing situation is here in the North. When COVID-19 got into Tlicho region, many of our families were defenseless because they did not have room to isolate. COVID-19 spread quickly because of overcrowding. We had to send our own community members to the gym and other places in order to isolate safely and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories has been failing to provide adequate housing for years and years. This is not a new problem. The NWT Housing Corporation has a homeownership initiative that gives people the opportunity to go into a loan agreement with the Housing Corporation. Yesterday, I asked the Minister of Housing how many of the new housing units in the Tlicho region would be allocated for private ownership. She said none. How can people own homes in the NWT if the NWT Housing Corporation is more invested in maintaining a rental portfolios than making homes available for people to own?

Mr. Speaker, can I have unanimous consent to conclude my statement?

---Unanimous consent granted.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Many of my constituents have lived in their home for years and years and have paid as renters. When they want to purchase their home, they are often -- they are often being asked to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars on homes that have not been maintained and have little market resale value. The programs available to assist our constituent buy a home is not working. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I will have question for the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In February of this year, to much celebration, Minister Green and Minister Chinna opened an Elders complex in Fort Good Hope. They went and cut the ribbon. And then, Mr. Speaker, we were even going to hire some people and then the complex never opened. The Office of the Fire Marshal would not give them their occupancy permit. That community then flooded, Mr. Speaker, and many people were evacuated and I'm sure they would have liked to have nine units to house people. But we never opened it. The GNWT said that they'd get it done by the end of summer, Mr. Speaker, and then they never opened the facility, Mr. Speaker. I'm still unsure if the facility is opened. That community then got hit with COVID. It was one of the first communities to experience a death, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Office of the Fire Marshal does not look at these other risks. It does not look at Fort Good Hope and see that it is a community with overcrowded housing. It does not see a community with 65 households in inadequate condition. It looks at one building and disagrees with the GNWT's engineers and architects.

Now, Mr. Speaker, you can say this is a one-off debate between one hand of GNWT experts and another hand of GNWT experts. But just two years previously, in Norman Wells, where many of the Fort Good Hope Elders go, we built a $40 million facility with long-term care housing, and the GNWT actually took the GNWT to court in that facility because they would not let it open, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, these are just the fights that the GNWT is having with itself. I repeatedly get reports from my constituents, from the construction association, from people building in this territory, that it is much easier to deal with the Office of the Fire Marshal in either Yukon or Nunavut. Plan reviews there can take a matter of days. Here they take a matter of weeks and emails continue to go unresponded to, Mr. Speaker. We are one of the only jurisdictions -- we are the only jurisdiction in Canada without a Building Standards Act, Mr. Speaker. There are legislative changes that need to be made, but in the interim there a lot of little things we did do to make sure that we are housing our Elders. And when we build a facility, it actually provides some housing to people, not just sits there empty, Mr. Speaker.

I'll have questions for the Minister of MACA about what we are doing to get the service standards at the Office of the Fire Marshal up to date and to make sure that we don't have GNWT's engineers, architects, and fire inspectors all fighting each other anymore, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Oh sorry, Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, Bertha Allen was born to Alphonsine and Baptiste Cazon on October 27, 1962. She was one of the seventeen children. Two brothers, two sisters and her parents predeceased her.

Bertha spent her childhood in Fort Simpson and often spent the summer months on the land with her family. Bertha loved to talk, especially when she was younger, and her siblings used to tease her about it. She attended school in Fort Simpson and made a lot of friends. This was one of her many attributes. She made friends with everyone. Even if the person was unkind in the beginning, she was nice to that person and the next thing you know she was friends with them, sharing stories and enjoying each other's company.

Bertha was known for her meticulous housekeeping, her cooking skills, and her passion for family. She especially loved talking about her children and grandchildren. They were her pride and joy. She loved entertaining family and friends in her home. And that was her place of -- that's the place love of her life (Joey Allen) and their children were raised. Bertha loved it when people come to visit and entertain her, especially when the guys played guitar and jammed in her living room.

Bertha knew her time was coming after she was told that she had lung cancer and that it was so bad and was not treatable. Some of the family was able to be with her in the last weeks of her life, Holding her hands and sharing memories and making a more time during this difficult period. As well, the doctors in Edmonton helped her to set up where she was able to Facetime other family members and friends to say their goodbyes.

On August 25, Bertha passed on to be with her family and friends that have gone before her. On September 1, they laid her to rest with the sweet, kind, and smart stubborn Bertha Allen.

The family would like to take the time to thank the staff in Edmonton, Stanton Hospital, and the health staff in Fort Simpson. As well, to all the people who provided support during this difficult time. She will be sadly missed by her family and friends. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Nahendeh. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and community at this time. Members' statements. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Reports of committees on the review of bills. Reports of standing and special committees. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your Standing Committee on Social Development is pleased to provide its report on Bill 30, an Act to Amend the Aurora College Act and commends it to the House.

Introduction

Bill 30, an Act to Amend the Aurora College Act was first introduced by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment on June 2nd, 2021, and then referred to the Standing Committee on Social Development for review.

Bill 30 proposes changes to the Aurora College Act (the Act) to:

• Create a new public governance system for Aurora College;
• Move the college to an arm's length relationship with the Government of the Northwest Territories;
• Meet the requirements of a quality assurance review; and,
• Support the gradual transition to a changed way of working between Aurora College, the government, and other partners and stakeholders.

The proposed amendments are part of the broader GNWT initiative to transform Aurora College into a polytechnic university. The process for changing the college into a university began in the 18th Assembly and is scheduled to continue through three governments into the 20th Assembly.

The 19th Legislative Assembly prioritizes the creation of a polytechnic university. In the mandate, the GNWT commits to change Aurora College into an accredited and independent polytechnic university within six years. The GNWT's lead department maintains a website publicly tracking the progress of 106 activities related to the transformation.

