Frame Lake

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 19)

Thanks, Madam Chair. I do sincerely want to thank all my colleagues in this House for the debate that we've had. I think this is probably the most important debate that we've had since we've been elected. Unfortunately, it comes at not the greatest time, with a number of other things looming in the background for us, of course.

First off, I want to make it very clear that this motion is not about the other projects that are in the supplementary appropriation. I support the other work that's in here for Inuvik, and I've always been very clear about that. This is about this one part, and it's...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 19)

Madam Chair, I move that $10 million not previously authorized be deleted from infrastructure capital investment expenditures, asset management in the Supplementary Estimates, Infrastructure Expenditures, No. 1, 2020-2021. Mahsi, Madam Chair.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 19)

I want to thank the Minister for that. Can I just make a suggestion that the schedule itself actually be posted to the website, so our residents know when it's going to be regularly updated and whether it's once a day? I hope it's a little more often than that. Look, I was looking at a Johns Hopkins University website that shows coronavirus around the world. It's updated regularly, live. I want to get a commitment out of the Minister that the schedule for updating is actually going to be put onto the website itself so that our residents know what the frequency of the updates is going to be.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 19)

Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Mr. Speaker, I just checked the coronavirus special webpage on the Department of Health and Social Services website, and the last update there is yesterday at 9:08 a.m. That's more than 24 hours that it's been without an update. Can the Minister tell us what the plans are to actually update this webpage? Look, our residents, they want timely information. We want to make sure that we instil a sense of public confidence and that we have regular updates. What are the plans to update this webpage? Mahsi...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 19)

Thanks, Madam Chair. I think it's important that the public realize this is a very important debate that we are about to have. It's a debate about the future of the Northwest Territories. It's a debate about infrastructure projects and people.

What this motion is about is deleting from the supplement appropriations $10 million that has not been previously authorized for work on the Slave Geological Province road. I fully understand that this is 75 percent federal funding. I understand that this is part of a larger project and that the estimated costs are $1 billion or more to actually build the...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 19)

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. I hope that she more than just looks at it; that she actually directs her staff to do this. I would like to know from the Minister whether there are any changes from the last posting to the website, which shows zero cases of coronavirus in the Northwest Territories and 54 persons being tested. Is there an update that the Minister can provide us right now? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 19)

I want to thank the Minister for that. Can the Minister tell us, though, what is going to be the regular schedule for updates? Is it going to be once a day? Is it going to be more than once a day? If the situation starts to change, what will be the schedule for updating the webpage and getting timely information out to our residents?

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 19)

Merci, Monsieur le President. The review of the Mineral Resources Act involved a four-and-a-half-hour clause-by-clause review and six hours in Committee of the Whole. To say it was contentious would be a huge understatement.

The Mineral Resources Act is not about promoting mining. It's about setting up a system for mineral rights management. The bill was supposed to be about trying to balance a complex set of rights and interests. Significant improvements included notice to Indigenous governments of mining claims and exploration work. There may be requirements for benefit agreements with...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 18)

Thanks, Madam Chair. I think that I am going to have to go offline, because I still don't understand the way that this is set out or accounted for. These are programs that are administered through the Housing Corporation. It looks like money flows through the district offices, but it doesn't quite add up with money on the previous page. Maybe it's too late in the day or something; I just don't understand this. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 18)

Thanks, Madam Chair. I think I'm just getting more and more confused. On 373, I see allocations to a number of district offices, and then there is sort of a programs development and implementation, then a vice-president's office. Why is this listed as contributions on this page? Does any of this money actually flow through to third parties, like entities outside of the Housing Corporation? Thanks, Madam Chair. Sorry. Habitat for Humanity is obviously a third-party organization. Does any of this other money flow through to third-party organizations, or is it all administered by the district...