Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Before my questions, just in the event of support and a small glimmer of hope, today I wear my Canada Winter Games pin here, just so we know.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, through you, my questions today are for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. During campaigning, many residents raised the issue of the Thaidene Nene National Park. While most were supportive of this development, some were confused with the overall structure of the park. From what I have learned recently, part of the area will be a national park under federal control, with others being under territorial control. I'm wondering if the Minister can give us a little more detail on what is planned for this important and beautiful area of the NWT? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I must, like my colleagues, pour it on. I want to recognize Erin Freeland Ballantyne and Mandee McDonald from Dechinta. Dechinta’s offices are in the riding of Yellowknife North. Like the Premier, I also want to take the opportunity to recognize the executive director of NWT Tourism, Cathie Bolstad, as she is also a resident of Yellowknife North. I thank them all for coming today.

Mr. Speaker, as the 18th Assembly gets down to business, there's a degree of uneasiness out there among the people of the Northwest Territories. Notwithstanding the Premier's good-news comments just now on tourism, there's been very little good economic news of late. The oil patch has slowed to a standstill, our friends to the south in Alberta have seen up to 35,000 people laid off over the past couple of years, and the Canadian dollar is only worth 70 cents U.S. Although there was a partial restoration of our Territorial Formula Financing funding, a significant portion still remains in question. Here at home, oil and gas exploration has slowed down to nothing. One of the three diamond projects has gone into care and maintenance while also moving their head office to the South. Right now things aren't that good, and that gives all of us a sense of uncertainty, and that's not comforting for most folks. I share in the concern of many, that this government has chosen this time to pile on with drastic fiscal measures in the interests of balancing the books by the end of our term. While balanced books are a nice thing to have, they should not be the single overriding factor determining our fiscal direction over the life of the 18th Assembly. In challenging times, it is important to be cautious and sensible in allocating public resources, but austerity for its own sake does not constitute a benefit to families, businesses, and communities. It does not constitute better government. We must take a triple- bottom-line approach to conducting our business, one that sees a balance struck in managing our financial, social, and environmental responsibilities. I'm also concerned that decisions taken now in response to the current economic climate will tie our hands over this Assembly's entire term. A year from now the economic picture might be very different. We should not make decisions now that will restrict our flexibility to respond to changing circumstances. Northerners demand that we be sensible with public dollars, indeed. But they also call on this government to do careful research into the impacts and consequences of fiscal decisions. They need us to conduct open and thorough consultation with Regular Members, Aboriginal governments, the business community, and the public on government priorities and initiatives. They call on us to not commit ourselves to a direction we cannot change. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you. ---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. They call on us to not commit ourselves to a direction we cannot change, and they call on us to not prioritize balanced government books over the real needs of families, businesses, and communities. It's a crucial time in our history, Mr. Speaker, and our decisions will have extensive impacts across the territory. I call on this government to engage in broad consultation, conduct careful research and consideration, and apply a balanced approach toward the way we conduct our business before we commit to a course of action that may tie our hands later. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I again thank you for the response from the Minister. I have a sense that most folks do want the Canada Winter Games, but the biggest question continues to be how will the City afford their part. City council is giving consideration next week toward the possibility of a hotel levy, which could have considerable ability to support costs for the games. My question to the Minister is: Will the government support working with the City of Yellowknife to possibly enact a hotel levy? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you again to the Minister for his reply. One of the other concerns I hear is the GNWT’s support for the building of an athletes' village. Can the Minister shed some light on the GNWT's role in the construction of an athletes' village?

Thanks to the Minister for his reply. One of the other complaints I hear is that given the current state of the economy, it will be difficult for the GNWT and the City to come up with the required funding. Can the Minister comment, please, in this regard?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there have been many questions over the last while on the level of support the Government of Northwest Territories would provide to the City of Yellowknife should the City decide to bid on the 2023 Canada Winter Games. Can the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs clarify for this Assembly and the residents of Yellowknife, the GNWT's commitment to financing the operations and infrastructure requirements to host the games? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Because I can't really see the gallery clearly, I just want to thank all the many folks that are here today watching the ongoing ---Laughter Yesterday you heard me speak about the Arctic Inspiration Prize, and one of the beneficiaries in particular is FOXY, which stands for Fostering Open eXpression among Youth. I want to take this opportunity today to recognize the founders and operators of FOXY. We have with us today Ms. Candice Lys and Ms. Nancy MacNeill, and I want to thank you for your incredible contribution to Northern youth. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my statement is about the largest multi-sport cultural event for youth in the nation, the 2023 Canada Winter Games. As a former city councillor in my recent political life, I was excited, to say the least, when the Canada Games Council came to Yellowknife to perform an assessment on our capital city to see if we had the capacity and ability to host the games. That was the first indication to me that we must, or why would the national council even consider coming to Yellowknife in the first place? Mr. Speaker, the Arctic Winter Games has been instrumental in increasing the level of competition, talent, and sporting infrastructure in the Northwest Territories and throughout the circumpolar world. The Canada Winter Games could do the same for the next generation of athletic games in the Northwest Territories. Looking at Whitehorse's experience of the games in 2007 gives us a sense of the positive impacts the Northwest Territories could see. The Whitehorse games came with a $120-million price tag, but the positive economic impact was massive as the games injected millions back into almost every sector of the economy. Visitors to Whitehorse spent nearly $9 million during those two weeks alone, according to an independent economic impact study, and many of them indicated they were likely to return in the near future, bringing a long-term boost to tourism. Investment in sporting infrastructure and athlete and coach development would help more athletes from the Northwest Territories make national teams and put us on the map as a sporting destination for future national level events. The games would also have a positive impact on the community. At last, Friday's Q and A session on the 2023 Canada Winter Games, the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs announced that the GNWT is willing to invest in an athletes’ village that post-games could be repurposed as low-income and seniors' housing. The biggest benefit of the 2007 games, according to Whitehorse Mayor Dan Curtis, was improving healthy lifestyles and community involvement. Hosting the games would give us an opportunity to include the whole territory, not just Yellowknife; showcase our cultures; and reach out to our sister territories to the east and west, involving as many northern Canadians as possible in the event and making the games more attractive to the federal government and southern investors.

Mr. Speaker, Yellowknife's bid for the 2023 Canada Winter Games deserves serious consideration and support. At the appropriate time, I will have questions for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs on this topic. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.