Main changes

The main changes made in committee include:

1. Increasing the size of the Board of Governors to ten members;
2. Requiring that at least half of the board members are Indigenous NWT residents;
3. Allowing Cabinet to designate the chairperson of the board of governors, and requiring the board of governors to designate the vice-chair;
4. Requiring the board of governors to seek input from Indigenous governments on the makeup of the Indigenous Knowledge Holders Council; and,
5. Adding the term "diverse" to sections that refer to the uniqueness of the NWT.

Committee wishes to thank all those who participated. Mr. Speaker, I would now like to pass the reading of this report on to the Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Member for Monfwi.

Timelines For Consultation And Comments

Committee heard the concern that timelines for consultation and comments may not always be respectful and sufficient for stakeholders to support meaningful consultation. As has been previously raised to GNWT departments, Minister and standing committees, the witness notes that the timelines for consultation and comments must be respectful and sufficient to support meaningful consultation. As a stakeholder, the witness identified that a longer timeline to prepare comments is appreciated on an important and complex such as Bill 30.

Process Used to Develop Bill 30

The Tlicho government brought forward the concern that the department's process missed the opportunity to involve Indigenous partners in bringing Bill 30. Referring to the experience of past collaborations in lands and resources-related legislative drafting processes, the Tlicho government stresses the need for such cooperation as the GNWT creates legislations that reflect the needs of all residents of the NWT and the Indigenous perspectives, world view, and with respect to the authorities of Indigenous government.

Committee Considerations

Committee considered that the following motions would improve Bill 30.

The Board of Governors

Committee discussed the issue of representation on the Board of Governors and the request for reinstating regional representation. Committee finds that the purpose of Bill 30 is to restore public governance to Aurora College and, at the same time, ensure the college fulfills the requirements of the quality assurance process for Canadian post-secondary institutions. Regional representation of the Board may need to be considered for the polytechnic university and, in the future, replacement of the Aurora College Act with the Polytechnic University Act.

Committee was concerned that the governance model may not reflect that most students are Indigenous students from the NWT. Keeping the minimum number of Indigenous board members at three out of eight would not provide equal Indigenous representation. Accordingly, committee proposes a motion requiring a minimum of fifty percent Indigenous representation on the board-recommended membership to the Board of Governors.

When considering how to amend the act best, committee sought information from the Minister. The response included a proposal from the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment to increase the number of board-recommended members from eight to ten, and require a minimum of five Indigenous members.

The increase would bring Aurora College board membership to 14; in comparison, the Yukon University Board of Governors has 17 members. Committee agrees with this approach. Motion 1 requires the Minister to appoint 10, members recommended by the Board, of which at least five must be Indigenous residents of the Northwest Territories.

Academic Council

Committee recognizes that membership of academic councils in Canada is almost entirely constituted by academic faculty and senior administrators employed by the institutions, with some student representation. The quality assurance review process requires institutions that offer degree programs to have their academic staff, students, and administrators participate in academic decision-making. By convention in nearly all Canadian institutions, this is done by establishing an academic council in colleges and a senate in universities.

Now, I now turn to MLA from Inuvik Twin Lake.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Thank you.

Indigenous Knowledge Holders Council

Committee welcomes the approach of balancing the Indigenous knowledge and the western academic knowledge system in the college and future university governance. Committee feels that to give equal weight to the Indigenous knowledge system, it needs to be identified who holds the power of determining a knowledge holder.

The current model does not speak to the composition of the council and leaves it to the decision by the Board of Governors. Committee holds the view that it does not make sense for a Board of Governors, without a mandate from Indigenous organizations, to be responsible for making rules on who would qualify as a knowledge holder. Committee shares the concern that the power to decide who is an Indigenous knowledge holder should lie with Indigenous organizations. The legislation should allow for Indigenous involvement in selecting Indigenous knowledge holders.

Committee agrees with the concern of risking non-compliance with UNDRIP and takes note of the recommendation to add a mechanism or criteria for Indigenous knowledge holders to be identified by their Indigenous organization or an Indigenous community.

Committee proposes two motions requiring Aurora College to follow a three-step process to establish membership to the Indigenous Knowledge Holders Council:

The amendments require the college to begin the process by seeking input from the Indigenous governments to develop criteria for identifying Indigenous knowledge holders.

The nomination process requires consideration of those criteria in selecting members to the Indigenous Knowledge Holders Council.

Both requirements are part of Motion 5.

Motion 7 requires the board to seek input from Indigenous governments on the potential members to the Indigenous Knowledge Holders Council before selecting members to the council and consider any input provided.

Further, the motion requires the board to ensure that the composition of the Indigenous Knowledge Holders Council reflects the unique and diverse values, histories and people of the Northwest Territories.

Residency Requirements For Board Members

Committee shares concerns that residency requirements for board members might limit the college in attracting highly educated individuals, particularly Indigenous individuals with ties to the NWT but residing in other jurisdictions. Committee sees this concern addressed with the proposed amendments that set criteria for identifying Indigenous knowledge holders.

Committee sees the suggestion to consider options for ex-officio members to enrich the board by allowing non-residents to inform the work of the board included in the current legislation, which allows the Minister to appoint additional members to the Board.

Board Of Governors, Chair And Vice-Chair

Committee agrees with the concern that moving the powers from the board to the Minister to select the Board of Governors, chair and vice-chair, does not contribute to making the institution more arms' length. Committee sought additional information from the Minister on why this change was made as it seems inconsistent with the principle of Bill 30.

The exchange recognized the significant importance of the role of both chairpersons under the arm's length and the renewed collaborative relationship. The department proposes to use the approach taken in Alberta where polytechnics, once created, are board-governed institutions where the Board of Governors acts as an intermediary between the institution and the public. With the evolving role of the chair, the department describes the relationship between the Minister and chair as the critical link to create stability during the transformation years and the vital relationship between government and the polytechnic university.

Committee takes the view that accountability during transition is just as important as independence. The need for public accountability can be achieved by having the Board of Governors select the chair. Committee took a strong position that the Board needs to select the chair, and the chair not be designated by the Minister. After further consideration, the committee accepted the Yukon university model as an acceptable compromise.

