Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I don't agree with the Minister. We still need the statistics for many of our education bodies, even in the local levels, and even at this level too so I can do my job properly. I don't have any stats. He doesn't have any stats himself, you know, of all the grade levels that we have in our schools. He hasn't come to visit Fort Providence or looked at the stats in the Fort Providence school over the last several years.

When I came into this House in 2019 and I told that story to everybody, that many of our students are heading through the colleges and universities that he's talking about in the South, and they are all returning within a month or so with sad faces and crying because they don't have the education level to continue in that post-secondary education. I've stated that many times. They all applaud that everything is good on that side. Where's the stats? Give us some statistics. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So here I have a document; you can see there's stats all in it, and I know I'm not allowed to use props so I apologize for that. But I want to show people this document does exist. It exists in the real world. There are numbers in it. Those numbers are correlated with outcomes in schools. So there are stats. There are stats. I promise you, Mr. Speaker, if someone wants to go online and click a couple links, you will find stats. They are not hidden. They are easily accessible.

We understand that we can do a better job with stats though; the Auditor General pointed out. So we are taking steps to make information more accessible so that we can provide more information to make better decisions. That work is underway. I don't want to say that we don't recognize it's an issue. We do. But it is incorrect to say that there are no stats available. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the issue of dredging has to be settled before next spring. And, you know, I'm hopeful, and I expect the Minister of Infrastructure to have a plan and also have funds available to do something. It's just gone on too long. It's been probably 25 years for, you know -- we can go dredging with MTS, and that's about it.

So, Mr. Speaker, I am certain the Minister was made aware of yet another marine vessel grounded on the sandbar at the mouth of the Hay River on the weekend. And I would ask the Minister to make a commitment to visit Hay River and hold a public meeting with the community members and also the stakeholders that we -- you know, that who depend on a safe and navigable harbour. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, I am aware of the weekend's incident. We will be in discussions with coast guard regarding some of the assistance that MTS provided. I know the Member's asking me to come to the community. I think, you know, that's a discussion that will have to be made as we look at a business case in this situation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd ask the Minister to confirm if a comprehensive business case was ever completed for dredging the channel and harbour at Hay River. Ministers before her have talked about it, and I've never seen a business case. I haven't, you know, been able to read anything put in front of me. So I would like to know, I guess, whether there was actually a business case done for dredging. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what we need to do is a full scope and operational plan for addressing the issue now and in the future for costing the same. Survey work was completed in 2016 which identified a number of things, including 100,000 cubic metres of mud and silt of mud and silt that was in excess of established grade requirements. Mr. Speaker, following the recent flood here in the territories, it was recommended that we take a two-phased approach to this.

So first we need to do a study to be able to assess the amount of silt and mud that has to be removed to restore established grade requirements. And phase 2, Mr. Speaker, would involve a program established to be able to undertake this work. So the department will prepare a proposal for federal government once we have a better understanding on the scope of this project. So I'm continuing to have conversations with my federal counterparts. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what I'm hearing on the other side is the same thing, is that we're complicating something that's not complicated. We have an area that's not that large that has to be dredged. We know the water is -- you know, we know the water is in around the four, five foot mark, which is about, you know, the draft of a vessel is probably five feet. And they're getting stuck. And it continues. We talk about climate change, but we do nothing about it. We just sit back. So, you know, we have to do our homework. So let's not complicate this because what I see here is the government now going to take, you know, another year or two years.

So I would ask the Minister if she would be willing to commit to updating the business case that maybe was already done, and if not, develop a new business case and once completed, provide it to the standing committee prior to submission and done before the end of November. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes I will commit to be able to share the proposal with standing committee prior to submission to be able to get some feedback and perhaps note we got a wealth of knowledge from the MLA Simpson. So I think that would be very appropriate to be able to share that information. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my understanding is that, you know, the Minister travels back and forth to Ottawa once in a while, and I'm hoping that she has a meeting, you know, before the end of this year where she could take a business case that would be ready for submission to the federal government because like I said, you know, we're not talking, you know, something that's that complicated.

So would the Minister commit to having the business case ready for submission to the federal government before the end of this year? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are a number of things that has to happen before we submit the proposal. For example, we have to do bathymetric surveys to be able to fully understand the scope of this work that needs to be completed. Most of this work happens in the summer, Mr. Speaker. So it would likely be next fall but, I mean, I would be happy to have further discussions with the Member in terms of, you know, a path going forward and to be able to working with the community as well because, I mean, this affects a lot of the activities that happen up and down the valley to be able to get our barges and our tugs out to get fuel into the communities, for example. So, you know, this is something that we can work with the Member and the community to be able to understand perhaps the timelines or some of the scope of work that's required. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Member for your question. I very much appreciate providing updates on the portfolio.

I'm proud to say that we've been working very closely, diligently, with the Indigenous governments and with the federal government as well too, and looking at the 100-unit delivery that we do have over $500 million coming to the Northwest Territories directly to the federal government and looking at our policies, I am committed to have those policies ready and available April 1st, 2023. And I'm hoping to have a few of those policies ready for review to the standing committee as well too.

I just got a message that the standing committee did accept our technical briefing to look at those policies that we have now completed. They have been reviewed by the Council of Leaders. I'm very excited. It also has been reviewed by stakeholders throughout the Northwest Territories and by our staff. A lot of input. We've got 12 reports that have been done. A lot of collaboration has been done to complete these policies. And it's about time we start changing the way we do business. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you Minister for your answer. What step has Housing NWT taken to assure that my constituents and other like her don't fall through the cracks and can reliably access Housing NWT programs and services? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate the questions coming forward as well too. We are in the middle of reviewing our LHOs and our local boards and authorities at the community and the ground level. We're reviewing our programs and policies as well too and also the delivery of our programs throughout the Northwest Territories. I do understand that we have issues with the threshold with the rent increase and the operation and maintenance of these units, and we also did speak about more money coming to Housing, to the portfolio. We have been working very closely with the federal government as well too, to access the co-investment funding.

The other thing I really wanted to speak about as well too is I'm thankful to this government for providing $5 million over three years for Housing NWT to support those federal applications coming forward and fulfilling the 25 percent obligation. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister commit to personally reviewing the case file of my constituent Mildred Lockhart as soon as possible? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know we're not supposed to be speaking about specific files but I've already directed my department to provide me with an update. I will follow up with the Member. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister confirm if the local housing authority have any spare sewage tanks that's not being used and if there's a way we could use that for Ms. Lockhart's situation and have this tank replaced next year? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a Minister, I am committed to be working with the residents of the Northwest Territories, and I do understand the lack of material and the delivery for each of these communities. It's quite unique.

I will ask the department to see if we do have sewage tanks that possibly are available and also I'll reach out to the Indigenous governments as well too, to see if there's interest to be working with them in looking at a community initiative project and being able to provide that programming within the community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.