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.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mental health is critical to the well-being of our people. We're going into six weeks of darkness now but we'll get through it because we're resilient Beaufort Delta, that's for sure. We have felt impacts and measures that keep spread of COVID-19 under control. Symptoms like anxiety and depression disorders are said to have increased particularly in my younger adults. I'm concerned, Mr. Speaker, that the riding of Nunakput, there's a lack of mental health support and particularly for women and men and our elders and especially our youth. I'm concerned, Mr. Speaker, that my riding is there, for our youth is a struggle with the results from residential school that we still deal with every day due to the alcoholism. It's not over. The impacts demand our attention, Mr. Speaker. Housing in our small communities are limited. Some homes are overcrowded which adds extra stress, frustration, to lead to mental anguish and addictions, Mr. Speaker.

Sadly, again, with our food security and poverty, it's no stranger to the residents. Pursuing traditional activities and going on the land has become very expensive, Mr. Speaker.

Our communities are small. We have limited resources. We have limited health resources, and the ones we do have are overworked. And I thank them for that, for their service. Our social workers, our doctors, and counsellors are based out of another community, usually in Inuvik, that can make access difficult, because the communities I represent are fly-in communities. Online programs, mental health, first aid, and confidential online chats through the Help Line, Facebook page, are important to Northerners.

Mr. Speaker, our government has to get serious about reconciliation. There needs to be more aggressive, to plan mental health supports for our communities. Reconciliation needs to be planned as action. Increased supports and crisis response, intervene the healing, mental wellness services, and is include culture-language of our elders that we draw upon. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Health Minister later today. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Archie Steven Reginald Charles Kaglik was born in Aklavik on the 19th of May, 1950, to Mary Kaglik, daughter of Louis and Sarah Kaglik. Archie grew up in the Mackenzie Delta with his mom, brothers, and sisters, along with his aunts and uncles. Archie attended the SAM School, a federal day program, and was a residential school survivor.

While at school, Archie was very involved with the Cadets and gymnastics club. Archie reached the rank of sergeant, and was very proud of this. There are many photos of him with his cousin Frank Gilet who was a senior officer in the Cadet Corps. As for his skills in gymnastics, it was amazing. People spoke about his agility he had, and he could a back flip from a standstill.

Archie loved being out on the land hunting and just being out there. Spring hunts were always a big event for their family. It was common to have 20-hour hunts and many miles covered, paddling and trying to find the best spot to hunt, geese, ducks in the spring. He loved the challenge to always get the first goose for this birthday. Each spring, he would always get a brand new .22 for the spring hunt of muskrats. He would modify his old .22s for his brothers to use so that they could go hunting.

Archie always took care of his family when they were out at the camp, making sure the family were safe. Archie spent the better part of his life at his grandfather's Louis Kaglik's original trapping area.

Archie met Marilyn and they had a beautiful daughter Natasha. Natasha became Archie's mom's favorite and she would always spoil her. Later on Marilyn was transferred to Fort Simpson and they moved there. Archie was accepted in the community and they made him feel at home for many years before he moved back to Inuvik. However, he made sure he'd come back to visit.

As Natasha grew into adulthood, and started her own family, Archie went down to meet his granddaughter Meagan. Like all grandparents, his life changed forever. He returned to Inuvik and realized that he needed to go back to be with his granddaughter. The birth of Meagan helped him change his lifestyle for the better. He treasured his granddaughter and took great pride in being with her. The family was forever grateful for "baby baby."

Archie passed away on October 22nd, 2021. The family would like to thank the medical staff at Fort Simpson and Stanton for all the support they offered the family and Archie during this difficult time. As well, they would like to thank everybody for helping during this difficult time and their condolences. He will be sadly missed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, just in regards to our mental health issues that we have in the community, can the Minister provide me with an update of activities that the mental health in the Beaufort Delta is providing for -- will take place in our small communities, including my region in Nunakput; is that there any updates on that? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you for the question. The update that I have is that the community counselling program has resumed face-to-face counselling all across the NWT, including in the Beaufort Delta. This is a very serious issue, the mental health impacts of COVID-19, they're felt throughout the NWT and in fact I think throughout the country and the world. It has certainly been a time of stress and anxiety, as the Member referenced, because there's been so much uncertainty and upheaval in our lives.

