Thank you. Madam Premier.

Thank you, Madam Chair. My understanding is, yes, we give the 444 but the federal government also gives $1 million, Madam Chair. If the chair wants to do -- I do believe the Minister of Status of Women does know a little bit more on the executive director position if we wanted to turn it to her. If you're okay with that, Madam Chair.

I'll turn to Minister of Status of Women.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, so there were some challenges I understand in terms of the staffing at the Status of Women over the last several months, and the gender equity unit was able to provide some supports during that period of time. It is the board of the Status of Women that does do their own hiring and does manage their own human resources process. So the role that I would have on behalf of the GNWT, as the Minister responsible for Status of Women, is to appoint the board and then they do their own hiring. So I certainly can reach out to them for an update as to where they're at. But they, as I said, to the extent that there were some challenges with staffing, we were able to support them but it is their role. And then with respect to, I think the Member was asking what the funding would be, and obviously the main estimates are before Members right now, and they are not -- well, not certainly at all taking away from the importance of the work that they do, they are an advocacy-based organization and not one providing essential services. And so they may not then necessarily have been subject to the same forced growth process that NGOs that do provide essential government services for which the GNWT would have to step in would then be subject to it. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Could I have a clarification on where this million dollar from the federal government is? I only see $595,000 here. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Status of Women.

Thank you, Madam Chair. So that was funding that came through -- I believe it was announced by MP McLeod roughly a year ago now and it was -- I can't speak to the nature of exactly -- I believe it was -- it was probably some sort of project funding but, again, it was federal dollars. It is not the only external funding that Status of Women receives. They certainly receive other program dollars through other federal departments, and I can't speak to that entirely. I believe, however, I can commit to providing Members with a copy of their annual report which would then give a fuller picture of the entirety of the funds that they have from all sources. Thank you.

Thank you. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Madam Chair. And I appreciate the clarification around the essential services. Although I do want to note that the Status of Women does do a lot of other work that is quite key, whether or not it's actually deemed essential by the government. I know that they've been doing a lot work with, like, RCMP and analyzing things around domestic violence, etcetera.

Can the Minister or the Premier answer whether or not the gender equity unit is actually being positioned to replace the Status of Women given that there's more funding there than there seems to be to the Status of Women. Thank you.

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll start, and then the Minister of the Status of Women might want to expand on it. At no time -- so I'm not sure if I'm understanding the question quite right. But the gender equity unit is not to take the place of the Status of Women. It's totally different. The gender equity work is to work with Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, around that kind of work that we're working on. But at no time have we had any discussions about taking over and replacing the Status of Women. Madam Chair, I'm not sure if the Minister of Status of Women wanted to expand, or if she's okay with that.

Thank you. Did you have anything to add, Minister of Status of Women?

Thank you, Madam Chair. Only to further echo what the Premier's already said. Gender equity unit, just to be very clear, replaces what was formerly known as the women's advisory office, which had exactly one person working in it which is not a whole lot of horsepower to deal with when you have the breadth of matters that come through. As the Premier said, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the response to the national action plan comes through gender equity as is work in terms of training departments on gender-based analysis as well as work in terms of intimate partner violence, and there's multi-department initiatives that touch on both of those things that then have to run through or do run through. Also the campaign schools are running through this division. So there's a lot of work happening there that is separate and apart from what the Status of Women are doing and certainly, as the Premier said, not the intention to step on their toes. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Madam Chair. So this is what this seems to me, and I hear a lot of what the description about the gender equity unit does actually seem to me to quite overlap with some of the work that is being done by the Status of Women. So, again, just like our shelter situation where we put it on NGOs that can't afford to pay proper wages to do work, it seems like this is another one of those types of situations where we underfund an NGO to do work but then we have a parallel department or other department doing some of that work. Those people are making more money. They're getting better benefits and wages than the people that are working for the NGO or the arm's length entity. And as a result, we are seeing a mass exodus of those NGOs and those nongovernmental groups to the government. So maybe just more of a comment. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Are there any further questions on the additional items on page 141 and 143? Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Just while we're talking about the Status of Women, I believe it was last summer there was engagement done on the Status of Women Act. And I'm wondering what the expected timeline is on that act and if we'll see a bill in the life of this Assembly? Thank you.

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I do know that the bill will be coming in this Assembly, but I'd like to transfer it to the status of women Minister who will know the timing better than me. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister responsible for Status of Women.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I think the Premier's given -- oh no, hang on, Madam Chair, I may actually have it here handy. If I don't, I can certainly provide it. But the Premier is correct, it is going to be coming in the life of this Assembly. I think -- this session, Madam Chair.

This sitting? This sitting? Okay, just to clarify. Member for Kam Lake.

No, that's excellent. We look forward to seeing it and working with Cabinet on it. Thank you.