Please be seated. Good afternoon. Colleagues, welcome back to the House. It is great to be back and that was a great way to open our sitting.

I'd like to thank Ryan Gordon for his wonderful bagpiping today. That's not something we get to enjoy every day. I'd also like to thank elder Jonas Lafferty for his opening blessing. Please join me in thanking them for the wonderful start to this sitting.

I'm also pleased to welcome our pages to the chamber. Our youth are our future, and we are fortunate to have them with us. This week we will have pages from Yellowknife and next week we will also be joined by pages from Hay River and Fort Providence. I thank each of them for joining us here and hope they have a great time and the opportunity to learn about our unique form of consensus government.

For the pages who will be joining us during this sitting, and all youth across the territory, I would like to take a moment to remind you about our upcoming Youth Parliament. This program is open to grade nine and grade ten students and is on an application basis. Applications are due on February 14th if you would like to apply, or just want some more information, please visit our website at www.ntassembly.ca.

Colleagues, February is Indigenous Languages Month. I look forward to hearing our languages spoken each day. When we use our language in this House, and when we have our proceedings interpreted, we are helping to promote and revitalize our language. This is one very important way we can and do show our respect for the language and culture of our people.

I am deeply proud of the work we do to use and grow our languages. The hard work and dedication of our interpreters bring our words to life and brings our messages to residents in their language. We couldn't do it without the interpreters, and we are honoured to work with such a dedicated team.

Colleagues, please remember to speak slowly and clearly for our interpreters and everyone who is watching our proceedings. Please join me in thanking our interpreters and welcoming them back to the Assembly.

--- Applause

Before I continue, I am saddened to advise of the passing of two of our interpreters since we last sat in this House. Tom Unka, of Fort Res, passed away in December of 2024. And Ms. Evelyne Parry of Fort McPherson passed away in January of this year.

Mr. Unka was known for his dedication to the interpretation of the Dene Sune and made it possible for constituents near and far to tune in and understand the Assembly's proceedings in their own language. Ms. Parry was a great advocate for her language. Her contribution to preserving the Gwich'in language is celebrated with her strong commitment to providing excellence in her professional interpretation career. Both Mr. Unka and Ms. Parry have been instrumental in the preservation and revitalization of their language. Their passing is one of the great losses to this institution, the people of the Northwest Territories, and to friends and family. Colleagues, in recognition of their service to this Assembly, and to their language culture, please join me in a moment of silence to honour Mr. Unka and Ms. Parry.

--- MOMENT OF SILENCE

Thank you.

Colleagues, I've said this before, but I will repeat myself here:

When I was selected as your Speaker, I called for thoughtful, meaningful, and honest debate. I still expect that from each of you. So do the people we represent in this chamber. We all have different perspectives and have had different experiences to bring us to where we are today. We cannot and will not always see eye-to-eye. And we don't have to; That's not why we are here. It's okay for us to disagree with each other but when we do, we must strive to do so without being disagreeable and disrespectful. When we do not see eye-to-eye, we must choose our words carefully, to show our dignity, our humility, and our respect for each other, this institution, and our residents. We are fortunate to govern and work in this environment and it is our responsibility, as Members of this Legislative Assembly, to uphold the high standards that are expected by our residents and is both deserved and required by this institution.

Consensus government isn't about agreeing all the time; it is about having your say and your opportunity to shape how we govern and care for our residents. It is about doing our best to represent the people who have elected us, representing ourselves and our personal beliefs and convictions. Consensus government is, I believe, about respect.
When you speak in this chamber, you are speaking on behalf of your constituents and you are speaking to me, as your Speaker. I will insist on this. I will insist that you deliver your words and carry yourself with respect and in keeping with our rules.
If you are in this chamber and you do not have the floor to speak, I expect you to listen to our colleagues and not to create a distraction for each other who are speaking and listening to each other.

Colleagues, be respectful of all Members of the Legislative Assembly, both with your words and how you use your time. Please avoid lengthy preambles to your statements, questions and answers. Please refrain from making unnecessary noises or disruptions when somebody else is speaking. Even if you are not listening, others are, and they deserve that opportunity.

As your Speaker, our rules provide me with the tools to ensure that our proceedings take place with the level of respect and decorum that is expected of us. I would prefer not to rely on my authority to ensure this is a respectful workplace, which is why I am reminding you today of my expectations, but please understand that I am both able and willing what it is if it's required.

Colleagues, our behaviour in this House is governed by our rules. If we haven't done so recently, I strongly encourage each of you to review them again. If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to speak to me or to one of our table officers; we are here to help and to ensure that our proceedings are effective, efficient, and in keeping with our rules.

I have received the following correspondence from the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, the Honourable Gerald w. Kisoun. It states:

Dear Mr. Speaker: I wish to advise that I recommend to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, the passage of Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), 2025-2026; Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2024-2025; Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2024-2025, during the February-March sitting of the first session of the 20th Legislative Assembly. Yours Truly, Gerald W. Kisoun.

Before we continue to the orders of the day, I would like to advise Members that I am prepared to provide my ruling on the Point of Privilege that was raised by the Member of Yellowknife Centre on November 1, 2024, the last day we sat together in this chamber.

On November 1, 2024, the Member for Yellowknife Centre rose on a point of privilege. He cited an exchange where the Member for Yellowknife North referred to the Member for Yellowknife Centre's actions as "petty". This occurred outside the chamber.

The Member was correct in raising a point of privilege and not a point of order. The rules of the Legislative Assembly apply to proceedings, whether in the chamber or in the committee. The privilege of the Assembly and of Members apply more broadly. Members must be free from obstruction and intimidation. This privilege safeguards their ability to do their job without fear of undue pressure or influence. The point of privilege raised by the Member from Yellowknife Centre is that the use of the term "petty" to describe his actions was an obstruction or an act of intimidation.

When a point of privilege is raised, two things must be decided. The first is whether the point of privilege was raised at the earliest opportunity. The second is whether on the face of it, there is an issue of privilege to be determined. This is often referred to whether there is a prima facie case of privilege. In this case, the Member from Yellowknife Centre raised the issue within a short enough time period to meet the first part of the test. However, based on my review, as well as past decisions in this House, I am not convinced there is an issue of privilege to be determined. There is no prima facie case of privilege. There is no evidence that the use of the word "petty" obstructed the Member's ability to fulfill his duties. There was no evidence that the comment was part of a broader pattern of intimidation.

In February 2010, the Speaker of the time was faced with a similar point of privilege. The Member from the Mackenzie Delta rose on a point of privilege that when leaving the chamber, he was called a name by the Member from Inuvik Twin Lakes and followed into the bathroom. The Speaker ruled that while name-calling was inappropriate, it did not rise to the level of a breach of privilege. The Speaker noted that a comment may be disrespectful, even inappropriate, but if it does not materially affect a Member's ability to do their job, it is not a matter of privilege. I agree.

In this case, while the use of the word "petty" was inappropriate and should not have been said, it was not a matter of privilege. Members, you are passionate advocates with strong beliefs. You would not be here otherwise. But you must set an example by always being respectful and professional.

Ministers' statements. Minister of Finance.