Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the reason I put my name forward for the office that I now hold was to advocate for the community of Hay River and to give a voice to those that may not always be heard. At times, one finds themselves painted into a corner. This becomes commonplace for those who represent constituents from regional and small communities. Supports and services required by those in regional and small communities is not always in synch with what bureaucracy has planned.
The reality is that government is managed by a bureaucracy located in Yellowknife that may, through no fault of their own, not have a sense of small community living, amenities, and issues. This often translates into budgets, supports and programming that appear unfriendly and not understanding of the reality of communities outside Yellowknife.
Mr. Speaker, today we have the main estimates in front of us and we are expected to vote in favour or against them.
With this budget, the government is attempting to move forward the mandate and priority items for each department while making sure this government continues operating beyond today. This is a daunting task as it may require favouring one region over another, one community over another, one program over another, one project over another, one issue over another, and one MLA over another. In the end, it is about making decisions to direct limited funding to grow regions and communities while supporting and advancing the growth of the economy and infrastructure of the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, the NWT is made up of 33 communities, with all 33 not being treated fairly when it comes to financial support from this government.
Outside Yellowknife, we have a range of issues that include lack of housing, homelessness, mental health, addictions, policing, access to proper health care, education, aged infrastructure, failing road systems, diminished resource development, inadequate communication systems, increasing community funding gap, unsettled claims, cost of living increases, recruitment and retention of qualified staff through all departments; all impacting the lives of have-not communities.
Mr. Speaker, when Yellowknife requires a day shelter, a public emergency is declared which comes with $175K of monthly operating funding while the communities are told to use the community sports centre or other facilities as day shelters.
When Yellowknife requires $2.2 million in funding for housing and wellness, it only requires a one-page letter to this government while the communities are told there is no more funding.
When there is a need for more housing in Yellowknife this government purchases a 24-unit apartment building in Yellowknife for $2 million plus.
When the Hay River Ski Club requests $150K to support sports, physical fitness and mental health for youth post-COVID, they are told to go and fundraise at a time when residents just don't have any more to give.
Community governments are experiencing financial hardship due to an ever increasing funding gap at a time when aged infrastructure needs replacing as well.
Mr. Speaker, this government has a shortage of qualified workers.
With an Affirmative Action Policy that was designed to raise the number of Indigenous persons employed in the public sector, the question is: Can we achieve that equity with the pool of qualified Indigenous people living in the NWT?
Reviewing statistics, I believe many of the qualified Indigenous people are working but continue to experience disadvantages as they are often overlooked for advancement and training.
If we expect to meet Indigenous employment targets, this government needs to provide the resources to educate Indigenous youth and position them to take over the roles many of us are in. In the interim, if we are to grow the North we need persons from all professions with various education, experience and skills who are willing to make the NWT their home. While we provide incentives to encourage people to move here to work, we must also provide those same or similar incentives to those already living and working here.
Mr. Speaker, this government talks about the need for housing, trades, and jobs. Then it goes out and purchases manufactured homes from the south which provides no sustainable impact on the community or the economy of the NWT. Going forward, we must support a combination of stick-built and NWT manufactured homes with those manufactured homes to built in the North.
The community of Hay River, with its access to marine transportation services, highway access, rail access, and access to what should be cheap hydro, is the most feasible place to support manufacturing initiatives. This government has yet to realize the potential for manufacturing in the community of Hay River and therefore does not provide adequate supports required to advance it. The market for manufactured goods would not only be the NWT. And, when we consider Hay River's proximity to the south, the possibilities are endless.
Mr. Speaker, the mineral resource sector has played a significant role in the development of the Northwest Territories. The 19th Legislative Assembly recognized that fact and committed support to increase resource exploration and development. We know that the NWT is rich in minerals and oil and gas. The stumbling block is access and the cost of that access.
If we expect the NWT to grow, we need roads to resources and communities and that, Mr. Speaker, starts with the Mackenzie Valley Highway. This government must work strategically and quickly with the federal government and industry to make this a real priority. The Mackenzie Valley Highway would not only support industry but it would also support access to the south for those communities along its route while forming a loop with the Dempster Highway which would increase tourism opportunities as well.
Further, it would work towards lowering the cost of living for residents while providing access to education, jobs, business opportunities, improved communication systems, and housing for regional and smaller communities. This is where we must direct additional financial support.
Mr. Speaker, workforce priorities are changing which is impacting our ability to recruit and retain professionals throughout government and the private sector.
One area of concern is health care. Over the past two years we have seen the demand for healthcare workers increase and our success to recruit lessened. The reality is that the workforce is changing, workers priorities are changing, and the demand for healthcare workers is on the rise. It is therefore important this government adapt to that change and find creative ways to recruit professional healthcare staff that will provide for consistent, timely, and quality healthcare services to the residents of the Northwest Territories. We need to place additional resources into this area as it directly impacts the health and lives of all residents.
Mr. Speaker, further to health care, there remains issues with medical escorts and travel costs.
With respect to medical travel, we need to revisit the allocation for meals and accommodations. The amounts provided are not sufficient and need to align with what government employees receive while on duty travel. $18 a day for meals and $50 per day for accommodation is not acceptable and unfair to those who are on limited income.
To reach this goal, and because the cost could be substantive, it will require conversations with the federal government to secure additional funding to offset the increase.
Mr. Speaker, this budget may have its faults but the government has promised additional funding of $4 million for housing programs, $500,000 for heritage centres, $2.2 million for homelessness shelters, and multiyear funding agreements that allow for inflationary increases for those third parties who deliver core government programs and services on behalf of the government.
To pay for this, in addition to $2.4 million cut to contract services, we can expect an increase in tobacco tax which will generate up to $3.5 million annually.
These additional financial commitments by government are welcomed and confirms the fact that government is listening to the people of the NWT. Does it go far enough? Probably not. But it is a move in the right direction and we must recognize that fact.
Mr. Speaker, will this budget pass? I expect it will however I am hopeful that this government listened to what we had to say and in their deliberations considered our requests along with information included it in their decision-making processes. We, as Regular MLAs, may not have received everything we requested in this budget but that should not stop the dialogue from continuing as we move forward, as it is not about us. More importantly it is about the people of the Northwest Territories.
Although I will vote against this budget, I hold no ill feelings or animosity to those on the other side of this House as they had a job to do as well. However, this is an opportunity where we can agree to disagree while highlighting inequities between Yellowknife, regional centres and small communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.