The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Welcome Members. Ministers' statements. Minister of Housing NT.

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Madam Speaker, today I would like to provide an update on the progress of Housing NWT's community housing plans, which is a comprehensive, detailed information document to better direct housing investments in the Northwest Territories' communities. Through partnerships with Indigenous governments, community governments, and stakeholders, over the last three years housing plans have been completed in Fort Good Hope, Whati, Paulatuk, Enterprise, Nahanni Butte, and the K'atlodeeche First Nation. These plans provide communities and stakeholders with the tools necessary to direct the future of housing in their communities. A housing plan includes an assessment that combines baseline data with housing needs identified by the community. It also includes the housing plan itself, which identifies the community's goals as well as actions for the future in their housing investment. As set out in Housing NWT's mandate, we understand the importance of meaningful partnership with communities, and it is essential that these plans are the products of meaningful collaboration.

Madam Speaker, Housing NWT recognizes that each community has unique needs. The community housing plans initiative was developed in recognition of this and to give communities a voice to express their own housing situation, issues, and priorities. For example, Paulatuk's housing plan reinforces the need for home designs that recognize the community's location on the Arctic Coast. The K'atlodeeche First Nation's plan priority is energy efficiency, housing and innovative ways to share materials and expertise. In Enterprise, community leadership prioritize the need for improved communication, both internal and external, while Nahanni Butte has signified a focus on self-sufficiency and community development. In Fort Good Hope, priority was placed on building local capacity to be capable to support private home repairs. As of today, ten additional plans are currently underway at various stages. As part of the development of the Hay River housing plan, Housing NWT and the Town of Hay River hosted a housing forum in the fall which brought together stakeholders from across the community to discuss solutions to housing issues in Hay River. Additionally, Housing NWT has partnered with the Town of Fort Smith and worked on their housing plan that began in December 2022. In the Inuvialuit settlement region, we have partnered with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation to develop a regional housing plan. As part of this work, staff from both organizations have travelled to Sachs Harbour and Ulukhaktok to hear from community residents and leadership and will be visiting the other Inuvialuit communities in the coming months.

Through the community engagement process, various elements are reviewed and prioritized and one such example is when those community plans is underdeveloped, includes plans for local shelters to assist women and children fleeing violence.

Madam Speaker, with the arrival of federal distinctions-based funding to Indigenous governments and to avoid the duplication of work and housing is no longer proposing to develop unique community housing plans for all 33 communities. Instead, we are supporting the development of community housing plans where communities or Indigenous government leadership has expressed an interest.

Madam Speaker, strong partnerships are key to success and outcomes, and these community housing plans are proof of all of that work. We are excited to combine the work on the community housing plans, along with our work on the partnership with Indigenous governments, to improve our supports working on priorities that are important to the individual communities and regions. We will continue to reach out and work in partnership with Indigenous governments, community governments, and stakeholders to increase the well-being of individuals and communities as we continue to address the housing needs across the Northwest Territories. Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Madam Premier.

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Shane Thompson will be absent from the House today and tomorrow to attend the federal/provincial/territorial sport, physical activity, and recreation ministers' meetings in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

As well, Madam Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Julie Green will be late for the House today as she is currently participating in a phone meeting with Indigenous Services Canada's Minister Hajdu. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Ministers' statements. Members, I'd like to draw your attention to the presence of former Member Daryl Dolynny, who was the Member of Range Lake in the 17th Assembly.

Members' statements. Member for Hay River South.

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, prior to 1989, this government recognized the inequity with respect to Indigenous representation in the GNWT public sector. In an attempt to address that inequity, the government of the day drafted the affirmative action policy. It was meant to place Indigenous people into public sector workforce. Madam Speaker, thirty plus years later we are still talking affirmative action and saying how it has not worked.

Madam Speaker, this government committed to a review of the affirmative action policy and in doing so set up the advisory committee on diversity and inclusion. Now this government is considering replacement of the current policy with two policies: *the Indigenous employment policy that prioritizes the hiring of persons who are descendants of the Dene, Inuit, or Metis people, Indigenous to the present boundaries of the NWT; and

The employment equity policy that would provide preferred hiring status to Indigenous Canadians, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, long-term Northerners, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

Madam Speaker, we are under the assumption the existing policy has not worked, and what I have not heard is the underlying reasons of why this would be true. If underrepresentation continues to exist, what are the factors that contribute to it?

Madam Speaker, prior to moving forward and replacing what we have, there must be a reasonable and measurable basis if we are to commit to implementing any new policies. If we expect to achieve success, then we need to conduct an analysis, both internal and external, to determine if the targets we have set are reasonable and, if not, why. We must follow that up with a reasonable action plan that supports accountability at all levels of government if we expect positive results on affirmative action.

