Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for the Status of Women.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 24(n) so that I may make a ceremonial offering. Thank you.

---Unanimous consent granted

Mr. Speaker, I have just made a ceremonial offering to you as the presiding officer of this House to represent the people of the Northwest Territories. The offering is presented to you representing the traditions of many First Nations, Metis and Inuit, and their spiritual beliefs, values, and the principles by which they live. Through this offering, I am paying my respects and asking for their blessing but more importantly, to honour those Indigenous women, girls, and two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and asexual plus peoples who have lost their lives or who have experienced or continue to experience trauma and violence.

Mr. Speaker, I attended the vigil for the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women on Monday night, December 6th, honouring the 14 young women who were murdered at the Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal over 30 years ago. Violence against women, girls, and gender-diverse people is not only part of our country's history but a reality that is faced by many today, across Canada and in the Northwest Territories. We must take a strong stand against all forms of violence in order to change our society and create a safe space for all to thrive in.

Before I proceed with my statement, I urge anyone who feels they need mental health support to reach out to this number: 1-844-413-6649. This is an independent national toll-free call line that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Mr. Speaker, later today I will be tabling the Government of the Northwest Territories' draft action plan in response to the calls for justice presented in the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. This response is the culmination of many months of the GNWT examining current programs and services and how they are provided, exploring and considering new ways of doing business, and affirming the importance and value of building partnerships to make change. Change must happen if we are to end violence directed at Indigenous women and girls and gender-diverse people. This draft action plan is a step towards that change.

I would like to stress that this is a draft action plan. Before we finalize the document, we will engage further on our proposed responses to the calls for justice. This action plan is meant to build relationships between government and those we serve, build trust, empower. We must make sure that people and communities across the Northwest Territories, including public servants at the front lines of delivering this action plan, and especially people with lived experience, have opportunities to further shape this action plan.

The GNWT draft action plan entitled "Changing the Relationship" is the GNWT's response to the calls to justice. The GNWT is committed to doing its part to start changing our relationship with all Indigenous peoples, and this draft action plan is an important step in achieving this.

Mr. Speaker, it is important to acknowledge that a high percentage of Indigenous women, girls, and gender-diverse people continue to experience various forms of violence, for some daily; and sadly, families are often left to mourn. This has resulted in deep-rooted pain in our northern communities. This action plan is meant to lead policy change and a whole-of-government approach to programs and services that supports Indigenous women, girls, and gender-diverse people, and the benefits will be felt throughout the communities in the Northwest Territories. Change tends to have a ripple effect. We are counting on that.

Mr. Speaker, the action plan is a living document that is ready for change. We are prepared to work with communities, Indigenous leadership, and other organizations on the initiatives in the action plan. We are ready and open to adapting our approach if what we are actioning is not achieving the intent. This is why we are calling this a living document. Change is not static, relationships are not static, and we will not allow our response to this fundamental issue to be static. The work of relationship building and cultural change takes time and I want to assure Members that we are in it for the long haul.

One of the things we did when reviewing the Calls for Justice was look at similar situations in the Northwest Territories that the Calls for Justice were meant to address. In a lot of cases, there were policy or procedures already in place, along with programs and services, so it became necessary for us to look at these existing programs and services and see if there were ways to improve them. Where we are able to, develop a homegrown response that reflected our northern realities.

Mr. Speaker, this is a three-year plan. This timeline allows us to work on initial implementation but then evaluate and revise the action plan to keep it relevant and responsive. We also need to compliment the implementation of the national action plan that was introduced last spring and take advantage of lessons learned from that process. Three years also means this action plan will carry over into the new government ensuring continuity.

Partnership is an important component of this work. By working in partnership with communities, Indigenous governments and organizations, and special interest groups, we will be developing a network of resources and capacities that will help move these actions forward. This action plan outlines the GNWT's commitment to effecting change. We implore everyone in the Northwest Territories to join in this movement. You may think you do not have a role in changing the relationship but I believe that everyone can have a part, big or small.

