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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Premier.

Mr. Speaker, on October 17th, 2022, the Premier said in this House "northern security is not just about robust military presence. It is mostly about building strong resilient communities through significant investment in critical infrastructure like roads, ports, telecommunications, and energy."

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada released its Arctic and Northern Policy Framework in 2019. This framework speaks to goals like ending poverty, eradicating hunger, reducing suicides, broadband for all, enhanced trade, and further goes on to specific infrastructure investments.

So I'm wondering can the Premier explain how the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework will advance critical infrastructure in the NWT, like the roads, ports, and telecommunications and energy that she spoke of on the 17th, and how the federal government plans to implement this framework with no timelines or budgets associated with it? Thank you.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Honourable Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The MLA is absolutely correct. The Arctic and Northern Policy Framework was released in 2019 which -- and then after that work was done, the next step was to be implementing the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework. Sadly to say, the federal government, we've met twice in this government on that with the federal minister, perhaps due to COVID, perhaps other reasons. However, it's important, the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework is not just about making sure that every funding that goes to the Northwest Territories is identified in there. That policy framework was to address the huge gaps that we have in the Northwest Territories compared to our southern neighbours. We all know that. We know that we're lacking in supports and services compared to the south. You only have to drive south and see what they have compared to what we have here. So I am hopeful. The Member is also right. There is no budget. There's no strategic plan to develop for it. And I also have the same concerns. A lot of time and resource went into developing that framework, and I don't want to see it sit on a shelf. I don't want to see every money that comes to the Northwest Territories just get labelled UNDRIP. It needs to be to address the gaps that we have. And I'm hoping that the federal government would hear that and that the federal government will start implementing significant funding to the Northwest Territories so we have the same quality of living that every Canadian should be -- should have, be entitled to. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, just this past Monday in Iqaluit, there was a collection of policymakers that got together in order to discuss this very thing, Arctic sovereignty. And that was in response to a $4.9 billion investment from the federal government. So these conversations are still happening. And having this conversation twice over the course of this Assembly just isn't enough. We need more attention from the federal government here in the western Arctic and, especially when here, any NWT resident could tell you, that the North definitely felt things in a more heightened way over the course of COVID. So our need for these items were just heightened in COVID. So really, our conversations should have been more frequent and louder in my opinion, Mr. Speaker.

My next question is the Premier explained on May 30th, 2022, that the Council of Leaders is the regional implementation body for the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework. And so I wondering if the Premier can identify the priority areas the Council of Leaders is undertaking with respect to Arctic security and if there is a timeline and budget for the Council of Leaders to advance Arctic security in the NWT that can be shared with this Assembly?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll start with a little bit of a clarification. Absolutely, the Member is correct, we need to be lobbying the federal government for this on a regular basis. The Council of Leaders table has met with the Minister -- the federal Minister, Minister Vandal, twice in this Assembly. However, myself and Ministers have constantly met with the federal government, and every time I meet with the federal Ministers, applicable Ministers, I bring this up because why do the work if it's not going to be addressed?

So the Council of Leaders did identify gaps. They identified their priorities.

In the last meeting with the Minister Vandal, the Council of Leaders agreed that that table would be the table that would implement it because they were the table -- they were the Indigenous governments and us that developed the framework. So I believe that last meeting was in September, late September. And the issues that were identified by the Council of Leaders were mental health and addictions, community-based treatments, infrastructure. They identified housing, clean energy, transportation and governance, and the economy, green economy and remediation.

I do want to say that by working together, all Indigenous governments and the GNWT and the federal government, I do have to give credit where credit's due, has implemented -- has put a phenomenal amount of housing money in this government that has gone to all Indigenous governments and the GNWT, and that shows what can be done when we working together. However, we do need to identify next steps. We've identified our priorities at that table. But the federal government needs to work with us to identify how we get there. It cannot be a unilateral decision on what happens next. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Honourable Premier. I will just, cognizant of the time, question's asked and answered in almost five minutes, so let's shorten up the preamble, please. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess I'm trying to get all my words in this week after two missed days.

In March of this year, Mr. Speaker, the three northern Premiers wrote to the Council of Federation to express concern with Canada's Arctic defence and security and requesting Arctic sovereignty and security become a standing agenda for these meetings. And so I am wondering if the Premier can explain how the federal government responded to the issues of the northern Premiers, how the northern territories are working together to advance the northern interest in Arctic security, and if the intergovernmental council is involved in those conversations as well? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also wanted to -- this is a passion of mine as well so I will try to be more concise on this one.

