Welcome, Members. Ministers' statements. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Madam Speaker, every year we honour the efforts of individuals, groups and organizations who strengthen the arts, cultures, heritage, and Indigenous languages of the Northwest Territories. Today, I am proud to announce the 2022 Minister's Culture and Heritage Circle Award recipients.

The Individual Award recipient is Karen Wasicuna of Yellowknife. As the co-founder of Crazy Legs Contemporary Dance, her passion and support for dance and performing arts has had a lasting impact on many of her students who are now sharing their culture through dance in various professional capacities.

The Elders Award recipient is Peter Paulette of Fort Smith. He has been influential in promoting his culture and language by teaching and promoting hand games and drumming. Peter's passion for sharing his language, culture and heritage has helped keep history, culture and language thriving in his community.

Shawna McLeod and Lois Phillip are the recipients of the Group Award. They developed the Fort Providence Arts and Crafts Development Program to help local artists expand their creative abilities. This has provided support for unemployed artists to expand their craft and knowledge in their ancestral traditions while tailoring it for a modern market.

Betty Harnum of Yellowknife dedicated her life to the revitalization of Indigenous languages and for this, she is receiving the Indigenous Language Revitalization Award in memoriam. Betty loved languages and culture and served as the territory's first Languages Commissioner from 1992 to 1996. In her nearly 50 years in the North, Betty helped to establish the Goyatiko Language Society, led the CBC Indigenous Language Archive Project, and developed a Dene Dedline dictionary and an Inuinnaqtun dictionary.

Madam Speaker, I also have the pleasure of selecting the recipient of the Minister's Choice Award. This year, I am honoured to present this award to Linda Duford of Hay River. Linda is an avid supporter of reviving the North's rich cultural heritage of fiddling, as a veteran instructor with the Kole Crook Fiddle Association and while operating a music studio. Linda has taught and inspired countless youth all over the territories by enthusiastically sharing her love of music.

Our award recipients come from different communities and backgrounds but the one thing they have in common is that their actions create ripples, inspiring others to get involved in strengthening the territory's arts, cultures, heritage, and Indigenous languages.

Madam Speaker, I invite everyone to join me in not just honouring this year's Culture and Heritage Circle Award winners, but in thanking everyone who is committed to promoting and preserving the NWT's arts, cultures, heritage, and Indigenous languages. The work of these champions helps to ground us, brings us inspiration, contributes to the wellness of our communities, and benefits all residents of the NWT. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Member. Ministers' statements. Minister for ITI.

Madam Speaker, this time next week the residents of Fort Simpson will be rolling out the red carpet for the fourth annual Liidlii Kue Film Festival. The festival is presented each year by the Liidlii Kue First Nation with funding and support from the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Northwest Territories Film Commission. It has become a yearly opportunity in the Deh Cho to showcase and celebrate the artistry and talent of local and territorial producers. Like the Yellowknife International Film Festival, it can be credited with encouraging creativity and collaboration and promoting traditional knowledge and language and cultural retention across our territory.

In all of this, Madam Speaker, it is easy to forget that behind the scenes, film and media projects also provide a significant economic boost to the regions and communities in which they are staged and can play a key part of our government's commitment to increase economic diversification through the non-extractive sectors and increase employment in small communities.

As we continue to implement the GNWT's film and media strategy and action plan, we are working to increase awareness among municipalities, communities, and Indigenous governments of the economic benefits and opportunities that can be realized in partnership with the Northwest Territories film and media sectors. Since this time last year, Madam Speaker, over 25 projects have entered varying phases of development and production across the Northwest Territories.

Meanwhile location scouting by major production companies has also taken place in the Sahtu and the Beaufort Delta. Madam Speaker, the GNWT's film rebate program helps to attract these larger productions to the territory by providing producers with a rebate on labour and expenditures. Since 2015, the program has supported 17 productions leveraging a direct spend of over $5 million into the Northwest Territories economy.

It is not just feature films or prime time television that benefit our territory economically. Countless, small independent producers are attracted to the Northwest Territories every year. We are acutely aware of the rising demand, from our territory's community of passionate and dedicated film and media professionals, to invest more in the Northwest Territories film sector. ITI's film and media sector funding, under the support for entrepreneurs and economic development policy, is consistently oversubscribed.

Beginning in 2021, the department piloted a producers incentive program to better support the development of professional quality, commercial-ready projects for presentation to broadcasters, co-producers, and other financiers. Most notably, Jen Walden used the opportunity to advance her feature film Mother, which was accepted into the 2022 Whistler Film Festival's power pitch program and is now in the financing stages.

Madam Speaker, recognition of success warrants acknowledgment and a thank you to two primary industry stakeholders.

Western Arctic Moving Pictures is a member-based non-profit organization with a mission to produce, support, and promote independent film, video, and digital media arts in the Northwest Territories and to showcase it to audiences at home, across Canada, and internationally. They do so, in large part, by organizing the Yellowknife International Film Festival every year.

Secondly, the NWT Professional Media Association who, as a representative body of Northwest Territories film and media arts professionals, are committed to the professional development and growth of the Northwest Territories industry. Together, these organizations are strengthening the local film and production industry and helping create paths for future contributions, and I extend them a sincere thank you.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge the funding support of Canada's northern economic development agency, CanNor, whose partnership allows us to invest as much as we do in the Northwest Territories film sector and to invest in the ongoing development and diversification of our Northwest Territories economy overall.

Madam Speaker, the territory's film sector plays an important role in educating audiences about the Northwest Territories traditions and social issues and celebrating the culture and heritage of northern places and peoples. The Government of the Northwest Territories will continue to promote and support made-in-the-Northwest Territories productions and build up our local industry as it continues to enrich the lives of residents and communities across the territory. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister for Education, Culture and Employment.

Madam Speaker, the reason you see so much pink around the House today is because today we are acknowledging Pink Shirt Day, a day to reflect on how we treat one another.

Two brave teenagers in Nova Scotia sparked Pink Shirt Day 15 years ago after a male student in their school was harassed for wearing a pink shirt. The next morning, David Shepherd and Travis Price handed out pink shirts to all the male students. Now, Pink Shirt Day is a call-to-action for schools, communities, and workplaces to wear pink in solidarity against bullying.

Pink Shirt Day will be held nationally next week on February 22, 2023. The campaign reminds us to "lift each other up", not just on Pink Shirt Day or the month of February, but every day. It encourages us to be kind and inclusive, and not tolerate bullying.

Madam Speaker, it is important that our schools and communities are safe spaces for our young residents. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment, and our education partners, follow the principles of inclusive schooling. That directive is meant to ensure that our schools, educators and programming meet the diverse needs of our students, in a way that is responsive, accepting, respectful, and supportive. ECE is also working with the Department of Health and Social Services to evaluate the child and youth counselling program. Child and youth counsellors are in Northwest Territories schools and communities to provide mental health and wellness services to children, youth, and their families. This evaluation will help us improve those supports and ensure they are accessible, effective, and meeting the needs of our youth.

Madam Speaker, Pink Shirt Day is also a reminder to applaud what makes us unique. It is especially important here in the North, where we share so many different cultures, traditions and languages, that we embrace our identities and accept our neighbours for who they are.

I recently heard a great example of this from a school in the Beaufort Delta. The school was holding a presentation on ending anti-Black racism, and the students learned that we should celebrate our differences. A junior kindergarten student asked two teachers in the room to compare skin tones with her, to see how they all were. Then she wanted to celebrate their differences with a hug. I am told this was a powerful indicator that this very young student understood the message of the presentation. I also understand that our regional inclusive schooling coordinators have other stories about students across the NWT showing bravery, standing up for one another, and supporting their peers. Let these students' actions be a lesson to all of us. Speak up when you see something that is wrong. Help out a friend, colleague, or stranger in need. Choose kindness, acceptance and compassion, and continue to "lift each other up." Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. Member for Thebacha.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, earlier today, the Government of the Northwest Territories announced the recipients of the Order of the NWT for 2022, and among the names listed includes a very special Fort Smith constituent. And that person is Paul Kaeser Sr. II.

For those who don't know, the Order of the NWT recognizes people who have served with the greatest distinction and excelled in any endeavour benefitting the people of the NWT or elsewhere. This is the highest honour awarded to NWT residents.

