Thank you, Madam Speaker. Yeah, I just -- for myself, I think -- like I did last week, you know, I called everybody out on suicide prevention. Now it's the same thing but it's in a different light we're using. We're using our youth now to give them opportunity. We don't give them -- they're pushed to the side, you know. We have to stop this in regards to making a way for them. We can't just say oh, youth are our future and not do nothing for them. We got to stand up for them and let -- in this House, and do something for them instead of just lip service. So I will be talking to the Minister, and I look forward to working with both of them to get this happening for this year. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I can tell you the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is not doing lip service. We have youth contributions. We have youth core. We have youth centre initiatives. We also have children and youth resilience program. Youth -- the regional sports programs. And, you know, the NWT Youth Ambassadors. And we're also working on developing a youth strategy. So we are actually taking it to committee of Cabinet within the next month. Then we're going to bring it to committee to have that conversation. It's part of the youth -- our youth strategy, but it's also part of the suicide prevention strategies we're talking about, the Member's talking about. So I appreciate the Member's passion. I greatly appreciate his willingness to come bring this to the forefront, and I will work together with him, I can guarantee you that. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the restoration of the Hay River Harbour and Channel is not just a Hay River matter as it impacts all of our communities along the Mackenzie River, along the Arctic Coast and into the High Arctic. It is important that this government seeks support from all persons, businesses, fishers, communities, and Indigenous governments relying on access to the safe navigable harbour, community resupply, and transportation services, to have the federal government support this initiative.

Madam Speaker, before we head home for our mini session break, I would be remiss if I did not ask questions on the Hay River Harbour.

We need the harbour to be safe and operational so that goods can move safely up the valley to communities along the river and into the Inuvialuit settlement area. Madam Speaker, can the Minister of Infrastructure tell me what progress, if any, has been made since I last questioned her in the House. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Member. Minister of Infrastructure.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I can agree with the Member that renewing the Hay River Harbour is very important to the residents of the Mackenzie Valley communities as well as the Inuvialuit settlement area. I can also tell the Member that since we last spoke, an interdepartmental committee is being struck to be able to start the work on putting together the information that is required to get any necessary permitting in place, ultimately building a renewed proposal to take to the federal government. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, that is good to hear. I'm glad to see that at least something was done in the last week. Finally we may have a Minister that will do what others before her were unable to accomplish since 1995.

Madam Speaker, can the Minister outline what the timeframe is for getting this information together in the form of the business case and forwarding it to the federal government for a funding decision? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'll take any compliment I can get right now. So, Madam Speaker, so right now the department's effort is focused on addressing some of the needs of the residents in Sachs Harbour. So I take this opportunity to assure the Member from Nunakput that, you know, that is a priority for us. Having said that, once we are done, we can put additional resources to put -- to the post-mortem of the MTS 2022 sailing season of which continued operation of the Hay River's harbour is a factor. So I can't commit to a definite timeline but be assured the Member -- I want to be assured to the Member that work is underway. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. We have four days off so hopefully when I ask her next week, we'll have made more progress.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. As the Minister's pointed out, it will be very important, but hopefully not imperative, to get the federal government onside to secure the funding necessary for the renewal of the Hay River Harbour. Madam Speaker, can the Minister outline the efforts to date to engage with the federal government and the necessary federal Ministers? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. So as of right now we are preparing material to bring forward to Cabinet, the Premier, and Ministers to use in any engagement with federal Ministers where the opportunity to be able to discuss the need to ensure that the Hay River Harbour is operational. I've recently wrote to the Minister of Transportation as well as the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans on the need to make sure Hay River Harbour is operational to be able to meet the needs of Northerners. Once we have done a post-mortem on the MTS 2022 shipping season, I will be engaging with the applicable Minister in person. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. And hearing her say post-mortem, I'm thinking MTS might be dead.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I encourage the Minister to keep pressure on the federal government, seek support of stakeholders, and stress the importance of the Hay River Harbour in moving goods to the residents of the Mackenzie Valley and Inuvialuit settlement region.

Madam Speaker, for my last question is the Minister willing to come to Hay River and hear firsthand the concerns that Hay River residents and stakeholders have on the continued operation of the Hay River Harbour and the need for immediate action? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Just say yes? Thank you, Madam Speaker. So as the Member knows, I've already accepted an offer from both the two MLAs from Hay River to be able to go, not this weekend but next weekend, of October 29th and 30th. So I look forward to meeting with some of the residents to be able to discuss the need to remediate the -- I'm getting Sachs, Hay River Harbour. So thank you, Madam Speaker.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, can the Minister of Housing NWT explain why constituents would receive inconsistent information from officials at the South Slave district office versus officials at the local housing authority in Fort Smith? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Member. Minister for Housing NWT.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question. The local housing authorities, they run under a service agreement that is provided by Housing NWT, and they operate under our policies. Unfortunately, in the last couple of years we weren't able to provide training to the local housing authorities but we've just recently completed workshops with the district offices, the LHO managers, and we are going to be also providing a workshop for the maintenance employees as well too that run under the local housing authority. We did have issues with this office in the past before, and I'm willing to send the officials into the office to provide further training and further distinctions on consistent information that should be provided to our tenants. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, can the Minister explain the reasoning why a destroyed and unlivable house would be used against someone who is applying to public housing? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Homeowners are not eligible for the public housing programming. But if those units are deemed not repairable, we do make exceptions with the local housing authorities as well too. And if their income levels exceed for the programming for public housing, we do make exceptions for market housing. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, can the Minister explain why Housing NWT had failed to reach out to my constituents once their destroyed home was sold and the property it sat on was sold so they could adjust their rental agreement and enter public housing? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. And you know, I just wanted to comment that when these units are sold, we don't necessarily keep track of all of the units that are -- private homeowners that are selling their houses in the community. But I can have the LHO office reach out to the individual as well too. But right now, I'm assuming that the individual is housed in our market housing units right now but is just not eligible for public housing. I will follow up with the Member. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

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

Madam Speaker, will the Minister commit to initiate the process of an independent oversight into my constituents' housing situation, to understand all information regarding the rental agreement they have with Housing NWT, and fix this unnecessary situation for two elders who should not be penalized by this government? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I look forward to following up with the Member. It sounds like the circumstances for the individuals have changed. We are currently under a policy review as well too, and I will commit to looking at that file. Thank you, Madam Speaker.