Please sit. I'd like to thank Ms. Gargan for the reflections today.

Ministers' statements. Member for Yellowknife South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of privilege. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to lay out why I make this point of privilege this morning -- or this afternoon. There's two parts to meet the initial threshold. Question of privilege, as you know, Mr. Speaker, must be raised at the earliest opportunity. The nature of the matter described must show on its face to be a breach of privilege.

Mr. Speaker, I became aware of some accusations made last night only after the rise of House. This is my first opportunity to bring this matter forward. As to the second part of the test, I'd like to read what was written and then detail for you why it is my view that these statements impede my ability as to act as a Minister generally and the finance Minister specifically being the Minister responsible for negotiations in support of an operating budget that reflects the priorities of this Assembly and on behalf of the people of the territory.

Mr. Speaker, when I arrived home yesterday evening, I read on Facebook a post by another Member of this House the following -- I'll excerpt only one part of the second paragraph, which is this: The 2025 Budget is on rails. As long as Cabinet has their supporters in line, the entire process is little more than accountability theater while backroom deals are being made.

Mr. Speaker, for a matter to be accepted as a breach of privilege, there's two aspects and, in my view, this meets both.

First, is that a Member was impeded in the performance of parliamentary functions in the sense of being prevented from carrying out parliamentary duties; and second, that the matter is directly related to a proceeding of parliament.

I'd like to deal with the second aspect of that rule first, namely, that this point of privilege is directly related to a proceeding in this House.

Yesterday, in Committee of the Whole, Cabinet was taken by surprise with the motion brought to the floor seeking to remove over $5 million from ECE's operating budget. No Member of Cabinet, including the Minister of ECE, had notice of the motion. And as such, it would be impossible for any Member of Cabinet to have spoken to MLA colleagues about the motion or about the budget as it may be impacted by the motion. And nevertheless, when I arrived home last night and read this statement, it implied that the vote on the motion was the result of backroom deals and/or that the advancement of discussions about the operating budget is merely a theater. The allegation that work of this Assembly is nothing more than theater or that there are backroom deals being made in order to advance this budget is very much directly related to the work we do in this House and my role as the finance Minister.

As to the first part of the test more specifically, namely the impediment -- the impeding of my ability to carry out my responsibilities as a Minister on behalf of the people of the Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker, this post, in my view, puts a chill on all relationships as elected officials and on our ability to communicate one on one. Bluntly, Mr. Speaker, this social media post creates a threat that if MLAs do not vote with certain other MLAs or if they choose to speak directly to Cabinet Members, there may be accusations on some type of social media.

The context of social media is important. We are living in an era where social media is being increasingly used as a weapon. It is an unregulated space. There is no fact checking. The risk of cyberbullying and trolls and the like is well known, and it is often a particularly dangerous space for public figures.

The impediment to my ongoing work personally caused by this situation is this: In consensus government, I must have the support of MLAs to pass the operating budget, to pass the capital budget, and also to pass legislation. There are committee processes that support negotiations but one-on-one conversations are not only appropriate, they are expected by the residents who elected their representatives, and Ministers must be able to check in with MLAs informally to get a frank reaction or to hear in detail when an issue impacts their riding.

Mr. Speaker, this public statement on social media undermines the ability to have those frank conversations between MLA Members and myself and other Ministers. I should not have to worry whether I or the person I may have spoken to will find ourselves vilified in some fashion on social media. I should be able to reach out and discuss any matter one on one with an MLA or within a committee proceeding, and particularly as I continue to use that broader committee process for our overall discussions. None of this, Mr. Speaker, is a theater, and to suggest otherwise undermines my ability to utilize the processes of this House.

It is my responsibility as a Minister, and again particularly as the Minister of Finance, to know what individual Members want to see changed in the budget. It is not my obligation to share every detail of every conversation I've had with every other Member of the Assembly, but it has always been my practice to ultimately conclude negotiations through the chair of AOC, to stand in this House and to publicly detail what changes have been agreed to, not in a backroom fashion.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, this false assertion of backroom dealings, or being a budget on rails, threatens my ability to discharge my obligation as a Minister in the function of this House and impedes my ability to engage with MLAs freely so that we have a government with a meaningful legislative agenda and an operating budget that reflects the political priorities we set as an Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife South. To the point of privilege. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker -- Mr. Speaker, the privileges of the House -- or of Members -- sorry, of individual Members to freedom of speech are defined in the House of Commons procedure -- procedural guide as the privilege of freedom of speech in parliamentary proceedings is generally regarded as the most important of the privileges enjoyed by Members of Parliament. This right is protected by the Constitution Act, the Parliament of Canada Act, and extends to our legislature as well. Freedom of speech from its Members to speak freely in the conduct of proceedings of Parliament, such as the chamber, during a sitting or in committees during meetings while enjoying complete immunity from prosecution or civil liability for any comment they make in order to encourage truthful and complete disclosure without fear of reprisal or other adverse actions as the result of their testimony. This right is also extended to individuals who appear before the House of Commons or the legislature. Legislature could not work effectively unless its Members and witnesses appearing before House committees were able to speak and criticize without being held to account by any outside body.

Mr. Speaker, the work we do -- the underpinning of the work we do by privilege is very important and which allows us to represent our constituents freely and without any intimidation or impingement on our ability to speak freely.

Now, what the Minister is asserting is that she feels unable to do her work because of a message on Facebook that occurred after the -- after the proceedings in question, after votes had been taken, while the budget is still underway. Rhetorical -- rhetorical flourishes, even if they are written, should -- are exactly that. When we negotiate in this House for budgets, it is done in in-camera discussions, in committee tables, within this institution. It is not all done in public. It could be one Member's assertion that that is a backroom space and that is deal is being cut there. It could be another's that that is a transparent, organic, wholistic way to do business. It is the interpretation of Members on how things go underpinned by rhetorical flourish which is important in the business of politics that we are all engaged with.

If we are to extend -- if the Minister feels somehow that a post on social media is -- and she's unable to do her job, I don't think she's met that test, Mr. Speaker. There's been no arresting of her ability to speak in this House, in this chamber. There's been no arresting of her ability to walk through the front doors and do her job here. There's been no direct accusations made in that post certainly about any Member in question, nor an officer of the Assembly -- sorry, nor no one specific.

Mr. Speaker, we should be able to express ourselves as well within our own spaces, within our own platforms, within our own discussions. And if the frustrations -- and that expression can include frustrations as well about process, criticisms of the transparency around process, and criticisms of the decisions made by Members in the House. That's not intimidation. That's a reflection of the record of decisions that happen here and commentary on that. If it is inflammatory, that is something we can address. I would argue that there are better ways to address it than the privileges of this House. I do not feel the test has been made. I feel it is important that we can -- that we conduct our business respectfully, but also, we need to give way to concerns, and we need to be able to express them freely to our constituents as well. That is our right as Canadian citizens as much as it is our -- as much as it is part of the work we do here in the Assembly as Members as well.

I don't -- again, I do not see any way that the Minister was unable to table her budget, to provide a Budget Address, to negotiate with the Standing Committee of Accountability and Oversight, to speak to individual Members. I don't see how a Facebook post impeded her ability to do any of those things and infringed on her privilege. That's the accusation made here. That is -- that is why the point is being asserted. I see no -- in no way that that has been done, and if I'm missing something -- if I'm missing something, that's fine, but to me, this appears that someone didn't like something that was written on Facebook and is now rising a point of privilege. I think that is not the correct way to use privilege. There are other tools in this House.

And I should add that the conventions and protocols of consensus government, which are written down and form an important place in our handbook on how we do our business procedurally -- or not even procedurally, sorry -- how we do business informally are not subject to parliamentary privilege. A violation of those protocols and guiding conventions is not subject to privilege. So any assertions around the element of surprise being inconsistent with consensus, that may be true, but it is not subject to privilege. Any conventions on how standing committees are supposed to speak to each other is not subject to privilege. I encourage you to take that into account as you deliberate on this point.