Accordingly, committee proposes the model used in the Yukon where the default is for Cabinet (rather than the Minister) to appoint a chair, and where the Board selects the vice-chair.

Adding 'Diverse'

Committee recommends adding the word 'diverse' to reflect the regional diversity in the NWT. According to Motions 2 and 7 add the term 'diverse' to language that speaks to the unique values of the NWT so that the sections in the Act refer to the unique and diverse values of the people of the NWT.

Role of the President

Currently, the administrator appointed by the Minister in the 18th Assembly replaces the Board and thereby holds the president of the college accountable. Bill 30 proposes that the Board of Governors select and direct the president thereby making the institution more independent and moving it into a more arm's length relationship from government.

Concerns were raised that the president is a public service employee and that this potentially conflicts with the intent to increase the academic independence of the institution. The City of Yellowknife suggested contracting the president as an independent individual instead.

When considering a possible amendment, the committee sought and received additional information from the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Committee recognizes that the president is a non-voting member on the Board of Governors and reports only to the board. The board hires the president and determines the type and duration of the contract. Being exclusively accountable to the board solidifies a CEO-type position that allows the President to provide operational oversight independent of the GNWT. To enable the hiring and supervision of all Aurora College employees, the president must be granted the powers of a Deputy Head under the Public Service Act and Financial Administration Act.

Committee accepts the rationale of the president being a Member of the public service.

I would like to now pass it on to the Member for Hay River South. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Member for Hay River South.

Mandate

In its deliberations, committee gave weight to the fact that the system of the board's mandate is modelled after other jurisdictions. The board determines the mandate and submits it to the Minister for approval. The Minister is not allowed to change the content or do anything else concerning the mandate, which is part of the arms-length nature of the relationship between the government and the institution. The mandate will be described in regulations which require Cabinet approval.

In developing the Aurora College Mandate, committee notes that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and Aurora College considered elements from several jurisdictions. As a starting point, both are looking at the 'strategic mandate agreement' used in Ontario, where each university and college has its own strategic mandate agreement.

Committee recognizes that the requirement for the board's mandate comes from the Post-Secondary Education Act, and that Bill 30 aims to ensure that the mandate is appropriate for Aurora College, both with a focus on preparing the necessary elements for the institution to pass a quality assurance review.

Editorial Changes

Committee proposes two motions to correct spelling. Motions 4 and 6 propose editorial and non-substantive changes.

Recommendations

Committee heard from witnesses concerns about the development of legislation and the engagement process in review of Bill 30. While these issues do not fall within the scope of the review of Bill 30, committee feels strongly that they deserve recommending action.

Process Used To Develop Bill 30

Committee took note of the comment that not involving Indigenous partners in bringing forward Bill 30 is a missed opportunity and may be inconsistent with UNDRIP article 19. Committee recognizes the Northwest Territories Intergovernmental Agreement on Lands and Resources Management which focuses on collaborative legislative development in lands and resources.

Recommendations

Accordingly, the Committee makes the following recommendation.

Recommendation 1

The Standing Committee on Social Development recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories speak to questions on co-drafting legislation and co-management beyond resource-based legislation, and discuss this concept with the NWT Council of Leaders.

I will now turn it over to the Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Timeline for Consultation and Comments

Committee takes note of the request to allow for sufficient time for meaningful consultation and engagement. Committee will review its public engagement processes to ensure timelines are respectful and sufficient for stakeholders to support meaningful consultation.

Further, committee makes the following recommendation.

Recommendation 2

The Standing Committee on Social Development recommends that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and Aurora College take note of this request that engagement timelines are respectful and sufficient for stakeholders to support meaningful consultation, and ensure that the timeframes for engagement and consultation concerning the polytechnic university are adequate.

Terminology

During committee's careful considerations to improve Bill 30, definitions and use of the term Indigenous were discussed.

Committee felt strongly about not excluding Indigenous academic experts or knowledge holders with ties to the NWT but residing outside of the jurisdiction from eligibility for board or council membership. Committee noted that the wording used establishes a requirement for NWT residency rather than recognizing a connection to the NWT, such as birth in the NWT, beneficiary under a land rights or self-government agreement, an Indigenous person who has resided a significant portion of their life in the NWT, or an Indigenous person who has notable achievements in the NWT but may no longer be an NWT resident.

Committee recognizes that the discussion of definition is not meant to be understood as standardization which would have a limiting effect. From a statutory interpretation perspective, one would not wish to straightjacket the definition of Indigenous. Rather, committee perceives that the GNWT needs to provide a definition of the term of Indigenous as used in the Affirmative Action Policy to avoid confusion with the different uses of the term internationally, nationally, and in respect to the approach of realizing the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and implementation of UNDRIP articles.

Recommendation 3

The Standing Committee on Social Development recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a response to the recommendations contained in this report within 120 days.

Clause by clause review

The clause-by-clause review of Bill 30 was held on September 27, 2021. At this review, committee moved seven motions. The Minister concurred with all seven motions.

Conclusion

The Standing Committee on Social Development's review of Bill 30 results from a collaborative process. Committee wishes to thank the Minister for his concurrence with the motions made by the committee to amend Bill 30. The committee thanks the public for their participation in the review process, and everyone involved in the review of this bill for their assistance and input.

Following the clause-by-clause review, a motion was carried to report Bill 30: An Act to Amend the Aurora College Act, as amended and reprinted, as ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole. This concludes the standing committee's review. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Great Slave, that Committee Report 20-19(2): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Bill 30: An Act to Amend the Aurora College Act, be received by the Assembly and moved into the Committee of the Whole for further consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Motion is in order. To the motion?

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried. The report will be moved into the Committee of the Whole.

---Carried.

Reports of standing and special committees. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment is pleased to provide its Report on the Government of the Northwest Territories Approach to the Mining Regime Fiscal Review and commends it to the House.

