Ronald Bonnetrouge

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to announce that I survived the last four years of the 19th Assembly. Mind you, it wasn't without its socalled battle wounds and paper cuts. It was a pleasure to serve with my colleagues on both sides of the floor, especially as history was made with the majority of women in the 19th Assembly; the first in the Northwest Territories and Canada.

Mr. Speaker, my time here has been a learning curve when dealing with legislation but well worth the lessons. Mind you, I've been in leadership roles for quite a number of years, so my past experience has...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I think the Minister's really missing my point on this whole my Member's statement alluded to the Rapid Housing programs and the fact that the Housing NT Minister and staff didn't do enough to ensure that every community was going to get some units, because I'm saying everybody's been crying for housing, especially in the Beaufort Delta where there's really hard to get at the communities of like Sachs Harbour, Paulatuk, and Ulukhaktok. And these were 100 percent dollars for homes that could have been given to people. And I ask housing, you know, why were they not aware of...

Member for Frame Lake, we can't entertain any questions while the motion is on the floor. To the motion. MLA Frame Lake.

Committee, we will defer the bill number and the title until after consideration of the clauses. Please turn to page 3 of the bill.

Clause 1, does committee agree? Minister of Health and Social Services. Pardon?

My apologies, committee. Does the sponsor wish to bring in witnesses?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are related to my Member's statement on housing and are for the housing minister.

Housing NT did not notify communities, nor residents, of the Rapid Housing Initiative Program despite the cries for help from all communities dealing with severe housing shortages. Can the Minister apprise this House, and the residents of the Northwest Territories, as to why Housing NT were not involved in the rollout of the Rapid Housing initiative in the NWT? Mahsi.

Mahsi. To the motion. MLA Kam Lake.

Mahsi, MLA for Tu NedheWiilideh. Are there any other general comments? Seeing none.

Is the committee agreed that there are no further general comments?

The motion is in order. To the motion. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.

The MLA for Frame Lake.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday during debate during the Committee of the Whole, I expressed many concerns that I had with the process to getting where we are with this bill today. And a lot had to do with the lack of meaningful consultation that our Premier, our Cabinet, the Executive and Indigenous Affairs, did not attend many assemblies to present this to every First Nation group in the Northwest Territories and many times many of them were at the Dene Nation Assemblies. This government has never showed up to any assemblies whatsoever in the Northwest Territories with Indigenous...