Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.

Mr. Speaker, as housing Minister, one of my main goals was to strengthen and develop partnerships and relationships. Now, as we come to the end of this Legislative Assembly, it is evident that partnerships have played a crucial role in our success. One of our most important relationships, of course, is with the Government of Canada. We have a number of programs and new projects that would not be possible without this partnership.

Mr. Speaker, in the past four years I have met with federal Minister Hussen, Minister responsible for Housing, Diversity and Inclusion; and Minister Vandal, Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, on several occasions, most recently with the new Minister responsible for Housing, Diversity and Inclusion, Minister Sean Fraser. I have also engaged on several occasions with the Northwest Territories Member of Parliament Michael McLeod and Member of Parliament, Mr. Chad Collins who is the chair of the national housing caucus.

Mr. Speaker, it is through these engagements with federal officials that we have the opportunity to outline and highlight the need for federal support to improve the housing situation.

Housing NWT staff have also been very engaged with their colleagues in the federal government, and it is through these partnerships that we have been very successful in securing resources for the North.

Mr. Speaker, as Minister responsible for Housing NWT, I am proud to say that through our partnership and relationships over the life of the 19th Legislative Assembly, over $600 million in federal funding has been announced to support housing priorities across the Northwest Territories.

We recently announced another partnership project with the City of Yellowknife at the Aspen Apartments. Through this partnership with the city and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Housing NWT has a budget of approximately $5 million under the cities stream of CMHC's Rapid Housing 3 Initiative for safety upgrades and other required renovations. This project allows Housing NWT to acquire and modernize the Aspen Apartments, a 36-unit building, which will further increase our number of owned public housing units in Yellowknife while freeing up leased units for private market rental needs.

Approximately a year ago, Mr. Speaker, Housing NWT assumed full ownership of the Nordic Arms apartment building in Yellowknife. With assistance from Canada, we were able to complete necessary upgrades and other renovations for the building so that public housing tenants could move in safely.

Housing NWT has worked hard over the life of this government to increase its stock of quality, energy-efficient, and affordable housing for those most in need. With the Aspen Apartments and Nordic Arms, these buildings, Housing NWT is delivering its commitment to be innovative and provide sustainability.

In addition to these projects, we are also supporting the low-income households through the Canada-NWT's housing benefit, a monthly subsidy up to $800 for families to cover rental costs. Any household paying more than 30 percent of their gross income on rent can receive this benefit with the eligibility being able to stay in the program for up to two years.

Mr. Speaker, the Canada-NWT housing benefit is entering its third year, and I cannot speak highly enough of this program. Housing NWT's mandate is to increase the well-being of individuals and communities by providing fair access to quality housing supports for people who need it the most. The Canada-NWT housing benefit just does this by providing much-needed financial assistance to house people who are otherwise unable to afford it. Our staff have heard very positive feedback from community members who have accessed this funding. It is programming that allows residents to breathe at ease and save a little bit more.

Mr. Speaker, the accomplishments outlined today are only some of the most recent announcements of federal investment made over the life of this government. I am encouraged that through both mine and the department's partnership with the federal government and our colleagues throughout Canada, we have prioritized the Northwest Territories' housing needs and delivered by approving a wide range of projects under the National Co-investment Program, the Rapid Housing Program, and the Reaching Home Program.

Mr. Speaker, Housing NWT acknowledges and celebrates how much this government and the Government of Canada has prioritized our housing needs as we continue to advocate for further supports through our recommendations to enhance and allocate funding through the national housing strategy and the urban renewal and northern Indigenous housing strategies that are being led by the federal government.

Mr. Speaker, during my conversations with the federal Ministers, I have made it clear that we would also be in support of funding going directly to Indigenous governments to support Indigenous housing for the North. And as outlined previously this session, this was indeed a huge success.

Mr. Speaker, this is significant federal funding that will continue to support and to increase affordable housing units throughout the North, additional market housing units, and repair opportunities also for private homeowners. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.

Mr. Speaker, substance abuse continues to challenge residents, family, friends and communities in the Northwest Territories. The health and social services system has a range of options to help Northerners recover their health and well-being. I am going to summarize a few of those options that have taken shape in the 19th Assembly.

An approach called Stepped Care 2.0 has transformed the community counselling program by offering same-day or drop-in support, resulting in a 79 percent decrease in wait times. Community counsellors can also help residents gain access to more specialized services such as facility-based addictions treatment.

Mr. Speaker, we now have six facility-based addictions treatment programs. The department has recently contracted Sunrise Healing Lodge in Calgary to provide culturally-safe, recovery-oriented, and person and family-centered services. Sunrise Lodge responds to the request from residents for an Indigenous-led treatment option.

Even before individuals return from addictions treatment, the community counselling program offers aftercare planning and support. This is part of our response to the 2022 Auditor General's recommendations to improve addictions services.

Mr. Speaker, we understand that the availability of safe, sober, housing close to home is another important component of support to individuals in their recovery. The department is taking steps to establish community-based transitional housing options in four different communities. Work is progressing well in Inuvik and Yellowknife. The next step is to work program delivery costs into the next budget.

The department also continues to support the delivery of a managed alcohol program in Yellowknife. This program began during the pandemic as part of a comprehensive system of support for people living with addictions. This program takes a harm reduction approach by providing participants with a set dose of beverage alcohol in a safe setting, limiting intoxication levels and the consumption of non-beverage alcohol. The program is delivered in combination with housing, health care, counselling, and life skills.

Mr. Speaker, I recognize the leadership role Indigenous governments and community organizations have in delivering addictions recovery supports. Following a request from them, the department recently merged three existing funds into one. This combined fund will help reduce the administrative burden on Indigenous governments while providing them with more flexibility in determining the types of programs needed in their communities and how they will be funded.

I am pleased with the direction that our work is taking and the supports available to NWT residents, yet I recognize there is still more to do.

We are planning for a combined community counselling satisfaction and addictions recovery survey for early next year. This combined survey will seek feedback on people's experiences with all the available NWT addictions recovery supports and services, including the types of supports they used, any challenges or barriers they encountered, and what needs to be improved.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to conclude by discussing the ongoing dialogues initiated between myself, the department, and Indigenous governments. Our primary objective has been to enhance our collective efforts in addressing the addiction recovery requirements of NWT residents. I deeply appreciate these exchanges and their influence on shaping our course of action. Our shared goal is to help residents, and I firmly believe that the most effective solutions can be achieved through working together. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, today I want to focus on the Government of the Northwest Territories' in accomplishments in road, air, and marine transportation during this 19th Assembly.

Enhancing our all-season highway system has been a top priority. In November 2021, the GNWT opened the Tlicho Highway for traffic for the first time, adding to the territory's roster of all-season highways. This 97 kilometre all-season road was advanced in partnership with the Tlicho government and will reduce the cost of living in the region.

