Caroline Cochrane

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.

Yes, Madam Chair. Thank you. I am here to present the 2020-2021 Main Estimates for the Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs.

Overall, the department’s estimates propose an increase of $783,000 or 3.5 percent over the 2019-2020 main estimates. These estimates support our fiscal objectives to prioritize responsible and strategic spending while matching the modest expected revenue growth over the coming year.

Highlights of these proposed estimates include:

$905,000 in forced growth related to salary increases resulting from the 2016-2017 to 2020-2021 collective agreement with the Union of...

Thank you, Madam Chair. We don’t have the list of all of the friendship centres with us right now. We can get it to committee, I believe there are five, but we will provide that to the Members. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. In all honesty, I believe that these funding levels have been in place for many years. I can't say exactly how many years, but I do know that it's more than the last Assembly. They're on the last year of a three-year term agreement, and I think that it is time that we look at them. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Single Window Service Centres used to be just services that were provided by the Government of the Northwest Territories. In recent years, I think it was just in the last year, if I'm correct, or the last two years, the federal government has asked us if they could be a part of that picture, as well, because not only do our small communities not know what services the GNWT provides, they don't know what the federal government provides, as well. They are actually a partner in the services that are available that the service centre windows have access to. The federal...

Thank you, Madam Chair. That was a huge issue. I don’t think it was only in the last Assembly. I think it’s been in every Assembly. I think that, the Government of the Northwest Territories, we’re great at a lot of things, Madam Chair. One of the things we’re not so good at is our communications to the public. We do find that often we’re more reactive than proactive. We find that often, sometimes, our communications are at a high technical level, that often people don’t relate to. We have been looking at it right across the board. I have met with my Cabinet communications person. We have been...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I didn't hear a question in that; I'll take it as a comment. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. That is correct. There were fewer applications in that year.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just had to get clarification with my department to make sure that the co-investment fund is only when we speak about the housing. My understanding is that it is. That is a policy that will have to be defined within the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. However, once that is defined, all needs, including that, will be brought forward to the federal government. It is important that we keep reinstating our needs, reinstating how we are working better with Indigenous and community governments and the NGO sector, as we move forward. In my first engagements with...