Caroline Cochrane

As stated at the beginning, I didn't realize that changing legislation takes as long as it does take. I often wish I could get them all off of my desk, but I realize it takes time. We are on a timeline that was submitted a year ago. We are on the timeline that was submitted just before the sitting. The proposal will be put in, in March. I can't move it any faster than the process takes, so the bill will be introduced to standing committee in May/June, and hopefully standing committee won't take as long and we will be able to get that off and rolling.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise as the Minister responsible for Sport to congratulate three prominent athletes, all with ties to the Northwest Territories, who are competing for Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. On behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories and all of our residents, I am proud to speak today about Brendan Green, Jesse Cockney, and Kevin Koe.

Hay River’s Brendan Green will represent Canada in men’s biathlon events. Brendan was a member of Team NWT at the Arctic Winter Games in Yellowknife in 1998 and in Whitehorse in 2000. He has competed in the Canada...

I do worry a little bit about the Municipality of Yellowknife being able to access the hotel tax levy, although I must state that they have never had it before. My understanding in working with the Minister of Infrastructure is that there was funding last year provided for tourism through the Northern Frontier Visitors Association. That funding actually expires at the end of this year, but those are normal contracting procedures, that funding expires at the end of a year or two years or three years, and they rewrite it.

My understanding at this point is that that money that was provided to the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am a bit confused with the question, however, because none of the municipalities have actually approached me as the Minister and asked me to help coordinate their work. If the municipalities do approach me, my job is to support the municipalities. If the municipalities approach me and ask for support, we will do whatever we can to support them. Thank you. Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am trying to move it as quickly as possible. I haven't been here for 10 years. So I don't know what happened 10 years ago, but I do know that we've been working at it hard. I don't trust that 10 years ago the stories that were put out there are the same as today. For example, when we talked to the Tourism Association, we learned that tour packages have already been sold for this year. That impacts the bill and the timing of this. So there were considerations. We had to go out for stakeholder feedback, and so I am really appreciative of the department for actually...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have come to learn that change in legislation does take a little bit more time than I would like to think it does, so it takes a lot of stakeholder engagement, a lot of writing, et cetera. What progress have we made? We have actually met with the six tax-based municipalities that would be affected by the CTV Act to look at things like the energy retrofits. We've also talked about the hotel tax levy with them. On the note of the hotel tax levy, we've had to meet with other stakeholders, so we have met with the Northwest Territories and the Regional Chamber of Commerce...

As stated before, the City of Yellowknife has not approached me as the Minister to intervene on their behalf. As the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, I am open to any municipality or any of our funded bodies that need our assistance.

With the City of Yellowknife, I will be seeing them on the weekend, I believe, coming up here at the NWT Association of Communities AGM. If they have any concerns for me as the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, I am more than interested to listen to their concerns and see how I can assist them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a Range Lake constituent. We have an agreement because I have butchered his name too many times. David W. is in the audience, and I welcome him here. I would also, as the Minister for the Status of Women, want to recognize Commissioner Margaret Thom, one of my favourite people, great leader of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The territorial government is hopeful that the National Housing Strategy will be finalized for the fiscal year 2018-2019. We are still in negotiations with the federal government on what the National Housing Strategy will look like for the Northwest Territories. We have, so far, a firm commitment that $36 million will be provided over 10 years. That's $3.6 million per year, and we're still negotiating further housing support that they can provide because, in my humble opinion, $3.6 million a year is not going to address our housing needs.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize two Range Lake Pages that are here today, young Mr. Logan Hayward and Ms. Danica Taylor. Welcome. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.