So we have the community counselling program which, just to remind the Member, that is a same-day appointment availability. We have the NWT Help Line, and we have a variety of online services for people who have connectivity to that. So I also have a specialized Beaufort Delta mental health supports handout which I will send to the Member for him to use or to post in his community. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that. I'd just like to know what other culturally-appropriate mental health supports are currently available for Northerners in my riding? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, programs like on-the-land healing camps, we fund the IRC to provide, and they make decisions about how that money is spent and what the focus of the healing camps will be. Other departments also have pots of money which will assist people to get out on the land for various activities such as trapping and hunting and so on. So there are a variety of supports available. They are, as I say, probably best referenced online to get the complete list or through the IRC which has its own very robust mental health support system. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we're really lucky to have IRC that handles the money. But I really think what we should be doing, Mr. Speaker, is giving the communities an opportunity to run their own healing camps, setting up a camp out of the community that we could send our youth and our elders, you know, to get them what services they need and what they're going through. I really think before the next cycle, I guess, of funding that goes through, can the Minister, I guess, commit to talking with IRC chair in regards to providing the community corporations with funding to have their own on-the-land healing camps? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it was my understanding that the money that goes to the IRC annually pays for community camps, but I certainly am happy to speak to the chair of the IRC and talk to him about how that money is being spent and whether there is a need for additional resources at the community level. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what is our Minister doing toward a digital mental health programming for the constituents across the North? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we offer a variety of apps, and we're adding more every few months. So we have the Strongest Family Institute, which is primarily for families who need assistance with parenting. We have Wagon, which is an aftercare app for people who are returning from residential treatment or have had some kind of a treatment and they need support. We also have Breathing Room, which is specifically for youth and young adults who are experiencing anxiety and depression. So there are those three, but I understand that there are more.

We recently -- I believe we tabled it here, a report on E-mental health apps and the uptake that they've had. And so I encourage the Member to take a look at that and provide his comments on whether his constituents are using them; and if they aren't, whether they have suggestions about other things that might work better. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the priorities of the 19th Assembly is to increase regional decision-making authority. In the 2019-2023 Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories document, there's a commitment by the government to train its workforce to ensure they are aware of their decision-making authority.

Can the Premier tell us if there's any other potential commitments were considered in this area by the Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs in addressing this mandate item? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Honourable Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned a few weeks previously, we started with looking at the regional decision-making by doing a review of job descriptions, and we found that there was no discrepancy. But we know there's discrepancies. So we have got together with the -- we did a questionnaire with regional senior managers to identify training. They did bring up training. But they also identified other things that were happening as was said; you know, the feelings that there's an unequal balance between headquarters in the regional centres.

So based on that, and recognizing that often it's not really comfortable for people to address management in the government, we hired a private contractor to try to do more work with the regional management to find out what their concerns were. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, within the life of the 19th Assembly, can the Premier tell us if she has received any encouragement from regional centres, small communities, or Indigenous governments to do more than just staff training to promote regional decision-making authority in the NWT? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Absolutely, and that's why, like I said, we hired a private contractor. It would be really easy for us to say that we just did the review of the job descriptions, everything's fine, we're giving them extra training. But that's not good enough. And I don't think that's what was wanted when we developed that priority. So that's why it's important that we dig further into this and we find out what are the obstacles. And, like I said, I think it needs to be from an outsider to do that work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, during question period two weeks ago, the Premier mentioned a contractor being hired to go into the communities and ask what was needed to increase regional decision-making authority. Can the Premier elaborate on that statement? Who is the contractor that was hired and what are the terms and length of their contract? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The contractor is D.J. DeLancey Consulting, and the work that that consulting firm would be doing is a planned phased approach. There's three phases. The first one will be one-on-one meetings with senior managers, which has been done. The second phase of the work to be done is facilitated decision-planning meetings, developing the questions that need to be asked. That's taking place early in January I believe. And the third phase is the facilitated discussions and a final report.