Madam Speaker, Paul Kaeser and the entire Kaeser family have lived in Fort Smith for decades. In fact, they had roots in the community since the 1930s. The Kaeser family is well known and a respected family in Fort Smith who have had a family-owned business there for many years. Kaeser's Store, as it is known, is a grocery and a retail store that has been operated in Fort Smith since 1947. Over the years, their business has been owned and operated by multiple generations of the Kaeser family members, and their store has truly become a cornerstone of the community of Fort Smith.

Madam Speaker, I have also known Paul, or Paulie as most locals know him, for my entire life while living in Fort Smith. Paulie is a kind, loving and caring individual who is extremely devoted to the well-being of Fort Smith. Paulie is a very community-minded person who has helped to foster community development by always contributing to local events and causes through the years. He also is an avid sports fan, especially for curling. In his younger years, he was always active playing curling and baseball, and he continues to be very supportive of all sporting organizations and events in our communities.

Madam Speaker, it's always a pleasure when I get a chance to visit with Paulie because he always gives me great honest feedback on how to improve and maintain our community. I could not think of a person as deserving as Paulie Kaeser to receive the Order of the NWT. I know that all residents of Fort Smith will be supportive and proud in Paulie receiving this honourable recognition. On behalf of the constituents of Thebacha, I want to congratulate Paulie Kaeser for being selected for the Order of the NWT. Madam Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Lastly, Madam Speaker, at this time I'd like to take the moment to congratulate the newly elected clerk of the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Glen Rutland. As chair of caucus, I'll be working closely with Mr. Rutland on various Assembly matters and I look forward to working with him in his new role. Similarly, I'd also like to wish our present and outgoing clerk Mr. Tim Mercer a happy and enjoyable retirement. I am sure he has other aspirations and interests in life so I wish him well with whatever he does next. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

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

Good afternoon Madam Speaker. As everyone is aware, Cabin Radio has been a staple of the northern media scene for the last five years. Launching in 2017 with an online format, Cabin made an application in August 2019 for their FM license to begin broadcasting over the airwaves. On Wednesday, 42 months after submission, the Canadian Radio, Television and Telecommunications Commission, or the CRTC, informed Cabin Radio that Yellowknife's economy could not sustain a new commercial FM radio station therefore ending Cabin Radio's bid for FM status.

One of the most shocking things about this decision was that the CRTC never even opened Cabin Radio's application. Instead, the commission chose to assess whether Yellowknife was big enough - and economically healthy enough - for Cabin Radio to join the lone existing commercial license holder True North FM. Citing in part a submission from Vista Radio, the corporation that owns True North and several dozen other Canadian stations, the CRTC said "the market of Yellowknife cannot support an additional radio station." The CRTC also said it was unlikely to accept new applications for another two years. They also stated that Vista Radio had formally opposed Cabin Radio's license on economic grounds, citing that "the introduction of a new radio station deriving advertising in the market at this time will impact the incumbent stations' viability to provide local programming." Ironic given that at the same time, Vista has told the CRTC that they would like a second FM license in Yellowknife.

Summarizing the concerns of Vista Radio and CKLB, who was also in opposition, the CRTC said that "the introduction of a new radio station at this time will impact the incumbent stations' viability to provide local programming." However, Madam Speaker, Cabin Radio has already existed for five years and is already primarily financed by advertising revenue. Therefore, it would appear that this impact would have already been felt by the two established stations. Additionally, in an unusual move, two of the CRTC's panel commissioners filed dissenting opinions on the denial, showing that within its own organization there was confusion as to this ruling. Madam Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, I will just take some of the absent of their time. Madam Speaker, Cabin Radio has filled a void in Yellowknife's media scene and played a pivotal role in the dissemination of information during the pandemic with their COVID Corner. It is mindboggling to me that someone in Ottawa thinks that a multimillion- dollar southern entity, such as Vista Radio, should be protected from the competition of five local Yellowknifers, who vastly give back to our community in a variety of ways. This flies in the face of everything we talk about when we speak of supporting northern businesses in this House, and the only explanation that makes sense to me is who is Vista Radio's friend at the CRTC, as this reeks of cronyism to me. I will have questions for the Premier at the appropriate time. Thank you.

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

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, too many Northerners are falling through the cracks of the government's siloed approach to service delivery at the cost of residents' mental health, ability to survive and thrive, and the GNWT's bottom line. The government needs to provide wraparound client-focused supports that meet residents where they are at. Our success relies on government departments working together. We hear over and over again that the answer is integrated service delivery. But we also hear from the GNWT that we are years away from actually implementing integrated service delivery. The pace to actually implement it is deeply frustrating, and it causes huge challenges for effective program delivery and difficulty accessing supports. The GNWT currently spends over $700 million annually on social programs through justice, health, housing, education, culture and employment. Each of these departments addresses a different aspect of a person's challenges but the siloed service delivery causes program duplication and the frequency and duration that the individual cycles through the public systems of care. It means residents are not receiving person-centered care, and the government is spending more down the road through cyclical costly use of resources, often emergency services, Madam Speaker. And this decreases the window of opportunity an individual will permanently or successfully exit the system.

Madam Speaker, you know I love a good high five, and I was desperately looking forward too celebrating progress in the life of this Assembly, but I am confident when I say that nothing has truly changed and integrated service delivery has not taken off. But that doesn't mean that there was nothing to learn. This government needs to be transparent about the successes and struggles of integrated service delivery so that more effective change can happen in the future. Too many people are reliant on the promise of wraparound client-focused services to survive, grow, and thrive.

What I have learned this Assembly is that without integrated service delivery as a mandate priority, dictated by the Premier and outlined in all mandate letters, that this work will not happen, and Northerners will continue to not have access to these wraparound supports that they desperately need. This sitting, I hope to learn what lessons the government takes from its efforts toward integrated service delivery. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

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

Merci, Madame la Presidente. The federal government recently announced the creation of a new national long-term care standard said to be aimed at addressing systemic problems exposed by the Corona virus pandemic. Canada as a whole had the worst record for COVID-19 fatalities in nursing homes among wealthy countries during the first wave of the pandemic. So the standard, while not mandatory, is an attempt to awaken jurisdictions to the need to review and adjust regulations and practices.

I cannot determine whether any COVID deaths took place in NWT long-term care facilities, although an exposure notice was issued for the Fort Simpson long-term care facility. Since the pandemic, this government has undertaken a "learning from the response to COVID-19" public consultation to evaluate our organizational reaction to the pandemic and to "improve preparedness for future public health emergencies." That consultation closed in the summer and the report is expected. However, in reviewing the discussion paper used as a basis for the consultation, there's no reference to issues or measures associated with continuing care facilities.

In February 2015, the Department of Health and Social Services established the Northwest Territories continuing care standards. The standards document says it provides operational benchmarks for program and service providers and the means to evaluate programs and service delivery against best practices. The standard provides evaluation criteria for home and community care, supported living, and the long-term care program, including care provided under 14 different types of services such as palliative care, dietary, and adult day services. To me, this seems like a perfect coincidence of events and processes. We have territorial continuing care standards now almost ten years old. We have a new national long-term care standard to compare those standards against and a pandemic review that may not consider the impacts or implications for continuing care. I'll have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services on the new national long-term care standard and how it relates to our continuing care programs and standards. Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Just as we take a break for the long weekend, I just wanted to wish all my constituents -- oh wait, Madam Speaker, it's not a long weekend because I thought perhaps we were in New Brunswick, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan, or British Columbia where Monday will be Family Day, Madam Speaker. Or perhaps we were in PEI where they will be celebrating Islander Day, or Manitoba where they'll be celebrating Louis Riel Day or Nova Scotia Heritage Day. But no, Madam Speaker, even though our February is cold and dark, there's no holidays for us.

