I'd like to thank the two elders for the opening prayer. Colleagues, before we begin, I would like to take a moment to thank the grade 6 student the from Ecole William McDonald Middle School who are visiting us and are in the gallery this afternoon. Please join me in thanking these students for being here today.

Ministers' statements. Mr. Premier.

Mr. Speaker, non-government organizations have long been at the heart of northern communities. Every day, NGOs deliver essential services that help residents find safety, stability, and the support they need to move forward. Their work is grounded in deep local knowledge, strong community relationships, and a long history of stepping up when people need help the most.

Today, I want to speak to the important steps our government is taking to strengthen the essential services Northerners rely on by improving how we support the organizations that deliver them. This year's budget proposes $2.3 million in new, permanent funding to help stabilize critical NGO-delivered shelter and supportive housing services across the territory.

This investment responds to long-standing funding pressures raised by our partners. It provides stable resources to help address staffing challenges, rising operational costs, and the need for predictable funding that allows organizations to plan ahead. Most importantly, it helps ensure that emergency shelters and supportive housing programs remain open, reliable, and there for the residents who depend on them.

Alongside this new funding, we are improving how we work with the NGO sector. Through service integration work that is already underway, regular engagement with housing and shelter partners, and new federal investments delivered in partnership with community organizations, we are building a more stable and sustainable system of supports, grounded in the expertise of organizations that have been doing this work for generations.

For decades, NGOs have been the GNWT's essential partners in responding to homelessness and housing insecurity. They deliver emergency shelters, supportive housing, transitional programs, drop-in services, counselling and outreach, all of which contribute to healthier, safer communities. Across the territory their efforts reduce pressure on health, justice, and social supports while improving outcomes for some of our most vulnerable residents.

This year, the YWCA-NWT is celebrating its 60th anniversary. This milestone is a reminder of the long history of community leadership in our territory. For six decades, the YWCA has provided housing, emergency shelter, family support, and programs that continue to make a real difference in people's lives. Many of the services Northerners rely on today exist because organizations like the YWCA have shown leadership, compassion, and a deep commitment to community well-being.

Mr. Speaker, our government values the role that NGOs play in our communities, and we recognize the importance of ensuring these organizations have the stability they need to continue supporting residents for many years to come. The new funding included in this year's budget represents an important step in strengthening that foundation. I want to thank all NGOs across the territory for their dedication and their tireless work, and I congratulate the YWCA-NWT on six decades of service. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I was pleased to hear from our finance Minister about the successes the health recruitment unit has been having recently. The updates she shared were welcomed news indeed. Where I am left with some questions is what the overall picture is looking like considering these successes. It would be helpful to know what we are ultimately working to achieve and how close we are to that goal. I am also concerned that despite questions being raised repeatedly at committee and in this House, it is not yet clear to the public what parameters need to be met in our healthcare system to be able to say that residents have adequate access to care. I will continue to repeat that we need to be clear about this so that this Assembly can measure our progress against targets and hold the Minister and department to account and also so that all the work that staff are doing on recruitment, workforce stabilization and planning, and fiscal sustainability, is framed by what we are ultimately trying to achieve and flows towards those goals. This is so basic and fundamental that I feel silly repeatedly raising this point, but I am yet to see these goals clearly articulated in a way that I and the public can understand them so until I do see this, I am going to operate with the understanding that we don't know what we're working to achieve, which, if it is true, is a big problem.

What I want to know are the basics. People have been grouped under care teams, for example. What is the ideal panel size for a care team, and what workforce needs do we need to meet to achieve that? What is our target maximum wait time for a resident to be triaged and access a health care provider in their panel based on urgency? What is our target emergency room wait time, and what workforce goals do we need to meet to achieve that?

I raise points like these because this is how I relate to the healthcare system as a resident and a patient. The complexities of everything that is being done to get us to the ultimate goals is good information to have access to, but when residents are struggling to get appointments to see a doctor or waiting at the emergency room for 10 hours to see a doctor, none of it feels like help to them.

Mr. Speaker, let's ensure we have clear outcomes we are working towards and that we are clear with the public about what their expectations for care should be. It's as simple as that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The road to politics looks different for every Member. My journey started as a curious archivist just down the road at the NWT Archives, an institution legally required to acquire and maintain government records of value in perpetuity. I spent close to a decade assessing, appraising, and acquiring government records and helping researchers access them.

Government records retained by the NWT Archives demonstrate key functions and decision-making of the GNWT since 1967. Working in the archives, I couldn't help but pick up on the negative patterns or wicked problems that have dogged this territory for decades. Not coincidentally, those same problems of decades past continue to surface in the current priorities of the 20th Assembly.

Understanding what government has done in years past is crucial to learn from mistakes and also to understand what priorities we need to focus on as decision-makers. Those who don't understand their past are destined to repeat it, Mr. Speaker. And so I was excited to see the Archives Act on the list of legislative proposals for this Assembly. You might also imagine my disappointment when it was knocked off for other priorities. The Minister of ECE recognized my disappointment and connected me with her staff to discuss the work that continues despite it not being brought forward as a bill in the 20th Assembly.