Again, I do not feel that the Minister has been impeded in any way in the execution of her duties to bring this budget forward. And, in fact, we are set to continue deliberation later today, which I don't think a Facebook post is impeding, and when there's a resolution on the vote -- of the resolution bill, I don't think there will be -- a Facebook post will impede that either. The procedure is moving well ahead. We do it every day. We have been doing it every day for the past couple weeks. So I do not feel the case has been made. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Range Lake. Member from Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to support the Member asserting the point of privilege. I think that when you make your decision, Mr. Speaker, I hope you consider the entire context of politics right now and social media. I was just down in Washington, DC, and I can tell you that, you know, when politicians say something inflammatory through social media, it puts a chill on speech, it puts a chill on people's ability to do their jobs. I spoke with lawmakers. I was there in the environment, and you could really feel that happening. That is the state of politics right now. And in this House, when we say things over and over and over again, that has an impact. And so when statements are made about what Cabinet can do, what Cabinet can't do, how they're operating, how they're not operating, and when those statements aren't accurate, that has an impact on how people perceive things and how willing Members are to have open conversations with Cabinet. And from this side of the floor, this post appears to be a continuation of the spreading of false information and a campaign of intimidation that I witnessed here in this House and in this building. And I think that regardless of the decision, I think this is an important point of privilege to raise to call out this behaviour in this current environment we're in. We have a very familiar example of what happens when we allow this gradual erosion of civility in politics, and at some point, it goes too far to be able to be stopped. And so I think that it's important that early on, we call these actions out and so that every Member of this House does feel free to have conversations with Cabinet and work with Cabinet and that there are not wedges being driven between Cabinet and Regular Members who just want to do what they need to do for their constituents and the work their constituents deserve to be done for them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. To the motion of privilege -- or privilege. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First by saying I'll acknowledge the Member for raising a concern, first of all. I mean, I always feels it's important to acknowledge that. And the reason I'm saying I'm acknowledging that is her perspective, I can appreciate, I hear, I feel that perspective. And I think it's -- you know, we're in a forum to welcome that. So -- but we're also in a forum to have difference of opinions, as, Mr. Speaker, you know very well. My colleague for Range Lake, his post spoke with passion and perspective, and that's one thing we constantly balance here. It was only a few months ago I was challenged by a Member in -- and I brought that up, which we won't be revisiting, but I think the resolution of it is, yes, behaviour better, talk nicer, try to work together, but I don't police outside the House. That's a quick summary of the finding of that situation, which I welcomed and accepted as the final outcome.

Mr. Speaker, if you policed -- or I should say if this House policed every Facebook post, I am being attacked today by someone who wishes to say I don't do my job and they're antagonizing people because I supported a community initiative. I'm not even going to name the person, not that it -- we're supposed to name them, but I'm saying I'm not even giving it any attention whatsoever, that they wish to feed on themselves. But if I chose to take every Facebook post personally, that's exactly what this would be, is we'd be asking the House to police this.

I have another Facebook person who's responding to memes as facts and attacking myself, my colleague, and others. And, again, Mr. Speaker, if we wish to extend your authority to Facebook and Instagram, I think we've got some other perspectives.

Interpretation of perspectives and opinions has long been the hallmark of this chamber and every chamber. In other words, you can have more than one truth lie before the House but in two different directions. So, Mr. Speaker, I think the courage of accepting that sometimes this job is someone's going to say something you don't like is part of the reality of it. The fact is that I don't -- I read the statement. It's unfortunate I only heard part of the Minister's comments today, but I read the statement online. And, I mean, I think it's the raw truth of how people feel about the job as being here.

So, Mr. Speaker, I don't support -- I support the acknowledgement of the person may have felt disappointed by it, but I don't feel it rises to the minimum of what should be considered point of personal privilege because it was outside the House, because it wasn't as critical as we're trying to drive. And lastly, Mr. Speaker, your precinct, unfortunately and respectfully, ends at the door. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. To the privilege. Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm just going through the rules and looking at the privilege here and would respectfully suggest that I am not 100 percent sure whether or not this is a breach of privilege or not and will leave to your -- humbly leave that to your expertise. I just -- I do want to note, though, that in the rules, the privileges of the House include, and there is in 2(a) there, it speaks to affronts against its dignity and authority and the after admission which impedes or obstructs the House. So the Member from Yellowknife South spoke to that. And I wanted to speak to a bit.

I mean, there are the rules of debate which I don't think apply outside of the House; however, the rules of debate are there to kind of guide Members on how they should conduct themselves, and one of the rules speaks to reflecting on any previous vote of the Assembly. And this remind me of a -- I can't remember if it was an actual rule or if it was just a principle that we tried to maintain, but that was one where when I was on council, where I've had the most political experience, it was considered bad practice simply to reflect negatively upon votes of council once they're done. Once a vote is passed, we move on.

And so I did want to note a few things here. I did want to note specifically to the post itself, it referred specifically to the two Yellowknife MLAs who voted against the motion last night. So I myself being one of those MLAs was very clearly implicated in the post. Now, this is another Member's point of privilege, but I was implicated and so felt I wanted to clear the record a little bit.

Something I do want to be clear about is that I've already spoken face-to-face with the Member about this and raised my concerns about it, and that is how I prefer to address issues. I think it's the respectful way to address issues, and I try to maintain that kind of relationship with everybody that if I have an issue with something you've said or I have an issue with something that we need to work out, I will approach the person and speak about them -- speak about it with them personally.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to clarify a few things, just for the record, because it's out there in public.

Mr. Speaker, at least speaking for myself, I don't have backroom deals with Cabinet. There are no current deals associated with the current budget that I've managed to negotiate, nor have I been doing those negotiations. So the implication --

Is this not to the point?

Member for Frame Lake, continue, please.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just want to clarify what was said and, you know, share my own perspective. And I just want to clarify, you know, I don't see my role in this House as always keeping Ministers happy or that the votes that I do, they may or may not agree with a Minister at any given time, and sometimes they don't. In the recent past, I have voted against the capital budget. I brought forward my own cuts. And I wanted to bring that forward because those cuts did not pass. I would have liked for them to but when they didn't, I let it go and we moved on. I don't make a point of shaming anyone for the votes that they made because that principle that I picked up when I was on council, I felt was a really important one. You're not going to win every single fight in politics. You got to be able to take a loss sometimes. And so with dignity, I move on when I don't get a win.

What I do maintain with Cabinet colleagues is I meet with them frequently. I make a point of maintaining relationships. Because I think that understanding the complexities, identifying ways forward, and liaising with the people who carry out direction is key to my ability to be effective in this role. And that's not backroom dealing. It's simply how one is effective in a role like this, understanding that we are ultimately making decisions that give direction to a large public service and understanding the complexity of how that public service works, and working with the people who directly give it direction is how we are effective in this role. And I told my constituents that that was how I would be effective. That's what I talked to people about at the doors, that I would be maintaining respectful relationships.

And I want to emphasize, Mr. Speaker, that when I went to the doors, a lot of people said to me that they wanted to see this House conducting its business, moving business forward, setting personal differences aside, and working for the betterment of the people of the Northwest Territories. And that is what I am trying to do.

So that's pretty much what I have to say on it, Mr. Speaker, and I'll leave it up to you to determine if the point of privilege does, indeed -- has, indeed, been met, but just wanted to clarify my own perspective on things. And I made it very clear why I voted the way I did last night, and I'll let the record speak for itself on that matter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. To the privilege -- the point of privilege.

Okay, colleagues, I will take this under notice, and I will provide recommendations within at least 48 hours. It could be quicker.

Colleagues, yesterday I noticed -- made a correction on we didn't recognize people not being in the House, and we got a little bit joking around, and we need to be respectful. When I make a ruling, it's about the ruling and just be respectful of our colleagues. We're not all professionals here, and as the former Speaker used to say we're not infallible, so we make mistakes ourselves. So please be respectful of that for our colleagues moving forward. So, really, I got to do that? Jeez. Sorry, sorry.

Speaking of other speakers, I would like to recognize Mr. Frederick Blake, Member of the 17th, 18th, and 19th Assembly, and our former Speaker in the 19th, and recently elected as the grand chief for the Gwich'in Tribal Council. Hopefully, I'm trying to catch up to you there, Sonny, so -- or Mr. Blake, sorry. Welcome back to the Assembly.

So let's get back to business. Ministers' statements. Minister of Justice.

Thank you, Me. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the 20th Legislative Assembly has made the safety of the residents and communities of the Northwest Territories one of its priorities. Many of us have witnessed and been affected by an increase in criminal activities, particularly the drug trade. Successful public safety efforts rely on trusting relationships between the RCMP and our residents.

In November 2024, Northwest Territories RCMP officers began wearing body worn cameras. By the end of March 2025, officers in 17 of 21 detachments will be equipped with this technology. The remaining four detachments in Whati, Lutselk'e, Sachs Harbour, and Ulukhaktok, will be using body worn cameras by summer 2025.

Body worn cameras are now a national standard for frontline officers, with the aim of enhancing transparency, trust and confidence in law enforcement. The Use of body worn cameras is a well-established practice and is widely supported by the public. For RCMP detachments, this tool can improve evidence gathering and build trust in the RCMP.

Mr. Speaker, while working to ensure safety in our communities, the preservation of residents' privacy remains an important consideration. As these cameras create footage showing members of the public, access to these videos is strictly controlled. The public can request access to videos of themselves by submitting a request to the RCMP under their privacy legislation.

Each officer will be assigned a camera that is hard coded to their badge number to verify ownership and continuity of evidence. RCMP officers have received training on the rules that determine when body worn cameras should be turned on or off. For example, officers are expected to turn their camera on when exiting their vehicle and responding to a call for service. Cameras can be turned off when there is no expectation of a serious incident and there is a high expectation of privacy, such as inside schools and hospitals, or when conducting intimate searches.

