Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was thrown off by having to repeat myself for question number two. You know, I really find it quite disturbing that the Minister of MACA is passing off the responsibility to advocate for funding for communities, to not only us on this side but to his colleague the Finance Minister. Can this Minister commit to finding money to address the funding gap of $40 million? If that has to be a supplementary appropriation, I'm sure that Members on this side would be in support of that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. I appreciate the Member's love. I mean, I've received it in this House numerous times from this Member and I greatly appreciate it; thank you very much for that. Mr. Speaker --

Thank you, Minister. The Member for Great Slave is rising on a Point of Order. What is your Point of Order?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I find that the Minister's comments to me are derogatory and offensive. It is not said with any sort of actual respect towards me on this side. I would ask that the Minister withdraw his remarks and apologize. Thank you.

Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Just to be sure, we'll check Hansard and we'll take it on notice and deal with this another day. Thank you.

Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question as well too, because our federal engagement has been quite successful. In the first year of this government, we were able to access the $60 million co-investment fund. Out of that, we were able to access $25 million. The remaining had went out to stakeholders and Indigenous governments and nonprofit organizations throughout the Northwest Territories. And also, we did receive the $60 million over the two years as well too. But as the territory knows, and the Members on the other side, is that our public housing units are in very, very poor condition and it's very challenging for us to keep up with those renovations that need to be conducted. So that money is going to be set aside and be committed to be repairing those public housing units. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, Minister. Can the Minister comment on if she talked to the Indigenous leaders here in the Northwest Territories when the application was made so that they understand that this application was made from CIRNAC to put into housing to deal with the housing crisis here in the Northwest Territories; did she consult with the Indigenous governments on this application process? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Absolutely. Consulting with Indigenous groups is a priority of this portfolio and it is something that has -- we have made significant progress in the Northwest Territories and is set aside from the CIRNAC funding that we did have to the Members that we've also been very successful with distinction-based funding that was set aside for Indigenous governments, that we had worked with the federal government to try to simplify that application process. We had a number of announcements where Indigenous governments were directly funded. And what I can think of on top of my head is that with the GNWT and Indigenous governments working in partnership, the Tlicho was able to receive $42 million and the Sahtu was able to receive $25 million. The Gwich'in also received $25 million. And this is not funding that is directly or involved -- or we're not even involved as a government as to what their plans possibly can be like and how they're going to be spending their funding. This is not territorial funding that has been brought into the territorial government. This is direct funding from the federal government to the Indigenous groups. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister also elaborate on how much money have Housing NWT received to date from CIRNAC so that the people here in the Northwest Territories knows that the application that was made for money for housing repairs -- right now as it is, I go into my riding, my chiefs tell me -- or my leaders tell me we don't know anything about this money and they want to know where the money is. But she still hasn't answered -- like, I'd like to ask that question. Where did the other $5 million go? Right now in the budget here we've got 25 and 30; where did the other $5 million go? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for his question as well too. And looking at the funding that we have received as Housing NWT, right to my knowledge -- I'm just thinking just at the top of my head is that we received $25 million in the last government. We received an additional $25 million through the co-investment. And then also $30 million over two years. So he can do the math there. And also I just want to speak about the participation we've had also with YKDFN who we work very closely with as well too, and we're going to be looking at working together in having a housing forum this summer. And they are actually going to be co-chairing that housing forum. We've also worked with them directly as well too, and they have been quite successful in their co-investment applications as well too where Lutselk'e had received five units, $2 million through the co-investment. YKDFN has received $19 million for 19 units. And also a Habitat for Humanity unit was constructed in the Member's riding. This year, out of the housing rollout, Fort Resolution will be receiving six units, Lutselk'e will be receiving four, N'dilo two, and Dettah two as well.

Also I'd just like to include that over the past ten years, we've invested $18.5 million into the Member's riding. The current year delivery, we will be investing $12.1 million. And our proposed for 2023-2024 will be $4.1 million invested in Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yeah, it's nice to see that they're spending money in my riding. The thing is that I don't think the people understand that the units that's going into the community, who's paying for the operation and maintenance on those things.