I understand that ongoing work will look to align the Archives Act with best archival practices and look to clarify responsibilities with the GNWT-wide records management context. ECE staff confirmed for me that there is extensive scoping work going on in the archives as well as with finance staff who are responsible for records management of the GNWT.

Records management has a policy framework but no legal requirements the way that the archives does. That said, records management is the mechanism that brings government records to the archives in a collaborative process of records scheduling. Because I know this topic doesn't thrill people the way it thrills me, Mr. Speaker, I want to explain why this is important.

Ensuring that the GNWT has a robust records management regime, clear delineations of responsibility, means that the government can meet legal requirements under the Archives Act but also potentially increase expeditious access to active government records under the ATIPP Act. A robust and clearly defined records regime for government can only benefit citizens through transparency, Mr. Speaker. For clarity around this ongoing work, I will have questions for the Minister of ECE and if time permits, the Minister of Finance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I spoke about my concern with increasing health care privatization and my concern that private paramedics do not have the right skill set to fill gaps in remote community primary care. I could be taking an unpopular position here. People like paramedics. They're great. Of course they are. Nurses like them. They're helpers. More hands on deck. And they seem easier to find at short notice than nurses. Communities are asking for them. There's a vague sense paramedics could do the things that we don't let community health nurses do. Maybe they could treat patients outside the health centre. Maybe we could put them in health cabins where there are no nurses. Maybe they don't require RCMP presence. Everything about paramedics just feels easier. You don't have to deal with the union. There aren't so many rules. But this is exactly the danger, of course. There aren't so many rules. There aren't so many protections either for patients or for healthcare staff working alongside paramedics. There's no regulation of paramedics in the NWT.

The Minister reassures us often that any paramedic contracted by the health authority is required to be licensed in another jurisdiction. But what does that mean? There's no binding national standard for what it means to be a certain kind of paramedic, what training is required, what protocols are to be followed, what kind of tests you have to do to renew your license and keep it in good standing. Every province is different. In several places like BC and Ontario, paramedics are only insured as long as they're working within that province. Would any of those provincial regulatory bodies take responsibility for a paramedic working in the NWT? How would an NWT patient file a complaint against a paramedic licensed elsewhere? Let's say a paramedic working in a remote community was ordered by a nurse to do something that they didn't have the skills to do? Would they feel pressure to do it anyway because there's no one else around to help? What if the patient was harmed because the paramedic refused to do the task, who's liable? Is the nurse responsible for what the paramedic does or doesn't do? Mr. Speaker, we want so badly to make health care easier, with less restrictions, less rules, but plugging holes with unregulated paramedics is not the way. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Member statements. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on May 24th, 2024, I gave a Member's statement on the need for long-term care in Inuvik. Mr. Speaker, I spoke about the program review that was first completed by this government way back in 2015, and it identified the overall need for long-term care in the Northwest Territories. At the time, based on the percentage of residents over the age of 70 in the Inuvik area, the GNWT determined that a 48-bed facility would address the short and long-term needs of the Inuvik region.

Mr. Speaker, I also spoke about how in 2018 the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and the Gwich'in Tribal Council jointly developed and submitted an operational plan based on the best practices of long-term residential care. It was created in alignment with key GNWT documents, including:

• The integrated service delivery model,
• The continuing care framework and action plan Our Elders, Our Community,
• The Northwest Territories long-term care program review,
• The Northwest Territories Continuing Care Standards,

And other relevant documents.

Three alternatives were proposed, Mr. Speaker. One would be that the GNWT own and the Indigenous government operate. Two would be that the Indigenous governments would own and the GNWT would operate. And then the alternative number three would be the Indigenous governments would own and operate.

So, Mr. Speaker, that's my trip down memory lane. Here we are in 2026. We know the need is still there. We know there's been geotechnical work done on the proposed site adjacent to the hospital in Inuvik. What we don't know, Mr. Speaker, is what planning and design work has been done and where this much-needed infrastructure is on the list of priorities for the Department of Health and Social Services.

Mr. Speaker, we know this is a much-needed facility in Inuvik, and I look forward to hearing what work the Department of Health and Social Services has been doing to make this a reality, to provide a modern, culturally appropriate, long-term care facility in a region that desperately needs it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, I'd like to address a significant economic opportunity that's unfolding on MERX, the Department of National Defence's $10 billion NORAD northern-basing infrastructure investments in Inuvik and the Yellowknife airports.

This represents a chance for the Northwest Territories to maximize returns on this unprecedented federal commitment. While defense sovereignty is the primary objective, our Arctic airports division is uniquely positioned to capitalize and capture revenues from these developments.

Revenue opportunities, Mr. Speaker, landing terminal fees, increased military activity, aircraft, and training exercise will generate consistent revenues. Facility leases, new hangars, fuel facilities, warehousing, and support buildings present opportunities for lease arrangements and shared use agreements that generate ongoing revenues. Fuel services, the fuel infrastructure being developed can support operational revenues through fuel services and dispensing. Auxiliary services, ground handling, equipment rentals, maintenance facilities, access, and communications infrastructure, long-term benefits, multi-year revenues, IT capabilities, and logistics systems, positioning our Arctic airports for future commercial opportunities, possibility of self-financing a new terminal in our capital city.