Public education is an important part of this rollout. Posters in all 11 official languages in the NWT have been displayed throughout the communities to raise awareness about this initiative and provide contact information for concerns or feedback. Detachment commanders are contacting local governments, Indigenous organizations, and non-government organizations before body worn cameras are deployed in their community. While on duty, officers will carry and distribute information cards to residents, which will be available in the official languages spoken in their detachment area.

To ensure the proper functioning and reliability of this technology, two positions in G-division are now dedicated to the body worn camera program. These positions will support implementation, monitoring and reporting, and will coordinate requests for access to videos. On a technical level, there are bandwidth upgrades in progress for both fibre and low earth orbit satellite connections to ensure reliability in all 33 communities.

Mr. Speaker, the 20th Legislative Assembly is committed to building safe communities for Northerners and collaborating with the RCMP in its fight against crime. I am confident this tool will be an asset to help RCMP detachments carry out their work and protect our communities, while contributing to strengthening the trust and confidence of our residents in law enforcement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Justice. Ministers' statements. Minister for Municipal and Community Affairs.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate all nominees for the 2024 NWT Outstanding Volunteer Awards and to celebrate this year's award winners. Since the establishment in 1991, the Outstanding Volunteer Awards program has recognized extraordinary volunteers and highlighted the essential role of volunteerism in the Northwest Territories.

Volunteering is a true labour of love, often done without expectation of recognition, but today, we have the privilege of shining a well-deserved spotlight on those who contribute and have an impact on their communities. These individuals exemplify the spirit of service, strengthening the bonds within communities, fostering resilience, and offering support where it is needed most. By giving their time and energy, these volunteers help promote community well-being and create a more vibrant and thriving territory for all.

Mr. Speaker, every year, the NWT Outstanding Volunteer Awards accept nominations in four categories: Youth, Elder, Individual, and Group.

This year, we received an incredible 53 nominations representing 18 communities, a testament of the generosity and the community spirits of our residents. These included 11 nominations in the elder category, 12 in the group category, 23 in the individual category, and seven in the youth category.

To all the nominated individuals and groups, I extend my heartfelt thanks. Your contributions are invaluable to our communities and the NWT. Without your dedication, countless programs and initiatives would not be possible. Mr. Speaker, this morning I had the opportunity to present the 2024 Outstanding Volunteer Awards at a ceremony held at the Legislative Assembly, and I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the award winners:

• The Outstanding Volunteer Award for elders went to Roger Pilling from Fort Simpson for his dedication of leadership to local sports organizations, firefighting, and his community service.
• The Outstanding Youth Award was presented to Tafadzwa Mufandaedza of Yellowknife for her leadership and dedication to coordination at the Folk on the Rocks.
• Melissa Johns of Fort Smith earned the Outstanding Individual Award for her extensive work supporting sports, cultural events, and community fundraising.
• The Outstanding Group Award was given to the Ulukhaktok Search and Rescue Team for their tireless efforts in responding to emergencies and mentoring future search and rescue volunteers.

Congratulations to all the winners. You are not only making a difference. Your dedication inspires others to step forward, take action, and contribute in their own ways. Your efforts show that even small acts of service can create a lasting impact in our communities.

I would also like to express my appreciation to those who took the time to nominate their fellow residents. Recognizing and celebrating volunteerism is an important part of fostering culture and giving back to our territory. To all the volunteers across the NWT, whether you receive an award or not, know that your work makes a real difference every single day.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I encourage everyone to keep the spirit of volunteerism alive as volunteers play a crucial role in building safe communities for Northerners. And nominations for the NWT Outstanding Volunteer Awards remain open year-round, and I urge residents to recognize those who go above and beyond to serve others. Let us all be inspired by the example set by this year's winners and continue working together to make our communities stronger and more vibrant. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Ministers' statements. Mr. Premier.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise the House that the honourable Member for Kam Lake, Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, will be absent from the House for the remainder of this week to attend federal/provincial/territorial committee on internal trade meeting in Toronto, Ontario. The Minister will also be away Monday and Tuesday next week to attend the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada Conference in Toronto, Ontario.

Also, Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise the House that the honourable Member for Hay River South, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, may be absent for a portion of today's proceedings to deliver welcoming remarks to the annual general meeting of the Northwest Territories Association of Communities in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. Member from Yellowknife North.

Mr. Speaker, lots of people here in Yellowknife dream of being able to afford their own home, but more people in small NWT communities can't even dream about it because the path to homeownership is barely possible. And it wasn't always this way. This is a story that many others in this room know much better than me.

Obviously, people used to build their own homes where they wanted, then the federal government started pushing people into government housing around the late 1950s with the promise of $2 a month rent. And sometimes the government actively demolished the homes that people had built for themselves to leave them no choice. The government houses were notoriously small, terribly insulated, and quickly started falling apart. The territory took over public housing in 1969. In the 1980s, NWT communities, starting with Fort Good Hope, convinced the government to try a way that would be better for everyone. The government would provide materials, and the people would provide sweat equity to build and own their own homes. This was called the homeownership assistance program, or the HAP, and over the span of ten years, it successfully delivered over 1500 homes across the NWT. It wasn't just a free house, the HAP unit needed to be completed within two years or else the materials could be repossessed. Meanwhile, the government decided in the '80s that social housing was a nuance to operate and maintain and tried to start pushing people to take ownership over public housing units. The idea was that housing markets would just magically appear in all communities, everyone could just own and then start buying and selling their homes. Well, that was just never realistic.

There were a series of mostly failed programs that never got much uptake from a rent-to-own program, to the HELP, or H-E-L-P program we're currently phasing out. We've had a HAP, a HELP, and now a HIP. Mr. Speaker, we do need better pathways towards homeownership, so we have to learn lessons from why these programs have failed in the past.

First, we've been asking tenants to take on homes that are often in very poor condition and need costly repairs or have high utility costs to maintain. Other barriers include requiring that people take on large mortgages or non-forgivable loans that they can't afford. Mr. Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to my colleagues. Finally, I just wanted to say that I'm committed to working urgently with all of my colleagues on both sides of the House to find a better path towards homeownership for all NWT communities. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in June of 2024, I asked the Minister of Housing NWT about what efforts housing is doing to work with communities to help address homelessness across the territory. Just by happenstance, in the summer of 2024 my riding was home to an encampment, and I became more well versed with how the GNWT is addressing immediate housing and homelessness issues as they arise and what they want to do in the mid to longer term.

Mr. Speaker, after much back and forth with the department on that event, I understand now that EIA is speaking funding to create transitional and supportive housing whereas Housing NWT deals in public housing. Housing NWT as a corporation that builds stock could secure federal dollars and build transitional and supportive housing in Yellowknife and across the territory, but we're all aware that those costs can be prohibitive.

Mr. Speaker, I am hopeful but not certain if all options are being examined by EIA to increase stock more quickly. In recent weeks, interested folks have reached out to tell me that there has been an offer made to EIA on existing stock by industry at below market cost to the GNWT, but calls were not returned quickly enough and those offers fell off the table. I'm concerned that important opportunities are passing us by. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Premier.

Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Members' statements. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I began the week with my reply to the Budget Address speaking about energy and economic development, and I'll continue today on energy security, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, non-renewables are still important to the Beaufort Delta, have been for quite some time and will be for quite some time. Given the potential shift in the federal government and their thinking around LNG development and, regardless of who forms the next government, Mr. Speaker, we heard in the Liberal leadership race, again, speaking about the importance of LNG production as we move forward so, again, Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier in the week, our energy strategy or action plan has been solely focused on renewable, but the reality is we are still heavily dependent on diesel, and we all know, Mr. Speaker, there are other cleaner renewable options other than diesel.

Given the work that we've seen the Inuvialuit do in the Beaufort Delta around the M18 project which is now fully funded, Mr. Speaker, and certainly well underway, it's time for us as a government to, again, engage with the significant discovery license holders in the Beaufort Delta and make it a priority of this government to have those conversations and to see what we can do as a government to move this industry forward. We have the MDLNG report, Mr. Speaker, that was tabled here, I think, in 2022, and it clearly states that it is feasible to develop natural gas in the Beaufort Delta. But I don't think, Mr. Speaker, we have a plan.

How are we supporting energy, Mr. Speaker; we have to ask ourselves. We are spending millions on renewable energy initiatives. And I understand that that those come with economic benefits as well. They come with jobs, they come with a lot of opportunities. They also come with a lot of money spent on consultants and likely a lot of studies that come with those, Mr. Speaker. But what I haven't seen is how an analysis or what that means for residents who are not able to take advantage of renewable energy, what's it doing to those grids, what's happening in those regions. I haven't seen that analysis, Mr. Speaker, what will that cost be to the people that still rely on non-renewables to heat their homes.