Madam Speaker, I want to commend the Minister with the introduction of the truth and reconciliation as a statutory holiday. We're now at a tie for first place for the most statutory holidays, with 11, tied with Yukon but, Madam Speaker, I challenge us to take the lead and beat Yukon and let's have the most holidays in Canada by introducing a February statutory holiday. I'll have questions for the Minister. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

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

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. I have got a eulogy for the late Laura Sabourin. Laura Mary Sabourin worked at Deh Gah School in Fort Providence for more than 30 years. In that time, she wore many hats in education. For example, Laura was a school counsellor for a time. Laura's heart and passion was for her Indigenous language and culture. Laura was instrumental in the revitalization of Indigenous education at Deh Gah School, specializing in the revitalization of the Dene Zhatie language and the Dene culture within the school and the community of Fort Providence as a whole. Laura was devoted for passing the Indigenous language and culture that she cherished so dearly to future generations, and she did that in her role at Deh Gah over several decades. Laura was the student assistant in the grade 2 and 3 classroom at the time of her passing. At Deh Gah, there is an Indigenous language immersion program from junior kindergarten to grade 3. It used to be 100 percent immersion but in 2020, Deh Gah School and its community of Fort Providence decided that they wanted to try a 50 percent immersion program to see if doing so would place young students at a grade level in terms of their literacy and numeracy skills. Laura was there for that transition.

Laura Sabourin was a very kind and gentle Dene woman. She loved her students and colleagues with an open heart. She greeted everyone with a smile and a good morning, always calling those she met by name to personalize the greeting. She loved her family, her parents, brothers, sisters, children, and grandchildren. She also loved her land.

Laura would go on the land at every opportunity. In the summer, she would stay out on the land for indefinite periods of time. Laura could be seen daily walking along the riverbank of the Mackenzie with loved ones. Often, she walked with them towards the Snowshoe Cafe to enjoy time and coffee with her friends and family. In the warmer months, Laura walked each evening with her daughters Cynthia and Rosalie and her granddaughters Beliha and Tautoo. They would sit together on the banks of the Mackenzie and talk watching the sun set in the evening sky.

When she was walking with her family along the bank, she would tell her grandchildren various stories which they enjoyed very much. She liked telling stories about being out on the land or making bannock or bush medicine. Laura Sabourin was of this place; she was of this land. She spoke our language and valued our culture. She embodied what it means to be a beautiful and proud Dene.

She will be forever missed. We give thanks for the time that we had her with us, gently teaching the next generation about the language and the culture she loved so dearly. Mahsi.

Thank you, Member. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.

Members' statements. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake.

Ruth Pulk was born Ruth Avinaguak Wingnek in Bathurst Inlet, Nunavut, to Annie Tutuavuan of Kent Peninsula and Serio Wingnek of Beatty Island. Avinaguak, or Big Girl as she was named, was the third youngest of ten children and, as her name suggests, was larger than life and a force stronger than her petite stature proposed. Her family, being remarkably close-knit, she was never far behind her older siblings, especially her sister Helen Maksagak.

She was a baby when their family settled into Tuktoyaktuk, as one of the first families to form the Salimiut community on the Banks Island of the Beaufort Sea. As a child that grew up on the coast, she had a preference for ocean fish and an affinity for Banks Island ptarmigan provided by a family that travelled to Tuktoyaktuk during summer hunting season.

Ruth would go on to attend the All Saints Mission in Aklavik. Her father, who received his education in Fort Smith alongside her longtime friend and proclaimed sister, Maureen Morphid's mother Mrs. Leland. Her father was a well-read man and impressed how important getting an education would be for surviving in a changing world. Ruth's mother would succumb to TB in 1945. As Ruth recalled, the excitement of the announcement of World War II's end was coupled with the sorrow-filled news of her mother's death.

Ruth was 14 when her brother Otto Binder would call her to leave Tuk and join him and his wife Ellen at Reindeer Station as they had welcomed twins and needed many helping hands. Ruth herself would contract tuberculosis and remain in the All Saints Hospital for several months where she made deep friendships that would span a lifetime.

Following extensive rehabilitation, Ruth began a mentorship program for TB survivors where she received training to work towards becoming a nurse. Just shy of graduation, she was called home to visit and would not return back to the program. She returned to Aklavik and during her time there, she was courted by a young man that would ski regularly from Reindeer Station to Aklavik to ask her for a dance at the community gatherings.

Ruth and Nels would wed on New Year's Eve in 1959 at the All Saints Church in Aklavik. They made home in Reindeer Station and would bring their first child Michel into the world in a boat on the way to Aklavik's hospital. Ruth and Nels also ran dog teams alongside one another. Ruth and Nels would go on to follow the DEW line sites and travel the Inuvialuit settlement region with work. They were one of the families that made the riverside home in a 512 caboose in Inuvik when it was first being built. After having their daughter Debbie, they were called to move to Cambridge bay and served as hostel parents from 1963 to 1971.

Ruth had a distinct way of providing children with dignity and compassion that would brand her beloved mother to many across the North. Ruth and Nels would further dedicate their lives in raising and caring for vulnerable children when they returned to Inuvik to open their first official group home in the Mackenzie Delta from 1971 to 1984. Many children across the Inuvialuit settlement region and the Gwich'in settlement area have prospered on to better lives as a result of Ruth and Nels' positive influence, care, and guidance.

Children were always especially important to Ruth. She loved hearing their laughter and busyness right up to her final days. It was always evident in the way she would light up with childlike infectious joy from being in their presence. Each of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren will remember the fun and games played and agree that sleeping in grandma's bed will remain their sweetest and most treasured memories. Ruth Pulk will be dearly missed.

Thank you, Member. Our thoughts, prayers are with Ruth's family.

Members' statements. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. We have a couple of pages from Hay River North here today with us, and so I want to welcome them - Madeline Fabien and Francis Cook. And I have a feeling we'll be seeing them back in this Assembly in our seats one day. Thank you.

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

Merci, Madame la Presidente. I've had two pages in the House this week from Frame Lake, Aiden Tate and David Munford, and I would like to thank them for their service. Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Replies to budget address. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Madam. Speaker. Madam Speaker, I rise here today to reply to the last tabled budget of this 19th Assembly. I have to ask myself, what in the three plus years have we accomplished for those people who are struggling with addictions, mental health, unemployment, high cost of living, education, and homelessness as it is support in these areas where a difference can be made in one's life.

At the start of, and during my time here, I was not naive in thinking this government would provide everyone with everything they ever wanted. It was my intent first and foremost to provide residents, not only from Hay River but throughout the NWT, with access to their public government. To accomplish that, it meant an open office, being accessible, listening to each issue, being responsive, following up, and at times taking the matter into one's own hands.

Madam Speaker, it is important to recognize that most of the budget covers the day-to-day operations of this government. This budget has somewhat of a surplus and in this case approximately $178 million. This may seem to be a sizable sum, but we know all too well the need to have reserves to account for the unknowns, emergencies, and providing supports to residents that are facing hardships.

In the last three plus years, this government had to address the pandemic, major flooding, increased cost of living, rising interest rates, all of which had a financial cost for this government, businesses and residents, which we are still feeling today. Now I am expecting this government to make use of some of that surplus to help those residents who are facing day-to-day hardships.

Madam Speaker, we must recognize that the Northwest Territories is made up of haves and have-nots, with those in the regional and smaller communities having the least. Many are without housing, many are unemployed, many are living on less than a basic income, many are living with addictions, many are struggling with mental health, many are struggling with education, and the list goes on.

Madam Speaker, I want to talk about what is not offered up or what I believe is not sufficient in this budget. My comments will be directed at those supports and services needed by the many residents that are struggling day to day to make ends meet.

Madam Speaker, first and foremost, we see limited to no support for those facing the harsh reality of rising costs of goods and services. With an increase in the carbon tax coming and the talk of dropping the home heating fuel rebate, we know all too well that both will cause further hardship for many in the regional centers and smaller communities. This government and the federal government must come to grips with the severity of those issues resulting in an ever-increasing cost of living in the Northwest Territories. It is only worsening. We must find and offer up solutions to either eliminate or offset those cost-of-living increases experienced by residents. Families need to keep food on the table and a roof over their head and not be placed in a situation where they have to choose between the two. Residents are finding the NWT too expensive and are looking for solutions to reduce that cost. For many, the solution is to move away from here. The question is how we can keep people here and how we can encourage more people to make the NWT their home.

Madam Speaker, I see little in this budget to address this problem and would recommend that we make additional supports available to offset higher utility and living costs through added financial supports and for the establishment of a pilot program for a living wage for seniors.