Moving forward, Mr. Speaker, as the procurement advances through 2026, we must:

1. Engage proactively with the DND department to identify all revenue opportunities, insist in designing the final procurement;
2. Update the YZF business case, analyze to optimize Arctic airports division;
3. Align these opportunities with Indigenous governments and the Indigenous benefits plan as required under the APN.

Later, I will have questions to the appropriate Minister. Mahsi cho.

Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. Members' statements. Member from the Dehcho.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to advocate for an important economic development need in the Dehcho: The establishment of a dedicated regional industry, tourism and investment position within the community of Fort Providence.

Fort Providence is home to talented and innovative people who are eager to pursue new business opportunities and contribute to the local economy; however, our residents face a significant barrier: Access to timely and consistent small business support.

Mr. Speaker, currently anyone seeking assistance from ITI must travel to Hay River, a two-hour drive each way, simply to speak with someone about their ideas, applications, or next steps. For any residents, this distance, combined with the cost of fuel, time away from work or family, makes it extremely difficult to access the very programs intended to help them succeed.

Mr. Speaker, community-based support is not a luxury; it is a necessity. Small and emerging businesses in Fort Providence deserve the same opportunity to grow and thrive as businesses in larger regional centres can and do. A permanent or even part-time position based in Fort Providence or, at a minimum, consistent scheduled monthly visits from regional ITI staff would make a meaningful difference. It will allow entrepreneurs to receive hands-on guidance, understand valuable funding, available funding, navigate applications, and develop their ideas with confidence. By placing supports where the people are, we strengthen local capacity, diversify our economy, and encourage community-driven growth. A regional ITI presence would not only support small business development but also help advance tourism, traditional economy initiatives, and cultural entrepreneurship sectors filled with potential in Fort Providence.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the department to recognize this gap and work with the community to establish consistent local ITI support. Our residents have the ideas and motivations; they simply need access to the tools that will help them bring these ideas to life. I will have questions for the Minister of ITI later. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from the Dehcho. Members' statements. Member from Range Lake.

Mr. Speaker, if it wasn't apparent from the boutonnieres and pink shirts, today we recognize Pink Shirt Day, a student-led initiative to confront bullying that has grown into a nationally recognized day of action. This year's theme, Sprinkling Kindness, reminds us that who better to lead the call for inclusion and compassion than our children.

Kids are not born prejudiced, yet they are quickly tasked with navigating society's unfair biases, learning to balance their own uniqueness with a world that often decides, unfairly, who deserves kindness and who does not. When our kids are different and they cannot understand why being themselves should be considered wrong and why they may face rejection, rejection that becomes so much worse with bullying is when bullying and exclusion become inescapable that victims often turn inwards causing them to reject themselves. This silent, internalized harm can deeply affect mental well-being.

Despite the best efforts of parents, teachers and caregivers, in many ways exclusion is getting worse. Social media is not just amplifying bullying and bigotry but more subtle and perhaps more powerful forms of exclusion. Our youth are bombarded with negative stereotypes, hyperfixations, extreme beauty standards, risky lifestyles, and ideas of self-harm and suicide. Even AIs are being prompted by young people in crisis to contemplate the most horrific scenarios with seemingly no oversight from these companies that provide these tools to young people.

These pressures can drive anxiety, depression, and social withdrawal, creating cycles of negativity that intensify personal pain. While all youths are affected, young men face particular vulnerabilities. For generations, they have been taught that strength means silence and that showing emotion or seeking help is weakness.

The consequences are clear. Men are far less likely to access mental health services. A recent national survey found that 67 percent of men have never sought support, even as rates of stress, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and severe mental illness continues to climb. That is why on this Pink Shirt Day not only do we need to stand against bullying but also stand for critical mental health services for youth and positive, nurturing, and healthy role models for young men as complex and severe mental illness rise among our youth. Together, we can stop bullying and build safer, inclusive communities for all. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] INSERT* [Translation Ends].

Mr. Speaker, in Behchoko and across Tlicho region, families continue to raise serious concerns about the absence of a dedicated facility to support residents with special needs. For individuals with special needs, stability and routine are essentials to well-being. When supports are not available locally, Mr. Speaker, they are sent away to regional centres or even down south for care. Removing them from their home community can increase anxiety, escalate behaviours, and leave them feeling isolated.

Mr. Speaker, this separation also places a significant strain on families. When a loved one is placed outside the community, staying closely involved becomes difficult for them. Communication gaps grow, and participation in important decisions is reduced.

Mr. Speaker, when the separation involves a child or young adult, it carries deeper meaning for many families in the Tlicho region and in other communities as well. It echoes the painful history of residential school when Indigenous children were taken from their homes and separated from their parents. In moments like this, families can feel as though they are reliving that experience. Mr. Speaker, it is equally important to recognize that leaving individuals in community without adequate supports also carries risk. Without structured services and supervision, residents with special needs are not receiving the care they require. They can place their safety at risk and can affect the safety of others in the community.

