Herbert Nakimayak

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier on I spoke about the costs of food in Nunakput, and my questions are for the Minister of Finance. Mr. Speaker, my first question is more of an update. Can the Minister report if the Government of the Northwest Territories is working with the federal government to make Nutrition North more successful at addressing food security in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It's good to see that the different levels of government are working on this together. My second question is: what strategies are we working on to address food insecurity in Nunakput, and can we regulate healthy-food prices the way we do with liquor and cannabis?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A couple of weeks ago, we had Youth Parliament here at the Legislative Assembly, and my daughter, Marie Carpenter, was the member for Nunakput. Out of all the topics, the discussion talked about the costs of living in the North. Mr. Speaker, I will read her statement today:

"Mr. Speaker, the cost of living in Nunakput is the highest in the Northwest Territories. Increased fuel prices have affected the cost for food, whether from a grocery store or traditional food harvested on the land.

"Mr. Speaker, the rising cost has been hard on hunters living in Nunakput. Harvesting...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do not have much more. I appreciate the response from the Premier. I am afraid. Earlier in my Member's statement, with the announcement of countries like the United States calling on China and Russia, it opens up the doors as the start of a race, so that is one of the things that concerns me, and I think it needs for us to work together. So, Mr. Speaker, my final question is: would the Premier be willing to tour my riding with representatives possibly from the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation as well as with the MP of the Northwest Territories?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier I made a statement about sovereignty in the Arctic, and the Premier's sessional statement reflected a lot of what we're trying to focus on, especially in our Arctic region, where there is a lack of infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Premier. Can the Premier update the House on any discussions he's had with the federal government on Arctic sovereignty? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It's good to hear that from the Premier, and that the Government of the Northwest Territories is working with the federal counterparts. We talk about climate change a lot, and I know I have during this Assembly in the last three-and-a-half years, but one of the things is infrastructure and action by our federal counterparts. My second question is: has the government of the Northwest Territories partnered with any of our Indigenous governments on efforts to promote sovereignty in the Arctic regions?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the statement from the Premier. Mine is very similar.

Mr. Speaker, Europeans started looking at the Northwest Passage in the 19th century. Explorers and their governments thought it would be a shorter route for ports of trade in Asia. No thought was given to the Indigenous people who had been living on the Arctic coast long before time was recorded.

This state of mind still exists today. At the Arctic Council ministerial meeting in Finland earlier this month, American Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gave a speech where he said that the United States has a...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. You know, along with what my colleague said across the way, I, too, support this. Mr. Chair, we have constituents living in Yellowknife and some who live in the northern part of the territory, where the cost of living is high, while we are sitting here and we are giving chairs of committees raises and we are not covering the simple benefits that any of our employees should have access to. I think we need to really look at that and take a look deeper into the next Assembly to refine it to adjust to the cost of living. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd just like to reflect back a little bit on this budget process. We were off to a late start, and especially on an O and M budget like this, I believe that we held back a few things, and when we hold back things, we hold back the government, we hold back communities in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, this is not a capital budget, where we could sit down and lobby, and likely barter with Cabinet. I think this last process, here, the very last one of this Assembly, when you hold something to the last minute, there is no room for capacity, there is no room for...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation acknowledges the effort that the GNWT has put into many of the pieces of legislation that are being tabled this sitting. Mr. Speaker, I, as well as the Inuvialuit, firmly believe that better legislation results from cooperative policy developing and drafting. While the tabled bill does not include helpful amendments since a version was circulated in December, the Forest Act process did not provide sufficient time for cooperative drafting.

Mr. Speaker, going forward, IRC urges the Government of the Northwest Territories to provide...