Introduction

As part of the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) work to bring the Mineral Resources Act into force, as well as to further implement the devolution of the land resources management, the GNWT has commenced a review of the mining fiscal regime, including royalties paid.

The GNWT's first step of the review was to produce a study that assessed the tax and royalty competitiveness of the mineral sector in the NWT. The Tax and Royalty Benchmarking Report released October 2020 was the GNWT's first step of the process.

In the public release of this document the Minister notes, the re-imagining of our government's fiscal framework around royalties is one that deserves a comprehensive, collaborative, and multi-phased approach." The committee was concerned about the scope of work for this benchmarking research and given the technical nature of this study, an independent review was undertaken for committee.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Member from Frame Lake to conclude. Thank you.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President.

Process

Committee decided to seek proposals from resource economic consultants to provide an independent opinion on the following questions:

• Is the GNWT maximizing benefits from resource extraction?
• Does the GNWT fiscal and regulatory structure maximize value for Northwest Territories residents and future generations?
• Is the proposed approach by the GNWT to review this fiscal and regulatory regime comprehensive?
• Will the proposed approach accurately assess whether the benefits of resource wealth are being maximized for the GNWT, NWT residents, and future generations?

The majority of committee agreed to hire resources for development consulting for this independent review. One Member was not supportive of the direction committee was taking regarding an independent analysis on the GNWT's benchmarking study. This Member's position in opposition to the independent research commissioned by committee is provided in the dissenting opinion which is included as Appendix A.

Resources for development consulting was founded in 2011 with a mandate to assist governments and communities in securing a fair share of mineral and petroleum wealth. The company assists in the design of fiscal regimes; the negotiation and renegotiation of contracts; the forecasting of future government revenues; and the monitoring and auditing of production, sales, and project costs to secure government revenues in practice.

As part of the team undertaking this work for committee, additional expertise was secured, including an executive with over 30 years experience in the mining industry and another expert with almost 25 years of experience in the energy and natural resources sectors assisting over 20 countries.

On June 29, 2021, the consultant provided a public briefing for committee on the research findings. The meeting was recorded and posted on the Legislative Assembly Facebook and Youtube channels. The final research report, An Economic Analysis of the GNWT's Approach to the Mining Regime Fiscal Review, as prepared by Resources for Development Consulting is attached as Appendix B.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to turn it over now to the MLA for Yellowknife North. Merci.

Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Committee Findings and Recommendations

While committee supports a review of the mining fiscal regime, there was not consensus how to approach this review to stimulate investment, maximize benefits and maintain competitiveness. Not all Members accepted the recommendations as presented in the report. Regardless committee submits the following recommendations to the GNWT for a response as suggested by Resources for Development Consulting.

The report's findings suggest that in determining how to improve the NWT's mining fiscal regime, an analysis should be made publicly available that demonstrates how well the current fiscal regime has served the NWT since devolution.

Recommendations

Recommendation 1

The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories analyze the performance of the NWT mining fiscal regime since devolution and publish these results.

Committee agreed that fiscal transparency was a key aspect of any fiscal regime and should be included in the current fiscal regime review.

Recommendation 2

The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories implement government-led revenue transparency.

Committee was concerned about the GNWT's share of revenue from the mineral resources sector. Committee recommends the review of the Mining fiscal regime focus on maximizing government revenue while not impeding competitiveness in the industry.

Recommendation 3

The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories conduct a fiscal regime review focused on maximizing government revenue.

Committee recognizes revenue analysis for the GNWT from the mineral sector is complex in addition to accounting for the Territorial formula financing arrangement.

To ensure the GNWT and Indigenous governments are maximizing revenue, committee recommends the mining fiscal regime focus on assessing net revenue benefits to the NWT. This focus should include an analysis on the overall mining sector in the NWT, including revenue payments from all mining operations.

I'll now turn it over to the Member for Frame Lake.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President.

Recommendation 4

The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories analyse the net revenue benefits for the NWT.

The purpose of the Heritage Fund is to ensure that future generations of people of the Northwest Territories benefit from on-going economic development, including the development of non-renewable resources. Committee was concerned with the value of wealth that has been created through the Heritage Fund and recommends the Mining Fiscal Regime Review include an assessment of how to generate more wealth for future generations.

Recommendation 5

The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories generate greater mining revenues to benefit future generations.

As the GNWT can pursue wider government revenues from mining projects, those economic benefits will extend to Indigenous governments. Indigenous governments also have independent mechanisms to secure economic benefits directly from mining companies.

Recommendation 6

The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories expands Indigenous governments' economic benefit sharing.

Committee is not aware of any publicly available information on the steps, timelines, and opportunities for public engagement for the remainder of the review of the mining fiscal regime.

Recommendation 7

The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories make public, as soon as possible, information on the steps, timeline, and opportunities for public engagement for the review of the mining fiscal regime.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to turn it over now to the MLA for Nunakput to conclude the committee report. Merci.

Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Recommendation 8:

The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends the Government provide a response to the recommendations contained in this report within 120 days.

Conclusion

Committee is committed to providing timely and constructive feedback during the review of the mining fiscal regime. Committee looks forward to a comprehensive, collaborative, and multi-phased approach with meaningful opportunities for the public and Indigenous government engagement.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to hand it over to the Member from Great Slave. Thank you.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Dissenting opinion of Katrina Nokleby, MLA for Great Slave.

Dissenting Opinion of Katrina Nokleby, MLA Great Slave

Introduction

The GNWT has committed to undertaking a review of its approach to the NWT's mining fiscal regime. As a first step, the GNWT commissioned a study by international firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to provide an analysis of tax and royalty benchmark mining in the Northwest Territories. Some Members of the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment (SCEDE) had concerns regarding the scope of work of this research and proceeded to hire an independent economic consultant to provide an opinion on the GNWT's mineral benchmarking research.

This decision by SCEDE to question the GNWT's approach does not reflect my concerns or opinions in this area.

