Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane
Range Lake

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 114)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At this time, there are no reorganizations being expected within the term of this government. It was a campaign commitment that was made and so following through with that. It was in a mandate that was followed through. There was no other identified reorganizations that were necessary. However, never say never. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 114)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So way back when devolution occurred in the last Assembly, actually Assembly before that, the Department of Lands was created and the organizational structure of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources was changed. Some functions, in particular related to water, came to ENR, and others went to ENR, to Lands.

There was a commitment at the time to devolve and then evolve if needed after time was passed.

Since then, it became clear that there's a well, I'm missing a step.

First of all, there was a in my speech from to be Premier, Mr. Speaker, I said that I'd...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 114)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I also want to thank the Indigenous governments for their input into this work that the special committee's been doing. I believe in my own opinion that the report is very fair and a balanced report. So I thank the committee. Good work, committee.

The work of the committee actually, I think, validated a lot of the concerns that I was hearing previously to the committee as well. I do also want to recognize the MLA for Boot Lake Twin Lakes, Twin Lakes actually. Not the MLA for Twin Lakes. I'd like to thank her husband who first brought the idea of the core principle and...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 114)

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents: Principles and Interests Guiding the GNWT at Aboriginal Rights Negotiations with Indigenous Peoples; and, Aboriginal Rights Agreement Negotiating Mandates Summary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 114)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to start by saying that the royal family has a really special relationship with Indigenous people in the NWT. And if we talk about reconciliation and United Nations declaration, then we have to respect that relationship as well. A part of reconciliation is being able to have the royal family come and listen to the Indigenous governments and to the people and to hear their concerns as well.

So, you know, I have to say that the Royal Highness did come and he did meet with the Council of Leaders, and there was not one that said that they didn...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 114)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, I think that they are kind of related in that the government's renewal initiative is looking at program evaluations, making sure that we're providing good programs for the money, bang for the buck. But the reamalgamation of departments, reorganization of departments, was not based on the government's renewal initiative. It was actually, like I said, it was a mandate letter of Premier's commitments from the beginning of the Assembly, before we were even talking about government renewal.

What I do want to say as well that the first phase of the government renewal was...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 114)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to start by saying that this merger of departments was definitely not about reducing costs or losing jobs. That is not my goal at all. It was just, like I said, one commitment was with devolution devolve and evolve.

The bigger thing for me was just my experiences in the last session and seeing the difficulties with smaller departments competing against bigger departments. So at this time, we're not looking at we're not expecting that this will be a cost saving endeavour. This is about making sure that the program's more effective and more efficient and better for...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 114)

Mr. Speaker, I would like to start today by acknowledging the devastation experienced by residents in Hay River, K’atlodeeche First Nation, and West Point First Nation. Thousands of residents were forced to leave their homes and their lives behind earlier this month when floodwaters rose to unprecedented levels in the area.

Last week I visited the three communities with, the Honourable Shane Thompson, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs; the Honourable Caroline Wawzonek, Minister of Finance; and the Honourable Diane Archie, Minister of Infrastructure, to assess the situation and meet...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 114)

This isn't my report so I shouldn't actually be on the stand. But in fairness, I will answer that question because it's an easy one. If you give me a hard one, I'm not answering it.

But really there is three roles. So we've always had the Intergovernmental Council that was formed part of devolution, it was before my time, the previous Premier. And the Intergovernmental Council is strictly around land and resources and royalties. I mean, that's their whole goal. But I noticed even with the last government that I was in, and this government, is that there was always issues brought up at that...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 114)

In favour.