Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to welcome my constituency assistant who just started working with me, Mr. Vince Teddy. Welcome to the Assembly. I am really honoured to be working with him for the people of Nunakput, Mr. Speaker.

Also, I would like to welcome Dan Gruben from my home community of Tuktoyaktuk, and Denny Rodgers. Thank you, and welcome to the House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Chair. No, just in regard to our go-forward with the federal government on the exploration in the Beaufort Sea, I know that we are waiting for the federal government to open up drilling. I know that, to some people, that is a bad word, but for us, we were born and raised up there, working in the offshore, and we are hoping that our territorial government could convince the federal government to open it up, working together. That is going to alleviate a lot of pressure for where I am from, because it will create jobs with the offshore drilling if we are so lucky to get that...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just in regard to the fibre optic line, I am just going to rant here. It's not for you, Madam Premier, but it's just like a vacuum cleaner here. Everything comes here. Then, whatever falls off the table, small communities will get it. That is the way everything pretty much works here, by the sounds of it.

Fibre optic will bring so much for the school and health centre. Cell service, maybe Northwestel will give cell service for the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway. Maybe they will get an ambulance. There is no ambulance, so if somebody gets hurt on the highway, you are a...

Do both Aurora College and the NTPC initiatives include the examination for the best practice and principles of governance to ensure that they are conforming to them?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, my questions are for Madam Premier because I want to ask about governance and the overall approach in governance in territorial corporations. Mr. Speaker, does the Premier agree that the territorial corporations should be run in accordance with the best practice principles in the governance of the government-owned corporations? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Crown corporations are set up to manage government enterprises that run like businesses. These government-owned corporations operate at arm's length of the government.

Both Northwest Territories Power Corporation and the Aurora College are established in legislation as territorial corporations. What else can they have in common? In both cases, Mr. Speaker, the GNWT has dissolved both public boards that was tasked on running them.

In May 2016, the Minister responsible for NTPC revoked appointments. The board of directors were replaced to save a million dollars to put...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In 2014, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs conducted a municipal formula funding review. The purpose was to update community governments and funding models, to ensure fair and transparent funding. This has revealed a significant gap between the needs of municipalities and the funding that they are provided.

The Minister of the day of Municipal and Community Affairs, the honourable Alfred Moses, advised the 18th Assembly that the gap was approximately $39 million. In 2016, in the mandate, the GNWT committed to developing a strategy to close the funding gap...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This government has a new mandate purpose, to provide communities with opportunities in their additional revenue to offset the cost of delivering their core programs. How realistic is the GNWT to do that, Mr. Speaker?

MACA's own business plan has acknowledged that, "If the department remains unable to provide adequate core funding to community governments, the consequences could include the inability of community government to adequately deliver core services and maintain capital assets." Is this government prepared to take the risk in having a tainted water scandal or catastrophic event result in chronic municipal underfunding of the community governments?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, my questions are for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. The report that the 18th Assembly did, I'm wondering if the Minister read the report. As the former Minister says, the MACA Minister, "I want to acknowledge that we are unable to definitively answer when and how the funding gap will be closed," in regard to the local community governments because of shortfalls there and people and communities are struggling. Does the Minister have any comments to this, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.