Katrina Nokleby

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. I think that's all great, and while it's going to be painful for the next little while, while things are only virtual, I actually see this in the long run as opening up the Northwest Territories and access to international access. As my colleague from Kam Lake was saying earlier on, in the long run, we'll actually probably have more people participating in our forums when we can return to a normal sort of open venue. Just one last comment. Again, back to science, I like science; I like facts; and I want to invest more in this area because, just because you say...

Thank you, Madam Chair. First, I just want to comment that the Minister's description of what this section has done was excellent, and I couldn't have said it better myself. I just wanted to start off by saying that. I think, perhaps, the Minister actually just has a semantics problem, and if she takes the word "petroleum" out of the title of this section, she should no longer have the problems. I am actually really excited to see the funding in this area because this is science. This is the scientists. As well, I've had the opportunity to spend time in the Inuvik office and see what they do...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate the deputy minister's comments around the collaboration. When I hear the Minister commenting that it's ENR, it's health, you know. I'm assuming and hoping it's getting to a point where someone is going to take ownership of the program because I do think that we don't want to end up in a situation where some of our social programs, it's: who does it belong to? I see the Minister nodding along yes to that, so I'll just do that one as a comment.

Back to the arts program and arts funding, I've mentioned this around other programs in different departments, but...

Thank you, Madam Chair. That would be great. I would like to see a bunch of money. Just more as a comment. I would like to see, I'm not so much concerned that those businesses make money in the BDIC but that we start thinking about all the indirect dollars. I know the department knows where I stand on that, so I'll move on. My next question, then, would be moving onto the Northern Food Development Program on page 211. I note that the number is pretty standard across the board. I think it was a $4,000 increase. Given that COVID highlighted food security issues even more so in the North and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to give recognition to an exceptional Great Slave constituent. Congratulations to Marino Casebeer for receiving the Outstanding Elder Award. Marino is a 2020 recipient of the NWT Outstanding Volunteer Awards and contributes to making the community of Great Slave and our entire territory an excellent place to live. Congratulations to Marino. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I would totally support, when this comes back to us, that that money is actually moved over into this area, out of the travel budget, ahead of us all voting on it, but I will leave that as more of a comment. We can't get out of this area without talking about outhouses, so I am going to ask the Minister about the outhouses up in the Beaufort-Delta, which I heard a lot about being shot up and not in such great condition. I know that there has been conversation around the replacement of these. I do want to urge the Minister to actually start looking into the revolutions...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I also really like tourism and parks, as well, so I am very supportive of this area, too. I'm looking very forward to the day on which I can also travel again. At times, when I've driven down the highway, like I said, it feels like you just want to keep going, right? No, putting joking aside, I'm looking at the Growth and Recovery by Investing in Tourism Fund. I've been hearing from a lot of constituents, or just people who had connections from before, regarding their concern about the borders not reopening, obviously, this summer like they had anticipated and...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. Again, I would like to make a comment around, during my time as a Minister, I was actually very involved in many conversations around oil and gas and petroleum, LNG, et cetera, in the Beaufort-Delta, not only with businesses but also with Indigenous governments and local governments. I do think there is a lot of interest up in the Beaufort-Delta. I would be supportive of, actually, an increase to funding in the research area. There is a lot of interest in the shipping route from the Beaufort-Delta into Asia. It would be shorter than other sources of oil and LNG and...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm sneaking in my last one before my last minute is up. This area, when I look at the overall amounts of numbers, the line numbers on page 211, there is a $4 million drop, which is the COVID relief that was given to us. Basically, this area has not increased in budget from pre-COVID times to now. Given that this is actually everything we need to do to more our economy forward and we don't have an emerging strongly plan at this point for us to look at, I am a little bit disappointed and surprised to not see any further or additional funding into these programs, and I...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am looking at page 286, at the Office of the Children's Lawyer, just noting, that this is an item that would be very difficult to predict each year how much would be spent here. Having had friends who have used this service, I was told it was actually extremely helpful and very worthwhile and rewarding, so I am just wondering if there is a need or the potential to fund this area more. Thank you, Madam Chair.