SCEDE established the following terms of reference for Committee's independent research:

• Is the GNWT maximizing benefits from resource extraction?
• Does the GNWT fiscal and regulatory structure maximize value for NWT residents and future generations?
• Is the proposed approach by the GNWT to review this fiscal and regulatory regime comprehensive?
• And will the proposed approach accurately assess whether the benefits of resource wealth are being maximized for the GNWT, NWT residents and future generations?

I disagree that these are the most important questions to be asking, particularly in a time when exploration is at an all-time low in the NWT. It is my opinion that this contravenes the mandate of the 19th Assembly which is to support our mineral resource industry. PwC's research is relevant, sound, and is indeed a credible report in which to inform the Mining Fiscal Regime Review, comparing the climate in the NWT of relevant and relatable jurisdictions like Australia and South Africa. Contextually, based on my extensive professional experience, PwC has captured the situation in the NWT quite well and provides data to back up its conclusions.

I believe that the most relevant questions to be considering right now as the GNWT undertakes the Mining Fiscal Regime Review is:

• How will the GNWT create a climate that attracts high quality investors?
• How can the GNWT aid and incentivize the existing diamond mines to extend the life of their operations and develop new projects?
• How can the GNWT promote the exploration sector to ensure successive mines are coming online to help the territory avoid economic recession?
• How can the GNWT incentivize mining corporations to establish and keep head offices in the NWT?
• How can the GNWT support residents and businesses to increase participation in the mineral sector?
• What are the spinoff industries that could be developed?
• How can the GNWT support the development of energy and transportation infrastructure to attract investment in the territory?

Economic Conditions of the NWT

The NWT has always been a resource-based economy. Mining jobs keep families housed and people fed. Mining is the largest private sector employer in the NWT with diamond mining at the foundation of our current economy. This was only driven home further as the pandemic has progressed. Without the support of the mining industry and its dollars, the NWT would have been in economic ruin by now. The mines sent vulnerable people home with pay and set up some of the safest work sites in the entire territory, meeting weekly with our officials to ensure a coordinated effort was made to keep people healthy.

Diamond mining represented 26.7 percent of the territorial GDP in 2019, and is currently forecasted to contribute 20.7 percent of the territorial GDP in 2020 even though the industry declined 30.3 percent over that time period. There is no other sector that can replace the value that the mineral sector has brought to the NWT, unfortunately the NWT's economic outlook is not encouraging and taking jabs at this sector now is only going to be the nail in its coffin.

The value of our mineral productions is decreasing. The territorial GDP declined 10.4 percent from 2019 to 2020, the largest drop in the country, and for the first time ever is being surpassed by Nunavut's value of mineral production as predicted by the NWT and Nunvaut Chamber of Mines on July 29, 2021. The NWT and Nunavut are on opposing trends. Nunavut is surging up with the development of a new gold mine, and strong prices for iron and gold. While the NWT's mining industry is suffering from the effects of COVID-19; weak global diamond sales; and the short-term closure of Dominion's mine; and the slow rate of new mines coming online.

The value of exploration expenditures is also decreasing.

The NWT Mineral Development Strategy shows a similar trend exists for the NWT with respect to exploration expenditures. The total value of exploration expenditure in the NWT over the last five years has also declined to less than 3 percent of the Canadian total. In the meantime, Nunavut has attracted four times as much exploration investment as the NWT and about twice as much as the Yukon. Current NWT expenditures are mainly for advanced exploration projects and deposits with very few grassroots projects underway, something that is extremely worrisome for the long term prospects of a sector that employs a large portion of Northerners as well as accounts for so much of our GDP.

As Minister, I heard that the NWT is not viewed as a jurisdiction that is attractive to investment. The Fraser Institute Annual Survey of Mining Companies 2020 Investment Attractiveness Index ranked the NWT 46 out of 77 other jurisdictions. The NWT was among the very lowest ranked when compared to other Canadian jurisdictions, with Nova Scotia ranking the worst at 66 out of 77. Conversely Saskatchewan was at the top of attractive jurisdictions coming in at 3rd place, followed by Quebec in 6th, and Newfoundland and Labrador at 8.

While prospects don't look great, there has been some extension to the life of the diamond mines as detailed in the 2019 Socio-Economic Agreement Report. Diavik Diamond Mine's production life has been extended to 2025 due to the A-21 pit; Ekati's production life has been extended to 2034; and Gahcho Kue production life is estimated to run until 2030 with the discovery of new kimberlite pipes in 2019. However, this is not enough to sustain our economy and the lack of upcoming projects to replace the diamond mines is worrisome. Coupled with little oil and gas development, the sunsetting of the diamond mines will likely cause the NWT to be in an extremely weak and limited economic environment in as short of a time as 13 years. Even if ongoing exploration work proves fruitful, metal mines have nowhere near the economic impact as a diamond mine and production values will be extremely limited comparatively.

Diversification is key to developing our economy, but diversification needs to happen quicker and on a much greater scale than it is currently happening to be relevant. In the meantime, we cannot afford to have a territory with no economy. Without successful exploration and subsequent mining projects coming online, we are destined to become a government or public service economy, with little population, little territorial budget, and little private services. With a lack of jobs there will be little incentive for our youth to remain in their home communities or even in the NWT, and our talent drain to the south will continue.

Conclusion

For all the reasons above, I believe the scope of work for the Tax and Royalty Benchmark Report, Mining in the Northwest Territories is an effective benchmark report to understand the NWT's competitiveness in the mineral sector. I am disappointed that committee time and resources were spent on work that I see as largely irrelevant given the reputation of the authors of the original report as well as the current economic situation of the NWT. I encourage my colleagues to put our time and efforts towards improving the economic outlook of our territory instead. I support the work of the GNWT and ITI to advance the Mining Fiscal Regime Review expeditiously to enable the development of regulations and incentives that will ensure a prosperous future for the NWT and all residents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Great Slave. To the report, Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the Honourable Member from Frame Lake, that Committee Report 21-19(2): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report of the Government of the Northwest Territories Approach to the Mining Regime Fiscal Review, be received in the Assembly, moved into Committee of the Whole for further consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Motion is in order. To the motion?