Mr. Speaker, we're talking about $30 million here for this fiscal year and, you know, I disagree with the Minister in regards to her consultation with Indigenous governments. I don't think that happened because I could tell you this, I could go through my communities and they don't say anything about consultation.

Anyways, my question to the Minister, can the Minister -- would the Minister entertain taking that $30 million and do a contribution agreement with Indigenous governments here in the Northwest Territories to address their own housing needs and housing repairs in the communities? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I want to comment on the consultation that housing has provided. They have been very diligent, I want to say, with the consultation throughout the Northwest Territories. And like I have said, YKDFN has been a very active participant on our Council of Leaders, and we have a very respectful relationship working with YKDFN. And also right now in Fort Resolution, they will be receiving one of our duplexes that we will be constructing for seniors throughout the Northwest Territories, and there is a consultation going on right now. I also want to include that our engagement for seniors housing is actually happening. Letters have also gone out to every Indigenous group recognizing that we do have a rollout of these units.

They were given prior notice to these units coming into their communities. And also we meet regularly with the Council of Leaders that have had a lot of engagement with our changes for our policy changes going forward. And for the Member asking for the $30 million, I've already said we are going to be investing $4.1 million into the Member's riding. This current year we've invested $12.1 million. The $30 million that we do have is to repair our public housing units and throughout this government. And the comments that have been made, our units are in very poor condition. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I brought up the Member's statement for the Arctic Council. Can the Premier tell this House where does the Arctic Council stand right now and have they met, or is there any dialogue going back and forth since the Russian attack on Ukraine, because the Russians are the chair of the committee. So is the federal government engaged with the territorial government in regards to for the committee to move forward and where it's at? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Honourable Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So Canada, the federal government at this point is the representative on the Arctic Circle -- or the Arctic Council, sorry. The Northwest Territories does go as part of the Canadian delegation, and we do sit on working groups as appropriate for the Northwest Territories. But the Arctic Council has not met for the last two years. Russia was the chair from May 2021 to May 2023, which is coming up. My understanding is that Norway will be the next chair and hopefully there will be some movements once Norway takes over the chair. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when the Arctic Council resumes meetings, when will that be on a timeline on a go forward? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, the Northwest Territories doesn't actually have a seat at that table. It's the federal government that does. We sit on working groups. We go as part of the Canadian delegation but we're not actually the direct member for that. I am assuming that once Norway takes over the chair that meetings will start again. However, I'm kind of wondering where the Member is going with this and I think it is around geopolitical things that are happening. And so I do want to stress that the Ottawa declaration explicitly excludes discussions of military security at the Arctic Council. So if that's where the Member's going, then this is not the right forum for that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the GNWT is involved in any work associated with the Arctic Council as they were just delegates, I guess. But it's not in regards to military or anything like that. It's climate change research, ocean management, Arctic shipping, waste management, regional planning. Can the Premier just explain to us where they're sitting and if they're just delegates sitting behind the table in regards to for Canadian -- what are they doing? What are they saying? Are they representing us? Are they -- because if they haven't been sitting for the last two years, has the Premier's office got in touch with them and on a go forward, what's happening? That's all I'm trying to ask, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So thank you for the clarification. I was kind of wondering what the line of questioning was going to be. So no, the Arctic Council has not met in the last two years because of Russia being the chair and the geopolitical issues that are going on right now around that. But the Member is correct, it's important that things are happening in the Arctic, and so it's important that we do take as many opportunities as possible to be able to discuss issues that affect the Arctic. So I know that Ministers have gone and officials have gone to COP. I also know that in the last short time over the last year, I've attended the Arctic Circle, both in Greenland and in Iceland. I've gone to the Arctic encounters in Alaska. I've also met with the northern Premiers. We've talked to Ministers together, all three northern Premiers. So any opportunity that we can to speak about the issues in the Arctic, whether it's climate change -- and even if it is geopolitical issues, we take those opportunities, Mr. Speaker. I think this is really important for us all to pay attention to what's going on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, madam Premier. Final supplementary. Member for Nunakput.