The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the regular Members negotiated, in addition to this year's operating budget, of four Indigenous patient advocates that would be located in Inuvik, Hay River, Fort Smith, and Yellowknife. Their specific mandate is to work to improve cultural safety and patient experience by supporting Indigenous patients in particular and resolving their concerns, complaints, and questions, and bridging cultural and language barriers. The job descriptions for these Indigenous patient advocates are now in development, and we expect to have them in place next year. Thank you.

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I really thank the Minister for that response. It's a good news story and I think that -- so is the Minister saying January next year? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

I think I might feel the flames at my feet, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the information I have is that it will be early next year. So let's say by the time we come back. Thank you.

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, no question, I'm just really happy that we're getting a patients' advocate so people have a place to phone and get assistance and get quicker response times. And I thank the Minister for that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is no surveillance being conducted. Mr. Speaker, I understand that these meeting minutes continue to be a source of great consternation. They are minutes. They are taken by a note taker, they are not transcripts, and they certainly are not something to which I would say speak on my behalf about what the department is or is not doing or the priorities of the department. So just to put that context on the quotes that are coming, again there are notes taken by someone at a meeting.

That said, Mr. Speaker, philanthropic organizations, this quote, this has long been a matter raised by certain members of the industry that we want to ensure that when decisions are being made about land use in the Northwest Territories that those decisions are made by members of the regions in which the matters arise so that they're decisions made by northern residents, by northern communities, by northern governments. And that's really the role of the GNWT here, is not to go spying on anybody but simply to facilitate land use planning by and for the benefit of Northerners. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. In October 2021, Alberta released the report from the $3.5 million Allan inquiry into foreign funded anti-energy campaigns that found no evidence of wrongdoing by environmental groups.

Can the Minister tell us whether this government is going to hold a similar public inquiry in terms of watching philanthropic organizations, or does this government actually recognize the value that these organizations can bring to the NWT? Merci, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we very fortunately in this government have the LNR departments all working well together. That is Lands, Natural Resources, and Environment all working together. In this particular instance, ENR happens to be the lead in terms of trying to work through a process or governance where we might, if there were to be opportunities to work with large organizations, is to bring funding alternatives on conservation initiatives, then we want to ensure, again, as a collective and as the GNWT and as Northerners, that we'd be doing that within a structure that is for the benefit of Northerners.

So we don't share the concern that I believe was the impetus behind that study and behind that inquiry, that there was some sort of nefarious thing happening. We are quite trusting and quite happy to work with anyone who wants to come and be mindful of the benefits of the northern residence and northern communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for those words. As I understand, the Chamber of Mines has filed for a judicial review of decision by the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board not to issue unlimited extensions to land use permits. And, Mr. Speaker, I don't want to speak to the case in any way, but the meeting summary show that the chamber met with Ministers of this government about their application before it was filed. So can the Minister tell us what happened in those meetings? Merci, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, I wasn't at the meetings but I was able to make inquiries, and I appreciate a bit of a heads-up that these topics might be coming.

The importance or the desire of industry to ensure that they have access to leases that are effective has long been a matter of their advocacy. That said, this is an area where, although I understand CIRNAC on behalf of the federal government might have actually taken the position that leases should be extended, the GNWT has not taken a position. We have remained neutral and we continue to remain neutral, and whatever process might be happening before the courts with other parties, as the Member's already said, is not ours to speak to here. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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