Caroline Cochrane

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Housing was identified within our priorities at the beginning of this government. It's always been a priority of mine and many colleagues around the table, how housing was an issue for. I've heard housing over the last year and a half coming from the other side of the House constantly.

The pandemic actually, we had we didn't have enough housing before, and the pandemic brought it to the forefront that we don't have enough and we're moving backwards instead of frontwards. So, yes, absolutely, housing has become a priority for us. It's one of our main priorities. In fact...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Unfortunately, within the last year with Iceland being the chair and COVID, all of the meetings were put on hold. There was one just the other day and, unfortunately, it was at three in the morning and I had prior commitments in the morning and in the evening so we did send officials. It was the inaugural one for the Russian  Russia taking over the chair. So it was more of an identifying the priorities, et cetera. But I do have  we had officials at that meeting. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So it's important that  I'm not so sure if I'd want the GNWT to take full control of everything within our Arctic lands and waters. I mean, there is a benefit to having many parties at the table. With the Arctic Circle, we're a member of the Canadian delegation, and I think there's power in having Canada at the table with the offshore. I mean, we're partners with the IRC and the Yukon government. So I think it's important. There is strength in partnerships, Mr. Speaker. So at this point, I haven't contemplated taking it all on the NWT. I think it's important to work in...

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, June 3rd, 2021, I will move that Bill 33, National Indigenous Peoples Day Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to be able to say yes to the Member, that I will begin discussions with Ottawa but unfortunately, I can't. And the reason I can't, Mr. Speaker, is because I've begun those conversations over a year ago when we started. So those are conversations regularly at the federal table, and other governments as well are very conscious of it. It is a common theme throughout the northern jurisdictions that we often ask for this, and we are hopeful that  we know that the Prime Minister is hearing us. So, Mr. Speaker, we're already doing that work so I can't say...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So the federal government is responsible for international relationships. We work closely with the federal government. I think, in fairness, Mr. Speaker, that all nations that have  that are in the circumpolar are looking at the ocean and the opening of the waters and have concerns. So, yes, Mr. Speaker, all of us have concerns about the opening of the Arctic. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Those questions are pretty specific, and in that case, then I do not have the answers. I have to defer it to the Minister of Health and Social Services. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Member knows me, and so she kind of put a trick question and said, Will you make it quick. That might be a little bit harder. What I can say is that we are meeting with the Indigenous governments in the multilateral forum which will be happening on June 11th. With the United Nations declaration, we've already formed officials groups with all the Indigenous governments. They've been working in the background. This meeting on June 11th, we'll be bringing forward topics. I believe in our agenda, there's eight topics at the moment.

So once we decide what we're doing with the United...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said in my earlier question, absolutely I want to. As soon as I seen the news and it was saying they found these children, I wanted to do the same, and I want to talk to our Prime Minister, and I am going to talk to our Prime Minister, Mr. Speaker. I am going to bring it up because I do think there is a Federal component in this as well.

But, Mr. Speaker, again, I have to be respectful of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and our Indigenous governments. The Truth and Reconciliation Act Action No. 76(3) says: Aboriginal protocols shall be respected before any...

Mr. Speaker, the COVID19 pandemic has been a challenging time for all of us. Like all jurisdictions, our initial response was focused on public health measures. To date, we have been successful in protecting the health and safety of our residents thanks to the actions we took early and the commitment from residents to follow the public health orders and recommendations in order to limit the spread of COVID19.

As we continue our efforts to be one of the first jurisdictions in the country to successfully implement a vaccination program, we have also been focused on our social and economic...