This is page numbers 4583 - 4606 of the Hansard for the 19th Assembly, 2nd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was indigenous.

Members Present

Hon. Diane Archie, Hon. Frederick Blake Jr., Mr. Bonnetrouge, Hon. Paulie Chinna, Mr. Edjericon, Hon. Julie Green, Mr. Jacobson, Mr. Johnson, Ms. Nokleby, Mr. O'Reilly, Ms. Semmler, Hon. R.J. Simpson, Mr. Rocky Simpson, Hon. Shane Thompson, Hon. C. Wawzonek, Ms. Weyallon-Armstrong.

The House met at 10:03 a.m.

---Prayer

Prayer
Prayer

Page 4583

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by again expressing my gratitude to all the health and social services workers in the Northwest Territories. These dedicated professionals have been serving the needs of residents through some very difficult times. I want to assure staff, as well as my colleagues here today and residents of the Northwest Territories, that the Department of Health and Social Services is working hard to find solutions that will ease the pressure on the system.

Mr. Speaker, the results of the retention and recruitment survey of nurses conducted in November 2021 indicated that in the first year of the pandemic, 94 percent of the nurses in the territory experienced symptoms of burnout and 90 percent were asked to work overtime. This problem has reached a point where many health professionals are choosing to leave their field, retire, or reduce their working hours. There is tremendous competition to recruit physicians, nurses, and nurse practitioners to work in every jurisdiction in the country. Staffing shortages have become so severe that service reductions in healthcare have not only become necessary but in many places they have become routine.

As of June 2022, the vacancy rate for nurses in the territory was 25.7 percent. That rate, while slightly lower than the same period last year, is a significant increase from September 2020 when the vacancy rate was 9.7 percent. By the way, the vacancy rate for family practitioners and specialists in the Northwest Territories was 42 percent in June.

Mr. Speaker, our health and social services leadership team has heard the concerns of staff, and we recognize their need for a better work-life balance. Their mental health, safety, job performance, and satisfaction depend on it, as does the sustainability of the system.

We have taken several steps to address staffing shortages. Indeterminate staff have been temporarily reassigned as needed to support critical service areas. The health authorities have used a combination of locums, casual, and agency nurses to cover staffing shortages. Mr. Speaker, we have begun using paramedics to assist in hospitals at acute care emergency room operations as well as to provide support in small community health centres.

To address the regular staffing challenges during the holiday season, we introduced the Friend and Family Travel Program in which all casual, term, and indeterminate frontline nurses and physicians scheduled to work at least five days between December 20th to January 4th can bring two family members or friends to their northern place of employment. Based on our survey results and our engagement with nurses, we know that 85 percent learned about employment opportunities in the Northwest Territories by word of mouth and by visiting the government's website. To encourage more word-of-mouth recruitment, we have created an incentive for GNWT employees to refer healthcare professionals to work in the territory.

Mr. Speaker, we know that building relationships with staff early in their tenure in a new community increases their likelihood of success in their role and increases retention rates. Four onboarding specialist positions have been created within the health authorities to provide a thorough orientation and help new hires settle into their new environment. We have increased locum pay to remain competitive with other jurisdictions in Canada. In addition, locum physicians are reimbursed for the cost of licensing fees upon completing a contract with the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority. We continue to cover nurse licensing fees as well. We are also working to issue licenses to physicians as quickly as possible so they can work as soon as possible.

These are the immediate steps the department has taken to address staffing shortages. The Health and Social Services Human Resources Plan, which was tabled during the June session, outlines our medium and long-term plans for recruitment and retention.

Mr. Speaker, these initiatives will help Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority to avoid further service reductions and improve work-life balance for employees. We recognize the value of the wonderful staff we have who are devoted to serving the residents of the Northwest Territories. We must ensure that retention remains our top priority as we continue to find creative ways to stay competitive in our recruitment efforts. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements.

Colleagues, before we continue, I would like to draw your attention to the presence in the public gallery of a number of visiting parliamentarians, parliamentary officers, and accompanying persons who are here in Yellowknife this weekend to attend the 42nd Canadian Regional Parliamentary Seminar. MPs and MLAs from across Canada will be participating in a number of business sessions in the coming days commencing with the observation of statements and questions in the Chamber this morning. I suspect those of you who serve in partisan legislatures will find our unique style of consensus government a real change of pace. I have asked all our Members to be on their best behaviour while you are here. Just kidding.

