I know that most of us in here are aware, but in the interest of informing NWT residents, has the Department of Transportation identified which new road projects will be priorities for this government?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I spoke to earlier today, one of the critical challenges for resource development in the NWT is lack of transportation infrastructure. In recent years climate change impacts are affecting that infrastructure through melting permafrost and shortened winter road seasons. Infrastructure challenges increase cost to families and business, as we know. They also add costs and challenges for the resource sector which compromises economic growth in the territory. I'd like to ask the Minister of Transportation what his department's plan is for addressing the challenges to transportation infrastructure in the NWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the biggest priorities for this government in current times is to support economic growth. We need to do more to support industry exploration and development activities. How do we do that? We foster an environment that makes it easier to conduct business in the North. One of the critical hurdles for resource development in the NWT is a lack of access to remote areas. Lack of access prevents companies from exploring in areas with significant resource potential. This limits the potential for future resource development and the economic growth that it could create. Lack of transportation infrastructure is a challenge for many of our communities. It limits residents' mobility, making it difficult to build and expand ties between communities and families, and when the movement of goods and services relies on that same infrastructure, it makes everything cost more. At the same time, the infrastructure we do have is being seriously affected by climate change. Melting permafrost is damaging existing roadways and warmer winters are resulting in shorter seasons for our winter road system. In summer, low water levels are affecting our capacity to generate power. These impacts of climate change are creating additional costs for residents and businesses in communities and represent additional costs and challenges for the resource sector and the future economic growth and well-being of the territory. In a land as broad as the Northwest Territories, our transportation network is crucial infrastructure for families, communities, businesses, and the industrial growth that our economy needs. At the appropriate time, I will have questions for the Minister of Transportation with regard to highway infrastructure and funding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am grateful for the comments that everybody has provided here today. Again, I also recognize the previous speaker’s messages and the intent once again of what he is trying to describe. However, I think that the folks here within the room are of the opinion that it's not a matter of content that we're debating here. It's a matter of this “Fiscal Context” not being in an appropriate place that it ought to be in. I thank everybody for their contributions and I’d be prepared to put the motion to vote.

Members, there is really only one part of this document that I feel doesn't belong. I feel that the “Fiscal Context” portion is not really appropriate for this document. This section was not developed in collaboration with all 19 Members. Instead, it was inserted after the discussion on priorities and after the first review of the mandate. The introduction of the mandate document speaks well to the goals and objectives of this government. The introduction speaks at length about collaboration, respect, and openness. It describes our government in the context of being socially, environmentally, and economically responsible for the greater good of the people. It speaks about these responsibilities being built by a strong consensus government. It talks about values and priorities of our people. It says that a thriving economy will provide jobs and help the government pay for programs and services. In summary, the introduction clearly supports what the mandate document is supposed to achieve on a big-picture, visionary level. But then the document switches direction to the fiscal context, a background component that reflects just a narrow point in time. Suddenly, in contrast to a long-term view expressed in the introduction, this section paints a bleak picture full of GDP percentages, transfer funding assumptions, infrastructure deficits, and past fiscal comparisons along with naming businesses, and such dreary language as “We can no longer afford the suite of programs and services we have been providing to our residents at the levels we have been providing them.” Respectfully, in my view, the entire “Fiscal Context” portion has no relevance in this important document, and per the motion, I am proposing that it be removed. I believe the public already understands the fiscal situation we face. If it requires elaboration, then I suggest the Finance Minister can say as much to the public, as he has already been doing, or add it to the annual budget address. I believe the mandate document is a great tool for communicating our vision for the next four years and beyond. As such, it should embrace our overall goals and direction and should not be used for sending a fiscal context message that carries adverse undertones and only represents a small point in time. I look forward to an active exchange and the views of this important document. If I may, I would like to ask for a recorded vote.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm not seeing folks wanting to speak to this, so if I may, I'm going to make a motion, Mr. Chair, and I move that tabled document 1-18(2), Proposed Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories, 2016-2019, be amended by deleting the section titled Fiscal Context on pages six and seve

I'm happy to have the chance to address this important mandate document and see the progress that we've made over the past couple of months. Members, we've all gone through the campaign trail and emerged from the other side. I found the months leading up to the election and the election period itself as a great opportunity to meet many of my constituents, to hear from them, and seek their input and learn their priorities. That has been important for me in developing and refining my own platform and to bring to the priorities in mandate conversation here in the Assembly. I know we have all done that same work, so I'd like to take this chance to thank everyone here for their hard work and contribution to the important work of setting priorities in developing the mandate. As a new MLA, this was a new process for me. On balance, I think it was a good way to set our course. In the interests of continuously improving the system, I suggest that as a Caucus we should have a discussion about the process and make suggestions for improvements for future Assemblies. Now that we have this mandate document, I'm looking forward to putting some meat on the bone, so to speak, reviewing the business plans and engaging in budget deliberations so we can start putting money where it needs to go to make these things happen. The one part of the mandate document I am not comfortable with is the “Fiscal Context” page. I'm not comfortable with our broad long-term statement of vision containing such a restrictive, temporary assessment of current economic conditions. I've addressed my concerns on this to Members previously, and I will elaborate on my concerns again in more detail when we discuss each section of the mandate document.

Again, thank you to everyone for your good and hard work over recent weeks. I look forward to further discussions and the opportunity to present a completed mandate document to NWT residents in the coming days.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and

lastly, I asked earlier about what limitations this new park might have on residents. I'm wondering if the Minister can expand on his response and provide more detail on what limitations, if any, this new park will have on industry.

We often say that the North is unique, and that is true in many respects, Mr. Speaker. For example, parks in the north are large, open and undisturbed areas where wildlife roams free in their natural habitat. As a result of our uniqueness, some of the rules used in national parks may not be appropriate for the NWT. Has that been taken into consideration by the department as this initiative has advanced and, if so, can the Minister elaborate?