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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is the Minister able to or willing to share whatever the sales pitch and package they're presenting to the department of national defence to make sure we get all Northerners on side for this type of infrastructure investment and job creation that could be very important and critical to our depressed economic economy when we need it most. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm certain I can provide some summary. I only want to be conscious that I'm not sharing DND information that is not mine to share, but can definitely provide more information about what kind of sale's pitch we're giving. And, again, happy to have more attention on it. I certainly would want to make it very plain and very clear that I share the interest, and I share the enthusiasm. We want to see that investment here. We think the Northwest Territories is the right place for it. And so I'll make sure and get something that we can all share and get behind. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Infrastructure. Oral questions. Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Members of the 2SLGBTQIPA+ community are watching their rights erode in other jurisdictions in Canada. Pride flags and crosswalks have been banned in Westlock, Alberta, and politicking by the UCP has resulted in gender affirming health care being removed for youth. The community has also seen disregard for queer lives lead to the death of a young two-spirit person in Oklahoma after they were beat up in a school bathroom mere weeks ago. What assurances can the Minister of ECE give to us and the public today that trans and queer youth are safe in NWT schools? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Member from Great Slave. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to start today by letting the Member know and letting residents of the Northwest Territories know that as the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, I will not endorse or support policies that -- or legislation that I see is harmful to residents of the Northwest Territories, including our youth. What is being done today, Mr. Speaker, under the Education Act and safe schools regulations, schools in the Northwest Territories are required to provide a safe and caring environment for the school community. So ECE hosts a territorial safe and caring schools subcommittee. This is made up of representatives from each education body across the Northwest Territories. And their role is to plan, coordinate, and action processes, activities, and projects related to implementing the safe school's regulations. In addition, the territorial school code of conduct also exists and confirms that schools and education bodies are wholly responsible to ensure that all members of the school community are provided with a safe, positive, respectful, and caring environment regardless of orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.

To support education bodies and schools in fostering 2SLGBTQIPA+ equity, safety, and inclusion in schools, ECE has also developed the guidelines for ensuring LGBTQ2S+ equity, safety, and inclusion in Northwest Territories schools.

In addition, Mr. Speaker, as outlined in the Education Act and safe schools regulations, all NWT schools have safe and caring school plans. These plans include bullying prevention, intervention, and education strategies. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for that. I believe later in the day I saw she might be tabling some of those documents, and that's also welcomed.

Mr. Speaker, what partnerships does ECE undertake with the Northern Mosaic Network and school-based rainbow clubs to foster safety for queer youth? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, ECE collaborates regularly with the Northern Mosaic Network through the safe and caring school subcommittee. And this supports education bodies' needs around ensuring that 2SLGBTQIPA+ youth are -- have access to safety, equity, and inclusion. The Northern Mosaic Network is invited and provides sessions as well to NWT educators through annual in-services. And recently, the Northern Mosaic Network provided in-service on supporting 2SLGBTQIPA+ diversity in secondary and elementary education at the program support teacher in-service that just occurred in February 20th to 22nd of this year. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the Minister also answered my next question, which is great, which had to do with what training and professional development may be required for teachers and other school staff to ensure that they understand safe practices, language, and inclusive environments for all students? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in addition to the items that I have already mentioned, there is also a gender support plan that schools have which provides a guide for staff members to understand ways a student's gender can be affirmed while the student is supported at school. ECE also supports evidence-based healthy relationship training for school staff and a safe school regulations mandate that safe school plans must include, like I said before, the bullying prevention, intervention, education strategies that integrate evidence-based healthy relationship programming into the school curriculum itself and daily classroom activities.

In addition to that, Mr. Speaker, ECE includes what is called the fourth R for grades 7 to 9, healthy relationships, plus for grades 10 through 11, and gender sexuality alliance and healthy relationship programming for 2SLGBTQIPA+ youth as well. And what I will also say, Mr. Speaker, is the healthy relationship program that I've just mentioned is a small group of positive mental health promotion program for gender, sexual, romantic minority youth and is available for gender sexuality alliances as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for that. As we shift to the new BC-based curriculum, is there any elements of that curriculum that are inclusive and supportive of queer students? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, the draft NWT adapted curriculum does have topics on gender and identity that are covered in grades 4, 5, 6, and 9 that I indicated earlier this week that those are the grades trialing the new curriculum. So in the draft curriculum, grades 4 through 6 health curriculum is supported to be able to describe and apply strategies that promote safe and caring environments, such as culture of consent and awareness and acceptance of different races, ethnicities, cultural practices, and gender identities and expressions. Also it supports to understand physical, emotional, and social changes that occur during puberty, including those involving sexuality and sexual identity.

In this curriculum, topics around identifying and addressing gender-based violence and discrimination are also covered in the draft -- in the draft grade 9 health curricula as well. And work is currently ongoing adapting the BC grade 7 and 8 health curriculum which also includes many of these elements. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The previous government say that they had made serious progress towards an agreement-in-principle with the Akaitcho Dene First Nations. Meanwhile ten years after devolution, the Akaitcho are not receiving no royalties from their lands and resources. Mr. Speaker, my question would be to the Premier. How close is the GNWT to signing an agreement-in-principle with the Akaitcho Dene First Nation? Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A consultation draft of the agreement-in-principle has been completed. It is with the Akaitcho leadership, and they are reviewing it internally. So the ball is in their court right now, and so I don't have a timeline on how long things will take but I can say there is forward progress on this file. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, Premier, for your response. Does the Premier think an agreement-in-principle is possible within the life span of this government? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I definitely think it's possible. We are not the only party to these negotiations though so there is a lot that's out of our hands. I mean, the federal government is -- you know, they have an evolving approach to negotiations as well so they might introduce a new way of doing business that could add more time to the process. So there's a lot of unknowns, but I am confident that we're headed in the right direction and we're moving at a good pace. Thank you.

Thank you. In the 19th Assembly, we passed the UNDRIP bill and more or less defining the Indigenous rights of the people here in the Northwest Territories. Can the Premier ask -- my question is to Premier, again. It's unfair that my region is being excluded from not signing on to devolution agreement. Can the Premier commit to having the Akaitcho receive the monies that is made off their lands and resources and backdated to April 1st, 2014? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I do not have the authority to make that commitment. The GNWT is also signatory to the devolution agreement as are a number of Indigenous governments, and so it's that group of governments who would make that decision, not myself as Premier. And as I understand, the last direction was that the signatories receive those funds. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Final supplementary. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.