The GNWT is also nearing completion of the phase 1 of the Prohibition Creek Access Road just south of Norman Wells. This 6.7 kilometre all-season road along the existing Mackenzie Valley winter road alignment is expected to be substantially complete in the fall of 2023. Not only is the construction of this all-season road making our transportation system more resilient to climate change and providing access to recreational opportunities, it is also providing employment and training opportunities for Sahtu residents in advance of the proposed Mackenzie Valley Highway Project.

Advancing the Mackenzie Valley Highway and the Slave Geological Province Corridor are two projects that are at the forefront of our mandate commitment to make strategic infrastructure investments. We have established partnerships with the Indigenous governments and the Indigenous organizations and have undertaken significant work to prepare the developer's assessment report which is required for this Mackenzie Valley Highway environmental assessment. We continue to be on track for submission of the report during the life of this government.

As for the Slave Geological Province Corridor, we have also established relationships with Indigenous governments and undertaken work required to inform the future regulatory application of the proposed Lockhart All-Season Road, the first segment of this corridor.

Along with building new roads, the GNWT continually invests in existing highway infrastructure. This fiscal year, we have invested $62.8 million in highway, bridge, culvert planning, design and construction, to more than 195 kilometres of highways, bridges, culverts, and access roads.

Mr. Speaker, the GNWT is responsible for operating and maintaining 27 public airports in the territory, especially vital in our communities without year-round road access. In this fiscal year alone, we are investing $40 million in airport improvement projects, including several improvements to the Mike Zubko Airport in Inuvik. At our busiest and largest airport, we continue to advance Yellowknife's 20-year master plan, which will guide the airport's growth and development.

In 2022, we also selected a new board for the revitalization of the Yellowknife Airport Economic Advisory Committee, which provides strategic advice on the issues and future business decisions to the airport's management, GNWT senior management, and Minister of Infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, waterways like the Mackenzie River and Great Slave Lake have long been essential transportation routes to move people along and essential goods to the North. Marine Transportation Services and fuel service division staff did a tremendous amount of planning this year to give us the best chance for a successful sailing season. Even with the best laid plans, significant challenges arose across the season, including two evacuations of staff and contractors from Hay River and low water levels across the Mackenzie River. These low water levels have caused us to adjust our sailing schedules, regrettably cancel the third and final supply trip to Norman Wells and Tulita, and pivot to a hybrid model to move cargo and fuel to the communities. Marine Transportation Services staff have been quick to problem solve in support of the essential supply to northern communities.

Speaking of marine accomplishments made by this government, I am happy to say work on the Hay River Harbour Restoration Project is ongoing. To create an emergency navigational channel for vessels, the GNWT is removing approximately 84,000 cubic metres of sediment from the Hay River harbour. Work is expected to be complete on October 7th.

As evidenced in the recent evacuations and re-entries of the NWT communities, the importance of access and transport by air, road, and water is paramount. The GNWT continues to invest in our road, air, and marine transportation infrastructure to improve the quality of life, lower the cost of living for residents, and support the expansion and diversification of the economy. But our success hinges on the hard work of the staff across the territory, including those involved in the safe evacuation and return of residents this month. Their efforts are greatly appreciated. Quyananni, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Mr. Speaker, when we started the 19th Legislative Assembly, Members put forward, as one of its priorities, ensuring that government procurement maximizes benefits for Northwest Territories' residents and businesses. We knew that procurement policies had not been meaningfully updated for several years, and we wanted to make sure we were getting as much value out of every dollar as we could.

In January 2021, I appointed an independent advisory panel to engage with Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations, elected leaders, the business community, stakeholders and residents, on government procurement. In June 2021, the panel completed its engagement and provided a comprehensive report including 50 recommendations. The panel's report, as well as our discussions since with Members of the Legislative Assembly, residents, businesses, and Indigenous governments, has informed work by the departments of Industry, Tourism and Investment; Finance; and Executive and Indigenous Affairs, to fulfill our mandate commitment.

The report on the review of GNWT procurement policies and practices, including the Business Incentive Policy , P3 projects, and the Northern Manufactured Products Policy, the report presents a carefully formulated plan for improving government procurement to maximize benefits for Northwest Territories residents and businesses. Additionally, the report includes data that demonstrates that the number of government contracts awarded to Northwest Territories businesses has increased over the past three years.

Mr. Speaker, government procurement and contracting is a major source of economic activity throughout the territory, and our residents and businesses should benefit from this as much as possible while balancing the need to ensure projects are undertaken in a timely and fiscally responsible manner. One key tool to try and achieve that balance is by incentivizing contractors who commit to using local and Northwest Territories labour and buying Northwest Territories goods with a benefit in the form of an adjustment to the bidding process, which is why we have introduced a Vendor Performance Management Policy that holds contractors accountable for these commitments.

The policy provides that Government of the Northwest Territories, with tools needed to accurately assess, monitor, and enforce vendor performance consistently across all government departments and Housing NWT. This will first start with the monitoring and enforcement of obligations made under the Business Incentive Policy.

Mr. Speaker, we must also find and put into practice real practical solutions and give Indigenous businesses support to maximize their opportunities for growth. We are working with Indigenous governments through the modern treaty and self-government partners and the Northwest Territories Council of Leaders so the Northwest Territories can become a leading example of how to achieve economic growth amongst one of the fastest growing cohorts of business in Canada, that of Indigenous-led businesses.

With a unified set of modernized procurement objectives and principles, and a framework to monitor and enforce refreshed procurement tools, we are now set to capitalize on this stronger foundation. These ongoing efforts will help make government procurement more transparent and better able to maximize benefits for Northwest Territories companies while ensuring a balance between value for public dollars and maintaining as much public money as possible stays in the North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I've spoken in this House many times about the vital importance of equitable and accessible health care provided by supported health care workers. Canadians en masse are working to access health care. They are waiting for elective surgeries, access to specialists, testing, and treatment requirements of cancers, chronic disease, and STIs, and a surge in addiction and mental health support needs. In addition, special treatment programs like audiology, speech pathology, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy appointments put off over the pandemic further bottleneck our already fragile health care system. The catch-up, Mr. Speaker, will take years, and some national experts speculate that the Canadian health care system may never catch up under its status quo approach.

Here in the NWT, we're even farther behind with reliance on Alberta's health care system and the fact that many of our existing health care workers are practicing through a scope much more narrow than their southern colleagues.