Madam Speaker, what was once an immediate need to include an underrepresented Indigenous population in the government workforce has been expanded further with no clear metrics to justify the need for such a change or for a policy at all. When we cannot fill current government positions, then we need to get it right. We should be targeting Indigenous and Northern post-secondary students for employment, developing an Indigenous and Northern recruitment, training, and retention policy. Madam Speaker, if we expect the North to grow, we must hold deputy ministers and management accountable to ensure all Indigenous people, long-term Northerners, and their children are a priority for this and future governments. Thank you.

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, elders in our communities need a facility to live in. We have spoken in this House many times about overcrowded homes in Nunakput. In many homes in Nunakput, large families, cramped in small spaces, includes elders and ones we are supposed to be taking care of. Madam Speaker, we're supposed to be making sure our elders age in our homes and with dignity in our communities and not getting homesick and not missing family.

Madam Speaker, many elders are living with extended family, cramped houses, living in our own public housing units that are difficult to maintain. Many of the elders are forced to leave communities and go to Inuvik and live in the seniors home and the hospital. This is not right, Madam Speaker. We should be able to do better for our elders.

Paulatuk and Ulukhaktok are very isolated communities on the Arctic Coast - elders in my communities living their entire life beside the ocean with a small group of families around them. This is all what they know. We shouldn't be forcing our elders to leave the coast to move to Inuvik because we don't have facilities to take care of them in their home communities, Madam Speaker.

Ulukhaktok and Paulatuk, we even have private secured funding to build the facilities and a private-public partnership with monies to build these elders facilities and this Minister's not giving us the opportunity. I want to work with my Minister, Madam Speaker. We're dragging our feet. It's been three years since I brought this up in the House, and it needs to be taken care of. We're in our last year of this government, and let's try to make a difference and work together. Let's get it done. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

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

Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the devolution agreement came into effect on April 1st, 2014. While five Indigenous governments in the NWT have signed on to devolution, there are still Indigenous governments who have not. I think there's more than five at this point.

Madam Speaker, devolution was intended to allow the NWT to take responsibility for public land, water, and resources. It was also intended to provide economic benefits. But, Madam Speaker, these benefits only flow to the governments who have signed on to the devolution agreement. For those who are partners in devolution, there is a seat at the table, there is decision-making power, and millions of dollars in resource royalty payments. For those who are not partners in devolution, there's an opportunity to participate in lands and resource management but without decision-making authority. Chapter 4 of the devolution agreement describes post-devolution resource management, specifically, the Intergovernmental Council.

The Intergovernmental Council is intended to allow the public and Aboriginal governments to cooperate and collaborate on matters related to lands and resource management. Their intergovernmental agreement on lands and resource management addresses Indigenous governments who have not signed on to devolution. It states, under section 4.9, the council may invite observers to its proceedings and determine whether and to what extent they may participate. This may include representatives of boards, councils, co-management boards, regulatory bodies, or other entities established under settlement agreements or self-government agreements.

The agreement goes on to explain how an Indigenous government can become a party to the agreement with the consent of the GNWT. It also states that nothing in the agreement shall affect existing obligations of the GNWT in relation to any Aboriginal government that is not a party. Madam Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Mahsi, Madam Speaker, and mahsi colleagues. Madam Speaker, the devolution agreement created the Intergovernmental Council. The Intergovernmental Council is the body that cooperates on all lands and resource matters but how can Indigenous governments, who have not seeded their inherent right to their land, not have any decision-making authority when it comes to land management decisions? The IGC has a legislative development protocol. This protocol does allow non-IGC Indigenous governments to potentially participate with the drafting process of any particular legislation.

Madam Speaker, devolution was supposed to increase northern control over lands and resources, but the aftermath of devolution divides Aboriginal governments between those signed on and those not. The creation of the IGC and the roles of Indigenous governments at this council demonstrates more divide and conquer by the GNWT than cooperation and collaboration. I will have questions for the Premier at the appropriate time. Mahsi.

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

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

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the government's housing policies are not working for Indigenous people. There are too many barriers in place for Indigenous people to succeed in being a homeowner. These policies are working against our people, not for them.

Madam Speaker, the territorial government receives funds from the federal government to provide housing for Indigenous people however more of our people are homeless. Housing NWT has a homelessness specialist to fix the problem, but the solution is simple: Give public housing houses to current tenants to be homeowners and build more houses to eliminate homelessness.

Madam Speaker, Housing NWT policies and procedures are not serving Indigenous people. They are developing a manual on how to be a good tenant. This is an insult to the Indigenous people who live in housing. Our ancestors did not need policies and procedures or guidelines on how to live and be a good steward on their land. Colonialism changed this. It created more problems and barriers for our people to live and exist in our homeland. The Indian Act, residential schools, the 60s Scoop, all interfered with our ways of life and living. Madam Speaker, we were seen as not civilized but have lived in an organized responsible manner for thousands of years. We do not need Housing NWT telling us how to live or controlling the funds given to solve the housing problems caused by colonization. The money received from CIRNAC for Indigenous funding should be provided to Indigenous governments to address housing consistent with self-determination, our land claims, and our self-government agreements. Madam Speaker, we should not be begging Housing NWT for accommodation in our homeland. Thank you.

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

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