So like I said, we don't know what's going to come out of that, but we need to remain open so that when the report comes that we can actually make sure that we address the concerns so that people do feel that they have the right to be able to make decisions at their appropriate level. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Premier. Final supplementary, Member for Thebacha.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again, two weeks ago, the Premier also mentioned a working group being created to help increase regional decision-making authority. Can the Premier elaborate and explain who sits on this working group, how they were chosen, and when is their work expected to be done? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So the working group, or planning committee, has ten members, regional and headquarters senior managers. We looked for volunteers to start with and then if we didn't get enough volunteers, we did get people nominated by deputy ministers based on their experience working with both the regions and headquarters and to make sure that we provided a broad representation of the departments that are represented on the regional management committees. I said that they'd be meeting in early in January. It's actually late January, I forget it's Christmas, to develop the approach and the format. And through that, then again they'll be working with it straight throughout to make sure that these are the words of the people and that we look at what we can do going forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Honourable Premier. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my Member's statement made reference to the local education bodies in our communities, the district education authorities, or DEAs as commonly known. There are typically new elections every three years. We could see a whole new slate of elected members.

Can the Minister explain how newly elected DEA members are oriented to their roles as new members? Mahsi.

Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And so as I've referenced before, the education bodies, the DECs, the DEAs, they have a lot of independence and they really run their own affairs. And so the type of training that is provided is really based on that particular DEA or DEC. So the superintendent would possibly develop some training on governance and then offer it to the new DEAs. The Member points out that there are often new members. There's elections every few years. Sometimes we have members who have been there for 20 years and they can act as a mentor, but quite often we have new members. And one of the issues I see is that the DEAs and DECs have so many responsibilities that it's difficult for someone who's really a volunteer, who's doing just a few hours every week, to really wrap their head around all of that. They have to know the Education Act. They have to know all the regulations in the Education Act. ECE has produced an orientation handbook, but even that is a big book because it's a big responsibility.

So I take the Member's point, and while there is training that ECE can provide, and DEAs can request training, I think there likely needs to be more training for the size of the role. Either that or we have to move ahead with some of the changes that we'd like to make to provide the DEAs and DECs with the authorities that they need and not necessarily all the authorities that one can imagine. I think that would go quite a ways. But I'll leave it at that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. And mahsi to the Minister for that. And I really hope they follow up with those departments through the Divisional Education Councils, that this is a very important step.

Mr. Speaker, it is daunting to say the least to sit on the DEA and not know the direction education is going as one sees the challenges students are having meeting the education levels. Has the department explained or engaged the DEAs as to the challenges students are facing and what the department is doing to address this issue? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And it's a two-way relationship. The DEAs are the ones on the ground, and they often know the challenges students are facing better than anyone. And so I do meet with the education leaders, the chairs of the DEAs and the regional DECs, and we have those discussions. So I can hear exactly what is happening on the ground.

And for the information flowing the other way, we do reach out and we do explain what ECE is doing. So we've sent out the discussion papers on the Education Act, on the curriculum renewal and all of these initiatives, and we've offered briefings to the DECs and DEAs to say this is, you know, what we see the issues as being, are we correct; and how can we work together to move forward.

So there is an attempt to get the information flowing both ways. But, again, the way our system is set up, the DEAs and DECs are very autonomous and ECE is somewhat separate, and it does make for some difficult communication sometimes. But I am working on it, and I think that I have a good relationship with the education bodies, and we try to get that information flowing and keep everyone in the loop. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi to the Minister for that. Mr. Speaker, I'm not sure if social passing is introduced in the larger centres, but it is in the small communities. There is growing concern with the social passing system as this does not challenge the students to excel in their studies. It could be described as a system of complacency for both the student and the teacher. I could be totally wrong with this statement and perhaps stand to be corrected. But, it is what I am hearing.