These gatherings give us a chance to share our ideas and experiences and create important political connections no matter where we come from in Canada or what political stripes we wear. I sincerely welcome you all to the Northwest Territories and to our Assembly. There are so many of you to name -- to name everyone this morning but I do want to make special mention of a few of my fellow speakers who are in attendance: Speaker Raj Chouhan of British Columbia; Speaker Myra Driedger of Manitoba; Speaker Bill Oliver of New Brunswick; and Speaker Tony Akoak of Nunavut. Welcome to you all, and I look forward to productive discussions in the coming days. Thank you very much.

Members' statements. Member for Hay River South

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I actually just want to make a quick comment, that he actually did ask us to be nice.

Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about fairness, equity, and respect. Mr. Speaker, I have received numerous emails and calls on this topic from health workers in Hay River. Those emails paint a picture of dwindling morale as these workers hear that their counterparts within the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority have received a labour market supplement while there was no provision made for those within the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority.

Mr. Speaker, health workers in Hay River have provided exceptional service to all residents over the years and even more so during the last two and half years as they dealt with the pandemic, flood, and staff shortages. The stress associated with this is only now being realized by many of those health workers. To add to that stress, they now hear that there may be no wage supplement for them. In their own words, they are feeling disrespected, undervalued, and underpaid. The many hours and shifts required, the time away from family, staff shortages, and their commitment to providing timely medical care and services to residents must be recognized, and this recognition comes in the form of fairness and compensation.

Mr. Speaker, the GNWT recognized that in exceptional circumstances there is a need to address labour retention and shortages by quickly adjusting compensation packages. This recognition resulted in establishing the Labour Market Supplement Policy, a policy that only exists within this government and is not part of the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority.

Mr. Speaker, as with many contracts, if there is an agreement between the parties, there is then a path to move forward to resolve an issue. In this instance, with agreement from the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority, the union, and the GNWT, a memorandum of agreement could be pursued that would provide a market supplement to Hay River Health and Social Services Authority employees.

Mr. Speaker, the supplement I talked about has been quantified. We know it will now be paid to a number of Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority employees. Precedence has been set. So let us extend it to employees of the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority. As we are in this together, let us provide fair and equal treatment when it comes to the labour market supplement for all healthcare workers. Thank you

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to say thank you to all my frontline workers in the communities of Nunakput and to my constituents, our passed elders, our elders. Our elders in the communities are always ready to listen, to help and assist us as leaders and as regular people. Our youth, our future, you know, keep being resilient. I know we live in the most northerly communities in the North and that's what makes us so good. Frontline staff, our RCMP, our nursing stations, our social workers, our teachers, the Canadian Rangers, our mental health workers, our hamlet garage staffs in all communities, our housing, the management, the Inuvialuit Corporate Group, and, Mr. Speaker, all our volunteers that do so much that never get really recognized but thank them for what they do. Sachs Harbour, my leadership, Mayor Norman Anikina and council. John Lucas and the community corp of Sachs Harbour, and his board. Paulatuk, Ray Ruben and his council. Lawrence Ruben and the Paulatuk Community Corp, his board. Ulukhaktok, Josh Oliktoak and his council. Collin Ituna for community corporation. Tuk, my home community of Tuktoyaktuk, my mayor Erwin Elias and Ryan Yakeleya. We've been working together this last month really closely for all of what's been happening in my home community, and, you know, we've got through and we're still working together to make sure the communities in the riding is working together to get things done.

To all our HTCs who take care of our land and take care of the resources, which is our caribou and what's needed to be looked at.

Mr. Speaker, I really want to thank my good friend Jordin Tootoo for coming to Tuk. I called him up. And he just doesn't go on short notice. Almost a year out you have to wait but I knew him since he was 15 years old. And I called him and I said this is what's happening in my own community; I need your help. The young youth wanted him to come up. And that's why Jordin came, is because I called him and he wanted to help us with our youth. And now we're looking at planning a bigger for the Beaufort Delta in coming April. So all the youth get to see him and get motivated by him. He's such an awesome young man, and he is doing so good, you know, for our youth and the kids loved him. And I just really want to thank him for coming and thank all the leadership. And I miss doing the lunch and breakfast program in my home community of Tuk for the students. But, Mr. Speaker, I wouldn't be able to do what I do without thanking my wife Jenny for being behind me with all this last couple of months in trying times in my community and being there for me to be able to do what I do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I mentioned this in the House before, you know, and when I come to Yellowknife I go for a drive. I go for a drive down Ingraham Trail. I drive around, and it's so nice to be able to drive on chip seal and pavement, even out to your campgrounds. So, you know, I want to take this time to just explain a little bit about what goes on in my community.

