The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Ministers' statements. Honourable Premier.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Madam Premier. Colleagues, before we continue, I'd like to recognize Mr. Robert C. McLeod, former Member of the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th Assemblies, former Minister and deputy premier. Welcome back to the Chamber. Also his wife Judy, welcome. And also Mr. David Brock, the NWT's former chief electoral officer, welcome.

Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At a recent Council of Leaders meeting on mental health and addictions, I heard from Indigenous governments about what is working well in their communities as well as some of the challenges. There are many successes, and it is truly inspiring to hear about the programs and initiatives going forward in communities across the NWT.

One of the challenges leaders identified was the administrative burden of applying for multiple funding pots for mental wellness and addictions recovery funding. In response to this feedback, I am pleased to advise that the department will be combining the On the Land Healing Fund, the Addictions Recovery and Aftercare Fund, and the Addictions Recovery Peer Support Fund, into one fund called Mental Wellness and Addictions Recovery Fund.

This combined fund will continue to prioritize Indigenous governments and will help reduce the burden of compiling and completing multiple applications and reports. Bundling the funds will also provide Indigenous governments with greater autonomy over the kinds of mental wellness and addictions recovery projects they offer and how funding is allocated. This change will take effect on April 1st at the start of the new fiscal year.

In addition to the proposed combining of funds, the department will be revising the application process in 2024-2025. Applications will be accepted prior to the start of the next fiscal year so Indigenous governments can receive early confirmation of funding which will support program planning, provide stability, and enable funds to be spent earlier.

Mr. Speaker, this is a positive step forward in our ongoing partnership with Indigenous governments, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with them to meet the mental wellness and addictions needs of NWT residents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide an update on the ministerial mandate and commitments to review the Government of the Northwest Territories Land Lease-Only Policy.

Mr. Speaker, the Land Lease-Only Policy was initially established in 1987 to ensure ongoing Aboriginal rights agreement negotiations were not impacted through the sale of land. Since then, our territory has changed in many ways. Our population and economy have grown, our communities are more developed, and the GNWT is responsible for most of the land and resources. While this progress is welcome, this growth comes with an increased need for land for housing, businesses, and community development, including in areas with ongoing Aboriginal rights agreement negotiations.

Despite these changes in our territory, the Land Lease-Only Policy has not been updated since the mid-1990s. The recent review of the policy concluded that the policy prevented the GNWT from meeting the land needs for housing, business, and community growth.

Mr. Speaker, I am sure everyone in this House would agree that government policies should be dynamic and responsive to the needs of all our territory. I share this belief.

Following the initial review, the Department of Lands engaged with the Intergovernmental Council Secretariat, Indigenous governments, and standing committee to resolve issues found during the review. I thank everybody who participated for providing valuable feedback. I can confirm that the department has reviewed all the feedback and completed updated that necessary all views and needs.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that effective April 1st, the Land Lease-Only Policy will be replaced with the Limitation of Land Sales Policy. This new policy will continue to meet the intended goals of restricting the sale of the most vacant land within and outside communities in the areas with continuing Aboriginal rights agreement negotiations. It will also support other policy goals of the GNWT related to housing, business, and community growth by changing the outdated conditions for titled land. Going forward, I am confident the new Limitation of Land Sales Policy reflects feedback received through the engagement process. The revised policy will also meet the needs of many of our residents and communities now and into the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Mr. Speaker, the availability of healthy, affordable food is a fundamental requirement for a good quality of life and a strong, healthy territory. The Government of the Northwest Territories mandate reflects this and commits to addressing food security while also investing in Northwest Territories agriculture as a growing sector of our economy.

Since 2003, the GNWT has partnered with the federal government to provide financial resources and cross-jurisdictional supports to encourage the growth and sustainability of the agricultural and agri-food sector in the Northwest Territories. A succession of formal five-year agreements has resulted in renewed agriculture development in the Northwest Territories, evidenced by the growth and diversity of producers and processors, and a rise in local production and sales.

On April 1st, the fifth such bilateral agreement will come into effect, titled the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership, or the Sustainable-CAP. The Sustainable-CAP will see an investment of $7.6 million in the Northwest Territories agriculture and agri-food sector over the next five years. Canada will provide 60 percent of this funding annually with the GNWT making up the rest. Overall, the new agreement represents a 25 percent increase in the government's investment in agriculture across Canada, with funding organized in five priority areas:

• Climate Change and Environment;
• Market Development and Trade;
• Building Sector Capacity, Growth and Competitiveness;
• Resiliency and Public Trust; and,
• Science, Research, and Innovation.

