Debates of March 6th, 2026

Thank you, Minister responsible for WSCC. Oral questions. Member from the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up on my statement, my question today is to the Premier. These are exciting times there, Mr. Speaker, for the Northwest Territories, which includes multiple departments and for multiple projects.

Can the Premier explain in summary our government's readiness platform or plan of engagements in preparation for these projects? Mahsi.

Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And it's a big question because the Member's right, there's a lot going on and there's a lot that we should expect here in the territory. In terms of investments from the federal government, there's of course the DND side of things, and we've been advancing the Mackenzie Valley Highway, Arctic Economic Security Corridor, and Taltson, and lobbying hard for many years now for those. But we're at the point where we feel like we need to be shifting from lobbying to preparing and mobilizing to actually ensure that these projects get done, get done in a timely fashion, and that the people of the Northwest Territories reap the benefits of construction and the ongoing operation of these projects. And so we are working to ensure that we have all of our ducks in a row. We're looking at ensuring that we have a workforce plan going forward. Of course, there's the shutdown in Norman Wells. There's the closure of Diavik. And so there will be a workforce looking for work. So we're working on figuring out what do we need, what sort of positions do we need for these projects, what communities need the training for those types of positions, what type of training do we already have. And I am looking forward to updating this House in the next sitting with a plan on how we're going to move forward and ensure that those benefits stay in the territory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thanks to the Premier for that reply. What really struck me was lobbying is done now. Now we've got to prepare. So I extend an invitation to the Premier that I am available. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Finance on services and policies related to Francophone employees which I would like to ask in French. [Translation] Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Finance, for French-speaking employees. First of all, does the government make efforts to recruit in the civil service Francophones or people who speak French fluently?

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Thank you, Member from the Yellowknife North. Minister of Finance.

[Translation] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, our people who work in recruiting in the civil service are doing specific things for Francophone employees. For example, we have job fairs which are hosted by the college of the north, and in our civil service recruiting system, we have three bilingual positions, and other positions where bilingualism is an asset. And these are for people -- these are in order to recruit people who are bilingual into the NWT civil service.

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[Translation] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Finally, does the government provide financial incentives, such as bonuses, to employees who speak French and English fluently?

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[Translation] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we do offer bonuses to employees who speak not only French and English but also for those employees who are bilingual in an Indigenous language. In March of last year, we had 177 employees who received the French bilingualism bonus and 151 who received the same bonus for bilingualism in an indigenous language. Thank you, Speaker.

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Thank you, Minister of Finance. Final supplementary. Member from the Yellowknife North.

[Translation] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you very much for the reply. Which services offered by human resources are available to employees in French? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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[Translation] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a number of services are offered. We have translation services provided by the secretariat for Francophone affairs. This is part of the department of education. And, as I said, we have recruitment services specifically for Francophones. And, Mr. Speaker, we also have services for courses that we provide to our employees in order to assist them in improving their language skills.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am going to return to the Minister responsible for the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission. He just mentioned that he has asked the WSCC to speed up legislative development to bring forward the coverage, increased coverage for first responders. So what does that mean? Speed up from what? We need some timelines here. Saying in the fullness of time or saying by the end of the term, that's not reliable. I am looking for clear commitments. We need them now, especially because we've just lost nine months. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister responsible for WSCC.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess we can go back and forth on this forever, but, you know, I am just going to state that -- I am just going to state that I've asked the WSCC to work on this and speed it up, and I am hoping to hear back from the department on how quickly this can be done. And that's all I am going to say for now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister -- can the Minister commit to have a legislative proposal in place by the May-June session for the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight to review? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the timelines that I shared with the Member over nine months ago, I think would have had this done already, but at the end of the day, you know, I've asked the WSCC to find a path forward to speed this up, and I can't commit to having it done by that timeline. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister responsible for WSCC. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this would have been done today if things had gone differently. Anyway, Mr. Speaker, we need a commitment. If he can't do May-June, can he do the fall sitting? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not committing to a timeline. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister responsible for WSCC. Oral questions. Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So now I have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment on services to northern Francophones, which I will ask in French again because that was so much fun. [Translation] Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment on the subject of services for Francophone individuals in the Northwest Territories. Service standards have been updated with respect to services provided in French, and it's happened in August 2024. What government institutions provide services in French? Thank you.

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