Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Income assistance helps families at risk in several ways, and I'm very supportive of this. A civil society, as we all know, tries to collectively help each other in ways that no one is left too far behind. Income assistance does offer immediate assistance in crisis, job loss, illness, and many other reasons to help stabilize the family. This, we all know. And we know, at the same time, it doesn't fix every problem but, again, stability and making sure they're okay is a contributing principal of the program.

Mr. Speaker, but the backstop is exactly what is - a backstop of basics. It's not meant to be a lottery despite how some people believe it is. Mr. Speaker, basic coverage really could mean anywhere from food and housing, as already mentioned, but the principle is we need to make sure people are okay. But that said, where do we continue to the next phase? What is next?

I often think the system fails itself because it's not focused purely on where do we go next. The important question is yes, we've helped you from spiralling down further, like the torrent spiral of the gravity pull of someone getting down further and further into despair, Mr. Speaker; the question is who is throwing a rope to help people out. Who is plying the ladder to say let's help you climb out together. Mr. Speaker, we cannot leave people adrift alone because that's exactly what we get, is that helping them with the basics and saying you're on your own is exactly where many people stay.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage, and if not say demand, the system starts asking this serious question of saying why aren't we providing navigators to help people find their way to the next phase? We must not view this as an impossible challenge but as a possible challenge of a way we can change lives for the better. Mr. Speaker, through an empowerment attitude and process, our navigators, through the income support program, can inspire people to say how can we make today better than yesterday; how can we make tomorrow better than any other day you've seen so far?

Mr. Speaker, there was a time when income support did have social workers in their program. Now that was a long time ago, and I won't go into that. Someone may, of course, may have thought, wow, they're just data entry jobs. But what's been changed is that critical part of the conversation about empowerment. They're not data entry people. They are people who are on the frontline making a positive difference in those lives. I think we could work together to help change people at risk, families at risk, to stable, strong, contributors to society. We can do this together. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Whoops, I got ahead of myself. It was Members' statements, not oral questions. So let's go back to Members' statements.

Good afternoon, Colleagues. Today, I am going to recognize a long service member of the public service, Mr. Mike Drake.

I had the pleasure of knowing him for over 20 plus years. I first got to know him when he moved to Fort Liard to become a social worker for the community. In true Mike's fashion, after a couple of years of getting a good handle on his job he wanted to be more involved in the community, if that was possible. He became the fire chief and the mayor. The community greatly appreciated his commitment and willingness to help where he was needed.

After there, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs came calling for a community governance advisor and deputy chief municipal elections officer. Like he told me, it was something new and interesting which excited him, especially the opportunity to provides advice, training, and support to community governments and to Municipal and Community Affairs on community governance, legislation, bylaw making, supporting the development and advancement of workable, affordable, and efficient form of local and regional governments and implementation of the new Aboriginal self-governments. As well, the position had an impact on nearly all residents in the Northwest Territories through support to all 33 community governments and Indigenous governments.

In 2010, he moved to the Yukon for a very brief time as the SAO, but he and his family missed the NWT and the Deh Cho region. Lucky for him, the regional superintendent position came open for the Deh Cho region and he applied. He spent over ten years in Fort Simpson as the regional superintendent. For the first five years, I got to work with him and got to know his wife and daughter. They were very happy to be back. We were thankful what he liked about the job and would say the department's work in the region in supporting communities increasing resources, authority, and responsibility over areas and working with the communities in regards to their emergency management organization. One of his assets was his ability to speak Dene Zhatie. He was able to have conversations with elders and leadership in their traditional language explaining the process and procedures when needed.

After 2021, he had the opportunity to take on the same role with the Tli Clo region. He thoroughly enjoyed his time there but the need to see other parts of the country came a calling and he and his wife retired and moved to BC.

I would like to wish him and his family all the best in his retirement. Thank you for your service for the Deh Cho, TliCho, and residents of the Northwest Territories.

Members' statements. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills. Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee would like to report on its consideration of Bill 12, the Business Day Statute Law Amendment Act.

Bill 12 received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on October 30th, 2024 and was referred to the Standing Committee on Government Operations for review. The standing committee completed its clause-by-clause review of the bill with the Minister of Justice on February 10th, 2025.

Mr. Speaker, the committee reports that Bill 12, the Business Day Statute Law Amendment Act, is ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills. Reports of Standing and Special Committees. Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges is pleased to provide its Report on the Chief Electoral Officer's Report on the Administration of the 2023 Territorial General Election and commends it to the House.

INTRODUCTION

In accordance with subsection 266(2) of the Elections and Plebiscites Act, the chief electoral officer is required to submit a report on the administration of election-related activities within six months following a territorial general election. This report includes any issues the CEO deems important for the Legislative Assembly and offers recommendations for enhancing election administration, as well as suggestions for potential amendments to the Act.

