Bob McLeod

There are also four GSO positions in the Sahtu, and they are supervised and supported by the manager of regional operations, who works with the regional director who is located in Inuvik. Having said that, we are now into business planning for the 2018-2019 season or into the last year of the 18th Assembly, so, as part of the business-planning process, we always review our operations, so I will be pleased to have a look at this again. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Through decentralization and a number of other Government of the Northwest Territories initiatives, the programs and service delivery is being done by departments and agencies in the Sahtu, and we have recently increased the management with the superintendent of infrastructure position, so now all Department of Infrastructure projects and issues are managed out of the Sahtu regional office.

We travel throughout the regions, and every time we go into a region we have had a senior management meeting with all of the senior management in the region. The last few times we have been in the Sahtu, there have been no outstanding issues that would indicate that the Sahtu would be better served with a Sahtu regional director over a rotating departmental regional superintendent to chair the senior management committee. For example, in front-line workers, there were an additional 41 positions, as the Member stated, over the last two years in Norman Wells for the new Sahtu Regional Health and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the 16th Legislative Assembly, the Government of the Northwest Territories had five regional directors, including a regional director for the Sahtu, and, in the 16th Legislative Assembly, the government of the day saw fit to reduce the number of regional directors from five to two, so we have a north and a south regional director. It was seen as a cost-saving measure, and, also, the fact is that, at that time, it was felt that the workload did not justify the need for a regional director in every region.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct the question to the Minister of Infrastructure. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

A priority identified by the Northwest Territories Indigenous governments at the roundtable session in 2018 was the importance of the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge in the Arctic Policy Framework. That priority has been shared with Canada, and we advocate for language that emphasizes the importance of Indigenous knowledge.

Indigenous governments and organizations across the North have also been vocal about the need for language around Indigenous knowledge during the roundtable sessions held by Canada.

I should add that Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami has the advantage of their own chapter. They also...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Government of the Northwest Territories has advocated for the inclusion of Northwest Territories Indigenous governments, including the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and work around the Arctic Policy Framework.

At the Intergovernmental Council meeting in December of 2017, I agreed that the Government of the Northwest Territories would work collaboratively with Indigenous governments to develop a northern approach to the framework, including the Northwest Territories chapter.

Government of Northwest Territories officials held a roundtable discussion with Indigenous...

The Government of the Northwest Territories is currently co-chairing the Provincial-Territorial Official Working Group of the Arctic Policy Framework. Drafting is underway for the front end of the Arctic Policy Framework and is being shared with Indigenous governments in the Northwest Territories, including the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to redirect the question to the Minister responsible for Youth. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome Members back for the continuation of the third session of the 18th Legislative Assembly. We have a brief sitting this spring, but some important matters to consider as we continue to work together to build a better future for our territory and its residents.

The Government of the Northwest Territories continues to work hard to create a future full of opportunity and promise for territorial residents. Strategic engagement with the Government of Canada to help advance northern priorities and interests is one of the ways our government can achieve that. The...