Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Masi. Ministers’ statements. Minister of Housing, NWT Housing Corporation.

Masi, colleagues. It is my pleasure, colleagues, to welcome you back to the Chamber to resume our second session of the 18th Legislative Assembly. I know that your spring has been taken up with business plan reviews, numerous constituency tours, and also visiting and ongoing work of this government, but I hope that you have had an opportunity to connect on the land as well. Spring is one of the most beautiful seasons in the North, and I trust that you are energized and prepared for the work ahead of us. Members, on a sadder note, I join many other Northerners and offer the condolences of this...

Please let me begin by welcoming everyone to the opening of the Second Session of the 18th Legislative Assembly. I would like to thank the choir, Falcon Voices, from Ecole Sir John Franklin High School for your beautiful rendition of our national anthem. I'd just like to say thank you to the Elder for the wise words, and also for the prayer of the day. I extend a special welcome back to the Chamber, my colleagues. I know it has been a busy time since our election. You have spent many hours together working on the mandate which will guide the 18th Assembly. I sense your energy and resolve as...

The feasibility study, the outcome of the report and then the recommendations that came out of that will be brought forward to the 18th Assembly government. It does cover a spectrum of how we can improve our current programming that we have. As I stated before in this House, there’s always room for improvement in the programming, in departmental division areas. We look forward to those types of discussions as we move forward.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. We’ve initiated the feasibility study that’s been undertaken by my department through a consultant. There’s been a lot of engagement with the general public and stakeholders across the Northwest Territories. Obviously, one of the key points that they’ve highlighted is for us to work very closely with the communities, all nine remote communities and the most isolated communities in the Northwest Territories. Some community members and also organizations feel left out of the core programs that are being delivered at the regional basis.

That is some of the emphasis that’s been...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Those are discussions that need to happen within the next government. We’re at the end of our session here and we only have a couple weeks as Regular Members now, so our term will be up as Ministers, Cabinet and Executive. This, what the Member is alluding to, obviously, will be brought forward within the next government to decide if they want to proceed with that other project.

Mr. Speaker, we are currently subsidizing the daycare establishments and early childhood centres across the Northwest Territories. We have provided funding for programming, the mortgage. There are various subsidies that we provide to these establishments. One of the highlights, obviously, part of this feasibility study is to capture what is being provided currently and how can we improve in those areas. Again, capturing those small communities has been highlighted by the stakeholders, and some of the recommendations, obviously, will capture that. It is an integrated approach, working with...

I just want to highlight the importance of us being here as representative Members of the Legislative Assembly.

First and foremost, I just want to say thank to the Members. As Members, we serve the public. We have two Members who are leaving us, Mr. Bromley and Ms. Bisaro. I’d just like to say thank you for your time as being part of this Cabinet here for eight years, and I’ve also served two years as a Regular Member. Every time a Member approaches me, obviously, I put my MLA hat on as well to deal with those issues. At the same time, this is an opportunity for us to reach out to our...