Mr. Speaker, can the justice Minister tell us how many of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls to action have been implemented within the NWT corrections?

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of Justice tell us what Indigenous programming is currently being offered in the NWT corrections facilities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, during my response to the Commissioner's opening address the other day, I outlined the need for the Fort Smith corrections complex to resume the rehabilitation focus that was once offered there. Mr. Speaker, as I said in my speech, the majority of the facility's inmates are Indigenous people and are products of the multigenerational impacts of residential schools and colonialization. Given this history, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, TRC, provided calls to action outlining the need for rehabilitation to be a key part of the correctional programming for all levels of government.

Mr. Speaker, to carry this idea further, I also mentioned in my speech that, since part of the rehabilitation process includes an educational component, I think that the town of Fort Smith has a very unique opportunity to offer inmates the chance to attend Aurora College to help themselves improve the quality of their lives. This would give inmates a chance at a fresher start and possibly to return to their home communities with new skills and certifications.

This idea would be a win-win for everyone involved as it would benefit Aurora College, the corrections complex, as well as the inmates themselves, and since this program has already existed in the NWT, the logistical infrastructure to enact this program should not be too cumbersome to get under way. Therefore, the only barrier is a matter of the political will.

Mr. Speaker, the people in our corrections systems are important, too, and they deserve good care, treatment, and rehabilitation, just as anyone else. I will have questions for the Minister of Justice later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, will the Minister admit that errors were made during the infrastructure changes to the Fort Smith airport? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Will the Minister admit that the community stakeholders and leadership of Fort Smith were not properly consulted, if at all, about these changes to the Fort Smith airport?

Why does the Department of Infrastructure continue to proceed with the airport infrastructure changes despite the community's leadership opposing them?

Mr. Speaker, in a letter signed by all the leadership in Fort Smith, dated June 17, 2019, the leaders were clear in their disapproval of the proposed changes of the Fort Smith airport. However, Transport Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories Department of Infrastructure went ahead with them anyways. My question is: upon receiving this letter from the Fort Smith leadership, were there any attempts made by the infrastructure department to modify or delay the project to fit the community's liking? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I delivered my response to the Commissioner's opening address, where I outlined my priorities for the 19^th Assembly. In today's Member's statement, I am going to expand on one of these priorities, the Fort Smith Regional Airport.

In my speech yesterday, I was very clear in what I and the constituents of Thebacha want to see done with the Fort Smith Regional Airport. I will reiterate that what needs to be done is the following:

• a new and improved terminal to be built;
• the runway to be restored to its original width;
• all LED lights to be properly reinstalled and in working order; and
• ensure the stakeholders of the town of Fort Smith are properly involved and consulted during the entire process.

Mr. Speaker, one of the key reasons that I decided to run for MLA in the first place was to help rebuild Fort Smith in order to correct errors such as that which was done to our airport. I have spoken about this issue multiple times during this Assembly already, but people don't seem to understand the genuine sentiment that the people of Fort Smith have about this issue. I spoke to many of my constituents about this airport issue since these changes were done, and everybody agrees that Fort Smith was wrong with those changes to the LED lights, some of which don't even work, along with the bizarre decision to reduce the runway width.

All of the constituents of Thebacha want to see better and proper improvements made to our airport. Our community is long overdue for a new airport terminal, given we have been using the same terminal since 1969. Plus, considering the damage done to our economy from COVID-19, this type of infrastructure project is a great opportunity to help spur economic growth within our community, as well as the broader South Slave region and the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, until I start seeing results on this issue, I will continue to bring this issue up and fight for the betterment of Fort Smith. I assure you, as long as I am a Member of this House, this will not be the last time you will hear me talk about this issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Madam Chair, some of the comments that were just made are enlightening. One hundred percent for projects, it's possible. Us underestimating the Indigenous peoples is not okay because I know that you've got to engage the Indigenous people. There are people that the claims have been settled, and they are, in part, in that partnership. No matter which project it would be, I firmly believe that Indigenous people have come a long way. If you want to do amazing things, you can do amazing things. It was very positive, what the Minister had just said, Madam Chair. I never give up. As a leader, you have to always think out-of-the-box, and you can do anything you want if you put your mind to it. Amazing things could happened. I'm very optimistic when it comes to business.

I also want to comment on a couple of other things. Design-build, P3s, or any of those, you have to look at the project and the terms of reference. Signing on the bottom line has got to make sure that you have your Is dotted and your Ts crossed. I just want to make sure that people understand that design-build is not a bad thing. There are Indigenous people who could actually put that together.

I do not underestimate anyone in the Northwest Territories because, if you put your mind to something, you get those kind of people who work for you. You still are a winner in the long run because you are in charge. Indigenous people, I am talking about and also whether it be local content or local contractors here in Yellowknife with engineering and architectural acumen. We have to look at those. Because I strongly feel that some of the design-builds, when you do turnkey, you have everything inside. That didn't happen over here at the Stanton. We should have had an MRI. We should have had all these other things. That didn't happen. Lessons learned.

You know what? You learn from some kind of times when things go wrong. You try to learn from them. Not everything goes right in contract negotiation or mediation or any of these things, but you have to have an open mind. I said that in my speech this afternoon. Not everything fits the mould. Dr. Dragon touched on it briefly. I would like to keep an open mind. I am not going to say design-build is no good. I am not going to say P3 is no good because I am open for options. We have to build an economy here. If we are going to start all this stuff of "you can't do this" and "you can't do that," we are closing all the doors again. You have the clientele in the North. You just have to make sure that it fits the mould.

I don't want to underestimate any of our Aboriginal groups because there are a lot of really incredible, amazing people who I sat with over the years and very business-minded. We are always able to give positive input to various things. Something that you wouldn't see, they see. They see things a little bit differently sometimes, but that doesn't mean they don't have the ability to move forward. I think that we have to encourage that. I am not going to ask any questions because I just want to make sure, those were encouraging statements that were just made, Madam Chair. I am the type of person who is all about the economy. I have always been pro-development to ensure that the Northwest Territories could pay for their own someday. I don't think I will see it in my time, but I hope that our future generations are able to grasp that. Thank you, Madam Chair.