Caroline Cochrane

Thank you, Madam Chair. As we stated, we do have the position in Ottawa. That is what we are working on right at this moment. As soon as the mandate came out for the federal government and we finalized our mandate, that was our priority. We're doing that work right now, and it's not only having an engagement strategy; it's actually getting the work done. I am antsy, Madam Chair. Every moment that I sit here is time that I am kept away from lobbying for the needs of the North. We need to get the work done. We need to get into Ottawa. We need to express our needs, and we need to get their...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I will make a commitment that I will get the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs to start the discussions with municipalities and hamlets throughout the Northwest Territories because, even though it is a territorial issue, we are not talking wolves or caribou, that is ENR, we are talking domesticated animals that have been not cared for properly, is usually what happens with that or, in my case, not keeping them inside enough and being let go. That is an issue, a discussion that should be happening between the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs and...

Thank you, Madam Chair. That is a discussion we haven't yet had as a Cabinet. We will be having it, though; I will commit to that, as well. However, I need to reinforce that the implementation of UNDRIP, if we do this right, is not done by departments of the Government of the Northwest Territories; it is done in consultation -- not even consultation. It is done in partnership with the Indigenous governments. Until the Indigenous governments tell us what they want, what that looks like, I feel, Madam Chair, respectfully, that it would be inappropriate for myself to give direction to departments...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There was a commitment in the last government, I believe, by the Premier. What I heard, I'm going off of Member's words, is that the Premier had committed to resolving all the self-government agreements and the land claim agreements. Again, that's hearsay. I think, in the last Assembly, a push to try to accommodate that is that we did bring in a whole bunch of facilitators to do that. It wasn't proven to be as effective, Madam Chair, so this money is sunsetting off of it. Sometimes, facilitation is important so, Madam Chair, right now, I've met with one Indigenous...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I will take it for a comment, but I do want to state that one of the other priorities or mandates within this government is to try to look at multi-year funding. For example if we don't have time, I am conscious of the time it took for the shelter standards. Perhaps, we could move into a multi-year funding formula, and that would give us the time, hopefully, that we could use for the next funding cycle, that we could actually have measurable outcomes. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I will allow Martin Goldney to answer that question. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have been corrected, and I take the numbers. That would be the global affairs, the organization called. That is where the $120,000 goes. They are not lobbyists, Madam Chair. They are to give us strategic advice. They've helped in other ways, as well. I do know that they actually provided some communication support to me, as well, but they are actually to tell us what's happening and they help our lobbying efforts. They are not our lobbyists. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. My understanding, at this point, is that there is no methodology. It's meeting between officials and, I'm guessing, executive directors. However, Madam Chair, I want to again extend this to all NGOs. When I say NGOs, it means non-governmental organizations. When we give NGOs money, and we don't have any kind of requirements or measurable outcomes, in my opinion, it sets them up to fail. For example, the homeless shelter that I managed for many years never got an increase, ever. It makes me wonder why. I think that we do need to review all of the agreements, and I think...

Yes, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Again, I’ll take that as a comment. I didn’t hear a question, but I did hear the lobbying of the Member, stating that we need to care for the friendship centres. They do provide valuable services. Thank you, Madam Chair.