Madam Speaker, we have seen an uptake in the use of illicit drugs and alcohol in the NWT and an increase in health problems resulting from that use. This brings me the issue of lack of supports for addiction services and, more specifically, I am talking about detox and aftercare services. These two components are essentially missing in the NWT and, in part, is why we are failing those who are seeking treatment. When one decides they need help, they first need a safe place to detox. Currently, persons who are looking to overcome addiction cannot get past that first step which is access to the dedicated detox bed and detox medical services they need. If in an off-chance they are successful with detox, they are then subjected to a long wait time to get into a treatment centre. This may result in one relapsing and having to start the process all over. When returning home from treatment, many are finding that they have limited to no aftercare support services. Many want structure upon their return with help and time to process what they just went through. They need wraparound supports that will help rebuild their life. Failing to address this issue will only result in more people dying.

Madam Speaker, with added healthcare funding committed by the federal government, I am looking for this government to correct the deficit we are facing with respect to detox and aftercare facilities in the NWT. These supports are an immediate priority for the residents of the NWT who are seeking addiction treatment. To reduce this detox and aftercare deficit, as a start I would ask that funding of no less than $3 million be added to this budget.

Madam Speaker, the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority, through the department of health, receives funding to operate the facility which includes, with the exception of doctors, recruitment and hiring of healthcare personnel. Recruitment for Hay River doctors is done through the NTHSSA, which is somewhat of a problem for the community. It appears that when there is a shortage of doctors in Yellowknife, doctors in Hay River disappear to Yellowknife leaving Hay River without a doctor thus resulting in reduced healthcare services for extended periods of time. This reduction in services not only affects Hay River but affects the surrounding communities of K'atlodeeche, Enterprise, Fort Resolution, Kakisa, and Fort Providence.

Madam Speaker, I am asking the department of health to turn physician recruitment over to the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority, along with the funding from this budget that goes with it.

Madam Speaker, our senior population is increasing and with the increased cost of living, along with a continued decrease in access to healthcare and healthcare services throughout the NWT, this is contributing to many of our seniors moving or considering moving to places outside the NWT that provide a lower cost of living and a stable and accessible healthcare system. Seniors who are looking to age in place are finding that homecare services are limited. And for those that can live independently, but do not own their own home, are faced with a severe shortage of seniors' housing. Many of these seniors have retired in the North and want to live out their life here but we are making that difficult, unaffordable, and unattainable.

Madam Speaker, I am looking for this budget to include added funding directed towards regional centers and small communities to increase the number of homecare staff and more paid hours under the caregiver program.

Madam Speaker, we say our youth are our future, and yet when it comes to supporting them, we fall short on support for sport and cultural programs in regional centers and small communities. If we expect our youth to succeed, if we expect our youth to avoid drugs and alcohol and the problems it creates, we then need to provide them with positive sport and cultural options. If one comes from an affluent family, one is still not guaranteed to succeed but it does provide those youth with advantages that many in the smaller communities do not have and that is funds to participate in various activities.

Madam Speaker, I have stood up in this House on several occasions and advocated for additional multiyear funding for the Hay River Ski Club and the Kole Crook Fiddle Association. And I know there are many organizations looking for the same however, although I've had some, but limited success in getting any substantive commitment from this government at a time when we talk about youth suicide, youth addictions, youth mental health, and youth justice issues. To encourage youth to grow, sports and cultural activities are but two areas where we can make a difference.

Madam Speaker, I am looking for this government to include additional funding of not less than $1 million in the budget to support opportunities for sports and cultural activities in the regional and smaller communities through multiyear agreements.

Madam Speaker, NGOs are the heart and soul of the NWT. We need to increase and support multiyear funding for services and supports they provide on behalf of this government. The services and supports I am alluding to include seniors' programs, youth programs, education and training, addiction and mental health supports, shelters, work placement, justice services, sports and cultural activities, food hampers, meal programs, emergency funds, meeting space, and much more. There are many organizations throughout the NWT that, on a shoestring budget, not guaranteed from year to year, take on the outreach work of this government. This underfunding and lack of multiyear agreements not only places the NGO at risk, but it also affects those NWT families that rely heavily on the services and supports provided.

Madam Speaker, I ask this government include additional funding of not less than $1 million with multiyear agreements to support those NGOs that provide a multitude of programs and services throughout the NWT.

Madam Speaker, another area that seems forgotten is that of our small retail businesses. COVID, timely access to products, increased overhead costs, and labour shortages, all affect the viability of small retail businesses throughout the North. Many are struggling to keep their doors open which is not only apparent in Yellowknife when one looks at the downtown core but as well throughout the regional and smaller communities. It was not only the pandemic that struck a blow to small business. It is now easy access to online retailers. It is an access to big box stores not only in Yellowknife but in centres such as Grande Prairie, Edmonton, and Whitehorse. If we want to encourage people to move to the NWT, we need to have more than higher wages. We need them to have access to local retail services and other amenities found in southern communities.

Madam Speaker, we need to include additional funding of not less than $500,000 in this budget to support small retailers who are looking to survive. This funding will provide them with an opportunity to reinvent themselves so that they can then compete in a very competitive market.

Madam Speaker, there are many good initiatives in this budget already, but it is the gaps the need to be filled in. There is immediate need to place some of that surplus in programs and services where it will make the most difference, and that is to direct it to the people and organizations of the NWT who are struggling with the many issues I noted in this, my reply to the budget. Madam Speaker, thank you.

Thank you, Member. Replies to the budget address. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, a lot of my colleagues have already spoken about what they feel is lacking in this budget, and I think I'm pretty vocal about what I also think. So instead I wanted to focus today on the economic outlook of the Northwest Territories going forward.

The Northwest Territories economy has shaken off the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Economic activity, output, and employment expanded throughout 2021 and 2022, recovering much of the economic loss that occurred in 2020. Labour markets have performed particularly well with resident employment and the employment rate rising to record highs. This has helped support wages and incomes, which in turn has boosted consumer spending and retail sales. Diamond production has also returned to pre-pandemic levels and exploration spending intentions are up. However, the recovery from the pandemic returns the economy to its pre-pandemic path of slow decline. Maturing diamond mines, labour shortages, and a lack of economic diversification will continue to dampen economic growth.

These challenges are heightened by high inflation and higher interest rates. Most pressing is the lack of workers that is putting a brake on private sector activity, as well as the impending closure of the Diavik Diamond Mine. There are currently no other projects on the horizon large enough to fill the economic gap that will be left by the closing diamond mines.

The recent performance of the Northwest Territories economy is evaluated using the 13 Macro-Economic Policy Framework performance indicators. The Macro-Economic Policy Framework was developed in 2007 following a consultation with Northwest Territories residents that resulted in a consensus that the future economic growth should be balanced, diversified and sustainable. The Macro-Economic Policy Framework provides a comprehensive policy and planning framework to guide government spending and investment decisions that support economic development.

The framework's 13 performance indicators evaluate the economic well-being of the territory and provide an indication of the effectiveness of the GNWT's investments in developing the economy. The performance indicators compare current indicator values to their 2007 baseline levels. The year 2007 was chosen as the baseline because it is the year the economic policy framework was developed but also because it marked a period of great expansion and optimism in the Northwest Territories when the Snap Lake Diamond Mine was being built. For such a small economy, returning to this abnormally high level of economic output and activity may not be possible.

Five of the 13 indicators have improved. These include incomes, population growth, retail sales, and non-resident workers. Earnings, population, and retail trade are all higher now, and the number of fly-in/fly-out workers is lower than in 2007, which all point to favourable labour market conditions and a high quality of life. However, seven of the 13 indicators have worsened. These include real GDP, productivity, new investment, imports, wholesale trade, and resource sector services.

The indicators are all smaller now than in 2007, signalling economic decline. The employment rate is unchanged. Today and in 2007, close to three-quarters of the working age population in the NWT is employed. However, the composition of employment between industries has changed.

The Northwest Territories economy has shaken off the effects of -- oh sorry, I seem to have repeated myself.

Over the near term, the NWT labour market is expected to remain robust while a real economic output is forecast to persist at lower levels compared to pre-pandemic conditions. The real GDP is projected to shrink by 2.9 percent in 2023 after dipping by an estimated .4 percent in 2022. Declines in economic output are due to the unwinding of pandemic-related government spending that supported residents, businesses, and industry as well as lower export values because of decreased diamond production. Household spending, while still growing, is slowing down as pent-up demand from the pandemic dissipates and consumer price inflation erodes purchasing power, forcing many households to draw down savings and cut back on purchases. Investment, however, is forecast to rise by 8.2 percent in 2023 after increasing by an estimated 9.4 percent in 2022.

