Thank you, Madam Chair. Overall I guess at the end of the day is that, you know, we're still in a housing crisis here in the Northwest Territories. It's significant. It's right across the board in all 33 communities. And I don't see a plan. But overall, I think maybe is, you know, the aboriginal governments are now looking at going directly to Ottawa to get the same pots of money but they're competing with the Housing Corporation somehow, and that needs to be looked at again because what -- the reason why they're doing this because they have to jump through these hurdles to qualify with their own people through the Housing Corporation but now they want to go directly to Ottawa and get that pots of money directly given to them. So I'm just thinking, you know, the Housing Corporation is 50 years old already and it still seems like they can't get it right. So maybe it's something that we need to take a look at that. You know, sooner or later that the Housing Corporation structure itself, you know, is it meeting the needs of the people here in the Northwest Territories for housing, whether it be in the homeownership or repairs. So my final question will be is that do you foresee that happening? I mean right now as it is, we can't keep going the way we are status quo because nothing's going to happen. We're going to be bureaucratic red tape, and things need to change. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. And, you know what, I have to disagree with the Member because looking at the funding that has been distributed out throughout the Northwest Territories, that was in partnership working with Indigenous groups and creating this working table on what is required. And my message to the federal government was if you're not going to be funding the territorial government directly, then fund Indigenous groups and we'll work with them and we'll try to see what it is that they would require at the community level. And that's where the community housing plans started to come up. And I hear the Member that it doesn't sound quite significant, but this is a very useful document that identifies every single housing need in a smaller community, and it's internally funded by Housing Corporation to see these documents completed.

And also I wanted to kind of come back and just highlight our renewal as well too that we've established that we've never had that within the portfolio as well, and also looking at our policy changes and trying to better communicate and better deliver our programming as well too and working with the public, working with Indigenous groups, stakeholders throughout the territory. Housing is not the only entity in the Northwest Territories that is going to solve this housing crisis. We need the NGOs. We need the Indigenous groups. We need to be working at those tables in collaboration. Mahsi.

Thank you, Minister. Are there any further questions, comments from Members? Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just in regards to the units that I have going into my communities on the project listings, I just want to make sure that we are getting stick-built and we're not getting prefab units because we are getting -- it looks like they're trying to send the prefab unit in the community of Tuk. And talking with my leadership, they don't want it. They want stick-built units, which are going to provide work and be able to provide a little bit -- a little bit of employment. And it's the same thing right across within Paulatuk, Ulukhaktok, you know, all of my communities, they should be getting stick-built. Prefabs are not working. So what's the Minister's thoughts on that? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister of NWT Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Through the allocation of the federal funding, the Housing NWT had to become very creative in how we were going to put this application in and putting it forward. But this was actually a modular unit delivery that was a requirement through the federal funding that we did access. But what we're looking at as well too is looking at a balance of stick-built and modular units. And in respect to the Member's riding as well, I did have the opportunity to come and visit that -- visit his communities as well, and I realized and I understand that there's a different dynamic and a different environment of buildings that need to be constructed in his riding. But I can follow up with the Member to give him a further update. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Nunakput.

Make a statement, Madam Chair; we're failing. All the stuff that we're doing in all the major retrofits and stuff like that, like I asked them in regards to taking units the out, giving them to clients so we could get CMHC funding to get more units put into the community. Nothing. We tried to work with them. Nothing. All the stuff that we do with this Minister, we wear it as just like in the communities that she said she come to visit. I'm still waiting on numerous, probably three or four things that need to be done from those visits. So all this stuff that we're talking about right now, you know, it's -- we're just failing. Housing's failing. And we need to right that wrong. You want to work together? Yeah, let's work together. Let's get it done. Make the decision. You have the people in the room to make the decision. So let's do it. Thank you.

Thank you, Member. Are there any further questions, comments from Members? Seeing no further questions, I remind the committee that the estimates for the Northwest Territories are included in the capital estimates as information items only. The committee will not be voting on the activity total. Committee, please return to the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation summary on page 70. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I move that this committee defer further consideration of the estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation at this time. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. The motion is being distributed onto the floor now. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? The motion is carried. Thank you, committee.

---Carried

Is committee prepared to move to the next department? Yes, okay. Thank you, committee, and thank you to the Minister. Sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber.

We agreed to consider Tabled Document 723-19(2), Capital Estimates 2023-2024. Committee, we will now consider the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Does the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources wish to bring witnesses into the Chamber?

Yes, I do, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Minister, please introduce your witnesses.

Thank you, Madam Chair. On my right is deputy minister Erin Kelly, and on my left is Jessica St. Arnaud, director of finance. Thank you.

Thank you, welcome. The committee has agreed to forego general comments. Does the committee agree to proceed to the detail contained in the tabled document?

Committee, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources begins at page 23. We'll defer the departmental totals and review the estimates by activity summary beginning at page 25 with environment protection and waste management with information on page 26. Are there any -- Environment and Natural Resources, environmental protection and waste management infrastructure investments, $80,000. Question, comments?

Committee agrees? Okay. Committee, please turn to page 28, forest management, with information items on page 29. Environment and Natural Resources, forest management, infrastructure investments, $1,592,000. Questions, comments? Does committee agree?

Thank you. Committee, please turn to page 30, wildlife and fish, with information items on page 31, Environment and Natural Resources, wildlife and fish, infrastructure investments $400,000. Does committee agree?

Thank you, Members. Please return now to the departmental summary on page 23, Environment and Natural Resources, 2023-2024 Capital Estimates. Oh, Member for Kam Lake.