Debates of Feb. 10th, 2026

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

Oral Questions
Members Present
Prayer Or Reflection
Winter Road and Ice Crossing Implementation
Minister Absesnt from the House
Arctic Economic and Security Corridor Memorandum of Understanding
Mackenzie Valley Highway Community Sessions
Compassionate Accommodation for Medical Travel
Cultural Safety in the Health Care System
Black History Month Events in Yellowknife
Opening Comments
Abandoned Vehicles Amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act
Mandate and Priorities of the Legislative Assembly
Economic Future of the Northwest Territories
Celebration of Life of Dolphus “Duffy” Cazon
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Community Engagement on Makenzie Valley Highway
Cultural Safety and Stabilizing Workforce in Healthcare System
Accelerating Resource Development in the Northwest Territories
Land Tenure and Land Transfers
Amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act Concerning Abandoned Vehicles
Long-term Benefits of Resource Development in the Tlicho Region
Diamond Mine Socioeconomic Agreements
Implementation of United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Persons Concerning Healthcare
Fire Safety in Encampments
Cost of Living Subsidies for Power Rates
Air Ambulance Contracts
Taltson Hydro Expansion
Arctic Economic Security Corridor
Fire Marshall's Office and Encampments
Aspen Apartments
Tabled Document 459-20(1): Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 26-20(1): Report on the Statutory Review of the Legal Aid Act Tabled Document 460-20(1): Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 30-20(1): Report on the Review of the 2024-2025 Annual Report of the Northwest Territories Information and Privacy Commissioner Tabled Document 461-20(1): Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 32-20(1): Report on the Review of the 2024-2025 Annual Report of the Northwest Territories Human Rights Commission
Bill 40: An Act to Amend the Vital Statistics Act, Deemed Read
Bill 41: An Act to Amend the Real Estate Agents Licensing Act, Deemed Read
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 453-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2025-2026
Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026
Report Of Committee Of The Whole
Point Of Order
Orders Of The Day

Committee Motion 138-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 11th

Jessica St. Arnaud

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That was a reduction of one position and a sunset of two positions under the MVRMA. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee Motion 138-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 11th

The Chair

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I will go back to the Member from Great Slave.

Committee Motion 138-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 11th

Kate Reid

Kate Reid Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Appreciate that detail. I do have a question about the regulatory initiatives that was not touched on earlier by my colleagues. Specifically, I am interested in the Waste Reduction and Resource Recovery Act regulations. Previously, ECC committed to implementing three to five new waste reduction or diversion programs by 2028, and I am curious if this regulatory project is not on the business plan priorities, whether or not this commitment will be accomplished. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee Motion 138-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 11th

The Chair

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I will go to the Minister.

Committee Motion 138-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 11th

Jay MacDonald

Jay MacDonald Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, currently, that initiative is not on our priority list. It would be something that would be completed in the next government. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee Motion 138-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 11th

The Chair

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I will go back to the Member from Great Slave.

Committee Motion 138-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 11th

Kate Reid

Kate Reid Great Slave

So just to be very clear, the department expects that those regulations will be passed by 2028? Thank you.

Committee Motion 138-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 11th

The Chair

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I am going to go to the Minister.

Committee Motion 138-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 11th

Jay MacDonald

Jay MacDonald Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chair. 2028 -- yeah, I will pass that to the deputy minister. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee Motion 138-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 11th

The Chair

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I will go to the deputy minister.

Committee Motion 138-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 11th

Robert Jenkins

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair. In terms of the Waste Reduction Resource Recovery Act regulations, so that was passed in the 19th Assembly, so a prioritization exercise was recently done. This piece of legislation is not on that listing, and so it is something that we'd be looking to accomplish in the next government. We're doing some internal work right now to be ready for the next government to be able to move that forward. 2028 would be early in the next government, so that may be difficult to accomplish in that timeframe, but it is something that we feel could be accomplished in the next Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee Motion 138-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 11th

The Chair

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Okay, thank you. I will go back to the Member from Great Slave.

Committee Motion 138-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 11th

Kate Reid

Kate Reid Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Under conservation planning and sustainable livelihoods, there was quite a large difference between the 2025-2026 Mains and the revised estimates, and now in this proposed 2026-2027 Main Estimates, there is a slight reduction to that line item. Can the Minister please explain that variation. It's quite a big swing. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee Motion 138-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 11th

The Chair

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I will go to the Minister.

Committee Motion 138-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 11th

Jay MacDonald

Jay MacDonald Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will pass to the director.

Committee Motion 138-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 11th

The Chair

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I will go to the director.

Committee Motion 138-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 11th

Jessica St. Arnaud

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So for the 2025-2026 revised estimates, we had a bunch of funding from the federal government that we were able to carry over from the 2024-2025 fiscal year, and then that funding has come to an end, which reflects the decrease of the 2026-2027 Main Estimates. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee Motion 138-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 11th

The Chair

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I will go to the Member from Great Slave.

Committee Motion 138-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 11th

Kate Reid

Kate Reid Great Slave

Thank you. Could I get some more detail about what was carried over. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee Motion 138-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 11th

The Chair

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I will go to the director.

Committee Motion 138-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 11th

Jessica St. Arnaud

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the carryovers were for the nature fund agreement, the Deh Cho Protected Areas Agreement, the Inuvialuit Protected Areas Agreement. And then we did sign a new agreement for the NWT nature fund during the year, and that was just a one-year agreement, so that's reflected in there as well. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee Motion 138-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 11th

The Chair

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Okay, thank you. I will go to the Member from Great Slave.

Committee Motion 138-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 11th

Kate Reid

Kate Reid Great Slave

Thank you. I appreciate that. And just one last item on the mains. There is a decrease of slightly over, I think, $600,000 for land use and sustainability from last year's mains to this year's mains. Can the Minister please explain what will be affected by this reduction. Thank you.

Committee Motion 138-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 11th

The Chair

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I will go to the director.

Committee Motion 138-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 11th

Jessica St. Arnaud

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So one of the items in there was a reduction of a position that has been vacant for a long time and has a number of the same positions, so the work will continue in the department with existing resources. And the other reduction was money for unauthorized occupancy work, and, again, we're using internal resources for that until the next funding opportunity for next fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Chair.