Caroline Cochrane

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's no doubt that our waters are opening up. We've known that for a while; we're watching it. Canada does acknowledge that the Arctic is becoming an international interest, and we've been having discussions on that and those will continue.

Right now in our discussions with Canada, there's no clear threat. The threat is on Ukraine. But we're going to continue to have the discussions, including the one with the prime minister that we've asked to meet with now. We need to ensure the security of Northerners.

But I also want to reinforce to the people of the Northwest...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Canada takes the lead on international security and defence, including Arctic security. The Department of National Defence will respond to any military threat in the Arctic. Canada is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) which supports security of member nations. Canada and the United States partner in the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) with the goal of defending North America and protecting critical infrastructure in Canada and the States.

Last summer, they committed to modernizing our north warning system, of which we...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Arctic Council is actually a forum for cooperation and collaboration on critical issues affecting the Arctic, but it doesn't include defence and security.

However, based on what's going on in the Ukraine, member countries, including Canada, have raised concerns about Russia's leadership of the Arctic Council and they're pausing participation on all meetings of the council at this time.

I also want to say that since this has been going on, I've met with the northern Premiers across the three territories. We all have concerns, and we've written a letter to our prime...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Actually I appointed that position directly because I wanted a total policy review of the Housing Corporation. So that person is responsible for doing the policy review with the Indigenous governments at the Council of Leaders table so that all of the policies within housing will be done, reviewed, and hopefully changed within the term of this government. So it was an appointment from myself. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the world was thrust into uncertainty and turmoil as Russia launched an attack and subsequent invasion of Ukraine.

The Northwest Territories stands with Ukraine. The images coming out of the Eastern European nation are horrifying. My heart goes out to those who are forced to flee their homes to find safety, and to those who have lost their lives in a senseless act of aggression by Russia.

Canada has a long history of immigration from Ukraine. Today, Canada is the home to more than 1.3 million people of Ukrainian descent, including more than 1,000 in the Northwest...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to advise the House that the Honourable Diane Archie will be absent from the House today's proceedings to participate in a conference call with federal, provincial and territorial Ministers of transportation and highway safety.

Also Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise the House that the Honourable R.J. Simpson will be absent from the House for a portion of today's proceedings to participate in a conference call with the federal, provincial, territorial Ministers of labour.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

For a Member to be asking a Minister from the GNWT to be accountable to federal money that is given to an Indigenous government or to an organization that the GNWT has no say over. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: The Annual Status Report on the Progress of the Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories, 20192023. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Madam Speaker, as we pass the midpoint for the 19th Legislative Assembly, it is important to take stock of where we are as a government, and the progress we are making in fulfilling the commitments we made in our mandate.

At the beginning of this Legislative Assembly, our government tabled the Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories 20192023, which established the actions we planned to take to advance the 22 shared priorities set by this Legislative Assembly.

Madam Speaker, despite the ongoing challenges felt here at home and around the world because of the COVID pandemic, our...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the full financial impacts of this pandemic aren't known at this time. What we do know, as the Member stated, that there's been some sectors that have been particularly hit hard, such as the tourism and the hospitality sectors. But there's reason to be optimistic.

We do expect that there's a pent-up demand from Canadians and international travellers to come see the North. So as restrictions are eased, we're expecting our tourism industry to pick up again. And one area of financial impact that we don't really know, and we're seeing lately, is the extension...