Question has been called. All those in favor? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried. The report will be moved into Committee of the Whole.

--Carried

Reports of standing and special committees. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment is pleased to provide the Report on Telecommunications and commends into the House.

The Executive Summary

Your Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment is concerned about the growing digital divide in the NWT and the overall accessibility to connectivity and quality of internet services across the NWT.

The pandemic continues to highlight a growing gap between these with affordable, high-speed, reliable connectivity and those without. The communities in the NWT, especially more than remote communities, are suffering the most. And as the residents cannot afford it, the NWT falls below the rates of connectivity across Canada and yet also pay the highest price for service in - and the sporadic... [audio] The NWT witnessed over the course of the pandemic sporadic service in their community, limits accessibility for essential services.

The committee invited presentations from the Government of the Northwest Territories, (the GNWT), and the industry engagement informed committee submission. The Canadian Radio Telecommunications Commission 2020-367 (Appendix A) has also informed committee's recommendations to the GNWT.

In the committee's view, the GNWT has not completed a comprehensive business plan including financial costs required to provide internet access in the NWT at a comparable level of service in southern Canada. Without a complete picture of the total costs delivering the service, the GNWT continues to fall short of federal partners in industry to achieve this at the end.

The following report provides summary of what the committee heard from stakeholders and submits recommendations to the GNWT to improve accessibility, reliability, affordability of the telecommunications services in the NWT.

The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment has provided nine recommendations for the GNWT.

1. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends the GNWT to continue into invest in publicly owned backbone internet infrastructure in the NWT. Specifically, the GNWT to prioritize the opportunity to create fibre redundancy to the NWT.
2. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends the GNWT ensure fibre optic into home made available -- make fibre optic make -- made available to the residents of Tuktoyaktuk completion Inuvik-Tuk fibre line installation.
3. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends the GNWT all backbone internet infrastructure in communities accommodates open wholesale access to NWT business to co-locate internet services a fair price in the NWT businesses.
4. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends the GNWT advocate to the Canadian Radio Telecommunications Commission to set aside funding under the broadband fund for smaller service providers in Indigenous-owned businesses to help promote competition.
5. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends the GNWT ensure all public funded internet backbone infrastructure in the NWT provide wholesale high-speed third-party internet access.
6. The Standing Committee on Economic Development Environment recommends the GNWT address digital divide within the NWT by providing free access to basic internet packages through income assistance funding and NWT Housing Corporation for public housing units.
7. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends to GNWT to address the digital divide building partnerships that can make free Wi-Fi services to all regional centres.
8. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends that the GNWT encourage competition in the market by procuring internet services by smaller pieces and that local internet providers can effectively bid on these opportunities.
9. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends a response and recommendations listed within 120 business days. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Member for for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the Honourable Member from Frame Lake, that Committee Report 22-19(2): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment, Report on Telecommunications, be deemed read and printed in Hansard in its entirety. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Motion is in order. To the motion?

Question has been called. All those in favor? All those opposed? Any abstentions?

Reports of standing and special committees. Returns to oral questions. Acknowledgements. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, these questions will be for the Minister of Finance/Human Resources.

Mr. Speaker, some of the GNWT departments will require employees to confirm they have been vaccinated prior to showing up for -- for work starting today. And others not vaccinated may be accommodated or turned away.

So, Mr. Speaker, will the Minister explain to this -- to this Assembly the timing and process employees will be -- will be required to follow to confirm their vaccination status and is privacy, as it relates to private health information, a consideration when sharing that information and is it consistent throughout all departments, including NTPC and NWT Housing Corporation? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, let me just be clear first at the outset that it is, indeed -- everyone that has to be, at this point, providing a proof of vaccination or else they will be asked to comply with enhanced personal protective equipment and ultimately a testing regime.

In doing so, in asking our employees to comply with that policy, privacy absolutely was a top consideration, Mr. Speaker. The information that we are requesting, the records we are requesting, they are, indeed, going to be held on a need-to-know only basis at the Department of Human -- Department of Finance and Human Resources within the human resources information system. These folks are very accustomed to dealing with very sensitive information. It is secure, and it is private. I certainly would not let that to be a barrier to anyone complying with the policy to keep themselves and their families and their coworkers safe.

As for its application, Mr. Speaker, as I believe has been discussed this week, the Northwest Territories Power Corporation does have their own policy also in place. The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation does, however, fall within this one.

So, yes, Mr. Speaker, this is -- it's time -- this is time, it's now upon us, but, again, the information is going to be kept secure and confidential. So this -- if there's anyone out there who still hasn't provided their proof of vaccination, please, please get on the system and get that done today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, knowing that departments or divisions have different vaccine policy requirements for employees to attend work, will the Minister confirm for those that are not vaccinated what process is in place to accommodate them when they show up for work tomorrow, and will they be required to provide any documentation as do those that are vaccinated; and if they do not have documentation, then what? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the vaccination requirements are not different-- are, again, asked- please, first of all, please go get your vaccine. It's your best way to protect yourself and to then provide that.

What does change department or division by division is in fact the specific guidelines around personal protective equipment. That's to accommodate the fact that certain different workplaces will have different levels of need or different levels of potential exposure to members of the public or to one another, you know, an office environment versus a frontline environment. But all of the departmental guidelines are available on the MyHR website. So if someone wants to go through, read them individually, they certainly can do that now. They are available on the website, and individual employees also, if they still have questions, should speak to their direct supervisors. Between the information on the HR website, between the information of their supervisors, employees should now be, I believe, quite clear on the level of personal protective equipment required for their workplace and testing will be coming shortly and that, again, same efforts, Mr. Speaker, to the MyHR website or to a supervisor. I've not had too many inquiries so I am hoping that, indeed, that information has rolled out successfully and there's no other paperwork that's required. Just to, you know, again, Number 1 is to go get your vaccine. If you are choosing not to do that, then to make sure you're clear with your supervisor what you need to do to keep yourself safe tomorrow. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm concerned that some of the vaccinated employees may find that working with staff that are not vaccinated will deem the workplace to be an unsafe environment as set out in WSCC legislation.