Mr. Speaker, I want to note that although proud to have the opportunity to table this work in the House, I am also sad. The weight of the stories I have heard and carried from others, both survivors and perpetrators during the last decade while in various roles, are heartbreaking. It can be almost overwhelming; like no action plan can matter and that these are only the stories and experiences and not the life of the person who lived through it.

But I also feel hopeful; hopeful that we are moving forward to a time when Indigenous women, girls, and gender-diverse people can begin to feel safe, are valued, and respected.

I have also seen how the different small steps and changes can make a difference especially when made with vision, purpose, and consistency. This action plan is itself a step and holds many more steps that can support Indigenous women, girls, and gender-diverse people to reclaim their place in society on their own terms. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Ministers' statements. Honourable Premier.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise the House that the Honourable Julie Green will be absent from the House for a portion of today's proceedings to participate in a conference call with federal/provincial/territorial ministers of Health.

I also want to advise the House that the Honourable Caroline Wawzonek will also be absent from the House for a portion of today's proceedings to also participate in a conference call with federal/provincial/territorial ministers of Tourism. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Honourable Premier. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have many of our elders living in the smaller communities of the Beaufort Delta region. In this Assembly, we have seen the plans change the Inuvik long-term care facility. Originally, the building was set to house 48 seniors and now it is down to 16. Mr. Speaker, I support a reduction in the size of this facility as long as this reduction provides enough beds that are required.

As I have heard from elders in my previous roles, they do not want to leave their home community. I do not want to see our elders being sent out of their communities to be housed in a 48-bed facility where they are not with their families, their grandchildren, their language, and their social and cultural supports. My concern, Mr. Speaker, is how and where are the savings from this change the capital planning is used to support home care services in small communities.

For regional long-term care facilities being reduced in size, how is the government supporting communities to be able to care for elders at home? In all our small communities of not only my region but the Northwest Territories, the nurses on staff are also expected to provide the care for elders in addition to their other duties. There is no designated home care nursing position to support the home support workers, and there's no seven-days-a-week care.

Mr. Speaker, this is one of the most important service to be provided for elders and their families, to ensure that they can age in place with dignity. Because there is not enough home care support and after hours support in small communities, elders have little choice but to relocate to receive better care.

Mr. Speaker, it is this government's priority to support elders to age in place with dignity. We cannot achieve this without an increase in home care nurses and home support workers in the small communities. Increasing home care support in small communities also supports another government priority to increase employment in small communities. I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause.

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the mandates of the 19th Legislative Assembly is to increase student outcomes to the same level as the rest of Canada. This was identified as it was noted that the trend in past and recent graduates in our small communities did not achieve the necessary course requirements to enter post-secondary institutions .

During my Member's statement of November 29th and the question and answer period, the Minister stated that they provide broad strategic direction to education bodies, the district education authorities otherwise known as DEAs. The Minister also stated it is the education bodies themselves who really deliver education to the students.

Mr. Speaker, the auditor general found that the department needs to monitor the education authorities on their compliance with policies and accountability frameworks. I am certain the DEAs are not informed of the policies and frameworks in order to operate as an informed board. I am certain the DEAs are not informed of the new strategies ECE's initiating such as the Education Modernization Act, the education renewal initiatives, and the JK to Grade 12 Curriculum Renewal.

DEAs have elections every three years, and most elected are new members. There is also the odd one or two that will resign in their course of their term. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Education Minister at the appropriate time. Mahsi.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is for MACA and there are some housing in here too as well. So, Mr. Speaker, Christmas is approaching. Soon we are all going to go home, go our way to be with our families. During the festive seasons, we need to keep in mind the less fortunate, especially those who are homeless, the hungry, the families that are not under one roof because there are no housing options for them.

We all know the Christmas story. Christmas is about the Holy family - Joseph, Mary and Jesus. Mary and Joseph were looking for a place to give birth to their baby Jesus. They were knocking on doors, searching for a place, being chased away, and no one was coming. They found a place to sleep, gave birth to Jesus in a barn, and their baby slept in a manger.

