Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS the Mackenzie River Basin has been experiencing drought and low water levels since 2022, which has disrupted the re-supply of communities by barge;

AND WHEREAS the disruption of barging routes has created extraordinary logistical challenges and costs to deliver goods and supplies to impacted communities;

AND WHEREAS communities in the Sahtu region estimate over a collective $14 million in lost or delayed business opportunity, including logistical and shipping expenses as a result of the 2024 cancelled barge;

AND WHEREAS the Mackenzie Valley Highway has been a project under development for decades; it is a 321 kilometre highway of which 14 kilometers have been built to date;

AND WHEREAS the construction of the Mackenzie Valley Highway will not only unlock the economic potential of the Sahtu, it will also lower the cost of living for residents, connecting the Mackenzie Valley region, and improving transportation to the Arctic Ocean, increasing the Northwest Territories' and Canada's Arctic sovereignty and security;

AND WHEREAS the Government of the Northwest Territories is mandated underneath the 20th Legislative Assembly to strengthen government-to-government relationships with Indigenous governments and work in partnership to jointly engage the federal government to advance issues of shared interest;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, that the Government of the Northwest Territories update the business case to complete the Mackenzie Valley Highway immediately;

AND FURTHER, that the Government of the Northwest Territories use the updated business case to formalize Indigenous partnerships in the project and to lobby the federal government in partnership to secure the funding required in the upcoming federal budget to build this critical infrastructure for the territories and Canada;

AND FURTHERMORE, that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a response to this motion within 120 days.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.