Can the Minister explain how this social passing system came to be and if there any intentions to change this? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And so what the Member's talking about is we wouldn't call it social passing; it's peer placement. So students are placed with their age-related peers. So if you are of a certain age, you would be placed in a certain grade. And if you have different needs, if you perhaps aren't on the same level with certain subjects, the idea is that you would receive lesson plans and the supports you need to catch up to the rest of your peers.

In reality, I think that we realize, we see that's not the way things work. And this approach is used in many, many jurisdictions. It's not just the smaller communities in the Northwest Territories, it's all of the Northwest Territories, and it's a number of different jurisdictions as well. And it is based on research. But I think one of the issues is unless we have those supports to really help the students and bring them up to where they need to be, it's not a system that works effectively.

So there is no requirement for students to get placed in that next grade. It is supposed to be a decision that ultimately the parents make in consultation with the teacher and principal, if necessary, based on their particular child. And that information, I don't think, is readily available. I don't think people realize that they have the right to have their children held back if they think that's necessary. And so, you know, I recognize at the beginning of this Assembly and we have been working on getting that information out there and so we're developing some materials I believe early in the upcoming year, those will be available, and it will hopefully better explain this and it will inform parents about what our system is and how it works, and that they have that power to make those changes if they need. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Deh Cho.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, and mahsi to the Minister for his reply.

When ECE develops new initiatives like the Education Modernization Act, the JK to Grade 12 Renewal, I'm often left wondering if the DEA members have a grasp on these initiatives in order to make informed decisions on behalf of the community, the teachers, and the students. I often wonder if the DEAs are given any information regarding the findings of the auditor general.

Can the Minister direct all divisional education councils to initiate workshops for the DEAs on all current initiatives and all new initiatives, including the auditor general's reports? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And we do share all of that information with the education bodies. ECE will share it with the regional DEC, and they then distribute that to the DEAs. And we have offered information sessions on all of those initiatives, because we want everyone to be on the same page and know what's going on. So I can't really direct the DECs to do things like that. It's not my role. But I would be happy to share that information and provide those types of briefings if they are requested, because if everyone knows what's going on it's beneficial to everyone.

I will say, though, that we have a lot of initiatives going on, and I'm sure the Member has been in many, many hours of briefings on those initiatives. And so it is a big commitment of time, and it's tough to get the DEA members who are -- you know, they have families, they're generally parents; they don't have a lot of free time to sit through hours and hours and hours of briefing on those things. But I'm always encouraging it, and we're always very open to doing that. So thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Premier. Can the Premier explain to me how the GNWT is moving forward on implementing UNDRIP in spite of noncommittal federal direction and little action? Thank you.

Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Honourable Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Actually, I would think that that priority is actually going along quite well. I've said since the beginning that the biggest thing within the United Nations Declaration is it's about Indigenous people and Indigenous people should take the lead.

We also have a special committee from the Speaker's Committee that has Members of Cabinet and the Regular Members. The chair of that comes to our meetings with Indigenous governments. And the Member did say that I have often referred to the relationship with Indigenous governments and the federal government in a triangle. I don't believe I would have used "triangle." It's three-headed and it can turn and it's always got a top. I would say it more as an equal partnership is what I've always used, or even a circle, that we all have equality within that.

So we've done a lot. The Indigenous governments didn't wait. I know that the special committee would have loved to have been able to give more direction, but the Indigenous governments knew it was theirs.

So we formed three tables. We always had the Intergovernment's table. We now have the Council of Leaders table. Every Indigenous government's part of that. That committee has a working group. Every Indigenous government has representation on that working group. The GNWT is one member of that working group. They are moving forward with developing legislation, developing. But they have said it's not on this time of this Legislative Assembly; it's on their time. And they've also said, as the Member alluded to, is that what's the use of legislation if things don't change. So I've heard that clearly, and there's much work going on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm going to go check Hansard because I'm pretty sure I've heard triangle somewhere there before.

