Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, that's good news, but that's not what's being communicated clearly because that's why we're getting complaints. So can the Minister explain why this happened? Why was individual-level non-anonymized data collection suggested to providers instead of typical aggregated, anonymized statistical reporting as we see in federal programs? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, this information is found in the regulations in anticipation of information requests for reporting to the federal government. But without clear indication from the federal government as to how they intend to use that information and how that information can be ensured that it is respecting the privacy of Northerners, ECE is not collecting it from child care providers and is not providing it, obviously, to the federal government either. So while we are asking that ELCC providers, so daycare providers, collect that information and have it on file for families, if families decline to provide that information that is something that can be placed on a form. Like I said, that information is not collected and maintained by ECE and is certainly, obviously, not handed over to the federal government either. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you to the Minister for making that clear. Will the Minister endeavour to communicate with all early childhood providers and let them know -- clarify this position so there's no more confusion, they're not under this misapprehension that they're going to lose funding if they don't do this, and that they can clearly indicate that parents decline. Can the Minister commit to sending out letters or using the departmental resources to get that clarification out so there is no more confusion in the territory. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, I have a draft here that will go out to MLAs, and at the exact same time communication will also go out to child care providers as well today. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up on my statement earlier, my question today is to the Minister of strategic infrastructure.

Will the Minister of strategic infrastructure expand on the current steering committee to include the Indigenous governments of PKFN and the Gwich'in Tribal Council? Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Sahtu. Minister responsible for Strategic Infrastructure, Energy and Supply Chains.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am already in contact quite regularly with all three of the Indigenous governments who are lining the ultimate route of the Mackenzie Valley Highway. The current MOU exists between the GNWT and SSI. We also have a work plan signed with the Pehdzeh Ki First Nation and certainly am looking and hopeful that we will see an expansion in a formal capacity to bring all three groups, or all four groups with the GNWT, into a formal agreement. So certainly supportive of that, Mr. Speaker. The next step really will be to do that in alignment with the timing preferred by those Indigenous governments. But I am -- as I say, I am in contact with them, and I am expecting that we will get to that place as this project moves forward. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the Minister for that reply. Greatly appreciated that.

My second question, Mr. Speaker, will the Minister provide this group, once it's established, with SEED capital money, particularly to the other groups outside of SSI. SSI has some funding already. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there's different pots of money that may all be available and, firstly, any and everyone interested in opening a business or expanding a business along the Mackenzie Valley Highway can and should be reaching out to their regional ITI department. That is an opportunity to create businesses and to expand businesses, build businesses, as we anticipate work on this project to move forward quickly in the next little while.

There's also funding that is managed through strategic infrastructure with respect to the capacity and work readiness. So just last week, as the Member would know having been with them, we began the work of getting work readiness groups together on the first phase of the project with those communities, and there is funding available for that. As we move into the second phase and expand that work, I expect similar funding will become available so that we can get groups up and running so they have the work readiness capacity to be ready, not only for construction but for what comes next. So it's coming, Mr. Speaker. I am very much committed to it, and I appreciate the question. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister responsible for Strategic Infrastructure, Energy and Supply Chains. Final supplementary. Member from the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am glad we got some startup capital that's forthcoming.

My next question there, Mr. Speaker, is what negotiations are underway with the federal government for the announced Arctic infrastructure fund back in November, that pot of money, one-third is for the NWT. I just want to know what the plans are for that Arctic infrastructure fund. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say I've had the chance to speak to the Minister of Transportation. I know the Premier has as well. We've certainly taken this up with respect to wanting to make sure that that fund gets utilized appropriately. It's only an amount that starts to get at some of the needs we have. It does not build the road entirely. So I am not sure if it's going to be a one-third or if it's going to be project-allocated. We have been certainly, and I think with our sister and brother territories, saying that this is not going to be enough in a big sense. But we've been front and center already, as I say, both myself, the Premier, other Ministers as well, explaining the three major projects that we have, being in the major projects office, and so I am confident we'll get our share of it, Mr. Speaker. And my point simply being that this Arctic infrastructure fund isn't necessarily going to be what builds the Mackenzie Valley Highway. It's going to be just part of what can get us over the hurdle of all of the major projects that we have. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister responsible for Strategic Infrastructure, Energy and Supply Chains. Oral questions. Member from Monfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, many of my constituents are nervous at this time with mine closure because this will have an impact on their livelihood. So with that in mind, Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the Minister of ITI what specific long-term diversification initiatives is the department developing to ensure sustainable employment opportunities for regions like the Tlicho once Ekati and Gahcho Kue cease operations. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Minister of ITI.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we certainly do have a diverse economy in the Northwest Territories. We do not have a diverse GDP. So a lot of our GDP still comes from diamond mining in the Northwest Territories, and we're working hard as a Cabinet to make sure that we're diversifying our GDP. That includes things like investing in housing to make sure that we have construction projects and we're continuing to increase our construction allotment from our GDP. We're investing in health care. We're investing in, for example, adding more schools to our capital planning for large infrastructure and increasing our small capital investments as well for school infrastructure. In addition to that, Mr. Speaker, we're working as a Cabinet to ensure that we're streamlining our regulatory process to make it easier for -- and more efficient for more mines to come online. In addition, Mr. Speaker, we have other opportunities in the territory that are coming up or exist today. An example of that is Giant Mine remediation and making sure that I am working quite closely with, for example Tlicho Investment Corporation, on maximizing the opportunities that exist from that work out there to make sure that we have as many Tlicho and YKDFN residents from the Yellowknife area that are working on that project. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, well, I just wanted to tell the Minister that, you know, I think they need to start focusing on decentralization, give us more jobs. Mr. Speaker, what concrete transition supports such as retraining programs, apprenticeship opportunities, or partnerships with Indigenous governments, are being planned to help Tlicho workers who may lose their jobs in the coming years?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, through education, culture and employment we have a suite of programs that employers have access to in order to do retraining with staff. This can be something, you know, like upgrading programs but can also be more on-the-job training, so specific for certifications required for them to evolve into a new position. We're also pursuing more funding through the federal government specific to industries that have been impacted by tariffs. And this is one such industry that exists in the Northwest Territories that has seen impact because of tariffs from the United States. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of ITI. Final supplementary. Member for Monfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what has the GNWT done to prepare for the potential economic and population impacts that experts warn could follow mine closures, especially in our smaller regional communities? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as an entire Cabinet, we have asked okay, where we can put some additional dollars that really not only achieve our economic goals in the territory but make sure that we're also achieving our social goals. We're at a point in time, Mr. Speaker, where we have to make sure that our investments are multi-use, just like our infrastructure, and so that includes looking at investments that speak to both our social and our economic needs in the territory, hence housing and health care investments, as well as investments in education.

Mr. Speaker, in addition to that, we've ensured that we're working quite closely with our partners, understanding that mine closures will have an impact in the Northwest Territories. We know across Canada that it takes many years to see a mine open and so the work that we're doing today in trying to make sure that we're doing short-term and long-term work as a Cabinet is work that really should have been done years ago, but we're up to the challenge, Mr. Speaker, in making sure that we're having these conversations with stakeholders so that people are aware of the programs we have available. We have a website dedicated to help after mine closure so that people have all of that information consolidated in one space, and making sure that as a Cabinet we're pursuing new opportunities for this entire territory. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of ITI. Oral questions. Member from Frame Lake.