The Northwest Territories economy has been contracting prior to the pandemic. Despite a strong rebound in 2021, several years of decline will leave the Northwest Territories economy nearly 9 percent smaller in 2023 than in 2019, before the COVID pandemic. This is largely because of low investment and a significant drop in exports. Household and government spending are expected to be higher than before the pandemic.

Resident employment is projected to increase by 1.2 percent in 2023 after rising by 5.5 percent, or 1,300 people in 2022. Strong employment gains lifted the territorial employment rate to 73.1 percent in 2022, indicating that the NWT is nearing full employment. A robust labour market is expected to continue in the near term as job vacancies and labour shortages of skilled and unskilled workers remain high. Resident employment is projected to reach a record high of 25,200 people in 2023.

Tight labour markets will help push wages over the near term. Average weekly earnings are projected to increase 2.8 percent in 2023 after rising an estimated 2.1 percent in 2022. There is variation of average weekly earnings across communities which will affect wage growth. As well, wage growth is being outpaced by the consumer price growth.

The consumer price inflation is projected to slow this year as many of the geopolitical events that caused global supply chain disruptions and commodity price fluctuations are resolved. High inflation is eroding the purchasing power of Northwest Territories residents and exacerbating the already elevated costs of living and doing business in the North.

After a decade of low and stable prices, inflation, as measured by the Yellowknife consumer price index, increased 6.8 percent in 2022 and is further forecast to rise 3.3 percent in 2023. Consumer price growth is projected to outpace wage growth in 2023 thereby muting real wage growth for workers. Should CPI stay elevated for an extended period, and depending on reactions to inflation in other jurisdictions, the Northwest Territories comparative advantage of offering high wages and salaries may be diminished. Eventually consumer price inflation may push wages up and create further labour cost pressures on business.

Near term risks facing the Northwest Territories economic outlook are the continued disruptions to global supply chains, persistently high inflation, and decreased demand for Northwest Territories exports such as diamonds and Aurora tourism. These risks, which are driven by international factors, including China's pandemic policies and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, are expected to persist throughout 2023. This could lead to increased costs of living and doing business, lower consumer spending and investment, and reduced export values. Taken together, these could cause economic growth to decline further than currently projected.

However severe these short-term risks may be, failure to prepare for inevitable structural shifts to the Northwest Territories economy, such as the closure of the remaining diamond mines within the next decade, poses a more significant threat than the short-term economic disruptions.

Structural challenges specific to the Northwest Territories include ongoing labour shortages, a lack of economic diversification, and maturing diamond mines. These challenges pose both intermediate and long-term risks to our economy. Most pressing of these challenges is labour shortages in key Northwest Territories industries such as healthcare, construction and education, as well as the impending end of the diamond mining in the Northwest Territories, which has been the engine of private sector for the last two decades.

A persistent lack of skilled and unskilled workers will further hamper private sector activity and reduce the quality of living and working in the Northwest Territories while the expected closure of all operating diamond mines by 2030 will lead to a severely diminished NWT mining sector. Several mineral resource projects, including the Nechalacho rare earth project, are currently underway in the NWT. However, at this time there are no mining projects on the horizon large enough to fill the gap in economic output and well-paid jobs that will be left by the closure of the diamond mines.

Persistently high inflation poses a downside risk to the economic outlook because households and businesses are likely to reduce or delay purchases while prices rise. This will lead to less economic activity. Consumer spending, which supported the Northwest Territories economy throughout the pandemic, slowed in 2022 as pent-up demand dissipated and consumer prices rose by 6.8 percent. Although inflation is moderating, prolonged or rising inflation risks accelerating the slowdown in consumer spending.

High inflation has triggered several rounds of interest rate hikes by the Bank of Canada. The bank's target for the overnight rate increased by 425 basis point last year, rising from .25 percent in January of 2022 to 4.5 percent in January of this year. Higher interest rates make borrowing and investing in the NWT more expensive and increases the risk of loan defaults. This has the potential to stifle spending by households and industry.

Total investments by the private and public sector are forecast to grow by 8.2 percent in 2023 helping to soften the contraction in real output. However, should the Bank of Canada raise interest rates further, private sector capital investment may be lower than currently forecast.

The unemployment rate dipped to 5.1 percent in 2022 and the employment rate, or the share of working age residents that are employed, rose to 73.1 percent, a 4 percentage point increase from 2021 and an 8 percentage point increase from 2022 -- or sorry, 2020.

This suggests the NWT is near full employment. Tight labour markets are occurring at a time of rising job vacancies, and this has resulted in labour shortages in several industries including healthcare, construction, food services, and education. Labour shortages pose short-term and long-term risks to the economic outlook because an inability to fill vacant positions may hamper private sector activity; i.e., businesses cannot maintain or expand operations and may reduce the quality of life for Northwest Territories residents as previously available services become limited or unavailable.

Labour shortages are a chronic issue for the Northwest Territories due to the small population and is one reason for a large number of non-resident workers. Between 2008 and 2018, the number of non-resident workers fluctuated between 5,500 and 8,500, representing between one-quarter and one-third of the Northwest Territories workforce. These jobs including seasonal, rotational, temporary, and special projects that fill gaps that are not met by the resident workforce. Total aggregate earnings paid to non-resident workers ranged from $275 million to $440 million a year between 2008 and 2018, representing close to one-fifth of all employment income generated in the territory. This employment income earned in the territory by non-residents represents lost income that could have been spent in our economy.

One contributing factor to chronic labour shortages is the outsized footprint of the government in the economy. Government administration at all level - federal, territorial, municipal and Indigenous - is the largest industry in the Northwest Territories, generating over a fifth of the economic output. It is the largest employer, employing close to 6,500 Northwest Territories residents, or a third of all NWT employees. Public administration includes courts, policing services, correction services, firefighting, defense and government administrative work but excludes the health, social assistance, and education sectors. The public sector typically offers pay packages that small and medium-sized businesses in the NWT cannot compete with, and this may be worsening staff shortages in the private sector.

For the first time, there are now more residents employed in the public sector than in the private sector. This significant and concerning development occurred during the pandemic and continues to persist. If the composition of the employment does not reserve, there is a risk that the NWT economy will become increasingly dependent on the government leading to a hollowing out of our private sector.

Aging diamond mines are a significant risk to the economic outlook of the NWT. Diamond mining is a primary driver of our economy but currently producing mines are set to end in 2030 as stated. The Diavik Diamond Mine is scheduled to close first, in 2025, followed by the Ekati Mine in 2029, and Gahcho Kue in 2030. Ekati resumed production in January of 2021 and could operate for an additional decade if underwater mining is successful and the Sable Deep, Fox Deep, and Point Lake Deep kimberlite expansions go ahead. Decisions to expand existing diamond mines and develop new kimberlite pipes will depend on a range of economic and financial factors, including global, capital, credit conditions, consumer demand, and rough diamond prices.

Diamond values and production have recovered from steep declines in 2020 caused by weak consumer demand for this luxury good, the pandemic disruptions, as well, in 2022 Northwest Territories diamond shipments were valued at $17.8 million, a 17.9 percent increase from 2021, due to the widening spread between prices for rough and polished diamonds, and a 42 percent rebound in the rough diamond prices for the last two years.

Madam Speaker, I think I actually have way too much stuff here to talk about, so I am going to stop there with this. But I did want to say if any of my words here sound familiar, they can be found attached to the Minister of ITI's address on the budget. And the reason that I chose to read this, and unfortunately did not get all the way through the economic forecast -- and I thank ITI for all their work on it -- was that I'm really concerned to see this shift in our economy to the public sector. And I have actually heard in this House almost a sense of pride or of such for keeping that sector going and in fact growing it during the pandemic.

For me, we had a very missed opportunity when it came to the pandemic. At that time, the federal government was quite flexible. They were open to new ideas. They were trying to think creatively. And, really, they just wanted us to come up to them with solutions. And I really think that rather than taking this time to really re-evaluate and come up with some new thinking, we just kept with the status quo and we just kept doing things the same way. And now that that money was dried up and we didn't use it to be innovative or to make any changes, we're now in the exact same boat that we were prior to that. All that did was offset the time for our economy to fail, you know, from that period of time until much later.