I'm glad to hear that things are moving forward, and I will give the Premier kudos that I have heard from Indigenous leaders they do feel that there is a lot more discussion happening than there has been in the past.

My question is around last session I was asking about the investigations into the graves of the residential schools, and the Premier indicated that that work needed to be led by Indigenous governments and organizations, which I agree with. So could the Premier provide some details on where that work is at with Indigenous organizations and governments, and when we could expect to see some of that work starting? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not sure if that's on the same line of questioning as the United Nations Declaration but I will say that I have put my name out there and said to the Indigenous governments that I will stand by them on what their definition -- what they want to do with that.

My understanding is that the Dene Nation is taking the lead on that and, again, we're willing to stand behind them and work with them as they see fit. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I won't argue with the Premier why I think that's important for UNDRIP, but I would imagine that others could probably provide some information on that.

What funding has the GNWT identified or committed to spending towards the implementation of UNDRIP? If the GNWT is committed to making missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls a priority, why has no funding been dedicated? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wouldn't say that no money hasn't been allocated. We haven't defined what it would be yet; they're still looking at it. But we have spent money internally. We have the Indigenous Council of Leaders that meets regularly. We pay for all of those leaders to come into the capital and we pay for their accommodations; we pay for their expenses to be able to take part in those meetings. So at this point other than, like I said, they're looking at co-developing legislation for the United Nations Declaration. Until that's done, we haven't identified any extra money that we need other than getting them together in the workshops and the groups that we're doing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Honourable Premier. Final supplementary, Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The point of dedicated funding is that it's actually set aside for that priority, and so I guess my point being is I'd like to see a pot that's actually for that work.

Moving on, the timeline on their website says that an implementation plan will be completed in the summer of 2022. Does that mean that nothing is going to be done any further until that time? Are we going to be waiting for another year to see action happening? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do need to make sure that the Indigenous governments know that I'm standing up for them and that I do not believe that nothing has happened. I believe that a lot of work has happened on that initiative. Other than the Mineral Resources Act, this is the first time that we are working together strong, meeting regularly to co-developing a legislative act with them. And this is the first time, in the history of the territorial government, that we brought all the leaders together as the Council of Leaders to be able to do this work. So I would say a lot has happened, and we will continue to move forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you. I will have questions for Housing on a later date. So, okay, Mr. Speaker, Christmas is a time of joy but many people are struggling economically. Every person deserves food, shelter, and act of kindness during this Christmas season, and MACA provides funding to the communities. And in this one, it's up to the other departments if they feel generous, they can chip in as well, hey.

So first question: Can the Minister identify if there are any provisions in MACA funding for communities that support emergency housing solutions?

Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, communities can make a decision on how they spend their money. They get money from the government, and then they develop a budget. Some communities have set aside for emergency operations. Some have set up for special projects; i.e, it could be housing; it could be sports; it could be however they donate however they feel fit. So, again, the community has that opportunity to budget for it and move forward on it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Can the Minister commit to working with partners in communities to ensure vulnerable homes are provided food hampers during the holiday season? Thank you.

Thank you. That's a loaded question. I wish I could say yes, but right now it's not within our bailiwick. We don't do those things. But we would encourage the municipal governments to work with that, work with the Indigenous governments, to be able do those things. I know in some of the communities; i.e., the one community I live in, the friendship centre, the village, the band, the Metis, get together and provide these food baskets and people donate to them that way. So they do that right now. I don't think that's a Department of Municipal and Community Affairs directive but we're willing to encourage municipal government and aboriginal governments to do that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Can the Minister support communities to purchase food hampers and emergency clothing for cold weather?

Thank you. I have to give the Member her tenacity; she's very passionate about this.