Mr. Speaker, this is similar to the treatment of homeless people in the NWT. Homeless is not just about people on the street. It is about those who are being denied housing or were evicted from social housing. Mr. Speaker, families are denied adequate housing, have no place to sleep, and have no place to call home. As a society, as a government, we need to do more for people.

Christmas is about hope but people who struggle with housing do not have hope. I hear from people they feel helpless; they feel hopeless by the system; they feel trapped. Mr. Speaker, what we are doing to the people is not right. The housing policies and programs in place now are not working. I hear from people they are paying max rent. If they do not provide income tax assessment, their rent dramatically increases.

Mr. Speaker, it is Christmastime. Let's remember the people who are struggling in our communities and hold ourselves accountable to do better. I will have questions for the Minister of MACA and Housing together.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At the beginning of the 19th Assembly, back in the sunny days prior to Cabinet being selected and COVID chaos, those of us sitting in this Chamber sat down and determined our priorities for the next four years. Those priorities then informed the mandate of Cabinet once they were elected.

One of the priorities set in October 2019 was to implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, or UNDRIP, within the constitutional framework of Canada to advance reconciliation. On their website Executive and Indigenous Affairs, or EIA, promises to work with Indigenous governments to create and implement an action plan that identifies changes required in GNWT legislation and policies to best reflect the principles set out in UNDRIP.

Further, on the website it states that EIA will collaborate with the federal government and Indigenous governments to support Canada's efforts to implement UNDRIP.

UNDRIP is a comprehensive statement that addresses the human rights of Indigenous peoples. It took over twenty years to develop and approve and emphasizes the rights of Indigenous peoples to live in dignity; maintain and strengthen their institutions, cultures, and traditions; and pursue their self-determined development in keeping with their own needs and aspirations. The declaration addresses both individual and collective rights; cultural rights and identity; and rights to education, health, employment, and language as well as others.

How is this Assembly working towards these implementing these priorities? Public hearings have been held by the Special Committee on Reconciliation and Indigenous Affairs, and EIA's website promises an implementation plan to be completed by the summer of 2022. The website also states that the "federal process informs the NWT action plan and implementation, including program changes."

I ask, Mr. Speaker, is this government going to wait on the federal government to tell them how to implement UNDRIP? Or, are they going to have the courage to hold the prime minister's feet to the fire on the promises he made? Will they implement their own if the federal government continues to drag its heels?

When speaking with Indigenous leaders, they tell me that whatever the GNWT does or promises, it must be recognized by Canada And that it is EIA's responsibility to ensure that Canada respects and abides by any commitments made by the GNWT. Otherwise those commitments become lip service and as worthless as the paper they're written on.

Over the last two years I've heard the Premier state several times that she views the relationship with Indigenous governments and the federal government as a triangle with three equal partners. If so, then it is time for the GNWT to step up and stand alongside their partner and push the federal government to do the right thing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Merci, Monsieur le President. The advice from the Transition Matters special committee of the last Assembly was that there should be fewer priorities. We produced a list of 22 priorities versus the 25 for the 18th Assembly. Hard choices were not made. We ran out of time and energy after an intensive orientation with a looming leadership selection process.

I do not support some of the priorities set by this Assembly. Some work at cross-purposes with each other. Some of the priorities provide precise direction while others are extremely vague. The priorities provide very little direction for the work of some of the departments, agencies and Ministers.