Mr. Speaker, I know we've spoke in this House about working groups for regions. I think this is a prime example of what we can do if we were to put a working group together for the Beaufort Delta, including Indigenous governments of course, community leadership, and find potential solutions to meet with industry, to meet with federal government, to look at what we can do to continue our true energy action plan that includes all energy in the Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Members' statements. Member from Range Lake.

Mr. Speaker, if you find yourself stranded out on the land beyond network reach and with no alternative method of communication, how would you signal for distress? Do you shout into the air or run around with your arms waving when a plane passes by? The lifesaving facts are without communication or knowledge of your whereabouts, the pilots of that passing plane would be searching for your signal in the form of threes: Three blasts of a whistle, three lit fires, even three piles of rocks, anything in the shortest of patterns with the resources you have available. In a life-threatening situation that requires ground search and rescue, this knowledge can make all the difference.

Promoting that knowledge is why the territorial government must support the role of a highly sophisticated network of ground search and recuse, or GSAR, organizations and volunteers that stretches across Canada. Their partners here in the North provide educational services vital in teaching Northerners and tourism outfitters how to stay safe. But, unfortunately, there's no funding made available to them from ECE or ITI, and now the federal government has clawed back their support as well.

Even MACA, who is responsible for public safety, has cut their fund -- has cut funds to the Yellowknife search and rescue team, an organization of highly trained volunteers who now must dedicate time to fundraising instead of training and saving lives. Beyond YKSAR, the GNWT still relies on smaller communities to organize their own ground and search and rescue operations or get help from the RCMP or the armed forces. But the RCMP has no mandate, and the armed forces take precious hours to mobilize.

Mr. Speaker, despite several year-old reviews, ground search and rescue services which found our territory to be the most unprepared out of any Canadian jurisdiction, there are still no commitments to implementing the recommendations. To make matters worse, budget cuts are taking us backwards. If this government is serious about public safety, the Premier must show leadership and bring volunteers and and communities together with the relevant departments and agencies to finally get a real strategy for ground search and rescue to take place. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Members' statements. Member from Monfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I will be speaking in the House regarding the elder abuse.

Mr. Speaker, we know that there's a lot of abuse happening in the Northwest Territories and especially in Tlicho region. So today, Mr. Speaker, we have heard and seen there are many forms of elder abuse here in the North, and not enough is done to prevent it. This abuse can be in the form of financial abuse, physical abuse, psychological abuse, sexual abuse, health care fraud and abuse, elder abandonment. For example, we have young people extorting elders for their pensions or forcibly moving into elders' homes without consent. Seniors are falling victim to cybercrime and scams. Some elders suffer in silence enduring the pain. They don't share about what is happening in their lives. It is difficult for them to take actions to protect themselves because they do not want to feel guilty if anything happens to their abusers who may be their loved ones. Our elders worked hard raising their families. They should be treated with respect and loved for who they are. They do matter, Mr. Speaker, and they should be able to enjoy the remaining years they have on earth with us.

Mr. Speaker, the Premier wrote in his mandate letter to the Ministers, quote, I have not assigned symbolic client-based portfolios for youth, seniors and persons with disabilities. I interpret this to mean that in a way everyone is somewhat responsible to ensure the needs of seniors are met. However, no one is accountable.

Mr. Speaker, what is the government doing to do to intervene, support, and protect our elders? I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Members' statements. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last year we were updated on several new initiatives that GNWT was spearheading to tackle our out-of-control drug crisis, including drugs strategy, a dedicated RCMP crime reduction unit, and the possibility of SCAN legislation. However, the community of my riding, of the Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding, especially in Fort Resolution, have yet to notice any positive change.

Drugs are still pouring in, stealing away my community's wealth and well-being. There are obviously hot spots in the community of criminal activity that my constituents are constantly complaining about. And worse yet, I am now hearing that some of my constituents are being threatened by these criminals to set up shop in their homes and rope in their vulnerable youth to be their drug runners. I don't want to hear my constituents and community leaders worry every day about when the next assault or overdose will be. The RCMP are doing their best with the resources federal and territorial governments can provide to them, and Ottawa relies on feedback and advocacy from the government here in Yellowknife to make the RCMP more effective.

This is one my constituents' top priorities because they feel the next overdose are just minutes and hours away. Therefore, in order to achieve a more effective RCMP, we need to improve the partnership between the Indigenous governments, federal, and territorial government. I will give the Premier and the Minister of Justice the opportunity to update my constituents on the actions he is taking with the federal government to tackle the drug crisis in my community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Members' statements. Member from the Deh Cho.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this weekend is going to be a fun filled weekend in Hay River, Dene, the reserve. K'atlodeeche Reserve is hosting the annual K'amba Carnival this week through to March 2nd. That's this weekend.

Mr. Speaker, carnivals are happening all over the NWT this month and into April. This is a great opportunity to join in community events, take part and show your talent at indoor and outdoor activities.

At this weekend's K'amba Carnival, there will be dog sled races with dog mushers coming from as far as the Yukon and Saskatchewan to compete. It's nice that the community still keeps this tradition as part of their carnival. There will be talent shows for both youth and adults, and there will be big prizes, Mr. Speaker. A local craft market for handmade goods will also be on site.

Mr. Speaker, everyone is welcome, and I encourage residents to participate, especially to show off their singing, jigging, and fiddling skills. The weather is on our side, Mr. Speaker, and I look forward to seeing you all out there. Mahsi.

Thank you, Member from the Deh Cho. Members' statements. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I've spoken and will continue to speak about accessibility of health care in the NWT. This impacts directly my constituents, your constituents, constituents up the Valley, down the Valley, all the way around, Mr. Speaker. Nobody cares more about health care than Northerners I'm sure. But that may not technically be a fact, so I don't look forward to the Premier calling me on my fact checking statement on that. Everyone cares.

Mr. Speaker, not to upset the government but, you know what, I've seen the hallmark of this Assembly so clearly it actually speaks more like the trademark has become we're working on something, we're having discussions, we're -- we don't have enough policy people here, we don't have legislative people here. In other words, I hear a lot of we haven't done a lot.

Mr. Speaker, I have seen so little out of this government as far as policy legislative initiatives, I'm getting worried. Its key policy legislation it's moved forward this Assembly was done 99 percent in the last Assembly. So what has it done other than a few typos and a few corrections here or there? Mr. Speaker, when I hear the government again talk about how they can't do something, I hear delay, deny and, even sadder, do they really care.

Mr. Speaker, there's a phrase used in this type of business that's referred to mirrored legislation. It's actually a keystone to how a lot of Legislative Assembly initiatives get done. So, Mr. Speaker, why is this government not scratching the itch of copying other legislations? Use the incentive. I say don't view it as you've stolen it; use it as you've liberated great ideas from other jurisdictions.

By way of example, as I've already brought up here, Mr. Speaker, we have the Pharmacies Act and the scope of their practice used in so many jurisdictions. As a matter of fact, it's used in almost every jurisdiction where we can have pharmacists issue vaccines, things like for influenza -- I can't say a few of the other words, but I can certainly say HEP A. Well, some of them are pretty tricky. HEP B, you know, measles and mumps. Mr. Speaker, could you imagine if we had our pharmacists, health care warriors, out there helping us with COVID-19? We'd have people cured and maybe protected in different ways, giving vaccines, flu.

But, Mr. Speaker, as we stand now, I had a constituent last night tell me they went to go book a vaccine appointment. They had to wait until April. Well, they'll probably cure themselves at this rate we're moving.

Mr. Speaker, I'm not saying our health care warriors, known as pharmacists, can do everything, and I'm not suggesting they do everything. But we have willing partners, and we have smart people in the legislative branches, and we have smart people in in the policy branches, why can't they go liberate other legislation and mirror it and allow us to have our pharmacists help us? Part of the solution. I mean, it was yesterday, I believe -- if not the day before -- I was asking about changing the Nursing Act so we could allow to find better ways to get nurses here. Mr. Speaker, here is another simple way.

So while the government over there sits on billions of dollars and says -- billions of dollars and says oh, well, the Members should tell us how to do things, well Members with their meager budgets are presenting real solutions. And I'm going to ask, would the Minister be willing to do this and make minor changes to the Pharmacy Act and just get rid of some of the consultation, get the acts in the public, get it out, let's start talking about solutions, Mr. Speaker. Let's show some courage to the public that we care about their health care because I do, and I know everybody on this side cares about northern health care. And as I use the last moments of my very good long statement, Mr. Speaker, which I appreciate, Mr. Speaker, I cannot say enough: Pharmacists give a darn and, Mr. Speaker, let's empower them to be the health care providers they so dreamt to be when they joined that industry. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Members' statements.

Colleagues, today I found out I'm now a senior. Today, I'd like to recognize Mr. Roger Pilling on being selected as the 2024 elder volunteer. He moved to Fort Simpson in February 1988 from Fort Reliance where he was a weather observer for 18 months. Roger quickly became part of the community joining the curling club right away, then the slo-pitch league in the summer, then the Fort Simpson fire department in February 1989.