Pharmacists in southern provinces can prescribe some medications or adapt a prescription to suit the needs and reactions of a patient, give injections like vaccines or flu shots, or work with patients to sort out medication amounts, or recommend alternatives. My concerns about the limitation of dental hygienists are long-documented in this Assembly as well as their importance to preventative care and long-term impacts on the health and wellness of residents. And, third, Mr. Speaker, many Northerners are still delivering babies far from home and without their support system. Many families stop work early to leave their home community to travel for the arrival of a little one. This means less income, removal from the safety of their community and support system where they will potentially deliver without their partner, potentially be left with no support for older children, and then expected to travel home with a brandnew baby. Work on implementing the midwifery program and expanding access to doulas need to continue.

Mr. Speaker, our health care system has a regulatory backlog, and I believe that by working to expand the scope of some health care professionals, we can alleviate even some of the demand on our system. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Members' statements. Member for Thebacha.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for my statement today I want to revisit a topic that I have spoken about many times during the 19th Assembly, and that subject is the Affirmative Action Policy.

Mr. Speaker, I know That the Minister of finance just tabled a What We Heard report last week regarding the government's review of the Affirmative Action Policy. I understand that the report concluded that the Government of the Northwest Territories should repeal affirmative action and replace it with a new policy that prioritizes the hiring of Indigenous people connected to the NWT first; and, then priorities all Indigenous Canadians at large.

Well, Mr. Speaker, first of all I want to state plainly and clearly that I welcome all Indigenous people that were not born in the NWT but are living and working across the territory today. These individuals are most welcome. The point I am getting at here, Mr. Speaker, is that with any repeal and replacement of the Affirmative Action Policy, the government must keep in mind several key aspects of the policy as well as the original intent on whom the policy was meant to serve. Those were Priority 1s, 2s and 3s.

Mr. Speaker, I have always cared deeply about the health and well-being and advancement of Indigenous people, but I also care about non-Indigenous people. And within the existing Affirmative Action Policy, non-Indigenous people who were either born within the NWT and who live in the NWT more than half of their life will qualify under the policy. That is an aspect of the policy I have always been in favour of and will continue to be in favour of. However, in the future when a policy is initiated and made official, I hope it will consider any person who has lived at least ten years or more within the Northwest Territories and that secondary priority hiring will be provided to them.

Ultimately, Mr. Speaker, priority hiring in the NWT comes down to human resources doing their job right. Managers and hiring teams cannot continue to hire their friends or their family members. The appeal board also needs to be a neutral, fair, ethical, and transparent body that is approachable by the average person.

I could go on, Mr. Speaker, but I will leave it at that for now and hopefully the next Assembly, if I do return to this House, I will continue to address this topic down the road. I will have questions for the Minister of finance at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.

Mr. Speaker, on August 28th, 2023, the day of our emergency sitting among the wildfire crisis, I introduced a Private Member's public bill, An Act to Amend the Emergency Management Act. The bill passed second reading that day and was referred to the Standing Committee on Government Operations. The purpose of the bill is to require the GNWT coordinate its emergency response activities with Indigenous governments affected by the emergency.

Mr. Speaker, requiring the GNWT to coordinate its emergency response with Indigenous governments should not require a law. It should be a given. Unfortunately, this has not been the experience of Indigenous governments. Due to a lack of coordination by the Government of the Northwest Territories with Indigenous governments during the evacuation of Yellowknife, Indigenous people, many with language barriers and unique needs, were uprooted to cities in the south in which no one knew their language or knew how best to help them with their unique needs. This has led to our most vulnerable populations at risk, such as elders, the homeless, and those struggling with addictions. This does not reflect well on this government.

Indigenous governments and organizations asked to be involved from the start and were told no. This has to change. Decisions about Indigenous people must be made by the Indigenous people, not by the Government of the Northwest Territories alone.

A couple of weeks ago, I received a letter from the Standing Committee on Government Operations. They stated they recognize there are many problems with the Emergency Management Act. They also shared my dismay at the gap in support for some Indigenous evacuees and disruption of essential services for non-evacuated communities. The committee believes Indigenous government needs to be engaged as true partners in emergency management at all stages. I agree. Mr. Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Sorry about that; I thought I had enough time to just conclude. But while I am disappointed that committee has not to proceed with the bill because they said there is not enough time to study the bill, they indicated this work should be a priority for the 20th Legislative Assembly. I call on all my colleagues in the next Legislative Assembly to support this important work to ensure this avoidable tragedy never happens again. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a few observations of Housing NWT that I would like to share with the House, and it helps to ease my mind for the time being.

Housing of residents is a major issue for all communities in the Northwest Territories, whether it be in the city, regional centres, or the smaller communities. Equally, and perhaps more important, are the isolated communities in the Beaufort region - Sachs Harbour, Ulukhaktok, and Paulatuk.

I can only imagine the mental health of a tenant when they are evicted from a housing rental unit, have no place to stay, and most of these people have families. This is prevalent across the vast Northwest Territories. Yet, the housing minister has not reached out nor visited these communities enough to truly understand their housing issues and to offer some kind of comfort and possible concrete solutions.

Mr. Speaker, the federal government offers the housing program with 100 percent dollars for Indigenous housing. That program is the Rapid Housing initiative. When this program rolled out in November 2021, there was a very short window to get the applications in. 30 days. I guess many of the communities in the territory didn't have the capacity to fill in the applications and to do it within that very short time period. Many communities were challenged with human resources and missed the golden opportunity for free housing. On top of it all, the federal government kept silent and sent out letters rather than make a huge announcement of an initiative that would have, at the very least, solved most housing shortages, including to the Beaufort region.

The Central Mortgage and Housing corporation, CMHC, has an office in Yellowknife but may as well be back in this Ottawa since no one knows of their existence in the North and what role they can play in addressing our dire housing needs.

When I had conversations with the CMHC representative regarding the initiative, they would not provide me with any information as they state it is all confidential. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, and mahsi, colleagues. It is ironic the Rapid Housing initiative is a confidential program while spending public dollars.

I also had conversations with the Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, CIRNAC, regional director which, like the conversation with CMHC, went nowhere.

Mr. Speaker, that was my experience with the federal government representatives stationed here in the North and in Yellowknife. Many of our residents don't have easy access to these representatives. Mr. Speaker, the housing minister and staff should have played a crucial role in ensuring all communities have access to the Rapid Housing Initiative Program. Mahsi.

Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I have been waiting patiently for about 20 years for GNWT to finally review its arsenic remediation guidelines. Yesterday I talked about the flawed environmental guideline for contaminated site remediation with its very short public comment period.

Buried in one of the appendices are new arsenic remediation guidelines that significantly lower the acceptable limits for arsenic in soils for various land uses. This appears to be based on new research and background studies. The research shows the background levels of arsenic are significantly lower than what was originally set and, also, that most of the arsenic contamination in the Yellowknife area is a direct result of mining activities. The background studies were only recently made public following my request on August the 7th to the Minister.