The Speaker tabled the CEO's report on May 21st, 2024, in the Legislative Assembly and was subsequently referred to the Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges for review and response to the recommendations.

From September 2, 2024, to September 27, 2024, committee invited public input on the CEO's report, receiving two written submissions. On September 27th, 2024, the committee held a public briefing with CEO Stephen Dunbar and deputy chief electoral officer Charlotte Digness. During this session, Mr. Aleksi Toiviainen from Vote16 Canada also provided testimony, focusing on the CEO's recommendation to lower the voting age in the Northwest Territories to 16.

Committee made two recommendations in Committee Report 18-20(1), Interim Report on the Report of the Chief Electoral Officer on the Administration of the 2023 Territorial General Election, recommending a repeal and replacement of the Elections and Plebiscites Act before the end of the 20th Assembly, and that the CEO engage with the Northwest Territories Association of Communities to determine how to better support local authority election activities.

In the report, committee noted that they would like to continue their investigation into the recommendation of the CEO to lower the voting age to 16 and will provide a separate report in the 2025 Winter Sitting of the Legislative Assembly on their findings and the response to this recommendation.

LOWERING THE VOTING AGE TO 16

Committee has undertaken further work on the CEO's recommendation to lower the voting age to 16 and has not reached consensus on the recommendation.

Committee's work has highlighted that there may be a number of viable solutions to improving low voter turnout in the Northwest Territories. As such, committee feels that the CEO's recommendation should be considered as s part of a larger conversation about broader engagement and empowerment of the electorate. Committee believes that this issue warrants further study and should be accompanied by an appropriately expanded mandate for committee to consider the full scope of potential options, including recommending policy and legislative options.

Recommendation 1: The Standing Committee on Procedures and Privileges recommends that the Speaker refer the broader matter of low voter turnout in the Northwest Territories to the Standing Committee on Procedures and Privileges to be studied and reported on.

CONCLUSION

Committee wishes to thank the members of the public who provided written submissions and the witnesses who participated in committee's public hearing in September 2024.

Committee would like to once again express its gratitude to Elections NWT for their hard work, commitment, and support, not only to the election candidates but also to the residents of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River South, that Committee Report 21-20(1), Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges Report on the Review of the Chief Electoral Officer's Report on the Administration of the 2023 Territorial General Election - Lowering Voting Age to 16, be received and adopted by the Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Great Slave. To the motion.

Question has been called. All those in favour? Opposed? Abstention? Motion has been carried. So the motion has been carried. Committee report has been received and adopted by the Assembly. Thank you.

---Carried

Reports of Standing and Special Committees. Returns to oral questions. Acknowledgements. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member's statement today I talked about trying to find ways to empower people to -- actually, you know what, Mr. Speaker, I'll redirect my question if you give me the moment to leave. I would like to now point my question to the Minister of housing, and my question was a year ago I had asked her about how we could uplift housing opportunities, such as the Rockhill Apartment, and work with private industry to find new ways and innovative ways to provide social housing for people, innovative for business, and get people living a much healthier lifestyle.

Mr. Speaker, would the Minister of housing be able to update me on the potential partnership or idea I proposed to her a year ago about getting private industry involved in the Rockhill property that's been sitting empty for years. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. The Minister responsible for Housing NWT.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Rockhill properties, we do have an agreement with a local NGO to develop Rockhill properties. The agreement is in force until the end of March 2025, so we still have a bit of time with the local NGO. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Has there been any movement or indication that something's actually going to be done on that property; and if so, can the Minister update the House? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No movement yet. I did ask Housing NWT for some information, and we don't have any updated information at this time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Member from Yellowknife Centre. Last supplementary.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think I believe the Minister sent me a draft version or some type of copy of the agreement. She nodded, and I remember going through it. I asked, or I'm curious, on cancellation provisions knowing -- my question's going towards cancellation provisions. So in other words, is there a way that the Minister can cancel this initiative so we can actually go out and find a partner who can actually bring real opportunity to support housing for much needed people and families. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And as noted, meeting with the MLA last August, I believe, of 2024, we did discuss cancellation provisions. So the local NGO does have to come up with funding for their program or their proposal, and they have until the end of March 2025 to provide that and then the clause in terms of cancellation provisions will be in effect. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Housing NWT. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as a parent with young children, daycare is very important in my life, very important for many Northerners. In speaking with day home providers, which are their own industry, it seems like there's some pretty significant issues that are challenging their ability to operate. I've spoken with the Minister about this. I'm hoping she can give some answers to the public now. There seems to be a dispute around pay. Day home operators maintain, at least the ones I've been speaking to, that they make less than minimum wage grid that is being developed for centre operators. So can the Minister explain how the $3.5 million that ECE has for early learning childcare is going to benefit day home operators. Thank you.

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.