Caroline Cochrane

Thank you, Madam Chair. I know that people are trying to nail down timelines. I would like to give timelines. However, I am also conscious of the amount of workload that we have to take on. What I commit to is that it will be done within two years, but, in the meantime, any extraordinary funding that comes across my desk as the Premier will be scrutinized. Perhaps I will even extend it to offering standing committee an explanation of the requests so that we can do this together as a team, which we should be doing. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Our department has just compiled a recent list of all of the board vacancies, throughout not only the Northwest Territories but federal departments, as well. We will be sharing that with Ministers. We will be giving direction that a gender-plus analysis be looked at within those board appointments. In the last Assembly, I must say that, when I was the Minister responsible for the Status of Women, I was adamant on every single appointment. When they were being appointed, I was asking, "Is it a woman, and if it's not a woman, why is it not a woman?" Those are...

Thank you, Madam Chair. We have made a commitment in this government to look at the mandates and negotiations. How we move forward to that, I think we've put it out there that that would be within a joint committee, to do that work. I'm open to that, as well. However, I do want to say that I think there's a misperception. Negotiations are still going on. They've been going on. It's not that they have zero mandate, Madam Chair. It's that they have a mandate that says, for example, it might say, you can go into, there are three categories: land, royalties, and money. Often, Indigenous...

Thank you, Madam Chair. At this point, I am not willing to commit that we would actually fund SPCA directly. That would be inappropriate, to go there. Again, not known for being too politically correct, I am going to try to be respectful, though. Municipalities, the term is often used, "dogs, ditches, and dumps," which implies that SPCA care of animals is under the responsibility of municipalities. By-laws would give tickets for homeowners who don't take care; by-law will pick up your animals. They picked up my animal quite a few times. I was starting to fund them independently. What I can...

Thank you, Madam Chair. The first thing that I did when I took the position of Premier is I contacted all of our Indigenous governments that are involved in devolution. I spoke to them all about the priority of UNDRIP within this Legislative Assembly. I committed to each of them that we would work together to define what UNDRIP looked like to the Indigenous governments.

At each bilateral meeting, and I think that we have done three or four or five -- I'm not sure; life is moving pretty fast -- at each bilateral meeting that we have had with Cabinet, where all Ministers are in attendance, I have...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I was trying to think. I do believe that in the last Assembly, actually, I did bring down Members with me. I'm trying to think. The Status of Women, I'm pretty sure, but maybe I can be corrected, but I'm pretty sure that Regular Member actually did meet and take part in meetings, as well. I'm not averse to it. However, I do need to say that, when federal Ministers come to the Northwest Territories, I wish it was on our agenda. It is not on our agenda. It is on their agenda. Oftentimes, I've had trouble getting my own Cabinet Ministers into those meetings. Oftentimes, I...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I do remember the shelter standards, don't remember where they are right now. I didn't realize that it took many years. This agreement is coming up in the next year. It might have to be signed. My commitment, though, is that we would sit down with the executive, with the board of directors, actually, and do that process in a mutually agreeable manner. Hearing the Member's concerns, maybe we will start with these ones. Hopefully, we will move that work out throughout because all NGOs have to not only be accountable for their funds but to also have a tool that says, "We...

Thank you, Madam Chair. On my right is Mr. Martin Goldney, who is the Cabinet secretariat and the deputy minister for Executive and Indigenous Affairs. On my left is Amy Kennedy, who is the director of Shared Corporate Services. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I was trying to figure out what we were paying for it. We do still have a director of public affairs, I believe is the position, a deputy secretary for public affairs. Madam Chair, I do want to say that, when I first became the Premier of this government, I questioned and said, "Why do we have a person in Ottawa? We don't need a person in Ottawa. We need jobs in the North." I'm a huge advocate of jobs in the North. However, in this case, I have learned the vital necessity of having somebody in Ottawa. It's one position. In fact, it might be going down to a part-time...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I hear the Member. I empathize with the Member. I agree with the Member. However, these are two NGOs, non-governmental organizations. There are many other non-governmental organizations that are funded by other departments. We have to be fair, Madam Chair, and make sure that, if we're doing this, that it would be across the board so that we don't let other ones fall through the gaps. I am committed to reviewing them; however, again, as stated, it might not be the amount that I would like to see. Thank you, Madam Chair.