With two years left in this Assembly, it's past the time to review the priorities. I'll make it easy for my Cabinet colleagues. You should focus on only five things in the last two years beyond what your departments are generally doing. Here's my five picks, Mr. Speaker:

1. Develop a costed plan to get our housing out of core need to at least the Canadian average. Take that to Ottawa as the priority for the NWT. Drop the big infrastructure projects now but manage housing like it is a big infrastructure project.
2. The climate crisis. Finally admit it is a crisis, stop blaming the feds, and adopt the international standard of net-zero by 2050. Move beyond the ridiculously low Climate Change Strategic Framework and the misguided 2030 Energy Strategy.
3. Universal childcare. A costed plan to get us there which the last Minister in the 18th Assembly refused to do. No more vague promises of advancing affordable childcare.
4. Settle and implement treaty, land and resources self-government agreements. Concentrate on Akaitcho, the Deh Cho, and the NWT Metis Nation to get final agreements. Provide new mandates and change up our negotiators where necessary.
5. Complete the implementation of the Polytechnic University as the basis for diversifying our economy through recognition of traditional knowledge, environmental remediation, and our world-class environmental management systems.

That's my challenge to Cabinet and to my colleagues on this side of the House. This is the legacy we can and should achieve for our residents. Merci, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the priorities of the 19th Assembly is to increase regional decision-making authority. That is something that I have always been a strong proponent of. I believe that decentralization of government, wherever possible, is a good thing. In fact, that's what we should be doing. Our government needs to continue to empower the regional centres and small communities with greater autonomy to make their own decisions.

Mr. Speaker, devolution is a well-known concept in this Assembly. On one hand, there is a delegation of powers and responsibilities from the federal level on to the territorial government level. However, on the opposite side of the coin, there's also the further devolution of powers and responsibilities that the Government of the Northwest Territories must continue, which is granting greater autonomy to the regional centres, smaller communities, and Indigenous governments.

Mr. Speaker, our government needs to continue engaging administrative decentralization. We must enable regional centres and small communities with the ability to make decisions at the local level as much as possible. Far too often have I seen decisions being made from the capital rather than from the communities themselves. That, in my view, is backwards and should be the other way around.

Is a regional approach to decision-making authority not considered the best approach by our government?

Mr. Speaker, I believe that the content within the mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories document could have been stronger than what the government committed to do to improve regional decision-making authority. There is a commitment to ensure that staff have adequate training so they're aware of their decision-making authority; however, that commitment is vague and doesn't grant any further delegation of powers to regional centres, small communities, or Indigenous governments to enhance their regional decision-making authority. I will have questions for the Premier at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Members' statements. Member for Hay River.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over the past several years, community governments are finding that they are unable to keep up with the need to provide financial solutions to deal with aging infrastructure, provide services, and cover the increased costs of doing business that would allow the community to grow. We know there's a funding gap of approximately $37 million with no sense of urgency by this government to seriously address it. We also know that we are looking at around $69 million annually to renew and replace community infrastructure as it reaches mid- to end-of-life cycles.

Mr. Speaker, this issue has been handed down from one Assembly to another, with no clear sense of when it will be addressed or how to address it. We have communities that are struggling with aging infrastructure and ever increasing costs to conform to evolving and strict legislative requirements that direct how communities deal with climate change, environmental constraints, and development as they move forward.

This government, in its mandate, promised to reduce the funding gap, which is a good start, but what we need to do is to take decisive action to eliminate and start to properly fund communities. Any funding model not only has to be fair and transparent but has to built on the reality of the times and not expected to be completely funded by the community.

Mr. Speaker, when I hear this government making statements such as we will "work with communities to identify options to enhance own source revenues and find efficiencies in program and service delivery", I see this as another way of telling communities, financially you're on your own and look to your residents to bail you out. This is not how we should conduct business - the people of the NWT put us here to work for them, to make decisions that will put them in a better place, not a worse one.

Mr. Speaker, this government needs to review, in consultation with each community, where and why costs to sustain our communities are increasing. If we expect communities to flourish and encourage people and businesses to locate there, then we must take swift action to eliminate the funding gap and to fund each community appropriately.

