Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that is interesting news, Mr. Speaker. I believe the Northwest Territories has already welcomed around 80 asylum seekers and refugees to the Northwest Territories. Seems like something we can do. Is the Minister going to be taking the federal Minister up on his offer and get our quota back? Thank you.
Debates of March 11th, 2025
This is page numbers of the Hansard for the 20th Assembly, 1st Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was know.
Topics
Question 631-20(1): Northwest Territories Nominee Program
Oral Questions

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, I have asked for further details from the federal minister to better understand exactly who he would be speaking about and then also the potential demands on our system for -- so, for example, our healthcare system. And then, in addition, have wanted to better understand what support services the federal government would be open to offering the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
Question 631-20(1): Northwest Territories Nominee Program
Oral Questions

The Speaker Shane Thompson
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.
Question 631-20(1): Northwest Territories Nominee Program
Oral Questions

Kieron Testart Range Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, the clock is ticking on the federal government. I don't think we have much long left with them. And certainly many people who are asylum seekers are able to work in the Northwest Territories as well. This seems like it could be two birds with one stone. And certainly the North is welcoming to people, and this would help solve a lot of problems. We have precious little time to get it done. When will the Minister have an answer for the House on this issue? Thank you.
Question 631-20(1): Northwest Territories Nominee Program
Oral Questions

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So I have asked for those further clarifying details from the federal government myself and then have also had a sit-down meeting with MP McLeod to also indicate the additional information that I'm looking for, and he agreed to take that back to his -- to the federal Minister as well. So we're both working together to try and flesh out this information. Thank you.
Question 631-20(1): Northwest Territories Nominee Program
Oral Questions

The Speaker Shane Thompson
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Question 632-20(1): Indigenous Employment Policy
Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to pick up where some of the questions were left off with respect to the Minister of Finance and the Indigenous employment program. And one of the things she had mentioned how Indigenous Canadian summer students would be able to qualify. So I'm curious would they qualify above local P2s? Thank you.
Question 632-20(1): Indigenous Employment Policy
Oral Questions
Question 632-20(1): Indigenous Employment Policy
Oral Questions

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, under the summer student program you do need to be ordinarily resident so that right now persons who, as P2, would be born in the Northwest Territories. If they are not an ordinarily resident, then they would not. If they are a P2 because they have lived more than half their life and might be a student from that -- in that respect and if they're now still ordinarily resident, then they would qualify, Mr. Speaker. If under the Indigenous employment policy, you would have -- of course, again, it's related to persons who are Indigenous to the Northwest Territories or Indigenous Canadians but, again, would also still have to be ordinarily resident in the Northwest Territories. So, again, depends, I guess, what kind of P2 you might have under the current policy. But in any case, the individuals applying to the student program do all have to be ordinarily resident. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 632-20(1): Indigenous Employment Policy
Oral Questions

The Speaker Shane Thompson
Thank you, Minister of Finance, not infrastructure. Same person, but I apologize. Back to oral questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Question 632-20(1): Indigenous Employment Policy
Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on the similar note, Mr. Speaker, in the committee just recently the Minister had said known the policy of -- the affirmative action policy to be clear -- was known to be unconstitutional. Now, I'm not asking her opinion. I'm asking for her facts. So what facts does she have in a legal opinion that state this, and would she be willing to share this secret knowledge to Members? Thank you.
Question 632-20(1): Indigenous Employment Policy
Oral Questions

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know that there have been discussions in public and with myself and perhaps with other Members and perhaps with other Members or representatives from the Department of Finance with respect to concerns around Section 6 of the Charter which relates to the mobility rights of Canadians to be able to move between jurisdictions. It's obviously a hot topic right now as we are facing challenges with tariffs and a response to tariffs that includes removing mobility or encouraging mobility across jurisdictions.
With respect to legal opinions, Mr. Speaker, it should, I think, be fairly well known by most people that legal opinions are not the kind of document that get readily shared by anyone who is in possession of one, and I won't be doing that today. Thank you.
Question 632-20(1): Indigenous Employment Policy
Oral Questions

