Rylund Johnson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Presently, our minimum wage is $13.46. Presently, we are subsidizing everyone in the territory such that no one should be making less than $18 an hour. Will the Minister raise the minimum wage? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

This is really the heart of the problem is that the federal funding is sitting there. Someone can access it. It reduces heating costs, but we are asking municipalities who are already underfunded to essentially take that on and then start providing heating to people, which requires setting up an entire utility. I really don't think we can put that ask on our underfunded community governments right now. Fortunately, the Minister of Infrastructure is also the Minister for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation. Perhaps we can give that board of deputy ministers something to do. Is the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am appreciative of a lot of the work that the Department of Infrastructure is doing in regard to district heating and cogeneration. However, this is one of those situations where the technology exists in many jurisdictions. It's proven. It reduces greenhouse gas emissions. It makes heating bills cheaper, but it requires a system-wide rethink. It requires community plans to ensure that the largest facilities are clustered. It requires making sure our power plants are built next to our water treatment plans so they can share energy. Presently, that kind of coordination...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, I asked a series of questions of the Minister of Lands, and he rightfully said some of them should go to EIA. I apologize for my often frustration with the Minister of Lands, but it is a mandate issue. They often do not have the tools they need to resolve issues. Mr. Speaker, one of the responses from the Department of Lands was that an Indigenous government can get land outside of a formal land claim process by a lease application. I think the idea of asking an Indigenous government to lease their own land from us is insulting. My question for the Premier is...

I look forward to that response. One of my concerns is the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs has a large legislative backlog, and they need the resources from the Cabinet to make sure they get ahead of that. One of the mandate commitments is that MACA will work with NWTAC to update funding policies and options. However, this mandate commitment is to be completed in 2023. Whenever I see a mandate commitment completed by 2023, alarm bells ring as these are the commitments that will be at the end of this Assembly. I'm not at all convinced that MACA will get this done, let alone review...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said earlier in my statement, I am grateful for some of the work we have started on closing the municipal funding gap. However, we are a long way off. Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, I believe we need to increase the capital funding this year by $5 million. In the grand scheme of things, this is approximately a quarter of a percent of our $2 billion budget. Mr. Speaker, if we can't find a quarter of a percent in our $2 billion budget, then we're truly not in charge of our budget as an Assembly. My question for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs: can we...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I echo many of the comments made by my colleagues, and when I look at what we're planning to spend on infrastructure, we're spending $450 million this year. Then, it's going to decline to $364, $282, $275. It's clear we're planning to decline our infrastructure investment because, as the Minister points out, our operating surplus is declining. We are marching toward our debt wall, and we are expected to hit the second debt ceiling we asked for in this Assembly.

I guess what this reflects is a Cabinet presenting a budget where hard decisions have not been made. I...

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Hay River North, that Bill 11, Legislative Assembly Officers Standardization Act, be read for the second time. Mr. Speaker, this bill amends eight statues, the standardized provisions related to officers of the Legislative Assembly. The amendments include: standardizing the terms of reference of statutory officers, such that appointments are each for a four-year term; the process for resignation, suspension, removal, and appointment of statutory officers and acting statutory officers; and provisions governing terms of employments of...

I imagine such a process requiring the consent of the Indigenous governments presently in negotiation. To me, that is how we would implement UNDRIP; that is how that would best work. However, this is an issue even in settled areas. There are Indigenous governments up in the Gwich'in and Inuvialuit region where we have settled the claims, who want access to land and they cannot get it because we go, "No, no. We settled those claims." Going forward, the relationship with Indigenous governments should be the same as municipal governments: we will give them land when they access it, when they...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final concern is: the last Assembly made a concerted effort to close the gap, but it barely kept pace with the pace of inflation. Mr. Speaker, I do not believe that this formula needs to be at the will of subsequent Assemblies. I recognize the budget is always fundamental to our approval. However, there needs to be some more certainty. I believe legislation is the tool to do that. Can the Minister speak on her plan to make sure that the gap does not re-emerge for any progress this Assembly does make on it? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.