Mr. Speaker, this issue is not about blame. It is about protection, safety, dignity, and accountability. It is about building capacity in our own communities rather than sending away our loved ones. Mr. Speaker, can I have unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is not only in Tlicho region but it's also happening in other small communities, but the message to the parents and families in Behchoko and across the Tlicho regions, I want to say this: Your children are not forgotten. Your voices are being heard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have questions for the Minister of health.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in recent years, ECE had adjusted the income support assistance program which, according to the Minister, is intended to provide better services for residents who need it the most and acknowledge that incredible value that elders, seniors, and persons with disabilities bring to our communities. Many of my constituents who rely on the income assistance program are elders struggling during a cost of living crisis, youth striving to overcome challenges like disability and addictions, and others facing extraordinary circumstances where reported income does not reflect their daily reality.

I am glad to see the Minister recognizing the values of elders bring into our communities. They are the keepers of knowledge, culture, and language. That is why it is concerning that income they earn from contributing to culture programming or providing translation services can result in reductions or disqualification of their income assistance when that income is minimal and often reinvested into the services they provide.

Before the holidays, several constituents were denied income assistance because their band had provided funds for travel to treatment and aftercare services. Even though they returned home with no money, eligibility was assessed based on bank statements, leaving them without support at a time when many NGOs had already run out of funding. I am also concerned where the constituents' income is garnished for various reasons yet they receive no support from income assistance because eligibility does not account for how much of their income is taken from them each paycheque.

I see this happen too often to parents struggling to care for their families. Recent changes to the income support assistant program are helpful but they are nowhere near enough. These policies are being enforced on to our communities without consultation or accommodation. I will be asking the Minister of ECE questions later on this afternoon to address the shortcomings and calls for real policies that work for our people. Thank you, Mr. Speaker

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

Mr. Speaker, today for Pink Shirt Day, I'd like to talk about being a bystander to bullying and, more importantly, how to shift away from passive bystanding towards a more active response to help stop bullying in its tracks. But, first, let's acknowledge an incredible Olympic hockey final, the presence of some clutch players, including Kendall Coyne Shofield, who gave birth to her son in 2023, and for Canadians Cassie Sharpe and Natalie Spooner, who also became moms since their previous appearance at the Olympics. I understand men's hockey also had a decent gold medal game although I know that none of them were birthing a future generation of athletes during their off-season.

Mr. Speaker, I am making a bit of a joke about this to illustrate a point. Women and men do not need to compete against one another to have respect for their respective achievements in human athletics. When a team wins gold, they are Olympic champions.

Today, Mr. Speaker, Yellowknife South is represented in the Legislative Assembly by three pages. All of them are athletes competing across multiple sports. All three happen to be female athletes. But with the spread of social media, I suspect that they may have seen the different ways that female athletes are treated compared to their male counterparts.

Bystanding is a common response when we witness bullying, discrimination, or racism. It's a phenomenon where the greater number of bystanders present the less likely we might be to intervene. And with a chorus of sometimes silent and sometimes go-along support, the more emboldened a perpetrator may be. For example, the President of the United States called to congratulate only one of the gold medal teams in Olympic hockey in Milan. And what's more, while issuing an invite to the White House to the men's team, the invite to the women's team appeared, at best, an afterthought but really a joke. To the remark, we're going to have to bring the women's team, a voice replies, absolutely, and another, two for two, highlighting that both teams had won gold. Unfortunately, these responses were largely drowned out by the laughter of others.

But laughter is not neutral. Laughter is a signal of acceptance. And in this case, the laughter was from a room of men, men with status, and NHL players who, I would venture to guess, have often had media training on how exactly to deal with inappropriate commentary. Mr. Speaker, I would seek unanimous consent to conclude my remarks.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the good news for young athletes is this: The old way of looking in locker rooms is disappearing and today, when sexism shows up in sport, we see commentators call it out, we see athletes call it out, and we see politicians call it out. The work is obviously far from done, but I am wearing pink today for both my son and daughter to show them that when we are true champions, we don't need to put others down to win. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife South. Members' Statements. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

The Northwest Territories is facing a bottleneck, Mr. Speaker. With biomass heating being the backbone of our energy transition, it not only cuts emissions but it also helps affordability. Right now, we're facing a challenge, Mr. Speaker. There aren't enough people trained to be able to install them, manage them, maintain them, and when the worst thing happens, fix them, Mr. Speaker. Because the very few that we have out there are just simply too, too busy to respond. Mr. Speaker, we need to find a way to get a recognized certification here in the Northwest Territories, find the best of the patchwork that exists out there. There are no standard pathways to get this but there is a few. Mr. Speaker, we need to become the masters of our own destiny because we don't have a masters in boiler maintenance.

Mr. Speaker, people, businesses, and even governments, are leaning on the Arctic Energy Alliance for guidance and simple basics about how to run these things. Let's be clear. Arctic Energy Alliance is not a college, and it shouldn't be, Mr. Speaker. They should be there to help people in the resource management side but because they're overstretched and under-resourced and meeting the demand that is out there. The solution is right in front of us.

It's time to be nimble, I say to Aurora College. Respond to the needs out there that folks have. The transition can look at different things, and one of the things I always say is be relevant to the people you work for. We could very well have an Aurora College that speaks to the problems we're facing. The problems are certification, management, and training. It could be in collaboration with the Arctic Energy Alliance, Mr. Speaker.