The new arsenic remediation guidelines would significantly lower the acceptable limits for all land uses from what was set in 2003. A few examples, residential land use is lowered from 160 to 120 parts per million arsenic, and industrial use has gone from 340 to 163 parts per million with no explanation. The most alarming part is that areas outside Yellowknife have much lower limits, at 47 parts per million for residential use and 90 parts per million for industrial use. It's not clear why it is okay to expose Yellowknife residents to three times more arsenic than those who live outside.

Perhaps the detail are in those documents that were only recently released. I tried to look at them last night, Mr. Speaker, but way over my head. But it is not explained in the guideline itself anywhere. I always thought that arsenic soil remediation guidelines were set far too high to protect human health. The new proposed guidelines seem to bear that out. The biggest implication may be for the Giant Mine Remediation Project that used the old 2003 arsenic soil remediation levels which may no longer be safe for human health. So of course the rhetorical question, Mr. Speaker, is will Giant Mine remediation now adopt the new lower arsenic levels? I will have questions later today for the Minister of Environment and Climate Change on the new proposed arsenic soil remediation levels. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I stand before you and this Assembly with a crucial matter that I have spoken of before and demand immediate attention. It is an issue that pertains to the rights and well-being of our Indigenous people who have attended schools under the purview of the Government of the Northwest Territories after April 1st, 1969.

As many of you are aware, a landmark battle was fought by Indigenous survivors who attended the federally-run day school. This battle resulted in the federal day school class action lawsuit wherein compensation was made available to those who had suffered mistreatment, culture alienation, and during this time in these institutions.

While this is a significant step in addressing historical injustice, there is a grave troubling admission that cannot be ignored. The GNWT, during the period under question, continued to operate schools, some of which were residential boarding schools and day schools. Many of these institutions were run by religious organizations, organizations notably by the Anglican Church, Catholic Church. It is crucial to emphasize that the GNWT received funding from the Government of Canada to support the operation of these schools after April 1st, 1969 - the cutoff date for the federal day school class action lawsuit.

This funding was acknowledged by the federal Government of Canada of its responsibility to support the education of Indigenous children in the Northwest Territories. Therefore, it is only just and fair that the Indigenous students who attended these GNWT-operated schools after April 1st, 1969, be allowed to seek compensation through the federal day school compensation program. It is a matter of quality and justice that we cannot afford to overlook.

To provide specific examples, the chief Jimmy Bruneau School, residential boarding school, St. Patrick's School, a day school, operated within our jurisdiction during this period. Students who attended these schools, like their counterparts in federally-run institutions, experienced the same systematic issues and culture erosion. Therefore, I call upon this government to recognize the urgent need to get ahead of this issue and extend a list of eligible institutions under the federal day school compensation program to include those GNWT-operated schools that received federal funding. These students should be given the opportunity to seek the redress and compensation that is rightfully theirs from their government. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my Member's statement. Mahsi.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues. Our commitment to the truth and reconciliation requires us to correct this oversight and ensure that no Indigenous students who suffered the consequences of attending these schools is left behind. We have a moral obligation to pursue justice for all regardless of where these injustices occurred. Not to mention there is continued risks from similar class action lawsuits if the government continues to do nothing. It should not take the courts to make this government act and do the right thing.

I implore my honourable colleagues to support this crucial endeavour and join hands in advocating for the inclusion of these students in the federal day school compensation program. Let's stand together in the pursuit of justice, healing, and reconciliation for the Indigenous people of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll have questions for the Premier shortly. Thank you.

Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Members' statements. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it has been four years since I was first elected and not many, if anyone, can say they served with their son in any government legislature in Canada, and I am proud that happened here in this 19th Legislative Assembly. Together, I would hope that myself and my son R.J. were able to provide respectful, unbiased, fair, and timely representation to all our constituents in Hay River, something they all expect and deserve.

Mr. Speaker, over the last few years I have asked myself, did these last four years change who I am as a person? I believe it has not, and I am grateful for that.

Throughout my life and career, while encouraging my children and others to do the same, which is to show respect for all people, be available to hear their stories, and providing help to those who need a helping hand. I hope that those principles had a positive influence on those we represent.

Mr. Speaker, as a political representative, it is never about you. It is about the people one serves. I would recommend to all who are elected in the next Legislative Assembly, before you walk through the doors of this building it is important that you check your ego in at the door and pick up some respect, compassion, understanding, commitment, and be prepared to challenge the system when it is wrong and support it when it is just.

Mr. Speaker, I recognize that when I stand here on the floor of this House, or when I go down the hall to talk about a Minister about constituent issues, I know I have a strong and committed team behind me, and that team is made up those constituents of Hay River. And I thank each of them for having placed their confidence and trust in me to represent them over these past four years, most of which has been very trying times.

Mr. Speaker, it is important that one represents all of their constituents equally based on government policy, legislation, and laws to get to what is right and just. To accomplish that, it requires all the skills, experience, education, and outside networks one has. If you find that any of the policies or legislation has been unfair, unbiased, or just do not make sense, it is up to you to work towards making change. You will find the system to be cumbersome and untimely but that should not stop you as there are experienced and dedicated researchers and staff to assist you and you can make a difference. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my constituent assistant Leanne Campbell for the work that she has done for all constituents over the past four years and for answering their calls 24/7 throughout these four years.

And most importantly, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my wife Bette and our family for supporting me during these last four years, including all the highs and lows that came with it. And again, thank you, Hay River.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, time and time again I have heard from constituents and residents of their concerns with the proposed location of the polytechnic university. Although the Minister pointed me to the Facilities Master Plan Engagement Report to explain how he chose Tin Can Hill, I feel as if he engaged on the criteria of a site without really thinking of the operational and, more importantly, the emotional implications of this site. Mr. Speaker there are real, practical concerns with the Tin Can Hill site.

Traffic to the campus would be directed along School Draw Avenue or cut through Copper Sky Apartments. Neither of these entry points are prepared to handle the volume of traffic that would be involved with a university and pose serious safety issues for my constituents living there. Housing will be seriously impacted given the limited Yellowknife rental market. The apartments in my riding are sitting at practically zero vacancy with overcrowding issues. How do we intend to house students while also ensuring that residents, who live in my riding, are not pushed out given the plan calls for 50 percent of students to find market housing?

I worry for my constituents, including many long-term pensioners and low-income families - residents who are already struggling to keep up with our skyrocketing cost of living. I worry that they will be forced from their homes due to rising rents and neighbourhood gentrification.

The Minister has said the Tin Can Hill MOU is not legally binding and that things will be flushed out with consultation. However, Mr. Speaker, I think we need to be more innovative and forward thinking with the selection of the university site. One option I want explored is the capital site which encompasses this Assembly as well as the museum.

The capital site represents a more sustainable and strategic parcel of land for the university, not only from a traffic, growth, and housing perspective but also from a recreational land use perspective; that emotional piece I was mentioning earlier.

