Frieda Martselos

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Committee Members have heard a variety of concerns raised by their constituents about the experience of working from home. Front-line workers have expressed frustration that they are being required to risk their lives and put in long hours, while other GNWT employees are collecting their full paycheques while working from home, where they may or may not be working a full work week. Some constituents feel that the GNWT could be providing better support to employees to assist them to be productive while working from home.

The committee would like to see the GNWT undertake...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Strategic investments in energy infrastructure will contribute to higher standards of living for Northerners, lower the territory's high-energy costs, and improve private-sector business cases for future investments. Investing in infrastructure today sets up tomorrow's economic growth.

Moving forward through COVID-19, the need to be resilient and self-sufficient is increasingly apparent to all NWT residents. Sustainable energy (for residents, business, and industry) is a priority item for committee.

The Energy Action Plan 2019-2022 has identified the expansion of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the last two weeks, people across North America and the world have been taking to the streets to protest against the excessive use of force by law enforcement and police brutality towards black, Indigenous, and all peoples of colour.

These protests began in Minnesota after footage was released of a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on the neck of an unarmed black man named George Floyd, who later died because of this brutal police interaction. Why did the police use excessive force on George Floyd? A cashier alleged he had a counterfeit $20 bill.

George Floyd's...

We won't ask questions on the P3, but the results of this P3 are tremendous. We are in a COVID-19 pandemic, and many of our communities don't even have procedures that were actually offered in our health centres. Yet, we are putting $72 million in the end, probably negotiated contract and not tender, not own the building, and I can't even get bloodwork analyzed at the Fort Smith health centre. That is disgusting. You know? When you do these things and don't do it in a proper way of transparency and accountability, it's disturbing. I don't have any further comments, and I don't have any...

I don't have any questions, Madam Chair, because it was answered.

In a recent CBC interview, the Premier discussed potential ideas to help improve the RCMP and its relationship with the communities it serves. With respect, Mr. Speaker, I want to recall some previous conversations with the justice Minister regarding a lack of enforcement on drug dealers and of the RCMP interactions regarding concerned citizens. I was told repeatedly that the RCMP is a separate entity and that it's arm's length from our government. My question is: since our Premier and our Member of parliament are now weighing in on RCMP activity, can the Minister clarify what role and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In previous private statements to the Justice Minister, I made statements regarding Indigenous staff members within corrections not having a neutral mechanism to air grievances. Staff are sometimes terminated before the issue is even dealt with by the Union of Northern Workers. My question is: how is the Minister and her department going to deal with this type of injustice to our Indigenous public employees? Is this what accountability and transparency in the Department of Justice looks like? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your Standing Committee on Government Operations is pleased to provide its Report on Long-term Post-pandemic Recovery: Recommendations to the Government of the Northwest Territories, and commends it to the House.

The Standing Committee on Government Operations has developed the following recommendations to the Government of the Northwest Territories concerning the Northwest Territories long-term, post-pandemic recovery, with a specific focus on the departments for which the standing committee has oversight: Executive and Indigenous Affairs, Finance, and Municipal and...

We have had dozens of reports, national inquiries, and royal commissions, and they all share this same conclusion, so we must continue to actively improve these systems wherever possible. Mr. Speaker, black lives matter, and Indigenous lives matter. I will have questions for the Minister of Justice later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. How is the Department of Health and Social Services working to ensure that small communities and regional centres are equipped with proper PPE and medical procedures to ensure that all residents are properly looked after in future pandemics or even in other emergencies? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.