Let's also turn the page to one of the other problems. If you get your wood appliance installed, you need it certified, and the demands of the insurance company, their expectations, and their way of managing the problems of claims, whether they accept or deny, are very challenging. So they have to ensure the permitting process is proper, critically from that side, as well as safety, Mr. Speaker. This is a good opportunity for Aurora College, once again, to be relevant to the retail population they serve because we have CLCs sitting out there in our northern communities that are being mothballed so let's give ourselves a reason to keep the heat and lights on, ensure Northerners are trained, have jobs, and are serving Northern needs, such as safety and the critical need of stepping up wood pellet and boiler maintenance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from the Yellowknife Centre. Members' Statements. Member for Thebacha.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize an inspiring example of Indigenous leadership and community strength in the North. The Salt River First Nation has transformed a former correction facility into a healing centre, turning a place once associated with confinement into a space dedicated to restoration, wellness, and hope.

This transformation is deeply symbolic. For generations, Indigenous people have been overrepresented in correctional systems. By reclaiming this building and repurposing it for healing, Salt River First Nation is sending a powerful message that our future is rooted in culture, compassion, and community-led solutions.

Mr. Speaker, the healing centre provides culturally grounded programming, mental health and addictions support, and opportunities for individuals to reconnect with elders, language, and traditional teachings. It focuses on prevention, early intervention, and breaking the cycles that have affected too many families. Where there were once locked doors, there are now open circles. Where there was once isolation, there is now connection. Where there was once punishment, there is now healing.

I commend chief and council, the elders, the staff, and the community members whose vision and determination made this possible. Their leadership demonstrates what reconciliation looks like in action: Indigenous communities designing and delivering solutions that reflect their own values and strengths. Mr. Speaker, this initiative stands as a signal of hope, not only for Salt River First Nation, but for communities across our territory and our country. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Thebacha. Members' Statements.

Colleagues, today I rise to recognize the remarkable achievement of the Dehcho Youth Energy Action Council, who were named one of recipients of the Arctic Inspiration Prize winners for 2024-2025.
This dedicated group of young leaders was awarded $100,000 on May 13th in recognition of their inspiring work to promote renewable energy and green alternatives in the Dehcho region. The council, formed just two Octobers ago, has already demonstrated what is possible when youth come together with a shared vision for a sustainable future.

As council member Angus James Capot-Blanc Jr. said, we were shocked when we found out we won. We just started this council in October, 2024. Now the real work starts.

The council meets regularly to design programs that will introduce renewable energy education in Dehcho schools. By working with district education authorities, their goal is to connect young people with practical knowledge about clean energy, empowering them to build rewarding, local careers in the green economy. They are determined to ensure northern students see renewable energy not as a southern concept, but as an opportunity grounded in the realities of life in our northern communities.
Their ultimate vision is to build local capacity to install, operate, and maintain renewable technologies, particularly solar power, reducing reliance on diesel and lowering greenhouse gas emissions across the Dehcho.

Colleagues, initiatives like this remind us that meaningful change often begins with a single, determined idea. The Dehcho Youth Energy Action Council is not only imagining a cleaner more affordable energy future but taking real steps towards building it.

I have the pleasure of knowing two of the team leaders, Ms. Thomas-Ekinia from Fort Simpson and Mr. Capot-Blanc Jr. from Fort Liard. I have to say they have been very active attending numerous meetings both regionally and nationally. I am very proud of their drive and commitment to this organization.
I ask you to join me in congratulating these inspiring young Northerners on their well-deserved recognition.

Members' Statements. Returns to Oral Questions. Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery. Member from Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I'd like to recognize my nephew Tanner Carnogursky and his class that are visiting the House today. Thanks.