We do give budgets to the municipalities. They can allocate money for those type of activities should they wish. Again, I do not want to be the one telling them what to do. I would encourage them to help. I know, like I say, in the community that I live in, again the three areas, whether it's the band, the Metis, or the village, they work together. And then in some of the other communities, the band does that. So I would encourage communities to work and help our less fortunate people. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I got another Member's statement here. Not really, but I guess what I want to talk about is -- and the questions will go to the Minister of MACA -- is about reducing the funding gap.

You know, when I look at that, that's one area, that's one priority we could actually solve and wipe off his books, off the books, because it's a monetary solution to that. And, you know, we have to set the bar high. You know, we look at it and we say we're going to reduce it, but I think we can eliminate it. And, you know, the communities are the backbone of the NWT. We have to make them strong. They're run basically by volunteers, and the cost of doing business is increasing. And, you know, if we're going to grow the North, we need to support the communities.

So the first question I have for the Minister of MACA is, will the Minister confirm when the last review of the community government funding policy took place and what were the criteria used for that review? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, and I thank the Member for starting a Member's statement. I can do a Minister's statement on this, actually, and speak long on it.

So in 2014, MACA and NWTAC actually met and started working on it. So the group that was involved, it was political and this administration with the department and from the communities and NWTAC. Some of the things that they focused on was, you know, government funding, including flexible funding arrangements, community governments' accountability, responsibilities, changing community needs, regional roles of some communities, ability of small populations to generate revenue, and linkage between infrastructure costs and operation costs. And as well, we at the regional level work with the municipalities and we also try to work with them about the facilities and infrastructure they build on. So we work with them that way. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I'd like to ask the Minister to confirm what the dollar value of the current community funding gap is and what would be required annually to renew and replace community infrastructure as it reaches mid- and end-life cycles? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the 2021-2022, it's basically approximately $36 million. So the second part of the question is what will it cost. Over $3 billion in investment in their infrastructure, which is basically not $5 million but it's going to cost them $70 million a year to replace it. So when the Member says, well, we can achieve that, it's not that easy to achieve, to find $70 million. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I actually disagree with the Minister and that comment. I think that, you know, like I said, we got to raise the bar high. We have to figure out where the money is and one of the places we can get it, and the only place, is really the federal government. And nowhere do I see anything about addressing it by going with a plan to the federal government.

So my next question for the Minister is will the Minister confirm, going forward, what is the department's plan to not only reduce but to eliminate this gap, and will the Minister provide a realistic timeline to accomplish it? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are updating the funding policy to incorporate recommendations from the review. The work is being planned and will be completed by 2023. MACA continues to seek funding during the annual business plans that reduce the gap and adjust for inflation at all levels. And the Member talked about it. It's all levels. Whether it's federal, territorial, or municipal, we have a role to address this.

As well, the department is always looking for solutions to help reduce municipal costs. And when the Member talks about the, you know, federal government, as soon as the federal government comes out with a new program, our department and our staff are reaching out to the federal government to ask them how we can actually get into this program to help us, municipal communities, improve their infrastructure.

One of the problems is it's only one-time funding; it's not ongoing basis. So sometimes the federal government is only able to give us a program that's earmarked for a certain amount of years. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the federal government, because of the pandemic, opened the door to stimulus funding. Once that money's gone, that door's going to be closed, and we're not going to have an opportunity to go back for a while. So, you know, I think it's important that this government sits down, comes up with a real plan to go and request the funds to get rid of this gap. Because like I said, the communities are the backbone of the Northwest Territories. Without them, we wouldn't be here.

So, Mr. Speaker, will the Minister confirm what, if any, requests have been made to the federal government for financial support to eliminate the current funding gap? If not, when can we expect something like that to take place? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I couldn't agree more that the communities are our backbone. I totally agree with it. I spent 23 plus years with the department, that kind of aged me, and I understand the importance of it. And I understand the department, and I've seen the work that my colleagues and now the department has been doing.

So as the Member said, the federal government has been an important partner in municipal funding infrastructure.

The gas tax agreement provides $17 million annually on a permanent basis. $17 million. Could we get it more? Yes, we reach out to them all the time for that. The clean water and wastewater funds provided was $52 million from 2016 to 2023 for the communities to make improvements to their infrastructure.

