Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So earlier I spoke about extended producer responsibility, which the Act, the Waste Reduction Act, gives us powers to do. So can the Minister explain what might happen to products like used oil, tires, and electronics if producers have to take responsibility for them? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the key priorities in being successful with this type of work, and these types of programs, is certainly by working with the producers in how this would look going forward. But I think another really important area that we need to consider as a government is, you know, not trying to reinvent the wheel here. There are many programs across Canada and around the world that already exist to help us deal with some of these environmental waste items. So working and looking at what programs are out there that we could adapt that would fit within the context of the Northwest Territories would certainly be a way forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So how is the department engaging with producers who might make these types of products, distributors who are bringing them into the NWT, or even local businesses who are selling them? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, you know, we want to work collaboratively with the producers in developing the regulations and the programs around this and ensuring that we're also engaging with the stakeholders through the segment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of ECC. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So if there's a local business or a non-profit that's interested in taking these products and -- or taking waste products and creating something new out of them instead of having them go into a landfill, is any startup funding available from either ECC or other departments to help them get a project like that off the ground? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm very happy to say yes, that there are a couple of funding options that I can currently reference right at this time. So ITI provides a SEED funding option that, you know, they're always anxious to support this type of activity and new entrepreneurial opportunities within the Northwest Territories. And there's also the waste reduction and recycling initiative through the Department of ECC that has funding available to support this type of activity. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of ECC. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, going to bat to ensure that multi-year funding agreements are available is certainly something that I've already fought for and that is now quite widely available, and we'll certainly be dulling that down, that message, as I know my deputy minister already has with his colleagues at my request, that multi-year funding agreements are available. They've been available for the government for a long time. They come with the caveat that we only approve budgets here once a year. That applies to every department and everything we do, including the contribution agreements we have with NGOs. But certainly, to the extent that we can have programs, you know, that are funded -- or performed by an NGO, there's some that it's very simply obvious that they're very likely that they're going to continue to get support. There are those multi-year agreements. If it's federally funded, I have no control over that. Federally funded agreements, we can't have multi-year agreements because of the federal rules on that.

As far as, again, allowing NGOs to go and to speak to the department that provides them a contribution agreement, there too, there has been a change in the last government allowing there to be forced growth submissions on behalf of those providing these essential services. Individual departments will provide each of those agreements with their individual NGOs who are providing services on their behalf. So I'd like to know if there's one that hasn't seen that kind of an opportunity, then I can get to speak to them on a one-on-one basis or the relevant department can. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll provide that specific to the Minister. She's asked me who, I'll let her know. Mr. Speaker, she is in charge of FMB policies which are the overarching financial policies. Would the Minister open up a discussion with NGOs to ensure that our financial management policies do actually reflect their needs? So in other words, things like multi-year agreements are the standard unless, and that type of discussion with them? So in other words, would the Minister be willing to open up that type of discussion to the NGO groups? Because we met with them right after getting elected, and they're feeling largely ignored. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, while I may be responsible for financial management board management, the Premier's office is responsible for the relationship with NGOs. And right now, in EIA's business plans for the next four years, there's a significant amount of work planned out to happen in this space to ensure that there's the advisory group that is formed to provide exactly the kind of feedback that the Member is asking and that the recommendations from the report of, I believe 2023, can be looked at towards implementation. Thank you.

Thank you, and I appreciate that. And the Minister didn't say away as in, hey, I'm trying to school you. The Premier -- I appreciate you pointing it out that, yes, it does involve the Minister. So I'm saying I recognize and appreciate her tone on the response. That said, though, she is in charge of FMB which is the overarching financial policies. That's why I directed the question directly to her.

Mr. Speaker, again, perhaps maybe I can approach it this way: NGOs don't feel they're being recognized in this budget, and they feel that they're being overlooked. And I guess my question comes down to is when do we ask ourselves the tough question, through Finance that is, is why are we using them if they don't feel appreciated? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are a great many struggles across this Northwest Territories right now, whether it's the public service that's struggling, whether it's NGOs delivering services that are struggling, whether it's residents who are struggling, residents in the Sahtu right now are struggling. So it is difficult to have a line item or an announceable in a budget that addresses every single one of the struggles that we are having in the territory right now coming off of four years of struggle. There's a lot of struggle. No, there is not a line item that says, this NGO. There's not a line item for individual NGOs. Individual departments must go and work with those providing essential services on their behalf. It is recognized in the sense that it's recognized in the business planning process. Significant attention is put to this regard because it now sits at EIA, which is the coordinating body that essentially coordinates every single other department so that when departments are out there working with NGOs, working in that space, it's front and center for the government right now. It really is -- again, it's really in the purview of the Premier's office, which is the highest office that it could possibly be in for this attention.