Mr. Speaker, this matter has to be addressed by all four levels of government, including the federal government, the GNWT, Indigenous governments, and community governments. We have to lead with solutions and action. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Mr. Speaker, it is time for this government to do the homework, develop a plan, and meet with the federal government to request financial support to eliminate the funding gap and development a funding arrangement that works for all communities in the NWT. I will have questions for the Minister of MACA at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I empathize with the concern that we had 22 priorities, and that was too many, and the future Assembly should aim to have less. But I am still not convinced that if we had less priorities we would be in a much better situation. I think there is a bit of a bellwether, that we're at our halfway mark and then there's a sense of frustration in this House. Notably, we have been in a global pandemic and steering the GNWT ship is a difficult task and COVID has not made that easier. But, Mr. Speaker, I believe we have to pick some of those priorities and get them done. And to be honest, Mr. Speaker, I don't really care which it is. It is whatever we think we can accomplish.

If we walked out of that priority room with one to settle and implement land claim agreements, from what I have seen to date I don't believe the GNWT is willing or capable of doing that. If we walked out of one to get our housing out of core need, I don't believe the GNWT is willing or capable of doing that, because I have not seen an appetite to make hard decisions. I have not seen a system in place that allows us to make hard decisions.

Mr. Speaker, in order to accomplish any of our priorities in a meaningful way, we have to make cuts from our budget. We have to go in to departments and we have remove programs and services, programs and services that people like and that people enjoy, in order to prioritize another priority. That is the reality. There is no way to tax hundreds of millions of dollars out of the people of the NWT. If we want to develop our own priorities, we can't wait for the federal government.

Likely the legacy of this Assembly will be one of internal infighting, Mr. Speaker, unless we do something differently. The other legacy might be getting universal child care but really we can only thank Justin Trudeau for that, Mr. Speaker.

I want to see the next budget not be a status quo budget. I have little faith right now that government renewal will accomplish this. I believe government renewal, at best, is dealing with 1 to 5 percent of the budget and hopefully keeps us just under our debt ceiling. I don't believe there is any efficiency you can find in government without making very tough political decisions about what programs, services, or infrastructure we don't prioritize over others.

Mr. Speaker, that work needs to be done. It needs to be started by our Cabinet colleagues and then we need to have the tough fight to make sure we have some sort of legacy in two years from now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a suggestion as to what that legacy might be.

---Laughter

Twenty-six months ago, we stood in this House and made history - a milestone defined by our gender. While I don't discount the importance of gender equity and representation in leadership, I refuse to have gender define this Assembly's legacy. I want to be defined by my heart, my actions, and my accomplishments.

On our first day I asked for bold change leadership. Bold change requires leaders to be stirred by injustices, willing to advance transformational ideas, and relentless in the hard work to uplift all residents of the Northwest Territories. It requires us to work collaboratively to build a legacy we can be proud of.

The Regular Members of this Assembly have invested more bargaining chips, Member statements, and committee hours on one urgent long standing issue - housing. We have worked hard to collectively acknowledge our housing crisis and have pushed to change this government's role in housing Northerners. We have collaborated to carry the housing conversation and maintain focus.

We have 631 days left to build our housing legacy but it will not engineer itself. To build this, we need tangible change to the Housing Corporation culture through a fresh and appropriate mission, a costed plan to pull the NWT out of core need, public housing legislation, and replace CMHC funding. 631 days is not nearly a countdown to an end, Mr. Speaker, it is a count up to writing the path to our housing legacy.

This legacy will take the continued push from Regular Members, the continued renewable from within the Housing Corporation, and the support of Cabinet. The government's concessions during the 2021 main estimate negotiations and the 90 new public housing units are a good start. But as a government, we spend more on the operations and maintenance on a kilometer of road than an entire capital acquisition plan towards the Housing Corporation. CMHC's national housing strategy is offering more than $70 billion over 10 years. If this Cabinet wanted to transform housing, the money is available to do this, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, in 2019, I believed in our potential for change. I still believe in the great potential of the North and the potential of this Assembly to right a legacy worthy of the respect of the people we serve. But it requires every single one of us to push forward as a team, where people are focused on the outcome and prepared to take a stand. For us to see change in this Assembly, we need to see bold policy and legislative change in 2022. There is potential for creative innovation and our NWT builders want to be part of this legacy, a legacy that delivers on the human right to adequate housing for every Northerner. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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