I had the opportunity to meet Roger in Fort Simpson at a ball tournament in the summer of 1991 and in Hay River in 1992 while my team from Coppermine was participating in the NWT slo-pitch championships. He was playing ball, umpiring, and helping run the tournament wherever he could help. I moved to Fort Simpson in 1992 and saw firsthand his involvement in the community.

Roger was a hydrometric tech with Environment Canada measuring water levels, water flows, and water quality. His job provided support to the community, especially during the spring breakup time when people worried about the flood. This is only a small impact of what he had done for the community.

Roger has volunteered for many things over the years - curling, ball, golf, ski trails, umpiring, archery, and supporting his children's participation in events. One of his biggest contributions has been as a member of the Fort Simpson Volunteer Fire Department where he has been a firefighter, training officer, lieutenant, deputy chief, and chief. He volunteered for over 36 years and still counting. He has thousands of hours training, fighting fires, rescues, and ambulance calls. Roger's always there to answer the call and to help people.

Roger and his wife Val have two children, Tyler and Madison. Volunteering is a family affair. If one of them signs up, the rest of the family is volunteering too. They believe that you need to not just be in a community but part of a community. Your community will only be as strong as your help.

Recognizing the time, I'd like to have the rest of my Member's statement deemed as read and printed in Hansard.

Roger is retired from his job with Environment Canada but is definitely not retired. He can be seen throughout the community doing a variety of things - cutting grass at the golf course, driving the school bus, making curling ice, towing people out of the ditch, teaching learn to curl, grooming the ski trails, running tournaments, and much more.
Roger's hobbies are golf, hunting, curling, and sledding in the mountains. I'm not sure which is his favorite. He is always willing to help anyone who wishes to take up these activities.
Roger contributions make him, and outstanding NWT resident and we are lucky to have him in Fort Simpson.

I would like to congratulate Roger on a well-deserved award.

Members' statements. Motions. Member from the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. State of Emergency for Humanitarian Reasons for Norman Wells.

WHEREAS the Town of Norman Wells has been requesting long-term solutions from the Government of the Northwest Territories;

AND WHEREAS the Town has offered to work with the Government of the Northwest Territories on proactive community planning because of climate change impacts on resupply to Norman Wells which has resulted in rising food insecurity, rising heating costs, rising and prohibitive costs of living, and rising and prohibitive costs of doing business;

AND WHEREAS Imperial Oil is transitioning out of the community, which will result in a reduced tax base for the community and territory, diminished opportunities for skilled workers in the community and unknown risks and changes to the community's power generation and transmission;

AND WHEREAS the Mayor and Council of Norman Wells is seeking assistance and is requesting that the Government of the Northwest Territories:

1. Recognize the Town's local declaration of a state of emergency and communicate the matter to the to the Government of Canada, seeking humanitarian aid;
2. Develop a comprehensive policy and procedure to respond to any humanitarian state of emergency within Northwest Territories communities;
3. Engage in sustainable community planning with stakeholders in Norman Wells; and
4. Facilitate a discussion between Imperial Oil Resources and the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Tlegohti Got'ine.

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, that this Legislative Assembly resolve that the current situation in the Town of Norman Wells is a state of emergency for humanitarian reasons;

AND FURTHER, that this Legislative Assembly calls upon the Government of the Northwest Territories to communicate this state of emergency with the Government of Canada, seeking humanitarian aid for the community;

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

And, Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote. Mahsi.

Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. Thank you, Member. The motion is in order. To the motion. Member from the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to add to the motion I just tabled.

In recent months, I have brought forward many concerns regarding the town of Norman Wells. The situation is dire, climate change impacts are very real, as we see with the rising food and heating costs and the impacts on the overall cost of living and conducting business. I am thankful to the Ministers within this Cabinet that I have met with myself and other leadership to discuss these issues. However, the outlook remains break.

Norman Wells, for example, on this winter road resupply, which is an annual one, has received 30 percent -- 34 percent of the total fuel supply for this season. Another 34 percent is expected in the coming months -- month I should say, Mr. Speaker. But it won't be completed, the complete -- the resupply.

Mr. Speaker, people are foreclosing on their homes. It's a reality. I've met people that are doing that. They are leaving the town of Norman Wells for better prospects, opportunities, for themselves and their family, which will help make it more difficult for the community to succeed at large. It is time that the Government of the Northwest Territories to step in and declare this state of an emergency and seek humanitarian aid for the community.

To add to that written statement, Mr. Speaker -- and I have some time allowed -- I've seen firsthand and discussed with many parents, grandparents, youth, take the youth community, as said by the mayor of Norman Wells the community is in a state of fear. To describe that, take our children going to school. The parents are living in fear. Are the teachers of the school going to leave because they can't afford to stay there? Take the middle-aged population. They're living in a state of fear. Are we going to have another job? Industry's closing. State of fear. Example, take our elderly. The elder pensioners, living on their low income, can they afford to live there under these circumstances? So that's a wholistic approach to the three categories that make up each and every community.

In our community, we've seen the drastic measures, catastrophic impacts of no water. You can't afford to live there on an annual affordable resupply. As we said numerous times, what if you miss the boat? In this case, what if you miss the winter road? Is your project going to go ahead? Yes, we can fly sugar in, but who's going to afford that retail price? So picture that, and that will substantiate the concern of this motion.

Look at the eight grocers. Now they got to finance to make affordable retail prices based on that affordable winter road going into those communities. Then it begs the question, expiry dates of products, heating costs for warehousing this annual stock. It's an incremental example of taking each and every concern seriously. And with the backing of this Assembly, there is no doubt in my mind that we have the capacity to help that community and that region.

More importantly, the task at hand is the motion at hand. Are we going to step up to help our small communities? People are leaving. I've talked to people. A couple of young people recently just moved out. I'm living in fear, I don't want to live underneath that tension. So the overarching concern is the unknown. Are we going to get a barge? Good choice. It may, and it may not be a choice. It's looking like we won't. But I will not guarantee the businessperson to say okay, resupply come July. I would say guarantee your stock now. We got 32 days, and even that 32 days is unknown. Are we getting warmer weather? If we look at the forecast as shown by one of the leaders, yes, we are. And as we know, the distance of Wrigley north to the communities is long in distance. It may seem short from Red Deer to Edmonton but drive on the conditions of the road or the winter road is the only factor that takes time to go from point A to point B. It may seem 250 kilometers from Wrigley to Tulita, but you can't drive at the speed north or south on those roads like High Level. Warmer weather creates overflow which deteriorates the road. So having the trucks and tire chains go over top of that road is really deteriorating the surface of the road which prolongs the turnaround of the fuel.

As I said in one of my previous statements, the trucks fuel up at Enterprise, all the way to Colville Lake, offload, a six-day turnaround. Based on road conditions, it may increase to seven days, eight days. And people, Mr. Speaker, the drivers are getting burnt out. I know of several people said, no, my back can't take it anymore. That road is rough. So as I mentioned earlier, with the backing of this Assembly we can stand behind and stand proud after the road closes at the end of this coming month, we resupply the challenges in front of us, but we did it. We supplied 17.8 million liters of fuel to five communities. That's just fuel. It's an essential service to our homes and our workers, our institutions. So I share that with you, and there's many others.

I can go on there, Mr. Speaker, but I think I've highlighted the need for this institution to stand behind this motion, and I look very aggressively forward to working with all the Ministers. And I must compliment my feedback by these Ministers and the Premier for the past several months. Thank you, and I look forward to your support. Mahsi.

Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. Members, to the motion. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I could relate to what's been brought forward to this motion to the House here today and thinking back to 2023 -- sorry, 2023 fire season, and we all remember what happened with that fire season here in Yellowknife, my community Dettah, N'dilo, going all the way down to Fort Resolution, and it impacted everybody. Lessons learned. It was a very tough time for everybody. And we thanked the frontline workers, the fire support that we got for our small communities. It hit home because by the time I -- when I was in -- actually, I was in Hay River when that alarm went off on our phone and asking us to evacuate. My wife and I were there and eating in the restaurant and everybody took off, and everybody was heading south, and we turned off to Fort Resolution at that time. And it was a really scary time for everybody. In particular, after my wife went to Fort Resolution I managed to get back to Yellowknife and to help the elders in Dettah and N'dilo to help evacuate them as well. It was a very scary time for the elders too as well. And being in Fort Resolution too, I remember being there and, you know, I recall that I don't think I changed my clothes for about a good week or ten days because we were so busy dealing with issues. At one hand, it got to the point where, you know, the community was almost ready to be evacuated but we couldn't because we had a fire in Fort Smith, we had a fire in Hay River, and then if we were to get through that to go south, where were we going to go? Everything was -- all the small towns all down to Alberta was taken up. And so the leadership in Fort Resolution decided just to stay there, and we got lake there, we got the airport there if we had to do something.