Mr. Speaker, I want to highlight that the Facilities Master Plan Engagement Report does not transparently reflect how the Tin Can Hill site was chosen and how engagement occurred. It is a flawed plan that does not adequately address the practical realities of the area, the limited accessibility by road, and the potential emotional and physical impacts on residents' health and well-being at the loss of such a treasured, valued green space in the backyard of my community that I love, Great Slave.

Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The benefits of a Service GNWT model or single service window model are pretty obvious. There's Service Canada. Service BC. Service Alberta. I actually don't think there's a single jurisdiction in Canada, other than us, that doesn't have a single service window. And we actually kind of have one. We have service officers in the communities. But the Premier throughout this government has refused to bring them in to Yellowknife, refused to even consider a single service window, and seems to think it's impossible. But in reality, Mr. Speaker, it's one of the few things we could do that could create efficiencies. For example, a Service GNWT office would do things such as help with income assistance, housing, you could get your birth certificate there, you could pay fines there, you could apply for a lease, you could get your marriage license - typical things that the government does that, right now, are scattered through about 12 different offices in Yellowknife with a multitude of workers.

And the benefits to a service window model, Mr. Speaker, are numerous. Firstly, it allows you to buy one piece of E-services software. Right now, we are spending tens of millions a year on software licenses. Every year that software budget line just goes up and up, and there seems to be nothing we can do about it. Right now, E-services is housed in the Department of Finance despite the fact that all of the services it's providing are kind of scattered across the GNWT. And in some cases, there's actually the E-services platform and then another piece of software within the department being used for the same thing and they don't talk to each other. And never do the workers in the other department. We've heard multiple stories throughout my term of housing asking for your employment records, then income assistance asking for your employment records, and then sometimes the workers get in a fight. This is all well documented by integrated case management in the Department of Justice which basically gave up trying to get GNWT departments to work together. And, Mr. Speaker, I think we have made negative progress on this issue.

So for the next Premier, do something about this, adopt a Service GNWT model. It's not that complicated. Every government does it. It saves you a bunch of money. It really is a win-win-win situation.

And another thing it does, Mr. Speaker, is it allows you to be a little bit more flexible with your operating hours. Most service offices are open evenings and weekends. You could, perhaps, renew your license at the DMV on the evenings or weekends, which I have been asking for four years, Mr. Speaker, and have made no progress at all. So I give up. Next Premier, do better. Thank you.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.

That's pretty hard to beat that one. So, Mr. Speaker, today the residents are accessing a variety of government support programs - housing, income support, and disability supports, across the it territory, and especially my riding. This is due to a variety of reasons but the main reason that we do not have the sustainable income in Nunakput region - there's no jobs and nothing to sustain families. I have told this House to be compassionate, flexible about the needs of our people, particularly those in small communities.

But, Mr. Speaker, today my residents are facing claw backs, withholding of their income support payment. The ECE took steps in March 2020 to exempt from the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, CERB, from the calculation of benefits on income assistance, the applications. However there are other payments that our residents received, including CERB, CRCB, that's disabilities, and CRSB and CWLB, are now being accounted as assessments when applying for income support.

Mr. Speaker, we need to remember that the residents do not have much support and much resources and are trying to get as much as they can to support their families. I already -- and we're already not providing enough. We're pushing them to obtaining other supports during this unprecedented -- the pandemic that we went through.

The money is not a huge sum of money, Mr. Speaker. People are struggling on high costs of living, high cost of food, just barely getting by. I call again and again we need some compassion here, Mr. Speaker. We need to show we care. COVID feels like forever ago, and we're all worried about the impacts and the supply chain issues, the vulnerability of our residents. People are trying to do whatever they can do to take care of their family. I will ask questions of the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment to make sure that the CERB payment and the disability payment are not being calculated on the income support program and seeing if we could -- for the next government to take off. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Members' statements. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the priorities of this government was to increase regional decision-making authority. I am unsure how much of that we actually have done in this government. We have decisions continuously coming from the capital. In my region, you know, the thing is that we have certain land claims, we have certain things. You know, we're waiting for decisions on cabins and how we're going to have -- you know, people are going to be able to establish a lease on a cabin if they're Indigenous. But we can't deal with it in our region.

We have procurement issues in my region. I have heard nothing but procurement issues. I know the Minister has stated that things are going to change. But I'm hoping that they're going to get better in my region.

Mr. Speaker, housing. Housing has impacted my region significantly. You know, the thing in our region, we've lost -- when we lost the housing -- or the territorial housing for our staff, this impacted our children's education. This impacted the health of our people. We cannot get jobs, people to come there. The cost of living is too high. That, and we get brand new graduates. I'm not saying that they're not great people but new grads teaching our children. You know, they're dealing with many issues, especially in the smaller communities in my region.

A lot of these decisions, the health authority, you know, that -- one of the reasons that I left GNWT was the centralization of the health authority. All the decision-making, the things that we could do in our communities different and tweak the programs, those kind of went away because we have to get permission from Yellowknife.

We made this a priority. We've had things come through us. You know, we had confidential little documents saying what they're going to do. So I am going to have questions for the Premier as to what decision-making authorities have been given to the regions and have they changed and have they impacted and made positive changes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I stand in the House to recognize the passing of three individuals from the Nahendeh riding. These three people were amazing and very private individuals. With this in mind, I would like to recognize them.

Barb Tsetso, Fort Simpson. Barb was my next door neighbour. She was a wife, mother, and grandmother. I will miss seeing her and having those wonderful chats on the side of the road.

Sarah Lennie, Wrigley, a very committed person to the youth and education system. Sarah spent over 40 years teaching in Fort Simpson and Wrigley. She could have retired but she loved going to the school and being with the youth of Wrigley. Like others, I enjoyed talking to her and receiving her wisdom on life. She was a wife to Tim, mother and grandmother.

Tim would like to thank everybody for the support and condolences the family received during their loss.

Don Fabien, Fort Simpson. I had the opportunity to speak to Don numerous times throughout the years. He was a very knowledgeable man and always had a bit of wisdom he would like to share. One of the things we spoke about in the last four years was about his daughter. He was very impressed with her and the things that she was able to achieve. He was a very proud dad.

Mr. Speaker, these three individuals will be sadly missed by their family and friends. My condolences go out to them.

Thank you, Member for Nahendeh. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and at this time.

Members' statements. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I'd like to start by introducing Darin Chocolate, who is sitting right there, and Kenzie Yakelaya, who I haven't seen, who are working for us as pages in this session. They are residents of Yellowknife Centre, and I want to thank them for all the work they've done for us in the last two weeks.

I'd also like to introduce Mr. Shawn Dean, a constituent of Yellowknife Yellowknife Centre, a former director of communications for the Legislative Assembly. I hope you're enjoying your retirement, Shawn.

