Michael Nadli

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to return to item 5. Mahsi.

---Unanimous consent granted

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] Today is good. It seems like a new day for us. [Translation ends] [Microphone turned off] to stand in this House many times on behalf of the people of the Deh Cho riding. This truly is a special place of united people for the good of the NWT.

Four years have quickly passed. I have to say a few words of gratitude to some people I am blessed to have in my life. I must say that I am blessed with my children and my grandson. Yes, winter is dawning. I am grateful and appreciative from the support of my relatives and extended families throughout Deh Cho and Denendeh...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a constituent, Jim Thom of Fort Providence. Jim is the former chief of the Deh Gah Got'ine First Nations and also the former Dehcho negotiator for the Dehcho tribal council. Also, he is a former original member of the Fort Providence canoe team that raced down the Mackenzie during the centenary race. He is also the partner of the Commissioner. Last, but not least, we all call him "Uncle J.T." Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize the Chief Electoral Returning Officer. Also, at the same time, I just want to say thank you to our translator, as well, Joe Tambour from K'atlodeeche First Nation, being the South Slavey translator for the duration of the session here. Mahsi. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

[Translation] I want to talk in Slavey, my language. It's pretty hard for me to speak it, but it's my language. I want to know that it's good to speak my language if I have to. Many times, I have been in meetings, and we will talk about our government, talk about our leaders, and an elder said that: whoever is the boss of this land, who you call the boss of the land, is he looking after all the land? How come you guys, we don't see them very often? If we speak in Slavey, in our language, we say that we're looking at the land, the boss of the land. All the time, we look at the government that...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. It is getting harder and harder for our lower-income families to make ends meet. These days, people have to scrimp and save every penny to pay the bills. This often means that things which were once considered a necessity, like insurance, are becoming a luxury that people cannot afford.

According to a 2018 study by JD Power, the average annual home insurance premium in Western Canada is $1,200, meaning is it likely to be even higher in the North, and, with the catastrophes wrought by climate change, insurance costs are on the rise. When it comes to the choice between...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will be supporting the motion despite having some concerns. I'm not on the committee that oversaw at least the discussion on the overhaul of this piece of legislation, and I understand from my previous work that the big concern of Indigenous peoples was the idea of a free entry system where, if it exists on their traditional lands, industry could basically go in, explore, find a deposit, and basically own it. Whether it was your outdoor toilet behind your house, it could happen, and you don't have a say in that. That was the biggest common concern that I think was and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Has the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation considered any alternatives, like allowing applicants to use some of the funds they receive to purchase homeowners insurance, or what about organizing group insurance for low-income clients through the district office; perhaps the idea of a credit union? Mahsi.

The second question is: does the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation deny public housing applicants who do not qualify for tenants' insurance?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would like to challenge the NWT Housing Corporation to be more flexible in how it applies its policies. If an applicant doesn't have homeowner's insurance, instead of turning the applicant away, why doesn't the NWTHC let them apply a portion of the loan to pay for the insurance? That way, the applicant can still get needed repairs, plus help funding the cost of insurance. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.