I am encouraged by what we have heard from the diamond mines and that perhaps there is an expansion to their timelines. However, that is not anything that we can rely on as a government. So where I want to go with this is that I would hope that I can encourage Cabinet and departmental people looking at government renewal to really look at the public sector and start evaluating job descriptions better. Look at the people that come to me and tell me that they only really work about 50 percent of the time and should they try to take on more work, they are stopped by union processes, etcetera. So I really think that given the state that we're at, now is the time to make some risky moves. We have nothing to lose, Madam Speaker. We're going to fail. We're at that stage, at that point. So I just want to urge my Cabinet colleagues to get creative, to start thinking about ways to diversify. Let's look into cold climate storage for computer systems. Estonia, when I was at COP, is doing that kind of work where they use their climate to host a bunch of servers. We could be doing things like that. We should definitely be supporting the agriculture sector after everything that we heard at our food security panel, which I would encourage all members of the public to watch. It's on the Legislative Assembly's website and social media pages. Really, I think that could be our key way to solving our problems here, not only from the supply chain perspective but also then from an employment perspective. As well as mental health and that grounding. You know, there is literally a mental health technique about -- and it is called grounding -- where you go outside, you take off shoes and you stand on the ground. And as human beings, we become very disconnected from nature and the earth, and I feel like this is a way that could provide benefits in many of our departments, not just from a food supply perspective.

So I'm going to leave it there, Madam Speaker. I want to thank everyone for indulging me and listening to the very dry economic forecast and not so hopeful, I guess. But, you know, I'm looking forward to a new Assembly and a new term and some new ideas coming in and hopefully we're going to be able to turn this economy around, Madam Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Member. Replies to budget address. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, this is the Northwest Territories and we do things a little different up here. The way we live, work, and govern together is different than southern Canada. It's a product of a different history.

Madam Speaker, the North continues to be a place of unrivalled opportunity. We're open for business, adventure, and life. We want to grow our population and our economy. During the budget address, the Minister of Finance stated the primary economic driver for the NWT economy will be government investment. I would agree that this is the case, at least for the short term, until we further diversify our traditionally resource-based economy.

As long as government investment is driving the economy of the Northwest Territories, the government has an obligation to ensure that we maximize the benefits of this investment for Northerners. This is what we meant when we agreed that adopting a benefit retention approach to economic development would be a priority of this 19th Assembly. This means we cannot settle for -- wait, Madam Speaker, this is my 2020 budget address or maybe a 2021 or a 2022. They all kind of start to blend together, much like our main estimates over the years.

I start to feel like we're in our own version of the movie Groundhog Day, Madam Speaker, and I hated that movie.

Madam Speaker, ultimately this is a business as usual budget, a status quo budget that does not serve us at a time where we need to innovate and transform. It should create a vision, know where we want to go, and plan on how to get there. I get that we're only here for four years but our budget needs stars that are so effective that the next Assembly wants to carry them forward to build on our success. That got me thinking, Madam Speaker - how can I do my budget address a little different this year and maybe help break the Groundhog Day.

Cycle and together build a better blockbuster.

I want to start with a positive, to pay some gratitude to the other side of this House, and then I want to focus on three things I think would have helped this government release a blockbuster less reminiscent of Groundhog Day.

As a promised start, some gratitude. Madam Speaker, I want to highlight the bold move taken by the finance minister in the fall when she broke the cycle of a traditionally unrealistic large capital budget that once required an even larger borrowing plan commitment. This was once used as promises for political gain, or an easy way to say yes to everything while accomplishing very little of it. This change will not only make the GNWT more fiscally responsible, it will also enable the difficult conversations about what actually is a priority of this government. So kudos to the other side.

Madam Speaker, I would also like to acknowledge the work of staff across government who have worked hard to prepare the budget within the parameters they were given.

So three things to build a better blockbuster. First is a budget. You don't make a movie with the same budget you made the last one. You build a new budget that makes sense for the landscape, stars, and potential return on investment of this one. And that brings me to government renewal.

I want to see results-based budgeting where we make budget decisions that position us with flexibility, strength, and courage to choose wisely and be well prepared to shift. What we have here is starting from what we've always done and then adding some forced growth. This shift is reliant on a successful government renewal. I support the intent of government renewal, Madam Speaker. We need to be able to cut the redundancies and increase the effectiveness of public dollars to achieve our goals. This budget is missing any visible success of government renewal. While I support the intent, I do not feel a sense of urgency that needs to purvey government renewal exercises.

I hope the government renewal process will evolve GNWT program evaluations to focus on outcomes and value for dollar of the programs, but that needs to hurry up and show some results or it will sadly fade away.

Ensuring the government is using public funds to better serve NWT residents is half of the picture. Revenues are the other piece of government renewal, or building our blockbuster. The GNWT was built over decades during a different time and has today given risk aversion the starring role in an action adventure world. This government needs to raise revenues for a more balanced approach to fiscal sustainability. We need to build a bustling North with population growth and a flourishing private sector, achieved by government getting out of the way of business, diversification, and proactively helping people figure out how to make their plans fly rather than asking if they were ever meant to fly in the first place.

Where there is a will, there is a way, Madam Speaker. Sometimes we just need to step out of the box of how it's always been done and out of the cubicle from where it's always been done. Empower staff to get out of the office. You do not change lives from a cubicle, Madam Speaker. Be present and be proactive.

The second piece of building a blockbuster is supporting characters. Any good movie has a cast, not just one character. The GNWT's leading support characters are municipalities and NGOs. This budget does not go far enough to begin to close the municipal funding gap. Closing the municipal funding gap would bring 220 more jobs into the territory spread across every single community. So closing the municipal funding gap is huge. It means jobs, recreational programming, and infrastructure that have direct impacts on mental and physical health - the frontline operations that build connected, vibrant communities, Madam Speaker.

Our NWT NGOs struggle to keep the lights on and are ones the GNWT relies on the most when it comes to frontline service delivery to our territory's most vulnerable residents. Multiple GNWT departments are transitioning to application-based funding pots aimed at NGOs. But empowering them to keep the lights on and keep staff paid is just as important as program dollars. One-time increases, far below inflation, do not keep these organizations running. So I agree with colleagues that inflationary increases need to be delivered to all NGOs this government relies on and on an annual basis if this change is going to be sustainable.

Honourable mention here, Madam Speaker, is Jordan's Principle. This territory's incredibly reliant on Jordan's Principle. Our office has helped residents access Jordan's Principle supports for treatment, rent, food, while communities across the territory rely on them for so much more. Jordan's Principle floods tens of millions of dollars into this territory every year. If Jordan's Principle funding were cut to our territory, it would suffer immensely and this needs to be better tracked.

Madam Speaker, the third piece this blockbuster needs is a star. A star is the character almost everyone can connect with, leave something behind, and ultimately you don't forget them. Hansard could tell you who the star of this Assembly has been, but this budget could not. This term, where the most regular thing we did as Regular MLAs, was host housing-themed days on top of housing-themed days. Social development made housing its one and only priority on top of its regular work, and we'll continue to table another housing report this sitting. This week alone, Regular Members spent three days in Committee of the Whole reviewing the Housing NWT budget - the fifth smallest budget of the government. And a small fraction of the health budget. We have worked hard to force the hand of the government in choosing its blockbuster star, but this script has no star, no legacy. On multiple occasions, Cabinet Members have said housing is a priority of this Assembly, but talk is cheap and houses are not. True, Madam Speaker, this Assembly has invested more in housing than any other but when you're starting from crumbs, a cookie looks like a feast.

Let's be honest, I would have loved an NWT version of the ambitious action adventure Nunavut 3000, but we're celebrating a hundred houses, the same number of houses Nunavut has built every year for the last three years in a row. Housing NWT is not sustainability funded. With inflation and rising cost of living, access to affordable housing in the NWT has gotten worse. Housing drives economic development, education, health outcomes, population growth, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. The impacts are huge. Housing NWT needs to shift, evolve, be bold, and also be prepared to let go.

I know that April 1st is supposed to bring a new era of Housing NWT but I'm not confident the changes will go far enough to address the NWT's affordable and accessible housing crisis. I want to know the future of housing funding models and if they will include realistic and sustainable O and M, the evolution of autonomy of Indigenous governments and organizations and empower housing delivery, if unintended policy barriers will be addressed, if shelters and safe spaces will be fairly funded, and if the vision of Housing NWT will be as ambitious as it needs to be to carry the starring role.