But anyways, so when this motion came up, I asked my colleague if I could help maybe second the motion, and I relate to what he is talking about. And I have been listening and watching my colleague bring up his issues in the House where they had a fire season in Norman Wells -- sorry, Fort Good Hope last year, and a lot of that fuel that was used on that fire didn't get replaced. Everything was brought in, was flown in, but people had to pay for that and at a premium. And it was a very tough time for my colleague and his constituents in the Sahtu region. And, again, you know, we had issues with the barging season to bring the fuel in. It was just a tough time. So I relate to what he's been through with his constituents because we've been through that as well. But we spent $175 million that year.

So I stand up here today to give support to this motion and second it, you know, again calling on the state of emergency for humanitarian reasons for Norman Wells and for the fuel supply as well. Again, it's a tough thing. It's an act of God. Nobody knows what's going to happen even this coming summer. All we could do is to prepare as best we can and -- but, again, we need to give support to our colleagues as much as we can and be there for them because as a government, we all have to -- I'm almost like a -- my Speaker talked about, like, being an elder. I am. I feel like an elder. But at the end of the day is that we all got to work together. And I often -- I say that amongst my colleagues as well, that we need to do that. So I just want to give support to my colleague on this motion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will be supporting this motion today. I don't think anybody in this House could say that the Member for the Sahtu is nothing but not determined, is not speaking and advocating for his region extremely well over these last 15 months we've been together. And fundamentally, Mr. Speaker, a part of why I voted on the capital budget was to support the access that he is -- to projects that he's been talking about on the winter road these last few weeks. So all that said, Mr. Speaker, it's fantastic that he's trying to seek every avenue for his people, to make sure that they can find some sort of reliable way to be resupplied knowing that Mother Nature is not in our favour these last few years. And so happy to support this motion and support the Sahtu. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I too will stand in support of this motion. Last year in October, we put aside the business of this House to have an emergency debate, which is not common practice for us, about this very issue, the humanitarian crisis in the Sahtu. It is with some regret that I support this motion because I would hope we wouldn't need to bring forward -- the Member wouldn't need to bring forward yet another call for a state of emergency in his riding and in a regional centre of the Northwest Territories. We have to do a better job of caring for the people of Norman Wells.

I've spoken with mayor -- with the mayor there as well, and his passion is very clear that this is a crisis. And there are practical things that can be done, and we need to ensure that our government is working with the municipality, the federal government, and everyone else who can help bring much needed humanitarian relief to the community.

There's also a need for long-term solutions. We need to continue to invest in the infrastructure, the Mackenzie Valley Highway that's going and other energy solutions as well, local energy solutions, that can help support this region and not set it up for continued climate emergencies and states of emergency.

You know, and I -- I'm just reflecting on some words that we -- that I -- my honourable friend, the Member for Yellowknife Centre, mentioned this morning that some of the dialogue out there in our community of Yellowknife is, you know, we shouldn't be supporting these motions, we shouldn't be supporting motions that don't relate to our ridings, that don't relate to our community, and that Members who do stand and support our community members are in somehow doing this for political gain, to score points. These are comments I saw this morning, and I want to stand in this House and say that's having compassion for other Northerners is why we're here. We are not here to score cheap political points. And while our styles may differ, where our approach to this job may differ, and where our passions may differ, does not mean that any of us doesn't want to be here for the right reasons. And it's very easy for people's personalities to be a source of criticism, and it's very easy to become a caricature when you're a politician.

So all I'll say, Mr. Speaker -- because I see that you're getting -- you may be getting advice -- is we stand in support of this motion because it matters to all Northerners, not just one community, and that is relevant to this motion. So I'm very proud to support my colleague. I'm proud to support all of our colleagues as we work together for a better future for the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Range Lake. To the motion. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I never want to miss an occasion for an opportunity to work with my community colleagues. And I won't go in a similar length as my previous speaker had just mentioned about the criticism, but it's a reminder of we're here collectively and we have to find ways to work together.

It's an unusual concept, you know, that some people feel, but I think it's the fundamental concept of working together when it's outside of your community and riding. And, you know, frankly, the town of Norman Wells needs additional hope. It needs the hope from power from Yellowknife MLAs getting behind a community MLA issue. It's to help a regional issue. When Yellowknife MLAs see this matters so much, we need to lend our voice to this. The people in Norman Wells don't want to feel abandoned. Whether you live in Tsiigehtchic or you live in Lutselk'e, you know, they matter to us. And we try to find ways to ensure that we support initiatives just like this particular motion, Mr. Speaker.

You know, when we see the changes of our territory, it's molding every day, you know, new changes. As our -- my good colleague from the Sahtu had mentioned, you know, Imperial Oil is transitioning, not quite effectively a change as other people transition but I'd certainly say, you know, they're transitioning their business. And I'll honestly say is, you know, business is always changing. If that's the one constant, things are always changing. And we look at the struggles of that town. That struggle should matter to me. Those communities, whether you're in Deline, you're in Tulita, you're in Colville, you're in Fort Good Hope, or you're in Norman Wells, that whole region needs the support. So when the town of Norman Wells does a declaration, I'm sure it wasn't over a coffee or a bagel sitting in the town coffee shop saying hey, let's do something exciting today. That statement, including the emergency debate brought forward by the Member, is really echoing the cries and passions of a region that see it as we have no choice but to raise the red flag. We have no choice but to yell from the tops of our voices as high as we can that we need support.

Now, we've seen challenges, and I suspect there will be new challenges next year and the year after that. You know, there was a time we'd say we have never seen days like this, or this is the 100-year flood or this is the 100-year drought. Boy, it sure feels like it's déjà vu every year. There's something else we're saying haven't seen happen.

So I think his call for a comprehensive policy and a process to help create this, I mean, it's the framework that really asks ourselves what do we do in times when places in crisis. You know, we need, as he points out, good, sustainable community planning and support. And that has to be done with the community on the ground.

So, Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to point out that the government isn't the only solution to this problem, you know. We have good partners. Imperial Oil could be, you know, supporters, the town could be supporters, the community governments could be supporters. We've got Indigenous governments that have expertise. We have a lot of people. So even this motion is directed to call upon the Legislative Assembly to say hey, government, do something about this, you're not alone. There are a lot of people that want to do things. I'd say, government, come into this with an open mind and say how can we do this together. And don't be afraid to say we're going to find a way to support this community, this region, and this territory. And I thank my good colleague, the Member of Sahtu. I also acknowledge my good Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh for helping support this motion. And I think there will be some other wonderful things coming from our colleagues in support. And as a Yellowknife Member as well as my previous colleague here who just spoke -- or a couple colleagues that have spoken, it's an honour to be part of a bigger picture solution because I know they're there when we need them too, and they can probably get the same questions from their communities. And this is what it's all about, working together in a way that makes things clear but supportive. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. To the motion. Member from Deh Cho.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too will be supporting the motion for Sahtu calling on this government to go to Ottawa and get humanitarian aid for the community.

Mr. Speaker, I lived in Norman Wells for a little over a year a few years ago, and so I know the community and I know that they're -- I know that the state of stuff that -- the situation they must be going through. They have a seniors' home there, Mr. Speaker, that houses seniors from the Sahtu region. If the community were to close down, it would put them -- a lot of things in jeopardy for people in the community. So I am thinking about that, especially those seniors who want to stay home. We keep talking about how we need things to happen at home for our own people. And so a lot of times I am told, even as a Deh Cho Member, that if Sahtu needs support, help them. They're our neighbours. So that's why I'm here to stand to say I am going to support -- I support the Member for the Sahtu and his motion calling for this government to go to Ottawa and get humanitarian aid. And if they want, I can go and help them too. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from the Deh Cho. To the motion. Member from Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to take a moment to address the current situation in Norman Wells where a humanitarian state of emergency has been declared not once, but twice. This action is a direct response to the rising cost of fuel, groceries, and essential supplies which have surged due to the cancellation of the 2024 barge season.

I have spoken several times to the Norman Wells mayor, including this morning, about the challenges that the area is facing, and we share the concerns about the increase of costs to the residents and are taking concrete actions to address them. The GNWT has taken a government-wide approach to support the safety and security of the residents, businesses, Indigenous governments, and community governments. We are focused on both immediate relief and long-term planning to mitigate future supply chain disruptions and to strengthen regional resiliency.

Some of the actions that have been taken recently by this government, thanks to the hard work of the GNWT departments working together, the staff, and the hard work by the MLA from the Sahtu, the government has

• Reduced the fuel costs by up to 86 cents per liter, easing financial pressures on the residents and the businesses;
• Enhancing the senior home heating subsidy with support reaching up to 1,455 per liter at its peak;
• Allocating $1.8 million through the support funding for businesses and communities impacted by the 2024 barge cancellation program to offset increased transportation costs for essential goods. The deadline to apply for this program is still March 7th, 2025;
• Contributing $150,000 to the Norman Wells.
• Food Bank to support families through the winter months;
• Assessing financial impacts of the community government and assessing long-term costs through financial planning; and
• Continuing advocacy for long-term infrastructure solutions, including the Mackenzie Valley Highway to reduce resiliency on seasonal transportation and improve supply chain sustainability.