Member from Thebacha.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize Mia Hudson, a long-time friend that used to live in Fort Smith, and to her class who are visiting the House today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Thebacha. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would love to welcome to the gallery Adaeze Nwoba, director of the board of YWCA; Noma Khumalo, the associate director; Kate Wilson, housing director; and, Meaghan Brackenbury, community outreach coordinator. Very warm and hearty congratulations on reaching our 60th anniversary, YWCA. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to join my colleagues in welcoming the grade 6 class from William MacDonald School to the House. Thanks for attending, and I met with them very briefly in the chamber earlier, and it was nice to meet them. Thank you.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Kam Lake.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can't have a teacher in the gallery without recognizing them. That's teacher Hannah Fournier. And I also want to make sure that Tanner is not the only one that is recognized. We also have with us today Jarrett, Natalie, Serenity, Harmony, Achiles, Jasmine, Sawyer, Arizona, Mia, Murray, Jane, Kayla, Aspen, Mia -- second Mia, so two Mias in one class -- Olivia, Carson, Emmett, Hannah, Nathaniel, Colby, Sahia, and Cameron. And so welcome to the gallery today.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just to pile on here, I also wanted to welcome the class from William Mac school who I had the pleasure to speak with earlier today and hear from them, hear some of their ideas and questions and to remind them -- I know there's many Yellowknife North students in the class as well -- that they are, in fact, our bosses, and they should remember that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to take a moment to recognize Kate Wilson. She was one of my most favourite former neighbours. She is a guiding light in this city. She's an inspirational woman, and so many people in the North look up to her not only for her mentorship but her kindness. She is a lovely person, and I'm so grateful to call her a friend. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We're lucky enough to have some representatives from the YWCA with us in the gallery today. So I wanted to recognize director Adaeze Nwoba; associate director Kate Wilson; housing director Noma Khumalo; and Meaghan Brackenbury, advocacy coordinator. And I want to thank them for all the work they've done, and I want to join in and welcome Ms. Hannah and her grade 6 class to the ledge as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am -- although I won't name all of them, I'm pretty sure there's some Yellowknife South residents sitting up in the gallery. I also had the chance to speak with the class from William MacDonald and had some very good questions from them. Also happy to say, Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier in my Member's statement, I have three Yellowknife South residents who all happen to be in the gallery at this moment, Quinn Foster, Shanli Carlson, and Savannah Gostlin, all acting as pages this week. Thank you.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we have missed anyone in the gallery, welcome. Thank you very much for allowing us 19 Members to serve you as the people of the Northwest Territories. I hope you enjoy the proceedings. It is always nice to see people in the gallery.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Acknowledgements. Oral Questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know the Minister will likely answer my question with the colleges independent. They have a mandate, yada, yada, yada. But, Mr. Speaker, when you're the $34 million contributor, you'd think that they'd be very open to suggestions and guidance. So, Mr. Speaker, will the Minister create a special contribution agreement, a stand-alone or some type of thorough mandate agreement, that will help target and make programs that make training accessible for certification in wood management appliances? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, we do have a mandate agreement already with Aurora College, and within that mandate agreement it asks that the college look at programming that is relevant to the needs, the labour market needs of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, that's not a yes or no. So just to clarify, the Arctic Energy Alliance has created a -- we'll call it an ad hoc program to meet the needs of communities and Northerners. Mr. Speaker, would she help guide the college in that direction to ensure that they're relevant and meeting the retail needs of citizens of the Northwest Territories through that type of certification and support? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can definitely bring the Member's statement from today to the chair of Aurora College and make sure that he's aware of it, make sure that he's aware of the program that the Arctic Energy Alliance has put in place. But, ultimately, the operational direction of the college and what courses they are prioritizing is up to them. Thank you.

Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister provides the money and the target, and the legislature provides the $34 million. Mr. Speaker, WETT training is only offered in the south. Would the Minister draw that attention to the Aurora College to see what they could do to bring programs here in the North so we put our community learning centres that are mothballed to work and Northerners trained so we can have safe homes and certainly accessible training programs? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said, I would definitely raise this with the chair of Aurora College and am happy to do so. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So further to my statement, I wanted to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services more questions about what paramedics are intended to do or not do in small remote communities. So, some of the demand for paramedics in the small remote communities is because of the sense that they'll be able to do things that community health nurses are not allowed to do due to all those health authority rules.

My first question is, are paramedics contracted by the health authority working in these small communities allowed or even expected to leave the health centre and treat patients in their homes or elsewhere? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Member has stated, you know, the work that is going to happen over the next couple of years is to analyze if it's possible for -- and how we could implement paramedics into supporting the current model as we need more -- we need to increase the capacity in the health centre. But as for the question, no, NTHSSA does not -- they're not going to be going out of the health centre. Their role would be in the health centre facility. And based on, you know, the outcome of the work that's going to happen over the assessment, there are different levels of paramedics. There's primary care paramedics. You know, there's advance -- so in the capital, you know, for the city, those paramedics that work, work for the city, and those are emergency responding advanced practice. There's the ones that work with the air ambulance. Those are advanced practice. They have -- they sometimes have more skills than the nurses do. So thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the Minister for clarifying. I think I heard clarification that currently that is not the practice, that paramedics are expected to leave the health centre.

So my second question is, is the health authority prepared to contract paramedics to work in health cabins where there is no nurse stationed and there's often no RCMP presence? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as of right now, the work that we are doing in health cabins is to train the community wellness workers to be able to correspond and work with the nurse practitioners that are assigned to the health cabins. And so that work is ongoing right now, but paramedics aren't included in that system at this moment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the Minister for that clarification. And finally, are the paramedics contracted by the health authority required to follow health authority rules and protocols, or do they get to just follow some other set of protocols? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the paramedics that work currently in our facilities when there is -- you know, if there is a critical level of staffing, so if they are to work in, say, emergency to support the emergency department, they will work within the guidelines and the policies that are created based on their scope of practice and what they're registered and what their training is. And that's how they would recruit that level of paramedic.

If they're working in the health centre, it's the same. There's guidelines and policies that they have to work with under. And the paramedics are -- you know, they're regulated through, yes, a -- if they're trained in Alberta and they're regulated through the regulatory body through Alberta, there's still an expectation that they are self-regulating and to keep their license and keep active and to be able to work, that they have to stay within their scope that they're trained to do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral Questions. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to know that the health recruitment unit is continuing to do good work for the Northwest Territories. I've been reviewing the Minister's statement that she provided to the House. 12 percent increase is great, but I notice it's not called the health care retention unit, and the thing that's been challenging for filling the nurse vacancy is keeping nurses on the payroll. Many call it a revolving door. 94 percent of nurses have reported burnout.