So there's not a line item, but I've spent a lot of time trying to say that in a budget of $2.2 billion, 95 percent of that work will not get an announceable in the budget speech. 95 percent of that work won't have a line item. It's done by the departments. It's what we do every day. I'm happy to have the chance to speak about NGOs. I have a lot of residents in my riding that are very involved in NGOs. Not getting specific callout in the budget doesn't mean they're not valued. It doesn't mean departments won't work with them. And that's why the Premier's office is leading it. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, just quickly back to the policy issue about revisiting our having a discussion, can we get a sense of when maybe the finance Minister could have that type of open dialogue so we can -- again, I'm trying to send a message of hope here and I'm looking for a little inspiration, so if she could kind of help me guide them and say, you're going to have valuable input on core funding inflationary issues and multi-year agreements that we'll carve into stone so we can move forward as the format, and I'm hoping she can give me that hope and inspiration. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, something that I started doing last government, and then very much looking forward to getting back into when we're not in post-election budget cycle, is to do budget dialogues. The budget dialogues was an opportunity to sit down with NGOs, for example, and it was actually out of that that was first the notion of getting to a place where we could have forced growth submissions for NGOs came from, and then it was then supported and driven by MLAs. So it is was an example, firstly, of success from the budget dialogues and frankly success from the consensus approach to budgeting. So looking forward to getting back to that process this spring in advance of the 2025-2026 year. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Finance. Oral questions. 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. Tabling of documents. Minister of Justice.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents: Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 187-20(1): Costs to Access Land Titles and Red-Tape Reduction; and, Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 203-20(1): RCMP Response to Addictions Related Calls. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Premier. Tabling of Documents. Motions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm going to introduce a motion. Increasing RCMP Responses in Hay River.

WHEREAS the use of drugs and related violent crime is on the rise in the Northwest Territories;

AND WHEREAS the road system transports drugs into the Northwest Territories and Hay River is becoming a hub for distribution of drugs throughout the Northwest Territories;

AND WHEREAS police reporting in Hay River demonstrates that there is a rise in mischief, assault, drug trafficking, and theft under $5000 in the community;

AND WHEREAS many residents of Hay River and other South Slave communities fear for their safety;

AND WHEREAS the mandate of the 20th Legislative Assembly is to work with law enforcement to create and strengthen tools that can be used to disrupt and combat the drug trade and associated criminal activity;

AND WHEREAS a canine unit was previously deployed in Hay River but ended in 2018, and the only canine unit in the Northwest Territories is located in Yellowknife;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the Member for Deh Cho, that the Government of the Northwest Territories reinstate the Royal Canadian Mounted Police canine unit in Hay River;

AND FURTHER, that the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police collaborate and respond specifically to the rise in crime in Hay River;

AND FURTHERMORE, that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a respond to this motion within 120 days.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. To the motion. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am concerned about the violence and the rise of drugs in small communities and throughout the Northwest Territories. We know the most important -- or the most often drug are transported in the NWT by road from the provinces. Fort Resolution is just a hundred kilometers from Hay River. N'dilo, Dettah is right next door to the city of Yellowknife. And Lutselk'e is just down the road.

Mr. Speaker, as the drug trade, assault, crimes and violence increase, for example in Hay River, we see the same trend in Fort Resolution and throughout the NWT. Assault, possession of firearms, and drug trafficking are becoming more common occurrences in small communities and in the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, monthly police reports for the community of Hay River shows mischief and assault are very common. Since December 2022, there have been an average of 53 calls a month related to mischief, over 1.5 calls every single day in Hay River related to mischief. During the same time, there were nearly 7.5 calls about assault per month.

Mr. Speaker, almost two assaults are being reported to the RCMP every single week in Hay River. For one example, we have 33 communities in the Northwest Territories, and this is out of control. In December 2022, there were three drug-related trafficking occurrences. In April 2024, this number jumped to 16.

Mr. Speaker, this is four drug trafficking occurrences happening every week. Before the evacuation last summer, there were 16 reported theft under $5,000 in June. This jumped to 21 thefts under 5,000 in October. The police states that there -- since the return of the evacuation, there has been an occurrence of a property crime, which is suspected to be linked to the illicit drug trade.

For residents in the South Slave region and throughout the NWT, it is beginning to feel like the drug trade is out of control. Where are these drugs travelling? We see more drugs and weapons like brass knuckles being used in small communities in the NWT. This is why today I bring forward a motion, second by the Member from the Deh Cho. I also bring in issue to the social development committee as an issue for my riding and residents in NWT.

This issue should be brought up with the Minister of Justice in the social development committee and to ask the question today to restore the K-9 unit in Hay River. This unit to exist is a tool that the police enforcement can use to transport them to dismantle the drug trade in small communities in the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, in the 20th Assembly, we put forward four priorities. The fourth priority is safe residents and communities. Specifically, Mr. Speaker, we need to protect our residents in the NWT and do whatever we can so our communities, and especially our elders and vulnerable children, feel safe and want to remain in small communities. This is why I bring forward this motion today, Mr. Speaker.

And, Mr. Speaker, we are all impacted by the drug trade here in the Northwest Territories, especially in the small communities. I get calls daily from residents very frustrated. And at the same time, the RCMP's hands are tied because of policies. And right now as it is, I've experienced calls from young people that are looking at how to get out of it, and sometimes there's just no help.

So, Mr. Speaker, as a former leader in my community, the drug trade is alive and well. It's running rampant throughout the Northwest Territories. And as my colleague mentioned earlier from Monfwi is that it's out of control. And we got to figure out a way how we could give the tools needed to the RCMP to combat this issue. And this is just the beginning. I don't expect this thing to happen overnight, but I think if we are able to start looking for solutions, this is one of them. So, Mr. Speaker, I will introduce this motion today, and I ask for the Members' support on this. Mahsi.