Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I thank the Minister for that. In 2015, when we got that road approved in this House, I could tell you, when we had the Prime Minister attend, in the day it was Stephen Harper who came and told us that we were getting the funds. The GNWT said it was the ITH, the Tuktoyaktuk to Inuvik Highway, but he corrected everybody that it's the Dempster Highway. It's an extension of the Dempster Highway. The funding that we get for the Dempster, it would be easier to keep it as just the Dempster Highway, not unless the community wants to rename the road. I think the investment of...

We'll invite you to Tuktoyaktuk on November 18th. The GNWT is currently sitting on $450 million capital plan that seems to have trouble getting out the door. Why can't the GNWT look at projects that are to be done by the local contractors around the territory, to prioritize them, help them stimulate our regional economies during this pandemic? The ITH would be a great place to start. What is the GNWT planning to find the necessary funding?

Thank you, Madam Speaker. As you know, after more than 30 years of lobbying and planning the design, the Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway opened up in 2017. Since the opening, the ITH has been a lifeline for the community of Tuktoyaktuk. It has reduced the basic needs such as food, clothing, and supplies. Importantly, we can get to Inuvik hospital quickly for medical services. It has also been to visit family, friends, and relatives and to use the facilities there.

I am proud to say the project was built on budget and on time by local contractors, Madam Speaker. It's the highest amount of Indigenous...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We could look back and say this wasn't rolled out properly, but at the end of the day, it happened so fast. It shut down our territory. It shut down, global. It was global. I didn't agree with it at the start, but when I think about it, I have to be here to represent my people as the MLA for Nunakput. I am going to support this in regards to priority one, safety of the people of the Northwest Territories.

When you look back, like this past week, I asked in the House, our community bubbles, we need to be supporting. The funding that we're getting, I hope they can really...

It's more important to get the work done than to meet arbitrary funding deadlines. How does MACA expect the Hamlet of Paulatuk to pay back the funding and still update the sewage lagoon? Is there a way that we could do a letter of intent to say that we could do the work? Then, we could work with the gas tax or whatever funding that is available to them. Is that possible?

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Today, I brought up in my Member's statement regarding MACA and clawing back funding for the Paulatuk sewage lagoon. I am just wondering if the Minister of MACA would be able to give an extension. The extension was given to January, and you know that in our riding it is freeze-up, frozen solid, can't do anything. Would the Minister be willing to extend the project for the community of Paulatuk until August? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Last week, MACA wrote to the Hamlet of Paulatuk, telling them they have to pay back $53,000 in clean waste-water funding for improvements to Paulatuk's sewage lagoon. MACA says they gave the hamlet two extensions; there is no way to extend the project deadline. MACA says the only option is to cancel the project and for Paulatuk to pay back the monies. The hamlet started the work this summer. They cannot get the work done by January 31st due to freeze-up, Madam Speaker. MACA did give a deadline for construction to end in the middle of winter.

Paulatuk could not start...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Is it okay if I blame COVID-19 for the extension, please and thank you? I just want to make sure that the Minister commits to the community of Paulatuk and to the people of Nunakput that she would come to our community and do a community tour here soon, but I need a commitment from her to say that she will work for the people of Paulatuk on this issue. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

If the requirements, federal funding requirements, are the barrier here, did MACA give any consideration in finding an innovative way to get around it, working with the community to make sure that all the expenditures are done, notification given to the community, other than just saying, "Your funding is pulled"? Is there a way that we could talk to our federal counterparts, the Minister, to extend this? Because it's $53,000, and that is a lot of money for the community of Paulatuk, clawing back on water and the sewer program.

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

The committee discussed what rules were needed for Members' and Ministers' statements during remote sittings. For Ministers statements, the committee felt that, as these were well circulated on government websites and social media, in the event a Minister was unable to conclude a statement due to lost connection, no special provisions were required.

As Members do not have the same level of support to make the public aware of a statement, the committee felt a new rule was needed for Members' statements. The committee decided that a Member participating remotely can file...