The GNWT has also engaged with the federal government to explore additional assistance options. I have spoken directly to the Minister of federal emergency preparedness to discuss potential supports for Norman Wells and the region.

The GNWT respects the town of Norman Wells's decision to declare a local state of emergency; however, under the NWT Emergency Management Act, a state of an emergency applies only to situations where there is immediate threat to life or critical infrastructure. While the challenges are serious, I want to be clear that they do not meet the definition of emergencies under this Act.

Additionally, declaring a local state of emergency does not unlock federal funding or territorial funding. This has been confirmed to me by the Minister of emergency preparedness and at the department level. Instead, the GNWT is focusing on particular solutions to provide real financial relief and long-term sustainability in the region. The GNWT remains committed to supporting Norman Wells and the Sahtu region. We continue working with the local leadership, businesses, Indigenous governments, and the federal government to address both immediate and long-term challenges. We understand the urgency of the situation, and we will continue to take action to ensure affordable access to gain goods into the region and services for the residents.

Mr. Speaker, as this motion proposes direction to Cabinet, Cabinet will abstain from this vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Hay River South. To the motion.

Question has been called. Does the Member from the Sahtu wish to conclude, close this debate? Member from the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks very much to my colleagues that provided comments. It's very encouraging to sit in this room designed by the sharing of the circle. Look around us. When I got the orientation in 2015, this was pointed out to me, this circle, the healing circle.

We have issues. We have problems at the community level, many, many. I heard disturbing news from my home community just the other day, Mr. Speaker, as a result of what could be the drug issues and the addictions created by the product. It's very disturbing, Mr. Speaker. And this is about the current problems we have. No water.

Sustainability and planning are essential to management delivery and success of a going concern. Take the private enterprise. The ambitious entrepreneur is committed to producing results. The same concept, approach, is shown here today. There's a need. We'll put our heads together, develop a sustainable plan of recovery, and we will be resilient. I guarantee that there, Mr. Speaker.

Now, if we constant behind this, the GNWT accepts this, let's just predict and assume, we accept this state of emergency. It's a designation; a designation that allows the ability to move ahead utilizing that designation for access. Without that, the federal government's going to say you don't have that door open to you. So there is really many options available once you accept that designation.

I made a trip with my colleagues and leaders of the Sahtu back in October. We had success, fruitful and productive conversations. On the same conceptual approach of determination, Mr. Speaker, that was seen in 2017 when I was sitting in this very same assigned seat. I took no for an answer. This government produced a business plan; we're going to build a highway from point A to point B, it's going to cost us this much. I was denied by the Minister at the time not to go there. There's no reason. I see no reason, I was determined, got the approval, made two trips that year. In the fiscal year of 2018 this government, in the Great Hall, made a joint announcement by both governments, you have $140 million for that project. I'm proud to say with determination, you can move mountains, Mr. Speaker. And I think in this case, our mountain's very small. It's not a huge problem. Planning is going to eliminate part of that. And we only have 32 days, as I mentioned earlier, to get our resupply done.

But still that shouldn't stop there. Planning is essential. We've got the fear of our residents looking for leadership. Is this government going to be behind that? We are requesting that. And I smile with dignity and determination; I think we're going to get there. I'm glad to see you're in agreement with your smile, Mr. Speaker. It gives me inspiration. I got 15 minutes. I got 15 minutes to that motion.

In short, to move on, let's move on, let's stand behind this motion and let's move on and show the residents of the Sahtu, not specifically Norman Wells, how it brings in the communities is that resupply our airplane stock with fuel, and it goes to the communities and provide transportation. If that supply is not there like we experience, how can our scheduled service sustain our communities? That's the lifeline after that road's closed. So that's how it impacts surrounding communities of Norman Wells. Thank you.

In closing, I say mahsi cho, and I look forward to working with everybody. And as I said, back in our first state of an emergency, what if it happens to your riding? I will be there. We will be there. As my colleague from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh said, the fires. Huge impact. The floods. I will be there to support you. Mahsi.

Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. Member for the Sahtu has asked for a recorded vote. Those all supporting the motion, please stand.

All those opposed, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand.

Colleagues, to the motion, ten in favour, zero opposed, six abstaining. The motion has been carried.

---Carried

Motions. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize three residents from the town of Inuvik here to attend the Northwest Territories Association of Communities, Mr. Speaker. We have Mayor Peter Clarkson, mayor for the town of Inuvik. We have Cynthia Pihlaja, the SAO for the town of Inuvik, and Melinda Gillis, town councillor, town of Inuvik, chair of the Inuvik Community Corporation, and member of the board of directors for the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation. Mr. Speaker, all three of these members are a part of the amazing leadership team in the town of Inuvik, and I'm so happy they're here today. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, I'm not going to repeat all of their titles again but His Worship Peter Clarkson, the SAO Cynthia Pihlaja, and my cousin Melinda Gillis. That's one title that she didn't get. So I'd like to welcome them here. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Inuvik Twin Lakes. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Okay, Member from the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too would like to recognize Peter Clarkson. Peter and I have known each other in his role, capacity, as a regional director. So it goes quite back -- way back, so. And also, I'd like to recognize our staff and Mayor Frank Pope from Norman Wells and Cathy Clarke, the SAO for the town of Norman Wells. Mahsi, and welcome to the Assembly.

Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned earlier, our Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs had to step out so on his behalf, I would like to -- I announced that earlier for those Members who were in the House, that they probably remember that.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize Their Worships, Frank Pope and Peter Clarkson, and welcome them to the capital for the NWTAC AGM as well as to this House. So thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Hay River North. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize Kate Cannell. Kate is one of the leading lights of Yellowknife Search and Rescue Team here in Yellowknife, does a lot of very good work and has been really instrumental in bringing this important area of public safety to my attention, and I thank her for that support and thank her for being here today.

Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too would like to recognize the Worship Frank Pope and Mr. Clarkson, and also your staff, the SAO and Ms. Gillis. Also, I just want to say that welcome to the House and nice to see you guys. Mahsi.

Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Recognition of visitors in the gallery.

I am going to jump the band wagon here and welcome Mayor Pope for being here. I appreciate all the work you're doing for members -- or residents of Norman Wells. And Mayor Peter Clarkson who I met in 1988 -- that way I'm an elder now -- on the ice rink. So welcome here. He's still skating, and I'm not, so I appreciate you being here.

If we've missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to your chambers. You put us here. We thank you very much for this honour, and I hope you are enjoying the proceedings. It is always nice to see people in the gallery.

Acknowledgements. Colleagues, we're going to take a brief recess.

---SHORT RECESS

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Mr. Speaker, I am alleging that the Honourable Premier broke Rule 3.2(3)(i) and Rule 3.2(3)(j); the first being imputing false or hidden motives to another Member and the latter being charges another Member with uttering a deliberate falsehood.

Mr. Speaker, I've had the chance to review the live feed of our proceedings earlier today, and to quote from the Premier's speaking to the point of privilege raised earlier this morning, and I quote: And from this side of the floor, this post appears to be a continuation of the spreading of false information and a campaign of intimidation that I witnessed here in this House and in this building.

Mr. Speaker, it is against the rules of this House to make allegations; but further, specifically, to impute false or hidden motives to another Member and to charge another Member with uttering a deliberate falsehood, which the Premier has done. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Range Lake. To the point of privilege -- point of order. Sorry, point of order.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I never like to speak ill of my colleagues or the work that they do, and I know that when we speak in those types of terms in this House, it can cause disorder and it can cause the public to lose faith in our institutions, and so I want to apologize to this House, to all of my colleagues in this House, and I withdraw my remarks. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Hay River North. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member's statement today talked about the Pharmacy Act challenges and the scopes thereof, and I also talked about the opportunity this government could have if it would only seize the day of capturing some excellent work done by other jurisdictions. I don't have to name them all because it's all provinces have updated their scope of work for pharmacists.

Mr. Speaker, what can the Minister of Health and Social Services do to either capture, emulate, create, or borrow the work that's already done to ensure our pharmacists can be a health care partner in our needs here in the NWT? Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as of right now, the work that's happening with the regulations under the Health and Social Services Admin Act which oversees the professional specific regulations, the regulations that's been working on right now are the midwives, the pharmacists, the dental hygienists, and the social workers. And all that work is in conjunction with the updating, and the LP will be coming forward in the winter of 2025. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what is specifically holding them back? As I mentioned, the example I gave, a constituent went and was told they would wait two months to get a flu shot, which they could have gone to their local pharmacy and got. So that said, what is holding up this work? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the public engagement proposed key elements took place between July 29th and August 30th of 2024, and a What We Heard report was done December 3rd, 2024. Drafting instructions are currently being developed right now, and it's anticipated that the regulations will be ready to come into force with the coming into the force of the Health and Social Services Professionals Health Act.