The Speaker Shane Thompson
Thank you, Minister of Finance. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Question 632-20(1): Indigenous Employment Policy
Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre
Mr. Speaker, only for a sentence at most, really, Bill 21 in Quebec is used to protect them from their philosophical position. I don't necessarily agree with it, and I want to make that clear. But that said, that is a state which is protecting their objectives, culture, rights, whatever. I'll let them defend it, not me. That said, the affirmative action program was a way of recognizing the value that P2s provide, including the other areas of women and persons with disabilities. Mr. Speaker, how unconstitutional is it so bad that people don't even have a legal opinion but yet flog it and say well, it doesn't meet the rights. Like, in other words, why can't we just do it until we're challenged? Thank you.
Question 632-20(1): Indigenous Employment Policy
Oral Questions

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's not that the department doesn't have legal opinions over the last 35 years; however, I just won't be putting forward legal opinions that are subject to solicitor-client privilege here on the floor of the House. Mr. Speaker, certainly happy to sit down and engage further about the various risks that go into determining policy. I'm not going to speak to what Quebec may or may not do. And there is a significant difference in the application of, you know -- if where this was going was some suggestion around, you know, what kind of risk mitigation strategies one might go into, and you are concerned about having an unconstitutional policy, Mr. Speaker, there's, again -- the question was difficult, quite frankly, to follow. I'm not trying to cast dispersions. I'm just wanting to ensure that I'm not now told I'm not answering the question. We have legal opinions. Mobility rights are a live issue. It was quite clear based on the language within the former affirmative action policy that it would more likely than not be across the line of being against the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Mr. Speaker. And I think I'll leave it there. And there's 11 minutes on the clock; I'm happy to take more questions. Thank you.
Question 632-20(1): Indigenous Employment Policy
Oral Questions

The Speaker Shane Thompson
Thank you, Minister of Finance. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife North.
Question 633-20(1): Access to Yellowknife Day and Sobering Shelter
Oral Questions
March 11th, 2025

Shauna Morgan Yellowknife North
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. I wanted to ask the Minister about the policies of the GNWT-run day shelter and sobering centre here in Yellowknife around how and when they might restrict access to prevent individuals from using those spaces for reasons other than immediate safety threats. And I just wanted to especially note that the day shelter is the only co-ed space available in Yellowknife for social connection and community support.
Can the Minister confirm, do the day shelter and sober centre have policies to refuse access to anyone who may regularly seek shelter somewhere else, such as the women's shelter or the Salvation Army? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 633-20(1): Access to Yellowknife Day and Sobering Shelter
Oral Questions

The Speaker Shane Thompson
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Question 633-20(1): Access to Yellowknife Day and Sobering Shelter
Oral Questions

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Health and Social Services that does oversee this temporary day shelter, they do have policies; however, I don't have those policies in front of me to be able to go through them and respond to that question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 633-20(1): Access to Yellowknife Day and Sobering Shelter
Oral Questions

Shauna Morgan Yellowknife North
Okay. Can the Minister confirm whether the sobering centre restricts access to intoxicated individuals if they already have a room allocated to them, for example, at the women's centre or the Salvation Army? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 633-20(1): Access to Yellowknife Day and Sobering Shelter
Oral Questions

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't have that level of detail. I do know that they have their processes and if they are an intoxicated individual, they -- whether they know they have a room somewhere else, I don't know how they work with the shelters within the network of Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 633-20(1): Access to Yellowknife Day and Sobering Shelter
Oral Questions

The Speaker Shane Thompson
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife North.
Question 633-20(1): Access to Yellowknife Day and Sobering Shelter
Oral Questions

Shauna Morgan Yellowknife North
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, I do look forward to following up with the Minister to pursue this further. But my final question is just that given that the women's centre has a policy now stating it can't safely support intoxicated individuals during the daytime, even if they rent a room within that space, if these folks are being turned away at the sobering centre and they can't go back to their room at the women's centre, is the Minister aware of anywhere else those folks can go if they're intoxicated to safely get off the street? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 633-20(1): Access to Yellowknife Day and Sobering Shelter
Oral Questions

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, you know, the health and social services does operate the sobering day shelter which acts as an emergency shelter at night; however, there are many other facilities in Yellowknife that are NGOs that run their facilities. Those things that I don't have as most of the shelters do not fall under just the shelter -- the sobering centre. Thank you.
Question 633-20(1): Access to Yellowknife Day and Sobering Shelter
Oral Questions

The Speaker Shane Thompson
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.