Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, submissions have been made to the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board by numerous parties, including the NWT Chamber of Mines, industry, the Tlicho government, and others. Nearly all submissions have been of the same opinion, that their interpretation of the water regulation should not consider water use for the ice bridges in the type of water license or that use is exempt from licensing. We look forward to the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board making a decision on this matter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for the answer. Respectfully, Mr. Speaker, what I was asking is whether we can initiate discussions and initiate movement on amendments to the waters regulations while waiting for the board's decision. Is there any reason why waiting for the board's decision precludes the GNWT from moving on this issue? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department is committed to continuing discussions with the land and water board and the Tlicho government and the other interested parties on this type of water use and its interpretation. Making the changes at this time -- sorry. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Final supplementary. Member from Frame Lake.

Okay, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister. Mr. Speaker, I just want to get clear is the Minister open to initiating changes to the regs. I know that there's talk about changing the Waters Act, but I would suggest that's going to be a process that will take some time. Is the Minister open to initiating changes to the regs ahead of or alongside development of a new Waters Act? Thank you.

The department believes that the issue could be resolved by interpretation of the regulations rather than an amendment to the regulations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Social Services has an excellent cultural safety unit that has made huge progress on decolonizing the government's -- the health department's approach to dealing with Indigenous peoples in the health care system and creating a safe environment for Indigenous peoples. I'm wondering -- and MLAs have all been part of that process as well, and I can speak from personal experience that it was a good one. Is the Premier willing to move that unit into the department of executive and take a whole-of-government approach to cultural safety training? Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the question. The MLA noted that all MLAs actually participated in that training, and so I think we here in this room understand the value of it. Cultural safety, it's a concept that originates from health academics and the GNWT began, I guess, developing the program and offering it using federal funding, so under the health innovation fund I believe, and now through another pot of federal funding directly related to health. So that's why it has been situated in health. That being said, we have expanded the delivery of that program to a few different groups. So the MLAs, I know the deputy ministers, and assistant deputy ministers have taken in. And there's another opportunity for those who haven't gotten to as well. So I understand what the Member is saying. We can look at perhaps where this program might fit better, but that's not a decision to make lightly. So I appreciate the Member has a policy proposal and an organizational structure redesign that he's suggesting, and so I'm happy to go back to the department and have them look into it, but these aren't the kind of things that I want to just say yes to on the floor of the House. There's a lot more thought and research that needs to go into these things behind the scenes before we could advance something like that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm happy to look into that as well. I appreciate that when we are developing programs and policies, we need to have a certain mindset. I've seen -- you know, my time as an MLA, I've seen policies and programs that you could tell were missing a certain lens at the very beginning, whether it was an economic lens, an environmental lens, or a cultural safety lens. So I'm happy to go back and see exactly what the process is, what is considered, and how we may be able to improve that process. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe -- or, if not a full unit or the full program, can the Minister ensure that there is someone in Executive and Indigenous Affairs who can provide that ongoing advice if requested by other departments so we can at least ensure there's someone who's active in providing cultural safety expertise to departments when needed? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I understand that this -- the group in health has already provided that type of advice. I actually have someone in my office who is an expert in this area as well so I'm happy to have that conversation and see whether or not we can -- or how we can better support departments. Thank you.

Premier. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Premier extend that training to middle management as well, so it's not just the deputy minister level and our honourable colleagues here but also managers of the public service who are really doing the day-to-day operations of the GNWT? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can't make any commitments -- I don't want to make any commitments on behalf of the Minister of health. But I think that's a good suggestion. It is a very labour intensive program to offer. As Members know, it's not easy. It's not easy on the facilitators either. And so we also have to take into consideration that the people who are delivering this training, you know, there's an impact on them as well. So there's a number of things that we need to consider. I agree that it's something that I wish we could offer it across government, and there have been constant movements in that direction, to expand it to more people, to make it a more robust program. So I'll go back, and I will have those conversations. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member's statement today I put it out the department of national defence is looking for some place in the North to house some of their F35 planes, Mr. Speaker. They're buying new -- they're getting delivery in two years, Mr. Speaker. So my question is for the Minister of Infrastructure. And I'd like to know what the department is doing in recognition that the national defence department of Canada is shopping around for a new base. Is the department aware of this, and what are they doing with that knowledge? Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Infrastructure.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are aware of that. I'm happy to have some attention brought to it, happy to have it brought out publicly that we're aware of. And more specifically, Mr. Speaker, the department's senior officials have already met with department officials from the department of national defence and looking forward to continuing that conversation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, that's certainly good news. I'd like to hear what the department officials are doing or where are they anticipating the potential base, if that's part of the conversation, could be located in the North. As I said, I'd be happy for it to be in Yellowknife but that said I recognize opportunities it may make better sense in Inuvik. So I'd like to hear what the Minister has to say. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, ultimately a decision about where a national defence base or a national defence expansion would take place is the national department of defence decision. Our purpose and our goal is to ensure that wherever that base is that it's in the Northwest Territories. No disrespect to our colleagues on either side, but we want it to be in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

So, Mr. Speaker, what is the department doing in the sense of selling this as an opportunity other than saying pick us? Thank you.