Caroline Cochrane

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Emerging Stronger: Planning the NWT's Social and Economic Recovery Together. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. She's absolutely right. It wasn't a question I thought about, the funding. However, Mr. Speaker, I was already thinking the reason I am going to be talking to the Prime Minister of Canada is not so that the Prime Minister of Canada can take the lead. It's that the Prime Minister of Canada also has an obligation, in my opinion, because it was the Government of Canada and the Catholic churches that did this to our children, and they have an obligation, and I shall bring forward my opinion of the obligation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the deaths of these children and the findings that was found has impacted a lot of us, especially Indigenous people throughout the world and throughout Canada and for other people as well. Any mother, parent, grandparent, I'm sure is feeling some of this. And I would love to say yes. I'd love to say yes. I'm going to do this right now and take control and be a leader and do it. But that is not the right way.

I've checked into it. That was my first thing, is we need to find these children in ours. But the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Mr. Speaker, under their...

Mr. Speaker, before I begin my statement today, I want to acknowledge that many people, including those who work in and around this Legislative Assembly and Government, are being retraumatized by the confirmation of the mass grave of Indigenous children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. I am providing this notice so that those who are hurting may choose not to listen if they will be triggered by what I say.

Mr. Speaker, the confirmation of the remains of 215 Indigenous children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School last week is a reminder of a dark chapter of Canadian history...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's a little bit harder of an answer to give. There's all kinds of factors that need to be taken into consideration when looking at costs. There's amounts the federal government will cover. There's also some people in communities do have insurance, and some people don't. Those things have to be taken into consideration as well.

What I can say, Mr. Speaker, is that the officials are meeting this weekend, and also Cabinet is going to meet this weekend to discuss about the flooding and what we can do to support as well.

So I'm looking forward to figuring out what we can...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I hear the MLA talking about we need to be more compassionate and personal with people, and I heard the MLA say that as well during the presentation the other day, that, when we were looking at the flooding. And I agree. And, Mr. Speaker and the Minister agrees as well, the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. She has already said that we need to humanize our services there. So I do think that we need to have a more compassionate way of working with people. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm a bit confused on that question. I would ask that the Member actually meet with me in person later if she's willing to do that. My direction has been to Ministers since the beginning of this government has been that work with MLAs, work with stakeholders as much as possible. There will come times that we may have to fight. And ask any of the Ministers here. I can see the Member's shaking her head.

But you can ask any Minister here, that the direction has been work with people as much as possible. Pick your fights that you need to. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's nice to say that the Premier has privilege. A lot of people have privilege, and a lot of people don't.

Mr. Speaker, our intention when people come back and have to isolate is not about privilege. It's about accessibility. Anyone in the Northwest Territories that is going for medical or emergency or grievance, exceptional situations, will be covered by our isolation centres if they have no other safe place to isolate.

Everyone across the territories, people are privileged, people are not. At this point, we are not paying for the isolation centres for people that are...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's an easy commitment. Absolutely, I can. All chiefs out there know that they can reach me. My life is pretty basic, go to work and go home. So they can reach me any evening and every weekend.

And I will make the commitment that I will call Chief Antoine this evening. If not Chief Antoine, I don't know what will happen, but tomorrow at the latest. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, I do know Chief Antoine does have my number, and any chief can actually call me at any time. They also know that it's difficult to reach me during the days, and I think that's what the issue might be more so.

But, again, I did hear them. And I did have conversations with the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, and both of us agree that we need to be more concerned about the people on the ground. So we did have conversations, and we are looking. Actually, we will be bringing in either  I'm not sure what the term is, a pathfinder, a system's navigator...