The one thing that I would like to add is is that we are not the same as -- like we always say, we're not the same as in the south, so we have to ensure we've been working with our pharmacists in the Northwest Territories to ensure that the things that we are going to put forward in the legislation as part of that working group is that they're going to be able to do those things. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Mr. Speaker, I talked about delays; I talked about opportunities; I'm going to ask the Minister what opportunities can we do to accelerate appointments that people need simple, straightforward care. As I said, someone needed a flu shot, they got to wait two months. There must be a better way. What can the Minister propose as a solution?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If we're speaking about flu shots, flu shot clinics were openly open to the public when flu shots are available, usually in October/November. There are ongoing clinics. They have space occupied. It's a walk-in. And so now after that time is over, they have to book the appointments through public health. And I'm -- and, you know, even when we have pharmacists, you know, they're not going to have on ready, on hand, you know, there will be times when -- you know, I'm sure that they're going to have to book appointments there. What's happening now is there is a shortage in public health. There was some recruitment challenges going on. They are recruiting. They have recruited public health nurses in Yellowknife to be able to administer vaccinations so I'm hoping that there will be more appointments coming in the near future. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Monfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one day all of us in here will become an elder or senior. And even you said it today that you are senior today so, you know, like, congratulations, and a lot of us will be following between 5 to 25 years, we will be there. But, yeah, so with that in mind, Mr. Speaker, I just -- I want to ask the GNWT if they are tracking -- if there is a tracking rates of elder abuse in the NWT. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in 2020, Statistics Canada reported that the NWT had the highest rate of police reported family and nonfamily violence against seniors in Canada. Unfortunately, Stats Canada stopped breaking out statistics of family violence against seniors and so we're unable to provide more up-to-date statistics. The GNWT is currently not able to track rates of elder abuse. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. That's good to know, Mr. Speaker. So what programming is available for seniors that are being abused? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, older adults facing abuse can access the same support services that other adult victims of crime use. This includes victim services, court orders, emergency shelters, counselling, help lines, legal support. Older adults may not recognize these services are available to them which is why the 2024 Seniors' Society Handbook includes information about elder abuse, warning signs, where to seek help. This handbook was distributed in the summer of 2024 and is also available online. Additional work undertaken by the department includes a territorial-wide elder abuse awareness campaign that was launched in June 2024, resources with information on elder abuse available supports. The department is also in the process of drafting materials to support the development of training for service providers and the public about recognizing and responding to elder abuse.

In addition to this, the department provides funding to the NWT Senior's Society for a variety of initiatives and workshops that empower seniors and community members to identify and address elder abuse.

Also, the GNWT's Office of Public Guardian and Public Trustee under the Guardianship and Trustee Act can support older adults who do not have the capacity to make decisions for themselves if they are experiencing or are at risk of psychological or financial abuse or neglect. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Monfwi.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Without a Minister or ministry responsible for seniors -- I know she answered some of these questions but I would like to still ask -- responsible for seniors, where is the best source of information for people who want to help seniors bwho are being exploited or abused? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the GNWT maintains a dedicated elder abuse web page on getting help for elders' abuse. I would be happy to send these links and pages to the Member or all MLAs. People can also phone the NWT Senior's Society information line for relevant information. People can also call 811. And if it's an emergency, 911. And, you know, I -- Mr. Speaker, I think it takes all of us to, you know, to be keeping aware of our elders in our community, you know, educating, you know, youth, advising our seniors in our community when we witness the abuse. We know that we find sometimes that our elders do not want to push, press charges, and things like that. But there are ways, you know, and I think reaching -- having them reach out to the seniors' society, the help line, to be able to find ways to support their individual needs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake. Great Slave, that's it. Try one of those lakes. Great Slave.

So many lakes, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker, can the Premier please explain if our main focus and strategy moving forward with transitional and supportive housing is only with building new stock with federal dollars, or will other opportunities being considered? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. All opportunities to expand our transitional housing stock will be explored, whether that is renovation of existing units that we come into possession of or whether it is the development of new units, we're open to doing whatever we need to do to make things happen. We're not going to limit ourselves to one, you know -- to one way of procuring these units. And so in -- recently, we've done some more temporary measures. So the on-the-land camp, we are looking to set up a temporary transitional housing unit until we can get something more permanent in place as well. And so I hope to be able to, you know, have something on the ground built here in Yellowknife and in the coming years, and it's -- you know, this is a territorial-wide issue. We've been working with NGOs, and Yellowknife has been identified as a location where we can do this work now and make some serious impacts, and so that's why the efforts have been focused in that region. And we're also exploring opportunities to partner with NGOs and Indigenous governments as well. There's no reason the GNWT has to be doing this work alone. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm the daughter of a journeyman electrician, so I know that existing multi-dwelling housing stock in the territory is not always up to snuff or code and can require major upgrades or overhauls. So can the Premier tell me whether in conversations with -- led by EIA with those partners that he just spoke of around existing housing stock, are renovations proving to be cost prohibitive to proceed with more renovation-based housing projects like Aspen Apartment or Nordic Arms? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And so it sounds like the Member's aware that once you start renovating something, once you open those walls, you never know what you're going to find, and there could be extraordinary costs that you don't expect. That being said, if there are units that lend themselves to potential renovations, we can have a look at those and do our best to figure out whether or not we might run into some of those issues, and then they go from there. So we don't want to write anything off without even looking into it.

When it comes to the transitional housing piece -- I don't want to speak to social housing, but when it comes to transitional housing, there could be some more requirements for the builds if there needs to be wraparound spaces, if there are supports, or other types of supports that could lead to some increased costs as well. So that's all very specific about what units we might be looking at if it's something we're looking to renovate and what is the -- how do we want to use those units. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Oral questions. Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So the Premier's staff have let me know in writing that the regional partnership will be the means used to implement the NWT homelessness strategy here in Yellowknife. So many former members of that -- of an ad hoc working group on the encampment last summer are part of that table. So, Mr. Speaker, can the Premier tell me if the options that are identified by these partners are also being considered in the near to mid term for transitional and supportive stock? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, and it's actually the regional partnership that really put the focus on Yellowknife. And so, you know, we're already working with them, taking their advice and insight. Of course, when you work at an NGO and you are doing this work on a daily basis day in and day out you have a lot of expertise and insight and, of course, we want to leverage that and work with these organizations. So not every organization's priorities will align with each other's, and so going forward there will be some -- you know, partners who are probably happier with what we are doing and some partners who might not be as happy with what we're doing, but regardless we'll continue to do that work. There will be a meeting in early March of the regional partnership and again in early April, and that will include NGOs, the city of Yellowknife, and we'll be using those opportunities to build on the work that's already started and discuss the studies that have been undertaken and any plans that might be underway to see how we can better work together and improve any projects that any of us collectively are working on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake. Got the lake right this time.

It's the best one. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier today I talked about ground search and rescue in the Northwest Territories. Can the Department of Justice indicate when they're going to provide an action plan to start implementing the recommendations provided in the review of ground search and rescue services that they commissioned themselves? Can we get a timeline and a costing -- a cost of plan so we could get these recommendations in place and improve ground search and rescue in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of Justice.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A couple years ago, a few years ago, the federal government offered us some money to undertake a review of search and rescue in the Northwest Territories, and so we did that, and the report came back with a number of recommendations. The responses -- the government's responses to those recommendations have been tabled in this House as part of a response to a written question that the Member made. And so what that written response says is that the government is not adopting those recommendations, so there will be no action plan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I mean, that's concerning, and it's concerning to volunteers who are working in ground search and rescue, and it's more concerning to people who might get lost and need ground search and rescue.

Mr. Speaker, at the very least, can we improve -- can we ensure there's consistent recording of data? Because there's not. This data's lost year on year. We don't have a central repository. Can we at least start to implement some of these things that are low cost options like a central repository for search and rescue data. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So I believe that would be sort of a difficult task. The RCMP records some statistics about search and rescue. They provide incident command services during search and rescues, but there is no central body beyond that that records this data. So the cost that a community or individuals might spend on a search and rescue, that's not covered. You know, there might be individuals out there supporting efforts that don't let anyone know that they're supporting efforts, and so we can't necessarily record that information either. So because this involves so many different groups and we don't have a coordinated system, I can't make that commitment, but I'm happy to look further into it. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Justice. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And there is more than just one team doing work in the Northwest Territories. Throughout the Northwest Territories, there's dedicated groups of volunteer who might not be part of a structured incorporated group that go out and do this work on a quite regular basis, depending on the circumstances. But that group is -- you know, we don't have a coordinating body, as I said and right now the report itself suggested that the EMO, the emergency management organization, take over these functions. The EMO does not have that capacity at this time. And we'll be responding to recommendations from the afteraction review when it comes to how to organize themselves and what they need to focus on. And so at this time, I can't commit to that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.