And I'd also like to recognize my partner Janice McKenna, my brother from another mother Don Babey, and my friend Audrey Henderson. Thank you for coming.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't see my page in the Chamber at the moment, but I would like to recognize Rhiannon Ackerman-O'Connor who I have actually known since she was a little baby. And as well welcome my friend Nicole Sok to the gallery, who is here watching the proceeding today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize Lee Mandeville who is here watching his son page here today, I think Zack. Oh, he's over there. So thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize two pages from the Sahtu. Jaylen Gaudet and Nevah Takazo.

And also I'd like to recognize the interpreters for the Sahtu, Therese Etchinelle and Sarah Cleary. Mahsi.

Thank you, Member for Sahtu. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. After eight years, I am going to try this again. I want to recognize a constituent in my riding, hopefully I will have to remember his name, David Wasylciw.

As well, Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize Mr. Shawn Dean, a vital Member of our communications team for many, many years. Like his MLA, we do wish he enjoys his retirement but we sure could have used you in the last few months. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Range Lake. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize four Yellowknife pages who have been helping us out. We got Liam Kincaid, Zachary Mandeville, Sula Ray, and Kya Little Kim Wickens. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I would like recognize one of the pages, Kole Lizotte. I believe he has a special someone who might work here as well. But also I believe Frame Lake resident Audrey Henderson is, I think behind me, is here as well and I want to welcome her to the Assembly. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Monfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge and recognize Tlicho interpreters/translators Jonas Lafferty of Behchoko and Mary Rose Sundberg of Dettah. And the other interpreter/translator, Sarah Gargan, Mary Jane Cazon, Bertha Catholique, Tom Unka, Sarah Cleary, Therese Etchinelle, Lillian Elias, and Susan Pepper, for doing the important work and preserving our Indigenous language. Thank you.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I did promise that both fathers, I'm going to embarass our pages here, Zach Mandeville, your dad is very proud, and he was very excited to see you here.

Sula Ray, thank you very much for being here. Your dad said to bug you and I've been able to do that. So thank you for that.

Lee Mandeville, a respected ECC officer, and I thank him very much. As well as an entertainer and he did have cold fingers, he said, yesterday, but I didn't notice a beat -- a change in his music, so.

And as well from the Deh Cho, Mary Jane Cazon. Thank you very much for the work you've done as an interpreter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Nahendeh. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Kam Lake also has a very proud page in the House. We have Liyah Yakeleya-Grymalosi who I'd like to say a very huge thank you to. And I also a notice a couple pages around the House who I had the honour of photographing as tiny little babies, including both of the ones to your right and your left. So thank you very much for their service.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Recognition of visitors in this the gallery. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank the Inuvialuktun interpreters, Valerie Steffanson and Lillian Elias. For the last four years, I'd pop in and listen to them speak in my language, Inuvialuktun, and it's been very helpful. Quyananni.

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Boot Lake. Recognition of visitors in the gallery.

If we've missed anyone in the gallery today, I hope you're enjoying our proceedings. It's always nice to have an audience. And welcome once again, Mr. Mandeville. Thank you for all your service. And Lee plays a mean fiddle, if you didn't know. Keep up the good work.

Also to our interpreters, over the last four years here, especially the last two years with steady interpretation into our Indigenous languages, you've all done a wonderful job. And it's amazing how you keep up to some of our Members. But I know we try to speak slower but, you know, with the time and all, but you're doing an amazing job. Keep up the good work and hopefully the next generation follows your footsteps and takes this on as well. Thank you once again.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Acknowledgements. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

I appreciate that. Mr. Speaker, with the CERB payments and the disability payments across the territory, and especially into our riding of Nunakput, can the Minister explain to me why are we debt collecting for the federal government and we are -- these are programs that are impacted because residents have received this federal funding, but are we still debt collecting for CERB and disability payments across the territory? Thank you.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm going to need a bit more detail on the Member's comments. I know he had a statement. He was throwing around some acronyms, throwing around a bunch of numbers. So I can say that the CERB program, that was exempted from the calculations for income assistance. So there were people who claimed that who are on income assistance, and I understand that the federal government has been clawing some of those payments back or requiring repayment of some of those payments if the individuals weren't eligible. The CRB program, which came after the CERB program, was not exempted and so that was counted against people's income assistance. And so if they did not claim that, then that would have been counted against their income assistance and recovered. I can't speak to some of the other issues that the Member is mentioning. But as far as I know, we don't do debt collection on behalf of the federal government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Acronyms or not, we're clawing back funding that should be going to the residents that are -- that these different programs that we're supposed to provide. CERB payments, yeah, okay. The second, is this round two for the territorial government? It's disability payments that they're being clawed back on. And I've been told by individuals in my riding that they're being clawed back so they're being penalized. So why do CERB one, or the first part of CERB for the -- to no claw backs and then number two they're clawing back when we approved in the House that they weren't going to do this. They told us that, so why are they doing that? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not quite clear what the Member is referencing, what he means by disability payments. I'm going to need a bit more detail on this. I know that the folks who administer income assistance, they are as compassionate as they can be. We do have regulations. And so they must -- the program is regulated and so they must follow those regulations. It is the law. And so while they are compassionate as they can be, there are some parameters that they have to follow. So I'm happy to look into this further. And if the Member can provide a bit more concrete information about what he's referencing and perhaps even some constituent names, we can actually dig into their individual files and ensure that everything is happening the way it is supposed to be. We don't want people to, you know -- to not have what they need to get by. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As far as I know, we don't claw back disability payments. We don't do debt collection for the federal government. So I look forward to the Member providing some more concrete information that I can look into. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At the end of the day, we're not giving these people enough support. Can the Minister commit to forgiving clients who receive federal supports during the pandemic and ensuring they continue to receive their income support and resources? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This government did exempt a significant amount of the federal supports that were provided to residents by the Government of Canada. We made clear that certain income from the government would be deducted. And so there should be no reason now why income support is clawing anything back because those residents would have claimed that they were receiving that income at that time. I'll also note that although it is delayed, the rollout of the new income assistance program, this government has increased income -- has approved increases to income assistance that we haven't seen in a generation. There's significantly more exceptions. There's more incentive for people to get out there and find work, or rather we're removing the disincentives to work. So we have made significant progress. It's just a matter of getting that program rolled out. I'd like to think if it wasn't for the evacuations, it would be coming out next month but that's yet to be determined. But I know staff are working hard to try and get this program off the ground so that we can better support residents. Because I agree, what we've been providing for the past, you know, 20 years, it's remained relatively static. And the prices have gone up in the past 20 years so change was needed. We committed to that at the beginning of this government, and we've made those changes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of health and social services.