This summer the constituency of Inuvik had a lot of work done occurring on our Dempster Highway widening project. Not only did two of the local contractors from the region bid on it but were successful in an open process to do this work. And it looks like those two sections were completed on time and on budget from what I'm hearing. Road construction contracts in my community and my region are vital to keeping local contractors providing jobs to our local residents which keeps the food on the table and the lights on. Mr. Speaker, part of the work that was completed this summer was the widening of the Marine Bypass Road. And I must say, Mr. Speaker, a job well done by the contractor and the department on that section.

Mr. Speaker, the bypass road in Inuvik is not only used by vehicles but it's also used by the people out for walks, exercise, as well as other recreational activities. I can say even as far back some of my colleagues in here remember PE class where we had to run the 5 kilometre run in the school at the bypass. So it's used for many, many different activities. Now that the snow has started to fall at home, you can hardly notice the one complaint that we all have at that part of the road for about five months of the year, Mr. Speaker, mud and dust. Mud and dust.

That is something that is so common to us up in the Delta. The dust some days carries throughout the town and can be a nuisance, can even creep in -- it does creep into all of our homes when the windows are left open. It can also be a real safety issue for vehicles and pedestrians alike. Flying rocks can also be very dangerous for the people that use this portion of the road. And that's not even talking about the mud that occurs when it rains. It also makes it very dangerous.

Mr. Speaker, today I'll have questions for the Minister, and I'll be looking for a commitment to finally chip seal or pave that portion of the road, Mr. Speaker, so that our residents of Inuvik can enjoy it to the fullest and finally put an end to the annoying, dangerous, unhealthy cloud of dust, flying rocks and mud, that the residents of Inuvik face every year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. On the first day of the last sitting, I asked questions about the limited public engagement opportunities in the ongoing development of new mining regulations. Why is this important? Because hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake in potential government revenues. The regulations will determine when and how people may get notified about mineral exploration, whether there will be any enforceable benefits from larger projects, if more or all of the geoscience collected during exploration is going to publicly reported and saved, and lots more. The Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment and staff proposed that public engagement take place from May to July but not much has happened so far. There is rather general information on a single web page and the ability to submit comments on this list of vague topics. The timeline is slipping, and public engagement may not happen now until spring of next year.

Several contracts have been issued for research as follows, but none of it has been made available to the public:

  • $24,000 study by two former ITI employees on map staking;
  • $100,000 contract for legal assistance with potential dispute resolution between mining companies and the Minister; and.
  • $200,000 contract for policy advice from the University of Calgary on how mining rights are managed elsewhere.

I applied under Access to Information and got the first report on map staking and I tabled it in the House in the last sitting. It's not clear if and when ITI will release any of these secret documents or internal research. Discussion papers and options papers have been developed and discussed at a technical working group of Indigenous government staff, and I support that process. But I also applied for these documents too under access to information almost six months ago. I was told I had to pay $260 to get what I expect will be heavily redacted documents. I'm still waiting for those documents, Mr. Speaker. Meanwhile, the Department is holding detailed secret meetings with the mining industry to develop these regulations.

Draft regulations are supposed to be posted in the spring, but comments and responses may not be public. I am worried that Cabinet will try to ram through new mining regulations just before or during the election when accountability and public engagement are low. Clearly, we can and should be doing a lot better, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw attention to the lower grades, specifically JK to grade 3. I don't believe we have ever seen any statistics as to grade levels in relation to the rest of Canada. This will give us an indication whether we need to improve the curriculum in order to set up the students for a better understanding and development of their learning capabilities.

Mr. Speaker, when I campaigned in October of 2019, I heard a lot of concerns from parents that these students were not taught English until they reached grade 4. I believe there was a Dene language immersion program in one of the communities set up as a pilot program was Fort Providence, amongst some other small communities.

Mr. Speaker, I have not seen any evaluations nor reviews of this program, whether we are seeing any success or if there are any other challenges that we should know about. Parents have concerns that only being taught in Dene Zhatie' language could be an impediment to their children's learning success at an early age. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the education Minister at the appropriate time. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Member's Statement 1166-19(2): Indigenous Women
Members' Statements

October 14th, 2022

Page 4587

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am doing my Member's statement on honouring the Indigenous women.

Mr. Speaker, in my lifetime, Mr. Speaker, maybe even in your lifetime, have seen -- it has been recognized, and in this House as well, that Indigenous people are the most -- this is a quote -- "the most discriminated against group", end quote, of people in their homeland since colonization. And specifically, it is the Indigenous women who experience firsthand the most discriminations and violence. Mr. Speaker, with this in mind, I want to talk about honouring the Indigenous women.