The GNWT has been working closely with our federal counterparts on their current Investing in Canada Plan to ensure that it is responsive to community needs. The program provides $117 million over the term of 2018 to 2028 for a variety of municipal infrastructure purposes.

And we are working with the federal government, we're talking with them, and I've introduced myself to the new federal Minister as well. And we'll be having those conversations. We want to be able to help move forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in June of 2021, this House passed a housing motion called Action for Improved Housing Outcomes. On November 22nd, the government's response was tabled in this House. But the government's response wasn't any different than the answers I generally get from the Minister anyway. It didn't have any specific change or timelines associated with it.

So, Mr. Speaker, I'm wondering if the Minister of Housing can let us know, or let this House know, when the Standing Committee on Social Development can expect to see a draft of the revised motion for the Housing Corporation? Thank you.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister responsible for Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Housing Corporation anticipates that the revised mission and value statement will be available during the February sitting of the House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for that. I can say that the Standing Committee on Social Development is very much looking forward to that document and being able to hopefully participate in some feedback from especially small community members that sit on that committee.

My second question, Mr. Speaker, is when the Housing Corporation joined us for the Committee of the Whole review of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation capital estimates, the deputy minister committed to bringing together information to address the end to core need in the Northwest Territories.

So I'm wondering if there is a timeline for that one as to when Standing Committee on Social Development can expect to see some kind of a draft plan to end the housing core need in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member, and thank you to the standing committee as well, too, that housing is the number 1 priority of this government, and I appreciate the work that's done by the Members as well too.

The Housing Corporation has listened to all conversations during our committee review of the capital estimates and identified additional analysis that they must do to present the comprehensive plan to the committee as requested. The corporation anticipates to have this work done and ready and presented to the committee prior to February sitting of the House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'm starting to feel like it's my birthday, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister just said something pretty amazing. She said that housing is the number 1 priority of this government, and I think that's a pretty incredible statement and one that I hope that I can capitalize on for my third question.

So I'm wondering, Mr. Speaker, has the NWT Housing Corporation asked the GNWT to replace the lost CMHC funding for O and M; and if so, why is Cabinet expecting these lost federal funds to be found internally if this is their number 1 priority? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Housing Corporation has had this funding decline on the radar with both the GNWT and conversations with Canada, and has continuously engaged on this issue since the declining began in 2003. There have been some contributions from the GNWT but those have not countered the full impact of the declining funding.

The Housing Corporation has also developed some mitigation measures that are set out in the Housing Corporation's business plan and main estimates. The conversations continue as part of both the federal engagement and the internal process for the annual business planning cycle. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. So over the course of the last 18 years then, we've been slowly watching a decline happen, but there hasn't been a response then from the GNWT to actually address what we now understand to be -- and quite thankfully, I'm going use this one probably quite a bit -- the number 1 priority of this government. And I might get a talking to from some Ministers after that, but I'm going to run with it.

Mr. Speaker, I'm wondering if the NWT Housing Corporation intends to bring forward new legislation specific to public housing, because right now the NWT Housing Corporation's legislation speaks largely to the corporation's ability to be a corporation, to borrow money, and to spend money, or to lend money. But it doesn't speak to the Housing Corporation's responsibility to keep Northerners housed as housing is a human right.

And so I'm wondering if the Housing Corporation will make a commitment to bring forward a legislative proposal in the life of this Assembly for public housing? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As part of the renewal strategy, the Housing Corporation anticipates a comprehensive look at the Housing Corporation's role and relationships with the partners to addressing housing in the territory. Coming out of that conversation, we anticipate being able to identify what legislative changes may be necessary moving forward. The renewal strategy identifies the changes to legislation but would be identified as part of the current work. But that, the legislation proposal and advancing the legislation, would be advanced in the next Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. In my June 4th, 2021, statement, I noted the old name of the museum here in Yellowknife. I've been raising this issue now for about six years in this House. I don't understand why we just don't change the name to something that embraces reconciliation and our northern reality.