Mr. Speaker, in February of this year, the Minister indicated that the midwifery program implementation was being held up by staffing challenges. Can the Minister provide this House with an update on recruitment for the midwifery program? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is a shortage nationally and internationally of midwifery candidates which is hobbling our efforts to fully staff our program. That doesn't diminish our commitment, and we are still actively recruiting for midwives wherever the program exists. So to be more specific, the territorial manager position is vacant and currently open for competition. The midwifery specialist position is filled and will focus and support the territorial program. Fort Smith, one out of three positions are filled so the services are limited. Hay River, two out of 3.75 full-time equivalent positions are staffed. And this includes the services that -- that staff there includes the services provided to Fort Resolution with visits that occur every six weeks. Yellowknife, one out of four positions are filled. And this position has been redeployed to support stabilization of staffing in Fort Smith because there are alternatives to midwife use in Yellowknife. So in short we are very short staffed, but we continue to advertise to fill all the vacant positions. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister speak to whether or not the health and social services midwifery recruitment team is looking at fostering relationships with midwifery training institutions to create practicum-like opportunities here in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the health and social services system doesn't have any formal relationships of the type that the Member is talking about. But I think there's room for us to be proactive there because we do, in fact, welcome students to do practicums in our health and social services system and that, of course, extends to midwifery as well. So I think that there's room for us to perhaps create a more solid relationship with one of the training facilities to make sure that we have a steady supply of students. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for that as well. I know that this is not, you know, an area where we'd need to reinvent the wheel. The Northwest Territories does this with other health care positions and other jurisdictions do it with midwifery. So I appreciate the Minister's support on that one.

Mr. Speaker, I'm wondering what work is being done to create opportunities and support certification processes in the Northwest Territories for internationally-trained midwives that might be interested in moving to the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as with other health professions, we don't have the capacity to evaluate international credentials to decide whether they meet the registration requirements in our jurisdiction. So what we count on is that internationally trained health care providers are licensed in another province and once that happens, they're eligible for registration in the NWT. So we depend on the greater capacity of the provinces to assess their credentials and then once they've been assessed and found to be adequate, then of course we would register them here in the NWT as well. The business about evaluating international credentials is something that the whole health and social services system across the country is looking at because it's a very uneven approach as things stand now. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to start off by acknowledging that health and social services has a very full legislative, regulatory, and policy creation slate. But I'm wondering if the Minister can provide an update to this House as to what timeline the department is working toward to complete the midwifery regulations? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, work has started on creating midwifery regulations under the Health and social services Professions Act. And that work will produce a modernized framework, including looking at the scope of practice, which I know the Member spoke about in her statement, to align with the scope of practice in other Canadian jurisdictions.

There is now an advisory committee with representatives from the Midwives Association of the Northwest Territories who are meeting with the department to do this work. So drafting instructions are being developed now, and it's anticipated that the regulations will come into force in 2025. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Given that the funding is still required to come from Canada to complete the new North Slave Campus, has the department given any thought to re-engaging with the public on the proposed location of the polytechnic university? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There will be engagement if it's shown that the Tin Can Hill site is viable as an option for the new campus. Right now, they are undertaking a phase 2 environmental assessment. The phase 1 assessment showed there is moderate potential for contaminated soil or groundwater and so that work is happening. I believe that we were expecting it to be done this fall but because we were evacuated, the expectation is for the spring. So once that information is in, that will be provided to the board and to the college. They will look at it and make a determination if they want to pursue that spot or not. So at this point, engagement isn't necessary because we don't even know if that's going to be the location. Once we get that information and the board makes a decision, then the city process kicks in, and there is going to be significant public engagement. I know that the Member raised issues about traffic and things like that, and those are real concerns. And those are the kind of things that will be addressed through that process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We see this time and again where, you know, stuff is being done behind the scenes or things are advancing before it really is taken out to the public for that engagement. I think a good example of that was the five options presented to us for the airport terminal building at which point committee told the Minister right off the bat two were not viable.

So given that, I'm kind of -- you know, I have to wonder why we had all this kerfuffle if we haven't even picked that as the site yet. However, I would like to know has the department done a comprehensive assessment on areas such as the downtown or the capital site as proposed areas for the new build, has it only been looking at Tin Can Hill, and if so, why not? Thanks.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A number of sites were looked at. There's a number of different options for post-secondary campuses. Some campuses are all located in one area. Some are located in downtowns with buildings located on different blocks of the city. And so the model that was chosen for the for Aurora College North Slave Campus was a model where we wanted to be close to downtown, close to transit, close to places that people can live, but all in one place so that students can live near the school and somewhere near, you know, outdoor areas as well, so that people maybe coming from the smaller communities might feel a bit more at home. And the master plan discusses a number of other locations.

There are reasons why this was the preferential site. There's some locations around the ledge here where the land was not perhaps of the size that would allow for future expansion. Here in the capital site, there's requirements about, you know, sight lines to the ledge and things like that. So there were a number of reasons why that was chosen as a preferential site, but a number of spaces around the city were looked at. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. They may have been looked at, but I don't think they were really considered given that I have not been able to find any information on why Tin Can Hill was selected out of all of these groups.

The Minister speaks to the fact of the lack of area for expansion around the capital site and sight lines and things like that. Well, the sight lines, we can change. We're consensus. We can pass things so that we can look at a building across Frame Lake. I think we'd all be fine with that.

When we talk about the expansion piece, this would actually be an opportunity for once the Akaitcho land claim is settled for the Indigenous people of this territory and area to become the future landlords of the polytechnic. So to say, yes, the capital site is restricted in space and expansion size, yes, in and of itself it is. But we're not getting another building. We're too small. So start there, and then you can expand into the Akaitcho. So with that being in mind, can the Minister speak to whether there has been any conversations with the Akaitcho whose impacts -- it is their land that the North Slave Campus will end up on. Have they shown any interest in the polytechnic university and potentially being the future landlords? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I've met with chiefs from Yellowknife on a number of occasions to discuss the economic opportunities that could arise from the North Slave Campus. It is much too early to nail down what those might be. And it's difficult to plan -- to make a long-term plan when, you know, a part of that plan -- the land that we could potentially use is sort of unknown what the status of it will be. Perhaps, you know, a future Indigenous government doesn't want -- wouldn't want to partner with the college. However, I'm very open to that. I think that would be great. You know, when we do things in the North, if we can create economic opportunities for Indigenous governments, I'm all for that. So as we progress forward with this, those are conversations that will continue to go on. And I've made that commitment to the chiefs as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So reading through all that, the answer's no, there was no discussion about them being the landlords of the future facility.

I guess where I kind of struggle with this, we're talking about economic development. We're talking about land claims. We know at some point the land around Frame Lake, because it will be settled and hopefully sooner rather than later, not that I think anything progressed during this Assembly; however, when that land is settled it will be developed. And at that point, there will be buildings, there will be things put on it. I really can't see the ec dev part of the YKDFN not wanting to see buildings near the hospital.