So there you have it, my three recommendations to help turn Groundhog Day into a blockbuster.

Madam Speaker, I took a risk today, loosely comparing a very serious budget to a movie production, but both ultimately are big business where people's livelihoods rely on their successes.

Today my message is this: Take risks, shake up the way things have always been done, don't forget about your supporting characters, and choose a star, build a legacy.

Madam Speaker, this budget is not a done deal, and I look forward to the continued budget negotiations of 2023. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Member. Members, we are going to take a short recess. That was a lot. I think our translators deserve a little bit of a break.

---SHORT RECESS

Acknowledgements. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, today I brought up, across my communities, apprenticeship programs, you know, the lack of -- I ain't going to say lack of trying, it's just a lack of manpower, I guess, in having certified people across the territory in all communities and especially my riding. Madam Premier -- Madam Speaker, you got a promotion there. No, I'm hoping that with trades with the local LHOs, how many communities in my riding in Nunakput right now have a trades apprentice in the community? Thank you. Or communities I represent. Housing. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Minister of Housing NT.

Thank you, Madam Speaker, and thank you to the Member for his question, and it's very important that, you know, we address these -- we address these situations in the smaller communities, especially when it comes to trades and especially when dealing with the higher Arctic communities. I don't have the numbers in front of me right now, but I can follow up with the Member. But I look forward to continuing this conversation. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, we have the trades trailer sitting in Inuvik outside of the Aurora College. I'm just wondering, we've been asking for those in the communities, like Paulatuk and Ulu and Tuk. Are they able to utilize those trailers to get a trades program going on in the communities? With all these new houses that we have being built, it would be good to tag along with that and to have youth because youth are graduating now and they have -- basically we have nothing, really nothing going on in our communities, Madam Speaker. Are we able to put trades programs in the local communities where the new houses are being building built with our local LHOs? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. We don't -- Housing NWT doesn't own the trades trailers in the Beaufort Delta. But I can follow up with my colleague in looking at what opportunities we can come up with in looking at the collaboration with the Member's riding as well too. And I just want to say that it's trades and looking at apprenticeship is what housing has really prided on within this government. We've made significant improvement building the requirement for trades apprenticeships also into our contracts that -- for our hundred unit builds that are being constructed within the lifetime of this government. I look forward to further conversation with the Member. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Will the Minister commit to working with the community governments in Nunakput riding to increase housing apprenticeships in the region? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Absolutely. I would like to look at those numbers, look at the interest. I do understand that the communities in Nunakput are quite isolated. I'm interested to see what else we can be doing different in the Member's riding. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Final supplementary. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. In regards to that, I just want to say again, we have youth that are graduating that are potentially able to go into the trades program. We could take care of our own units, housing units in the communities and having our own local people taking care of the -- taking care of ourselves and caretakers for that.

Will the Minister commit to establishing local apprenticeships in the Nunakput riding, in all four of my communities, working with the local leadership, ask Aurora College to get the trades trailers in and start working towards that? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. And absolutely, this already has been a success in the territory. I want to just mention Ne'Rahten Developments in my riding has taken a hands-on approach and have worked directly with CMHC and directly with the federal government. They were able to access federal funding. I was fortunate enough to attend their housing forum. It's quite interesting what that Indigenous group and government have come together to establish and work towards trades and home and repair programs within our community. Very optimistic about what we can do in Nunakput. I'm more than willing to work with the Member and work with his Indigenous governments as well in Nunakput. Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Madam Speaker, is this going to be the year that the Minister of holidays gives us Family Day? Well let's find out. When will we get a statutory holiday in February? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Well, since the last time the Member asked this, I did add another holiday. It's not the holiday he was looking for though. So there will not be a statutory holiday on February 21st. The Member is well aware that that takes legislative change and that is not in the works. So it won't be happening this year. However, as I stated last year, this is the year that we are going to look at the Employment Standards Act and see what changes need to be made. So there will be engagement on the act including the potential establishment of a holiday in February. So the department will be going in the spring and consulting on that. Thank you.

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

Merci, Madame la Presidente. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. First off, is the Minister aware of the release of the new federal long-term care standards, and are these under review in light of our 2015 continuing care standards? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Yes, thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I have all kind of good news for the Member from Frame Lake.

The standards for long-term care were released on January 31st by the health standards organization. And what's very important to know about these standards is, not only there are lots of them, but they really are aimed at ensuring the comfort, safety, and dignity of seniors who are in long-term care.

I'd like to say that developing the standards was a collaborative process. It involved the Department of Health and Social Services from the GNWT at a government advisory table. There were several forums, and the department had an opportunity to review the standards and provide input into them. We are using them to develop our own long-term care standards which will be complete by the end of March and go into effect immediately after.

The other thing I want to say about the standards is that they are about more than just the response to COVID. They were in development prior to COVID and so they look at a whole range of issues, not only things like infection control and prevention. Thank you.

Merci, Madame la Presidente. I think that was a yes; that was great. I'll keep it rolling. Our continuing care standards have been in place since 2015 and reviewing that document, I did not see any discussion of the special precautions and practices necessary during a pandemic or a public health emergency.

So can the Minister tell us whether these revised standards that she mentioned, or the review of our 2015 standard, whether there's going to be anything in there in light of any lessons learned from the COVID pandemic? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

Yes, thank you. Given the disastrous start to COVID and the large loss of life, up to as many as 18,000 seniors who died in the early days of COVID, the health and social services authorities developed a management policy for long-term care facilities in the NWT. And this was aimed at managing the outbreak that was happening all across the world at that point, and also with the support of the chief public health officer who provided her input as well. So the document was a living document. Each wave of COVID was different and so the policy was updated each time we confronted a new situation, a situation where it was more contagious or a situation where it was more lethal, and the results of that have been incorporated into the standards I mentioned earlier. Thank you.

Merci, Madame la Presidente. I want to thank the Minister for that. So I had a chance to look at the discussion paper that was released around learning from the response to COVID, and there didn't seem to be anything in there about continuing care or long-term care standards or how the pandemic response relates to seniors in particular in long-term care.

So can the Minister tell us whether there was any public engagement as part of that review of our COVID response that dealt with long-term care standards and whether any public concerns were raised as part of that review? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

Yes, thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, this work is not being led by the Department of Health and Social Services but what I understand is that there was, as the Member said, a discussion paper and a period of time for people to discuss the things that they wanted to be recorded as lessons learned from COVID. So my hope is that when I see this report, there will be the reflections in there of the kind of questions I got during COVID, which actually had less to do with the health side of COVID and more to do with the social side about isolation, visitor policies, and so on. So I'm looking forward to seeing that report and seeing how we could incorporate the information into the standards or into new policies that deal with pandemics. Thank you.

Thank you. Final supplementary, Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Madame la Presidente. I want to thank the Minister again for that. This one might be a bit of a stretch, but I gave the Minister's a headsup, so.

Can the Minister tell us when the results of the learning from the response to COVID-19 public engagement and the actual report will be released, and whether standing committee will be given an opportunity to review and comment on them first? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, it's my understanding that the report is not yet complete but that the production of the report will follow the normal practice of providing it to Regular Members for comment. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, it's my understanding that the Minister of Finance would like to take my question rather than the Premier, as I stated in my statement.

My question has to do with the CRTC, and would the Minister commit to, on behalf of the entire Cabinet, so having the Premier's signature there, send a letter to the CRTC explaining how Yellowknife works and our small business of Cabin Radio versus our southern international firm of Vista Radio, and intervening on Cabin Radio's behalf? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the Department of Finance does maintain the relationship with the CRTC through the office of the information -- or the Office of the Chief Information Officer so that is the reason that the question was more appropriate to go to here. I certainly can't commit any other Member of Cabinet, certainly let alone the Premier, to signing any letters. That said, Madam Speaker, I'm certainly happy to say that it would be within the Department of Finance to put together some sort of letter to comment upon or to express some concern that there may be around this decision. We aren't experts in telecommunications/radio broadcasting. We do work more directly with CRTC with respect to broadband. However, in just a brief review of this and in a brief discussion with the department, it would be within our purview to be able to comment on the decision in that regard. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. And I appreciate the Minister's response, and I'm sure Cabinet will be willing to work with her to ensure that the CRTC does recognize that it's not just the Minister of Finance that would like to see that. But I think I speak for my colleagues as well, that all of us would like to see this looked into.