Mr. Speaker, will the Minister confirm what is the process that must be followed by those employees who feel unsafe when working alongside employees who are unvaccinated? What options or accommodations are open to them if they refuse to go to work? Has this been made clear to them? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again, the first point of contact for all employees is their direct supervisor. We've certainly have employees working with their supervisors throughout the pandemic to ensure that folks who may be immune compromised, for instance, can have access to -- to that -- to additional information so that their workplace remains a safe place for them. We've worked -- the Department of Finance has worked with the WSCC and Occupational Health and Safety. Again, throughout the pandemic, including on the current policy. Always, of course, is mindful not only of the provisions that -- I know the Member mentioned earlier, but other provisions in the work -- Workers Safety and Compensation Act. For instance, the ensuring of having an exposure control plan. So vaccines certainly as I think -- has been mentioned not only by this government, not only by our Chief public health officer, but across the country and the world, vaccines are your best form of protection, but they are not the only form of protection.

We really want to of course ensure that our workplaces are using every possible means of protection. So you have enhanced masking for those folks who are not providing proof of vaccine, still other masking orders still in place, other various exposure controls are in place. So we are trying to adapt the workplaces to a pandemic in the context of, of course, changing knowledge and information about that pandemic and as risks may continue to evolve and to vary, we are going to continue to do so. But if someone does have concerns, again, please have them speak to their supervisor so that their individual circumstances can be accommodated. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to review the document titled Confirmation of Compliance with the GNWT COVID-19 Vaccine Policy for Contractors, and discussed it with a number of contractors.

Mr. Speaker, would the Minister confirm how this information is being relayed to contractors and how or will it be monitored to ensure compliance? It appears to be a document based more on the honour system. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our approach in terms of dealing with contractors is quite similar to the federal model and they too are applying their own policies more expansively and to include contractors. The goal, again, is to ensure that all of the public that's being served on behalf of the GNWT has the benefits of this policy and the benefits that we believe it brings as far as providing all the different tools to prevent transmission and exposure to COVID-19.

I suppose it's an honor system in the sense that we are requiring at this point contractors who have existing contracts to sign to say they are adhering to the policy. I suppose that's an honor system or, really, it's a system that says "you now need to adhere and you need to tell us you're going to do so."

Going forward, contract templates are being modified so that it will actually then be built into the contract itself, that they will comply with the policy. And certainly where there's concern that contractors not adhering to the policies, they are saying that they are or that they will be contracted to do, there certainly are tools that the GNWT can have to deal with that.

I'm hoping, Mr. Speaker, that we don't get to that. I'm hoping again that contractors are just as keen to ensure that they're using all the tools available to keep their employees safe as we are. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the other day the Infrastructure Minister was unable to answer a couple of my questions. So I'm going to try asking them again today.

Can the Minister tell us which other NWT airports, by name, were affected by similar actions experienced at the Fort Smith airport runway? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During the recent lighting projects involving James Gruben airport in Tuktoyaktuk and YZF in Yellowknife, the Aerodrome Standards and Guidelines were considered. The Tuktoyaktuk project saw changes to the physical characteristics and the lighting infrastructure. And the Yellowknife project saw changes to the lighting infrastructure to meet the current standards as well as aircraft currently serving the airport. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, in the Infrastructure budget that we looked at the other day, Fort Simpson is replacing the lighting on their airport runway just like what happened to Fort Smith's runway changes. Can the Minister tell us if the width or length of the Fort Simpson airport's runway was altered in any way? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Fort Simpson airport will see changes to the lighting infrastructure as a result of the new lighting project so it can meet the Aerodrome Standards and Guidelines, but there will be no changes to the physical characteristics because the aircraft-- because of the aircraft serving this airport.

The aircraft serving Fort Simpson, to meet the current and future needs, is the ATR turbo prop. This aircraft is part of a larger aircraft group number, than the aircraft serving Fort Smith. As with the Fort Smith airport, the level of service will not change at this airport and will still continue to meet federal regulations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell us if there are any plans to reduce the width of any other NWT airport runways? If so, can the Minister specify which airports those are. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That was two questions, and I'll answer them both. No, there are no plans at this time as there are no projects in the planning and design stage. During the plan and design process for all airport projects, the Aerodrome Standards and Guidelines are taken into consideration, along with the aircraft serving the community and the physical characteristics of that airport. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for the government to continue to defend a poor decision to shorten the width of a major regional airport is not okay. I don't want Fort Smith's decision to set a bad precedent for other communities to lose or lessen vital infrastructure. Would the Minister seriously reconsider correcting this direction by the Government of the Northwest Territories and reinstate the wishes of 550 people along with the entire Fort Smith leadership who signed the runway petition? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To be clear, narrowing the width of the runway has not changed the level of service of the airport. The runway meets current federal regulations and future needs.

When the Fort Smith airport was built in 1957, 60 meters was a common width for a paved runway across Canada. At the time, it was predicted that future aircraft would be bigger and would require larger runways. The evolution of aircraft technology disproved this prediction. Newer and more modern aircraft have improved performance when compared to aircraft from the 1950s and 1960s and wider runways are not necessary.

Mr. Speaker, in addition, I would also note that the federal regulations have recently changed and a 60-meter wide runway is no longer required, even for the largest aircraft in the world.

Finally, I want to make it clear that Department of Infrastructure did consult with the airport users and the town prior to commencing the work on the new runway lighting and reduce the runway width in 2018, and no objections were noted or brought forward at that time. Ongoing engagement with aircraft operators during construction led to the addition of turn pads at both ends of the runway to be able to allow for safe operations of 737s and A320 aircrafts.