So that being said, can the Minister commit that they will go back and re-engage -- or the department will re-engage on the location of the polytechnic university? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is a lot of engagement to come. So after we get the report back from the phase 2 environmental assessment, that'll determine the next steps. And before there's any shovels in the ground, there will be a significant amount of engagement, hopefully partnerships with Indigenous governments, hopefully economic opportunities that will be realized. So with only, you know, a couple weeks left here, I can't make any commitments to go out and, you know, do more engagement on this. But all of that work will happen. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the finance minister confirm if the government intends to repeal and replace the Affirmative Action Policy before the start of the 20th Assembly, including any actions that may occur during the election period? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister responsible for Finance.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there has been a suite of things that have happened in the Department of Finance for the human resources over the last four years, and certainly the Affirmative Action Policy and the work we've done to review it is part of that. Seeing it to its end would certainly be nice towards the end of this Assembly but, Mr. Speaker, the Member's already noted, we only just were able to table the report in terms of what we heard and what we've been recommended to do and, as such, it really would not be appropriate at this point to be making a change at the dying days of this Assembly and before the 20th, so. And certainly not during an election period, Mr. Speaker. So I expect that there will be no changes to the Affirmative Action Policy before the 20th Assembly. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister confirm whether the government's work that has gone into repealing and replacing the Affirmative Action Policy will be lost after the end of this Assembly? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

No, it will certainly not be lost, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department is very committed to this work. And as I said, this is really -- the work that's gone on is part of what has already been going on and what's already in place under the Indigenous recruitment and retention framework, the Human Resources Strategic Plan, the Diversity and Inclusion Framework. So while this policy is certainly connected to those things and that work is ongoing, as such it is connected. And the work is ongoing, and it will certainly not be lost. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell us if the future Affirmative Action Policy will also include an appeal board, an appeal board process for applicants to consider if they wish. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, right now what we do have is there are staffing appeal regulations that come in under the Public Service Act. There are staffing appeals that are reviewed by staffing officers who are independent from the public service, independent from the Department of Finance. So there is a process in place. That said, I know there's often concerns raised, and it was raised during the review process, about whether or not this is sufficient or adequate to make sure that people are, in fact, benefitting from the processes we have in place. So that was part of the review and that was part of the recommendations, and that will certainly be taken into consideration, again, as work goes -- is ongoing at all times in the department to improve its processes. Thank you.

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

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell us what she thinks the next government or next Minister should do on this file when it comes to any potential changes to the Affirmative Action Policy? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oh, Mr. Speaker, I can't -- I can't tell you what I think. Or what I think the next Minister can do.

Mr. Speaker, there's been a fulsome review that was conducted. I would commend people to -- if they are interested in this area, to look at what we heard -- the What We Heard report, to look at the recommendations therein. It is the recommendations that are saying to bring in an Indigenous employment policy that would really refocus on an area that we know that the Department of Finance would like to see improvements, that we know it's an area that the public service remains underrepresented. And it does include some recommendations as to how we might change that -- or how we might structure that.

It also speaks to some of the other issues that Member -- this Member has raised, other Members have raised around, you know, other demographics here in the Northwest Territories. So there's a lot of information in there, a lot of suggestions and recommendations in there. I can only commend them to the next government, Mr. Speaker, and perhaps put something in the transition binder about how they might want to go about thinking of this. But, really, beyond that, Mr. Speaker, it's not my place to say. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Minister of Environment and Climate Change on the so-called public engagement on the environmental guideline for contaminated site remediation. It also includes the arsenic remediation guidelines. These revisions have taken 20 years, Mr. Speaker. On the heavier same web page, the review period is now about seven weeks, not including the evacuation period. So can the Minister explain why this public engagement is so short and at the very end of the life of this Assembly? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister responsible for Environment and Climate Change.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the public engagement period for this guideline was opened on August 4th, 2023, and has been extended until October 15th, 2023, due to the evacuation. The standard GNWT engagement period is between four to six weeks. Given the evacuation, the department has extended this engagement timeline just well beyond the six-week period. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Monsieur le President. Well, let's talk about that public engagement period. The extension might allow for more meaningful public input on the guideline but communications from the department, in my view, need to be improved.

Can the Minister tell us whether he is prepared to improve public communications, including a further extension, some plain language materials on this important policy document, and maybe even a public meeting or a webinar? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we do not believe a plain language summary is required. Mr. Speaker, the guidelines provide a short overview of the methodology and approach taken, which is accessible on Have Your Say web page. The Have Your Say web page provides an e-mail address that is monitored daily. Any specific questions the public might have are reviewed by staff and responded to as required and in a timely manner. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yeah, merci, Monsieur le President. I spent about an hour and a half looking at the material last night. Way over my head, so it's definitely not plain language. But the new guideline would reduce the acceptable limits for arsenic in soil related to all uses compared to the 2003 guidelines. However, the new guidelines would allow Yellowknife residents to be exposed to, in some cases, three times as much arsenic as those people living outside of Yellowknife.

So can the Minister try to explain why it is okay to expose Yellowknifers to, in some cases, three times as much arsenic compared to those that live outside of Yellowknife? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Revisions to arsenic criteria were undertaken through a structured and scientific risk assessment process to determine approximate background criteria based on the evaluation of new data and methodology since 2003. This process includes assessment of human health risk, and it was concluded that these levels of arsenic are safe for Yellowknife residents. Human health risk assessments look at all exposure pathways. Examples include how people use the land and where they can get their food, whether it is from the land or grocery store. And these are all factors that determine the level of the risk. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. That's great. So public contractors get, you know, six weeks to look at stuff that may have been taking 20 years to develop. You know, very technical stuff. Not good. This is not good public engagement, Mr. Speaker.

But it's not clear what these new arsenic soil remediation guidelines would mean for the Giant Mine remediation project. Although that work was finally approved under an environmental assessment completed in 2014, the soil remediation was based on the old potentially unsafe 2003 arsenic soil remediation guidelines. So can the Minister tell us whether the new, much lower, arsenic soil remediation guidelines will be applied to the Giant Mine Remediation Project? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Giant Mine Remediation Project has been aware of the potential change to the GNWT environmental guidelines for contaminated soil or remediation. Current remediation activities, as defined by the closure and completion plan and the water license, are based on the 2003 guidelines, which were adopted by the land and water board at the time. It is important to note that both the 2003 and the revised 2023 guideline allow proponents to carry out a site-specific assessment to determine suitable criteria using soil remediation based on consideration for site factors and conditions. The Giant Mine Remediation Project undertook a site-specific assessment and was considered with the 2018 human health and ecological risk assessment. As such, the Giant Mine Remediation Project will continue to apply the 2003 guidelines. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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