Can the Minister speak a little bit about the fact that Vista Radio or True North is still a BIP'ed registered company with the Northwest Territories government? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. So the Department of ITI maintains the BIP registry, which fortunately I'm able to speak to a little bit. And as I've mentioned I think earlier this session, we are conducting certainly the procurement review in looking at the registry for the BIP, wanting to ensure that it's reflective of what an appropriate definition for northern businesses is. The final version of what that definition might in fact be is not now final and so in that regard, the Schedule 3 to the BIP remains as it is from something that long predates, I think arguably most, if not all of us in this room. However, again, as I had previously committed, that work is underway; I do expect changes to come and if the current businesses on Schedule 3 continue to meet the definition, they'll find themselves under BIP and if they do not, well then they won't. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. I'm just going to remind Members their line of questioning should remain on the same Minister with the same topic. But this time I will -- if you can keep it on the same topic. Thank you. Supplementary. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. And Madam Speaker, I was going to thank you for your latitude in that last question. And given that it's not a super controversial topic, I do really appreciate that. I will leave this as my final question.

If it should be required, will the Minister commit to meeting with Cabin Radio to better understand the situation and ensure that whatever correspondence goes forward to the CRTC that it is, you know, with their input and the Minister's full understanding of the situation? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, certainly have an obligation, as I see it, to not any one single company but to the market as a whole, and I certainly only read the decision very briefly today. Would want to ensure that, really, that the CRTC is fully aware of the nature of our economy, of the nature of the business environment here. That is exactly the kind of thing we want to be speaking to. And so in that regard, more than happy to meet with the local players to ensure that anything that comes from government reflects and properly balances the interests. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. This is for the Minister of ITI. I didn't give her a heads up on it but I know she will answer these ones; they're pretty easy. I'm just asking about the status of the fish plant in Hay River and a possible opening date? Thank you.

Thank you, Member. Minister of ITI.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I am happy to speak about the fish plant. There is quite a lot of activity underway and senior members from the department were, in fact, in Hay River just recently, and we are still anticipating a summer or early spring opening to the fish plant. It'll be commissioned in the spring with an opening to follow I believe in line with the summer fishing season. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Can the Minister tell me if the CFI certification process has been completed or underway? Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, Members. It's back, the translation is corrected. Minister of ITI.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I believe that the CFIA process is on track in terms of timing. Whether it has already happened or whether it's scheduled to happen, I can confirm that possibly in advance of appearing on ITI's main estimates this afternoon, Madam Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. It's going to take staff to run that plant so I'm just wondering if the Minister can tell me if staff recruitment has taken place or if something's in the works. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I don't think there's an active recruitment for staffing right now, but I can say that there's quite a bit of work happening with the Tu Cho Fishers Cooperative as well as with FFMC to ensure that those players and parties are all involved, that there's no overlapping work going on but that, in fact, everyone's working together. The goal, again, is to have this plant open and operational for the fishing season, including with having a manager and including having the staffing available. I, in fact, only spoke to FTI about this yesterday and had a very thorough assurance that the work necessary to reach that goal is underway. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Final supplementary. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. This last question is self-serving. Will the Minister commit to a fish fry during the opening of the fish plant in Hay River? Thank you.

Without knowing the date of the fish fry, Madam Speaker, it's a bit difficult to commit but I would love a fish fry, and I'm sure we can coordinate an appropriate date to be in Hay River for a fish fry. Thank you.

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

Merci, Madame la Presidente. I was so excited yesterday about Cabin Radio -- they turned me into a meme -- that I didn't get to my questions about midwifery for the Minister of health yesterday. So my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services.

My first question is, as we enter the final phase of implementation of a territorial midwifery program, what major actions remain to be done? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Yes, thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm happy to provide an update on the midwifery program. The major issue we have right now is with staffing. The Fort Smith program is now Monday to Friday because they're down two staff. We're also looking for a senior consultant in Yellowknife. So we're not fully staffed anywhere so it's difficult for us to move forward with the implementation program until that happens. Thank you.

Merci, Madame la Presidente. I want to thank the Minister for that. In her recent update to me by email, the Minister noted that for the territorial midwifery program, it's being guided by something called an implementation project charter. That's the first time I've heard of a charter outside of the actual strategy.

So can the Minister tell us when and how the charter was developed, including what involvement there was from stakeholders such as the Midwives Association of the NWT? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, a project charter is like a vision and mission statement. It sets out the project that is to be accomplished, breaks it down into timing, responsibilities and actions, and so on. The project charter for midwifery was created in 2021 to guide the work of implementation of the midwifery program. It's an internal document that employees refer to and measure their progress against. And while it wasn't developed specifically with external stakeholders, I'm sure the Member is aware that there was a very thorough public engagement on the question of midwifery in 2017, and the results of that engagement informed both the project charter and the implementation. Thank you.

Merci, Madame la Presidente. I want to thank the Minister for that. I'd be interested in seeing the project charter at some point, but. And the Minister spoke of the difficulty in staffing these positions. So can the Minister tell us whether there's a recruitment and retention strategy for the territorial midwifery program or what special considerations are required as part of an overall health worker strategy to maintain midwifery? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

Yes, thank you. We currently have two ads out for midwives. One that is for two midwives in Fort Smith, and one is for a senior consultant in Yellowknife. Those ads are open until filled. The one for the midwives in Fort Smith has been up for three weeks; the other one for Yellowknife has been up for one week. So midwives are included as people who can have the benefit of the labour market supplement recruitment and retention payments, as well as the other incentives that we introduced such as having friends and family coming to spend holidays with people who are working here. So I think our greatest challenge, really, is the same as it is for other health professionals, which is convincing them to make the Northwest Territories a long-term home so that we can provide stability and continuity in patient services. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Madame la Presidente. I want to thank the Minister for that, sincerely thank her because that was a lot of good news there and I hadn't heard all of that, so. But I think we need to start to think about evaluation of this moving forward as well. So how is the implementation working group and the project charter preparing for the essential task of gathering data and evaluating program effectiveness, including the engagement of stakeholders such as parents, staff, and advocates? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I'm pleased to say that there is a performance measurement framework. It captures a broad range of activities that are part of the implementation plan for midwifery, and it adheres to the recommendations that were provided in the stakeholder engagement in 2017. So I am not sure when this first measurement framework will be complete and ready for the public to review, but that's certainly something I can provide as a followup. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure. Could the Minister please provide us with an update on the Tulita Health Centre? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Infrastructure.

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, right now we are working with the department of health to have a look at the project going forward. Thank you.

Okay, so not much of an update. Can the Minister respond to whether or not Clark Builders, the contractor for that work, has demobilized from site? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. No.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm a bit confused by that answer as it's been brought to my attention by several people in the area that the health centre has now been halted and is not progressing. Can the Minister please speak to the rumors and why that would be being said? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the construction of the Tulita Health Centre was suspended in June of 2021. We had concerns from the community that during COVID that they did not want anybody outside of the residents to be in the community so therefore we did put a halt on it. And right now we are continuing discussions with the department of health to see what we do with the project. I don't have answers right now other than we are looking into it. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, it's my understanding that work did resume on the health centre over the last while and that since then there's been a demobilization or a stop of work. Can the Minister speak to that? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, we did work with the department of health. We went back to the community. We are -- we did halt, that is correct. And now we're looking at trying to get the project back on track. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm going to continue along this line of questioning.

Can the Minister speak to when the last halting or demobilization or stoppage of work at the Tulita Health Centre occurred? It must have been past the time of the COVID stopping. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I don't know the dates. I can get back to the Member with the timeline on what we've been doing with the project. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm disappointed to hear that the Minister doesn't have this answer, considering it's an outstanding request that I have into her department that I've yet to see a response for. Maybe the question is when will the Minister respond to me with my answers to my questions? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, we can definitely work with the staff at infrastructure and pull up the BF and make sure that we respond. Thank you.

Thank you. Final supplementary. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, is it the intent of the Department of Infrastructure to re-tender this project or; i.e., send it out for another RFP round? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. The project for the Tulita Health Centre, we're still having discussions. The BF is due tomorrow. We'll try and get a response back to the Member. In terms of what do we do going forward, we're still having those discussions. Thank you.

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