Mr. Speaker, before 2020, our territory's GDP was already struggling and ours was the only Canadian jurisdiction predicted to have a negative 2020 GDP. The NWT needed a fulsome economic recovery plan before the pandemic, and the pandemic and the unprecedented year that was 2020 heightened that need.

In July 2020, in response to the pandemic concerns fielded by the business community, the GNWT and the 17-member Business Advisory Council agreed to a two-fold mandate: first, to provide advice to the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Investment on mitigating the short-term economic impacts of the pandemic on NWT businesses and to recommend longer-term actions required to support business recovery; second, to provide advice and make recommendations to the Cabinet to develop and implement the Emerging Stronger Plan to support the NWT economic and social recovery.

Mr. Speaker, last month, Northern Media reported that the Business Advisory Council felt ITI had been a good partner, but News North reported that the Business Advisory Council had lost faith in our Premier and felt the Cabinet had no focus on the economy. In the same month, a prominent council member resigned and the Business Advisory Council then advised the public that it would no longer meet on a regular basis. In November 2020, the Business Advisory Council fulfilled the first part of its mandate by publishing a key challenges summary that highlighted 12 concise points, divided by high priority, medium-term, and long-term priorities. It spoke to gaps in federal and territorial funding, Indigenous economy equity, and the NWT's lack of childcare.

The GNWT has managed to keep COVID under control, but our territory has not been immune to the social and economic impacts of the pandemic. It is deeply concerning to hear about the state of the Business Advisory Council and its perception of Cabinet. Our success depends on our collective ability to plan for a brighter tomorrow. I would like to know what the GNWT's position is on the work done to date on the Emerging Stronger Plan and what concrete steps Cabinet intends to take to ensure the NWT economy and our local businesses come through this pandemic as unscathed as possible. Thank you.