Mr. Speaker, the North and the entire country is filled with beautiful, resilient, capable, wise Indigenous women and girls. These women and girls offer not just our families but our communities so much. They bring families together. They raise babies. They care for elders. Indigenous women are always caring for their communities. Just like my colleague said, we are natural leaders and yet we carry a heavy load. In today's world, Mr. Speaker, Indigenous women have to be strong and brave. Despite all the talents and gifts, Indigenous women and girls bring to our families and communities, they face unprecedented levels of violence and death. Indigenous women and girls most often bear the brunt of multigenerational trauma; violence and trauma that continues today.

In December 2021, the RCMP reported nine open cases of missing Indigenous women in the NWT, but that number could be as high as 14. Mr. Speaker, can I have unanimous consent to conclude my statement?

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with permission from her mother, I want to tell you about Savanna Pikuyak. Savanna was a bright young woman pursuing a nursing education in Ottawa. When Savanna Pikuyak was only two days in her new home in Ottawa, she was brutally suffocated and murdered. Savanna had her life stripped of her, her dignity, her potential, her possibility of nursing, her possibility of a family and a caregiver.

Mr. Speaker, I extend my deepest condolences to Savanna's mother Sheeba, and her family and friends who are grieving the loss of their loved ones. Savanna is just one Indigenous woman whose life and dream is lost.

Mr. Speaker, Indigenous women are four to five times more likely to be murdered than all other women in Canada. Mr. Speaker, when we lose Indigenous women and girls, we lose what we could have been - our teachers, our lawyers, our leaders, and doctors in our communities. Our families grieve for their loss, and the community grieve for the possibility of what these beautiful, incredible, talented women could have become.

Mr. Speaker, October 4th is the National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. This is the day that we say their names. We walk the steps they cannot take. We honour their lives so we never forget. I will have questions for the Minister responsible for the Status of Women at appropriate time. Thank you

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi.

Colleagues, before we continue, it appears the clocks are not working on the Ministers' side, but we could see it up on the wall there. It appears the clocks are working on my regular Members' side. But we'll get it fixed at the end of the day. I just want to bring it to your attention.

Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So that means I can take extra time today?

Based on the 2020-2021 Public Service Annual Report, the GNWT employs 6,252 employees. Of these employees, Indigenous women represent 21 percent of total workforce while Indigenous men are much less represented at a mere 8 percent.

Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories population estimates, released in July 2022, show that people that identify as male represent 51.4 percent of the population. And while men represent half of the population of the Northwest Territories, as I said, Indigenous men reflect only 8 percent of GNWT employment.

What is further concerning, Mr. Speaker is the trend in employment rates for Indigenous people. While the labour force activity in the NWT is positive from September 2021 to 2022, the increase was due to the hiring of non-Indigenous persons and those living in Yellowknife. There has been a decline in NWT employment rates for Indigenous people, and it is unclear how this negative trend translates into our public service given the way the data is presented.

The Public Service Annual Report showed that as of March 31, 2021, the GNWT employs 30 percent Indigenous employees. The annual report also shows that Indigenous people only represent 21 percent of senior managers in GNWT departments. Given the low rate of Indigenous men employed by the GNWT, it is fair to say few of these Indigenous senior managers are male.

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that Indigenous men are not represented as well as Indigenous women and non-Indigenous people in the public service. When we look at mental health triggers for men, a lack of pride or lack of ability to provide adequately for their families is often cited as a reason for poor mental health. Given the unprecedented rate of suicide among young Indigenous men in our territory, it seems to me that this should be an area of priority for the GNWT's HR department. So I ask what is the GNWT doing about this?

There are several programs designed to support the success and development of Indigenous hires including the Indigenous Career Gateway Program, the Indigenous Management Development Training Program, the Regional Recruitment Program, and summer student hires. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. But how are these programs, Mr. Speaker, supporting the full range of needs of Indigenous men to see them get hired and progress within the GNWT? The GNWT needs to recognize that Indigenous men in small communities, many who have faced layoffs and subsequent economic downturn during the pandemic, face significant challenges to employment and career development within the public sector, and it is time that the GNWT take action on this. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Finance at the appropriate time. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Members' statements. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Member's Statement 1168-19(2): Housing
Members' Statements

Page 4588

Richard Edjericon

Richard Edjericon Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm the voice for people in my constituency, and I am here to bring forward an issue of housing in our communities and I'm here to make a couple comments on this.