So can the Minister clarify, of that 12 percent increase in indeterminate staff, how many of those are being retained year on year? So we know when we hire these folks, they are actually staying, they're learning local knowledge, learning how to care for people, and gaining that kind of northern nuance that you need to be successful in providing health care, especially in small communities. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when I heard the start of the question, I started trying to pull up data. I do have that data. We do maintain those -- that kind of information. I don't have the data at my fingertips. I did state yesterday, it is accurate that the percentage quota done in terms of the recruitment does not necessarily account for retention. So there is certainly some turnover loss within that percentage in terms of the overall hiring. I am happy to provide those numbers to the House. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think that would be useful to report publicly. So when it comes to the performance of this unit, can the -- currently, my understanding is that they measure their performance by time to fill a position rather than how long the employee lasts in the position. So would the Minister consider either changing the metric of success to that, how long the employee stays, or at least reporting on how long the employee stays? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, perhaps what I'd suggest is that we add it. I think it is certainly beneficial to know overall what percentages we're hitting in terms of our ability to recruit. It allows us to ensure that the recruitment packages remain as supportive as possible but certainly happy to add some other metrics in terms of looking at different ways that we can track the work that is happening within this unit. Thank you.

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

Amazing, Thank you. That's exactly what we need to see, because we need transparency. You could say we're recruiting lots of nurses but if we don't know the need, if we don't know how long they're staying, it's not a really good metric. So what is the Minister doing to do the retention piece? Can we change the name to the health recruitment and retention unit, HRRU? Because that is a key piece that we need to do a better job. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, this is a combined effort now. The retention piece does fall not solely within the Department of Finance but also within the Department of Health and Social Services and with the authorities. So absolutely, I want to acknowledge that there's a lot to be done in terms of morale across public service and morale in health care specifically so, again, happy to perhaps provide a longer response, written follow-up response, to the House, detailing some of the efforts between the Department of Finance with our employment satisfaction but also with the Department of Health and Social Services. Because I agree it's an important conversation, and the public service should hear us say it, that we want to make sure they're staying and serving their residents. Thank you.

Oral questions. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of ECE.

To the Minister, the question is, why is her department denying support to elders for contributing to the culture, programs, and revitalizing their language by using the small income and per diems they earn to disqualify them from income support? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, I am going to start off by saying that the experience and education that elders bring to, for example, schools and to communities is invaluable.

Mr. Speaker, the income assistance program is set up to meet the monthly needs of residents of the Northwest Territories. It does that by looking at what those basic needs are, to make sure that residents can meet their basic needs. It minuses from that any income that they might need. It adds to that the income exemptions that are available and then determines what the financial needs are from the Government of the Northwest Territories. It's not intended to be a universal basic income. It is set up to meet the monthly needs of a resident of the territory and to ensure that they have access to the finances that they require to do that. And so if somebody is able to do some work and earn some income on their own, then there is a certain amount of that that they can keep. And we were able, in the life of this Assembly, to increase the amount of money that a resident of the territory can earn and can keep without seeing that, you know, come off their monthly income from income assistance. But even so, we want to ensure that we are meeting residents' monthly needs. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My next question is, why is the Minister counting transfers from constituents' bands intended to support treatment and aftercare and travel home as income, disqualifying them from income assistance, when they are the most vulnerable at that point? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would want to be able to follow up particularly with the Member's constituency. It sounds like an instance that's specific to an individual. But if somebody, you know, has support, for example, to travel to and from treatment, income assistance does still support them with their monthly needs while they are away. In addition to that, income assistance exempts income from self-government agreements, treaty agreements, land claim agreements, as well as impact benefit agreements, compensation from residential school settlements, Indian day school settlements, and 60s Scoop settlements, agriculture benefits, and other unearned monies from Indigenous governments as well, and also excludes income that's intended for children.

I have had residents and constituents myself who have gone away to treatment, so if there is a specific issue the Member would like to discuss I am happy to do so. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My next question to the Minister is, why is the Minister providing little flexibility for my constituents struggling with wage garnishing, judging them solely on their income, and failing to support them when it's clear that they are in serious need of financial assistance? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, the income assistance program is very legislated and so what can be provided as far as benefits and supports to residents is found within the legislation, and we have to ensure that we are applying that legislation fairly to all residents of the Northwest Territories. It is a program that is intended to ensure that residents' monthly needs are met. So, for example, that residents have shelter and they have access to heat and they have access to food. And so that is the intention of the program and how it is designed. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral Questions. Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of ECE.

Mr. Speaker, government bodies and agencies considered to be under the remit of the Archives Act are identified in related regulations. Can the Minister tell me if there are any punitive measures under consideration when those government bodies and agencies do not provide records within 30 years of creation as required currently by Section 5(1) of the Archives Act? Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for homework to review the Archives Act, and luckily it is a few pages long. It's not like some of our other legislation of the territory.