Can the Minister tell us why the name of the museum has not been changed and what the obstacles are to moving forward with a name that reflects our northern realities? Merci, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We can't just change the name, as the Member says. And I think that if I would have started the process of changing the name on my first day in this position, it still wouldn't be changed because there has to be an extensive consultation process. I would not unilaterally change the name to something I thought was appropriate. There would have to be extensive consultation with Indigenous governments and the public.

The process of renaming the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre is definitely on the radar. It is something that we are looking into. And it is being packaged together with some of the other work that's being done. We are looking at some big changes for the museum.

The Member knows very well that the building itself is in need of repair. It's in need of expansion for certain areas. And we are looking at the governing structure of the museum. And so I wouldn't want to go and just change the name outside of all of those as well. I think that we really need to look at this holistically and move forward in a way that makes sense. But it is something that is being worked on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. I've seen so many documents calling for renovations or a new facility that it isn't even funny anymore. Some of us have visited the museum and seen the problems firsthand. If our government actually made culture and heritage our higher priority, I think we would have had a new museum by now. And that's exactly what the Yukon did, Mr. Speaker.

Does the Minister have a renovation or upgrade plan to address the museum's practical needs that he's going to bring forward for funding approval or when will such a plan be presented? Merci, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If this government, as the Member said, made culture and heritage a higher priority it doesn't mean that we would have a new museum; it might mean that we have more resources in communities. Making something a higher priority for the territory isn't synonymous with making something a higher priority in Yellowknife. So there are people outside of Yellowknife who we want to be able to access culture and heritage resources as well. So this is not the only culture and heritage resource in the territory.

That being said, it is a very valuable one, and it does more than display artifacts. You know, children go there to learn. It houses the archives. And as the Member said, there have been a number of different documents stating that something needs to be done.

And when I first came into office, there was a building study that was nearing completion, and that was completed in 2020. We went back and said what other options can we look at, because while we would like the Cadillac of museums, we really need to be realistic here. So that work is being done, and we are looking at it in consultation or at the same time as this revenue study and the governance study which is sort of hand-in-hand with that.

So all that to say that the Member will be the first to know when I come across new information. I will call him personally because I know how passionate he is about this. And I expect that to happen early in the new year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. I look forward to a call on New Year's Day from him, a personal call. But, yes, look, we can do a lot more on heritage.

You know, I've mentioned that there's a revenue review underway, and I'm just not sure that it's actually going to result in any significant new funding. You know, I think the much more likely route for us to get more funding is go to the federal government and build on COVID relief or a tourism product development.

Can the Minister tell us the status of this revenue review and whether there's any likelihood of raising enough money to fix up the museum? Merci, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The revenue review will be completed by the end of this fiscal year.

The Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre is unique. Most museums aren't 100 percent funded by a province or territory. It's generally run by a third party who can then access federal funding. There is not a big pot of money that the GNWT can access to just build a new museum. But that being said, if we look at other ways to operate the museum perhaps we can find some of that funding. 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. And I'm really happy to try to help him get the money but I'm sure that he can work more closely with his Cabinet colleagues. But I'm still just not convinced that culture and heritage gets all the attention it deserves, especially when it comes to federal relations and opportunities.

Can the Minister describe the department's recent attempts to secure federal funding for culture and heritage and how this relates to our efforts to towards reconciliation; and, more specifically, what this means for the museum? Merci, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I've had a number of conversations with Minister Guilbeault when he was in the role of Canadian Heritage but he's no longer there, and so I have to build a new relationship with the new Minister. And that was typically around the COVID-related funding.

As for funding specifically for the museum, there is money through Canadian Heritage through the museum assistance program, I believe it's called, and they have funding for discrete projects, so minor upgrades, exhibits, things like that. And we have been successful in getting some of those funds.

That funding is something that doesn't flow through us. So any organization in the territory, any Indigenous government who would want that, would have to apply directly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.