Mr. Speaker, earlier this year I provided the Minister responsible for Housing NWT with a thorough list of homes in desperate need of repair in the communities that I represent in the Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding. I waited three months for the Minister to respond, and what I received was far from adequate to address the significant housing needs in my riding. The Minister has committed to working with respectful and political leaders in Lutselk'e, YKDFN, and DKFN to complete their housing strategies. Something, Mr. Speaker, that Housing NWT ought to be doing anyway.

Why am I here if not to advocate for the needs of my people and to cut through the bureaucratic red tape to find real solutions to their problems?

The Minister does not get a gold star for doing what it is expected of her portfolio. Under Housing, delipidated housing units are chronic issues in the Northwest Territories. There isn't a novel issue. And the problem -- the programs aren't doing enough to move the needle towards available, affordable, and adequate housing in the Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding.

Mr. Speaker, I have spoken to the leadership in our communities, and they tell me it takes two to three years to complete these housing strategies. We simply do not have time to waste, and we must take immediate action to ensure proper homeownership repairs in all four communities that I represent.

Mr. Speaker, lucky for the Minister, I have already provided her with a solution to this problem. First, we need to conduct an independent housing assessment in the riding. This assessment will look at the unit condition and writing a report that will make recommendations on repairs based on current building codes, requirements in the communities of Fort Resolution, Lutselk'e, Dettah, and N'dilo. Once this report is complete, it will include actual costs based on today material pricing needed for the repairs, replacements, and to identify overcrowding issues, ultimately producing a cost action plan to complete this vital work over a four-year period. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to seek unanimous consent to conclude my Member's statement. Thank you.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Not only will this resolve many of the housing issues in my riding, but it will create new opportunities to promote local trades and apprenticeship training. Mr. Speaker, this plan is estimated to cost a modest of $350,000 but the benefits will be priceless for the peace of mind, the economic opportunities that this work will represent to my constituents.

I am urging the Minister to take serious look at this plan. Working together across the floor is what we are supposed to be doing in a consensus government. And I sincerely hope that the Minister will be able to find the flexibility within her department to fund this plan immediately and see through the benefit of the residents of Lutselk'e, Fort Resolution, Dettah, and N'dilo.

Later today I will have questions for the Minister on her commitments to home repairs in my riding. I will also be tabling letters and referred documents earlier at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Member's Statement 1168-19(2): Housing
Members' Statements

Page 4589

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Every northerner loves the cabin, whether it's for hunting, fishing, trapping, or just simply a weekend getaway. People love to go to the cabin. It's one of the reasons people come to the North and it's one of the main reasons people stay in the North, Mr. Speaker. Yet if you live in Yellowknife, you better have a half million dollars to get a cabin, Mr. Speaker. There is insatiable demand for cabins in the Yellowknife periphery area. And we know this, Mr. Speaker, because the last time we did a lottery for 22 lots on the Ingraham Trail, 913 people entered that lottery, Mr. Speaker, for 22 lots. And, Mr. Speaker, since that time, how many leases have we given away? Zero, Mr. Speaker.

Richard Edjericon

Richard Edjericon Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Shame.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Mr. Speaker, we are now seeing what should be $50,000 cabins sell for $250,000. We've artificially inflated the land value, and we've prevented a construction boom of potentially hundreds, if not thousands, of cabins being built.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I'm not suggesting we just open all of the land up to leases immediately. We already had the solution. That was the cabin lottery. It allowed us to plan where we're going to put leases. It allowed us to look at angling pressure of lakes. It allowed a fair way to let people literally "win the lottery" because getting one of those leases was like putting a hundred grand in your pocket the minute you got access to that land.

Now, Mr. Speaker, at that time, the Department of Lands said they needed a plan before they did that. And in 2017, they released a plan called the recreational leasing management framework, a framework that sets out how we give out recreational releases. And this is now the framework that is used everywhere in the territory except the Yellowknife periphery area. And I'm confused why, Mr. Speaker, there's no policy in place. In fact, we are not even following our own framework that sets out when we give access to leases.

Mr. Speaker, if we want an economic driver, let's get people some cabins. If we want people to stay in the North, enjoy recreation, enjoy our land, let's get them some cabins. Mr. Speaker, this is a great retention tool. Let people get out on the land. Let people build cabins. Let's do it properly. Let's consult with residents and Indigenous governments and do another cabin lottery. I know many people, including myself, will buy a ticket. I'll have questions for the Minister of Lands on when we plan to do that and when we are going to unfreeze this land. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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