The three territories did work together to develop a pan-territorial chapter, things that we have in common across the territories. And so from that chapter, we've been lobbying, the three of us, I hate to say it, it may be inappropriate, but I call us the dynamic trio, the three Premiers have been lobbying the federal government together to actually lobby for the needs of all territories because they're similar in some areas, different in others. So again, we've been meeting not only with the federal government, we've been carrying our message nationally and internationally at any table that we can get it. We actually bring forward the needs of the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework because it needs to be addressed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Honourable Premier. Final supplementary, Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate that we're -- that we're -- this government is being consistent in asking for more money. But in 2022, the federal budget announced a total of $8 billion new funding over years in response to the defence policy from the federal government. There was $40 billion -- or sorry -- yeah, $40 billion to modernize NORAD over the next 20 years and $4.9 million to update aging North American air defence systems.

So I'm wondering if the Premier can explain how the federal budget that has been set and has been allocated to Arctic security will impact the NWT specifically, and what can we expect to see happen in our territory as far as Arctic security? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member again is right, the federal government is implementing military defence mechanisms and a budget associated with the safety of the Arctic. And I support that. We do need to support the safety issues. But I've been adamant in saying that Arctic safety is not just about missiles or boats in the sea. It has to incorporate Arctic sovereignty, and that means addressing our gaps. We need to build our economy. We need to close our infrastructure gap. We need telecommunications. We need ports. We need all of the things like I had said that contribute to healthy and vibrant growth in our communities. Because if we don't have communities, then we're open land, and that is not what I want to see. So they have to go hand-in-hand. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on October 5th, 2022, I sent an email to two Ministers requesting for integrated case management services for two constituents. These constituents are a couple who are experiencing homelessness and barriers to obtaining income assistance. In talking with the housing Minister about this, she referenced a housing strategy that has not been tabled yet.

I'd like to ask the Minister is she okay with Norman Wells, Hay River, Inuvik, Yellowknife, and Behchoko having a homeless shelter and allowing Fort Smith to go without one? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and just thank you to the Member for that question. But just a correction, Norman Wells does not have a homeless shelter.

We are working with the Indigenous groups throughout the Northwest Territories to try to find solutions on how to deal with people who are experiencing either homelessness and do have challenges at the ground level. We don't have integrated case management in the smaller communities; therefore, we try to work very strongly, very strategically with the employees at the ground level, working with the local housing authority. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I asked for a joint response from the housing Minister and the ECE Minister to assist with this dire situation that this couple is in. I've only received bureaucratic answers with no solutions, as usual with this Minister. When will the Minister provide actual solutions for my constituents and direct her staff to be more compassionate to vulnerable and homeless people? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And in respect to the Member's riding, housing has worked very collaboratively with the Indigenous groups within that riding. We have been able to more housing units on the ground as well too. But not only that, just working with the individuals and having to try to find housing solutions. Housing cannot solve the housing crisis on our own. We need the partners at the table. Housing has been working very closely with the Member's Indigenous governments within her riding. And we continue to work in collaboration together in trying to find housing solutions at the local community level. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it seems there's a lack of compassion and urgency to the suffering of vulnerable people experiencing homelessness. I would like to ask the Minister where is the compassion from this government and from her department? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Member for the question as well. This is an area that we have taken a different turn within the Housing portfolio as well, and we're starting to find that working with the nonprofit organizations throughout the Northwest Territories do need a lot more support and a lot more training in dealing with their clientele. Housing has been working throughout the Northwest Territories providing those services agreement and trying to come up with solutions as well. Within the portfolio, we did -- we are looking at further programming. Just one at the top of my head is the Canada housing benefit that we did increase. It first had started off at $200,000, and now we're at $2.5 million. And with that, we're able to really understand the housing need and the crisis throughout the Northwest Territories. But we continue to work together with the communities to try to find further solutions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as stated earlier, I sent an email to the housing Minister on October the 5th, which was 14 days ago. That's 11 business days. When will the Minister provide a response to that email? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When I'm receiving the responses back from the department, they often go back for further analysis as well too and looking at what we possibly can have at the ground level with -- which is, honestly, very, very limited. We try to look for what resources do we actually have in order for us to be housing people. And we have just a limited amount of housing units in the Northwest Territories. We also have a waitlist that is out there as well. We also deal with women and children and families who are either returning back from treatment, dealing with domestic violence, and we are trying our best to be -- trying to be more accommodating to the people of the Northwest Territories. But I really would like to -- like I further said, is that we need to be working as a community and together and with all stakeholders at the table in order for us to really address these -- these strong housing needs and issues throughout the territory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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