The expenditure of over 11 million in public funds to revisit the work completed in 2019 and return the runway to its former width is unnecessary, and the Department of Infrastructure doesn't have the necessary funding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Merci, Monsieur le President. My statement dealt with the often-promised federal territorial agreement to bring affordable child care to all parents in the NWT. The ECE Minister is quoted in the media as saying-- in some media saying "we'll have this agreement by the end of the calendar year."

But I'd like the Minister to tell us the number of child care spaces the agreement will support and at what cost per day. Merci, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member stated, I've already said publicly we should have this agreement finalized by the end of the year, in the coming weeks, in the coming week. It's very close. That being said, it's not finalized and so I can't say how many spaces, what costs, etcetera.

If you look at every other deal that's been made, though, there is some indications that there's a reduction in fees at the end of 2022 by a certain amount, and after five years there's a desire to get to around $10 a day average. So there are some things that have appeared in every other agreement. But I can't say what we are going to see in this agreement until we sign something. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that sneak preview. The Minister has also been quoted as saying that the lack of physical spaces will challenge universal affordable child care in the NWT. How is the Minister going to ensure that there are safe and appropriate places to put the new child care spaces in all NWT communities? Merci, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So ECE currently has funding for startup, new child care space startup to help programs get off the ground. Of course, we have the $1 million child care infrastructure fund that we're a few years into now. As well, we have been prioritizing the communities who have no child care services for that fund. While negotiating the terms of the new agreement, the Canada-wide agreement that we hope to sign here in the very near future, we've been considering how we can utilize that agreement as well as some of the existing funding that we already have to construct new spaces. I noted earlier that we have reviewed the current funding programs and given that we're on the cusp of a new agreement, perhaps some of those funding programs can be adjusted to help get new infrastructure spaces off the ground as well as has been discussed in this House, ECE's capital standards for schools now allows for child care space to be built in new school facilities as well. So there's a number of ways that we are working on the infrastructure issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. The August renewal of the Canada-NWT Early Learning and Child Care Agreement provided a onetime earmarked $2.5 million to support development of our early child care work force, childhood care work force. I want to ask the Minister whether he can tell us if that money's actually rolling out now and how many child care workers have been trained or have their skills upgraded? Merci, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, the money is rolling out. It is supporting a number of initiatives. Of course, we have the early learning child care diploma program at Aurora College that this money's helping fund. For the first time now that-- there is a distance-based early learning child care certificate, that people don't have to come to the campus to take. They can take it in their home communities. There's work on dual credit courses for interested secondary-- senior secondary school students. As well, we are supporting college Nordique to deliver post-secondary programming in French for early learning child care providers. We have 30 scholarships of $5,000 for students pursuing further education in early learning and child care. So we have a number of different initiatives.

There are approximately 300 childhood educators who are benefitting from some of the additional training that is being offered as well beyond those college courses. So there's a number of different initiatives that are available to prospective early learning and child care educators as well as current ones. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. It would be great to get further updates on that money being spent.

So planning for universal child care in the NWT, it's not new ground. There was the 2015 feasibility study of universal affordable daycare in the Northwest Territories, and the department has some of its own action plans. But how is the Minister building upon this work to finally develop a comprehensive plan for universal child care across the NWT, and how will a new agreement with the federal government make this happen? Merci, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member mentioned, this is not new ground. Over the years, there's been a number of -- much work done on the types of programs and research into the needs of young children and how we can better support them and how we can better support parents with their child care needs. And so this work has been done by the Department of Health, by E, C and E, and the officials at the department have looked at all of this work spanning many years, and as well, they have gone out to have discussions with child care providers, Indigenous governments, and so on. And all of that is informing both the negotiations that we are currently in with the federal government as well as the 2030 Early Learning and Childhood Strategy. That strategy will be a very high-level document without specific actions. That's generally what strategies are; they're guiding documents. But as with many federal funding agreements, there's already a requirement for an action plan. So the -- I expect there will be a detailed action plan under the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement that will spell out exactly how we are going to spend this money and make these improvements to the child care sector. So I can assure the Member we will have a plan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today my Member's statement was on shipping and timing in regards to my riding. It's really essential because three communities that I represent are on the ocean. And this year, we're worried in regards of having our shipment so late into the season, in September, due to ice conditions and in the rough seas because our boats are only limited to do so much.

Mr. Speaker, is there any way-- like, we have six and a half months of planning, is the Minister able to direct her staff with MTS in regards to servicing the community first before servicing contracts? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the marine delivery needs of the ISR communities, of any Northwest Territories communities, do not take a backseat to North Warning System contract or any other commercial contracts. MTS serves the ISR communities with dedicated tugboats and barges. I think the Member's going to be happy to hear that, that we dedicate our tugs and barges to the-- to the smaller communities. So a different tugboat and barge is used to serve the-- for example, the North Warning System. These marine operations run concurrently, but they don't interfere with each other. In the past summer, though operations were temporarily delayed by ice, the ISR communities did receive their freight. And a different tugboat than Nunakput did North Warning System deliveries and was completed on time this season. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that. I'm really happy to hear that we have Nunakput serving Nunakput, and look forward to that this year. But we have six and a half months of planning to do to make that happen.

For the timeline, June 15th was when the ocean opened up on our side and boats are already coming in from June to September. Why did it take so long? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the tugs leave from Hay River. So I mean, there are a number of factors that we need to consider, including the ice to melt in the lake and getting it up the river. So those are some of the reasons why. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So in regards to the shipping, you know, we came in in September. We can't have that, what happened in 2018 with that service and costing former government millions of dollars to service our communities. So, Mr. Speaker, how does it work and where do they buy the fuel in regards to servicing the communities if they're coming up and they're doing tows out to the community, where are they buying the fuel and can we get it cheaper so we could pass on those cheap rates to the people of Nunakput? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.