The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That was pretty well the only question I had. And I'd like to thank the Minister for the work that the department has done to make this happen. Like I say, you know, in the last probably 20 years we haven't seen anything happen with the channel, and I think people in Hay River will be pleased to hear, you know, the efforts that the department and this government has made to make this happen this year. So more of a comment than anything. Thank you.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Taken as a comment. Colleagues, our time for oral questions has expired. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's Friday so I figured I'd seek unanimous consent to return to oral questions, number 7 on the orders of the day. Thank you.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. The Member is seeking unanimous consent to return to item 7. Are there any nays?

---Unanimous consent denied

Sorry. Written questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Richard Edjericon Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Written questions I have is a document for unresolved matters of the federal Indian Day School. I'd like to table this document -- or sorry written question, I'd like to put this on the record. Thank you. I thought we were done. Okay, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Unresolved matters of the federal Indian Day School. My questions are to the Premier regarding the unresolved matter of the federal Indian Day School:

1. On April 1, 1969, the Roman Catholic Church and Anglican Church relinquished control of the federal Indian Day Schools and transferred the programs to the Northwest Territories. There were 29 federal Indian Day Schools in the NWT where Indigenous children and youth were subjected to physical, emotional, sexual abuse, and cultural genocide. Can the Premier provide in detail the steps the Government of the Northwest Territories has taken to formally acknowledge and document these abuses;
2. Survivors want an opportunity to share their experiences and stories and preserve these for historical records. Can the Premier describe in detail what the GNWT has done to set up a commission to listen to these experiences and stories and establish an archive for on-going learning and research similar to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada;
3. The Prime Minister of Canada and the Pope formally apologized to residential school survivors and acknowledges the intergenerational damages caused by residential schools. What is the rationale for the Premier not apologizing for the GNWT's role in its abuses and cultural genocide of Indigenous children and youth with federal Indian Day Schools; and,
4. What position would the GNWT take on a class action lawsuit brought forward by survivors of the federal Indian Day Schools?

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to put this on the record. Mahsi.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Written questions. Returns to written questions. Replies to the Commissioner's address. Petitions. Reports of committees on the review of bills. Reports of standing and special committees. Member for Nunakput.

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment is pleased to provide a Report on Supporting Northern Businesses and commends it to the House, Mr. Speaker.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment made it a priority early in the life of the 19th Legislative Assembly to increase the northern responsiveness by government policies and services in an effort to stimulate diversity among northern businesses, particularly Indigenous businesses. To achieve this goal, committee reviewed Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) policies, programs, and legislation related to business development. Committee also conducted internal research and engaged with stakeholders and the public at large. Several Members of the 19th Assembly raised concerns with support for the private sector especially in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The committee has considered all this information and used it to inform a range of recommendations to the GNWT with the intent and purpose of building and diversifying the NWT economy and improving business support services and programs.

Recommendation 1:

The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends that the GNWT increase transparency to all capital projects and especially public three-year capital plans of projects of small communities and regional centres so businesses can plan.

Recommendation 2:

The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends that the GNWT track and limit sole source contracts by creating a target to ensure:

1. No more than 15 percent of all contracts over $25,000 are issued to sole source contracts;
2. Regular public reports and achievement target be provided within six months of the end of each fiscal year; and,
3. That these public reports outline sole source contracts given to non-NWT businesses as well as the departments using sole source methods most often.

Recommendation 3:

The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends that contractual provisions limit change orders to no more than 15 percent of the original cost of the project and that be a regular review of change orders requiring ministerial oversight and no change orders greater than $10,000.

Recommendation 4:

The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends to improve public reporting actual benefits achieved under negotiated contracts to better track the impact of this spending; and, further recommends that the GNWT's public reports on this spending indicate the local accommodations used and the number of jobs created.

Recommendation 5:

The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends that the GNWT review the U.S. Small Business Administration 8(a) Program, which currently serves Indigenous businesses, such as those owned by the Alaska native corporations and native Hawaiian organizations with the purpose of developing similar programs like this in the NWT.

Recommendation 6:

The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends that the GNWT create and implement an Indigenous Procurement Policy that addresses economic gaps in the NWT by giving preference to Indigenous businesses.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Member for Nunakput.

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, second by the honourable Member from Deh Cho, that the Committee Report 53-19(2), Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on Supporting Northern Businesses deemed read and printed in Hansard.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Member for Nunakput, we'll have to make a short correction here.

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

I'll start over again. I move, second by the honourable Member from Frame Lake, that the Committee Report 53-19(2), Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on Supporting Northern businesses be deemed read and printed in Hansard in its entirety. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. The motion is in order. To the motion?