The Sustainable-CAP emphasizes a commitment to strengthening relationships and increasing Indigenous participation in the sector while improving access to funding. As with previous multilateral agriculture partnerships, the Sustainable-CAP confirms the exemption of the Northwest Territories from requirements of proportionate spending and from the accounting of federal attributed funding, where required.

Mr. Speaker, the summer flooding of 2022 was devastating for many residents in the South Slave and Deh Cho regions and, among them, members of our territory's agriculture sector. With that in mind, and in response to what we heard from engagements with the Northwest Territories agriculture community last year, the GNWT, with this new agreement, will leverage its participation in the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership to provide access for Northwest Territories producers to two key business risk management programs.

• AgriStability is a whole-farm margin-based income stabilization program that aims to protect producers against large declines in farming income due to production loss from unpredictable weather, crop or animal disease, poor yields, increased costs, or adverse market conditions.
• AgriInvest is a self-managed producer-government savings account designed to help manage small income declines and make investments to manage risk and improve market income.

Coming out of last year's tragedy, Mr. Speaker, we hope that the addition of the AgriStability and AgriInvest programs will serve to increase the confidence of Northwest Territories producers and agri-food businesses as they look to rebuild what was lost.

Mr. Speaker, the GNWT's support for regional agriculture programs is doing more than encouraging local food production. It is promoting economic development and diversity and, in time, will help us to address food security especially in our small and remote communities. The sustainable agriculture partnership will help us realize this vision. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. Member for Hay River South.

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday we voted to continue collection and administration of the carbon tax on behalf of the federal government. Although it divided this House, I believe we are all in agreement that the tax itself is bad for the NWT and should be eliminated or an exemption provided.

Mr. Speaker, we heard a passionate plea from the Member of Nunakput who's constituents, and who I believe are the most impacted by this tax - a tax that only increases the cost of living for residents and drives away development. The people who live in and make the northernmost communities home, have been forced to rely heavily on both this and the federal government just to survive. This tax pushes residents' reliance on government even further and as the cost of living increases, many are forced to go without.

Mr. Speaker, our reliance on fossil fuels continues and will continue well into the future while this tax continues to punish a limited population who have limited to no immediate choice for cheaper green energy. As the carbon tax increases, it only works to strand an important resource which is northern oil and gas. This tax, coupled with the moratorium placed on northern oil and gas development, is only strangling any opportunity northern residents have for employment or business opportunities.

Mr. Speaker, this government cannot sit by and watch the unfairness unfold without our own backstop to assist the most vulnerable who will feel the greatest impact. We may not be able to change the tax itself, however, we do need to change the mindset of those in Ottawa when it comes to the reality of living in the North. Southern and federal politicians need to realize that our presence in the North has value.

When one talks about Arctic Sovereignty, we are talking about residents who are on the frontline. When we talk about the untapped resources, we are talking about potential benefits for all Canadians. When we talk about Indigenous people, we are talking their homeland.

Mr. Speaker, stranded resources not used should be recognized as keeping our carbon footprint in check. Our forests and peat lands capture more carbon than we produce. So when the government discusses targets and carbon tax with the federal government, they must consider natural carbon capture and by not using stranded oil and gas in the Beaufort Sea, we are not adding to carbon increases. And this should be enough to eliminate or reduce the carbon tax for NWT residents - otherwise we may have to wait for the Conservatives to axe the tax.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When the Department of Lands set out on their unauthorized occupancy quest, we were told that anyone with an Indigenous right would be put in a separate category and dealt with later. And, Mr. Speaker, recently one of my constituents, who is an Indigenous fisherman, was kicked off of public land. And I'm trying to understand why this happened. I don't want to get into specifics of this one case, but I would like the Department of Lands to give us some guidance here. And, Mr. Speaker, first and foremost, I think we all have to recognize how complicated Indigenous rights are. This case raises a lot of questions. It raises questions such as when does an Indigenous right end? Does it end when there's commercial activity? Does it end when there's a cabin built and it becomes a permanent structure? Do the Metis have rights on this side of the lake? Do the YKDFN have rights on that side of the lake? These are messy questions, Mr. Speaker, and they're questions best left to the courts and land claim processes. They are questions that the Department of Lands said they would not be answering and should not be answering, Mr. Speaker. I'm going to have questions for the Department of Lands on what exactly they are using as a test for Indigenous rights to harvest on Great Slave Lake. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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