So Section 10 of the Act details the punitive measures that can be pursued should records be unlawfully damaged, mutilated, or withheld, and these measures include summary conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year, or both. I will say, though, Mr. Speaker, from education, culture and employment, we, of course, choose education first, and so our goal is to educate and promote the preservation and transfer of records and so we have not pursued punitive measures under Section 10 of the Act. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister tell me if any electronic records created and filed in the GNWT's Digital Integrated Information Management System, otherwise known as DIIMS, have been transferred to the custody of the NWT Archives since DIIMS was implemented? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, as a whole of government, we have some homework to do in this case. So when DIIMS was created, it did not include the creation of a mechanism to transfer files from DIIMS to the NWT Archives for review and then permanent preservation. Luckily, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is working quite closely with the Department of Finance on this to ensure it is addressed, and they are working currently on a business case for a digital record connector. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister tell me whether the NWT Archives will, as final repository for any digital records required in the future, be solely responsible for paying for storage of those records in perpetuity? Thank you. Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was recently at a conference where somebody said data is the new oil. So data does not come cheap, Mr. Speaker, and I can confirm for the Member there will certainly be a cost to this, but this cost would not be only worn by education, culture and employment as this would be an all-of-government responsibility. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up on my Member's statement regarding the long-term care facility in Inuvik and the planning for it, I have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Can she kind of give us an update on what's now being done to advance this project through the planning stages and where we are, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we, in the fall -- and I believe I briefed the Member -- or sorry, just in December where we were at, and the concern that I had was the operation of where the long-term care changes and having a conversation at the NTHSSA level with operations there were some concerns brought forward, so we had those conversations. And so the expectation was to have that RFP for schematic and design out within -- before February/March. So I am just checking with my department. They haven't followed up with me yet to confirm that date. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for that. And yes, I do recall having an update, and I was hoping that the packet of the RFP would be out for this and hopefully will be out in the very near future. So does the Minister, then, anticipate that we will have in our next capital planning budget funding in there earmarked to move forward on this project? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe that with the schematic and design going out now, for that work to conclude won't be in time for this capital budget consideration but it would be completed for the next capital budget consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you, and thank you for that. Is there any anticipation, Mr. Speaker, that in light of my Member's statement I talked about working with -- at one point, the proposal was to work with Indigenous governments potentially owning and leasing this building or a couple of alternatives. Is there still any conversations at the department level of potentially working with Indigenous governments on this, or is this going to be a GNWT project? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at this time, where we are is -- since I've taken over the file is that this is a GNWT expansion of the current long-term care; however, you know, the way that I work is if there is Indigenous governments who want to have a discussion on services to their membership which, you know, in the Beaufort Delta, all the residents that are in the long-term care there are Indigenous to the region. If not, we may have some from the Sahtu. But that's always a possibility. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question today, following up on my Member's statement earlier, is to the Minister of Infrastructure.

My first question there, Mr. Speaker, is the Minister undergoing negotiations with the Government of Canada on GNWT's position or requirements within the new airport developer for as a potential long-term tenant? Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Sahtu. Minister of Infrastructure.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of course I would like to take all the credit for the negotiations with DND, but I'd have to say that there's a lot of good work being done by our departments and the Department of National Defence on what work is needed, and the work that's been going on has been happening since early 2022. They've been working with DND on what the requirements are, what actual assets they need, and what kind of upgrades are needed to the facility. And that's been ongoing for a while. So whenever they do these projects, they look at what their wants are and also any of the work that's being done is going to contribute to the infrastructure, better the infrastructure, and the use of the facility at the Yellowknife airport. We're continuing to do that work, and we're hoping by March to have a good plan in place of what's actually needed out there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the Minister for that information there. I am glad to hear there's discussions. I see a huge bundle of opportunities for both parties.

My second question there, CATSA being a federal security program, Mr. Speaker, can we expect negotiations to lead to an extra security station out at the airport? Thank you.

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think everybody's aware there's -- you know, we're kind of confined in the spaces at YZF at the airport there, what more can be done for security in that area. I know the department's been working with CATSA on types of services that can be provided to, you know, potentially hopefully speed up security lineups. Also, we've been talking with the federal government on different options for security supports for YZF airport and the North. So ongoing conversations, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Infrastructure. Member from Sahtu. Final supplementary.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I am glad the Minister is putting that in his negotiation to-do list in the basket of requirements to the new developments.

My last question there, Mr. Speaker, how soon could we expect, or the House expect, the updated YZF business plan to include the future developments of that plan? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So YZF is currently working through the multi-phase of the strategic plan. We've also shared the strategic plan with committee, and we're currently waiting from committee's feedback on that plan, and we'll continue to do the strategic plan and finalize it here in the near future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions were baked into my statement so it shouldn't come as a surprise to the health Minister.

Mr. Speaker, what is the ideal panel size for a care team, and what workforce requirements do we need to meet to achieve it? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So the ideal panel size depends on many factors, and that's the complicated part of it. There's no single standard number. Panel size vary widely. So what may happen in the capital might be different in some of our regional centres based on patient complexity, provider type, team makeup, clinical capacity. Any approach also needs to consider cultural safety, social complexity, chronic disease needs, and the realities of remote practice.

So the department is developing a patient attachment guideline that will support an equity-focused, complexity-based approach to panel management. This goal is to ensure patients receive stable, relationship-based care, not just assignment to a provider, and to determine the workforce needed to support safe, sustainable panel sizes across the territory. And that will be coming as part of the framework that's coming in the spring. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Okay, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that timeline. And I understand that it is perhaps a bit more complex than I've made it to sound, but I appreciate that that work is going on.

Mr. Speaker, what is our target maximum wait time for a resident to be triaged and access a health care provider in their panel based on urgency? Thank you.