Rylund Johnson

Thank you, Madam Chair. Two point five million dollars to increase funding to municipal governments. One of our mandate commitments is to reduce the municipal funding gap. Can I just clarify whether this money is specifically in regards to funding for the municipal funding gap, and where this gets us in reducing that overall? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm glad to hear that. I really wish I had the power that a member of the public has. My question to the Premier is: this is largely a cultural thing. It's hard to change when to empower public servants to know when they can't talk to media, what they can and cannot say. I recognize the Akaitcho example has some nuance. I really do believe we need to redraft the language in our communications policy to be more proactive and encourage all members of the public servants to be encouraged to pick up the phone and call stakeholders, call the public, call the media. Is the...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Can I just get an explanation of what this reduction is? Thank you.

What I believe has happened here is that there have been some very egregious examples in the past of MLAs really crossing the line and getting political with staff. I believe the spectrum has swung to the full other side of the spectrum where simple, technical questions that are better suited to a phone call go through multiple email chains. I would encourage the Premier to look at this policy and try and change the culture such that, sometimes, the nuanced conversation can happen over the phone. My next question is: I recognize some of the limitations in myself as an MLA in talking to public...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm frustrated to hear that Transport Canada is taking their time, and I'm happy to hear that we are considering filling those gaps. I think a number of the communities, if they lose those cargo airlines, we're putting food security and a number of supply chains at serious risk. Lastly, I wanted to go to the third item here, the $4,740,000 for the $18-an-hour wage top-up for a 16-week period. My understanding is that we probably haven't spent all this money yet and people have to apply through their employer to get it. Does this money expire? Is this program dependent...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Consensus government is a model that has many strict rules of how our information can flow, and often our own processes are fighting against our need to be transparent. I will have questions for the Honourable Premier about how we can change some of the institutional barriers that limit us from communicating in a straightforward and timely way. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yeah, I guess my understanding is there are quite a bit of programs, and most of them are kind of all wrapped up in this money. We have spent it, or it's kind of already allocated. The big question is: is there more money expected to come? Do we have any plans to increase our COVID spending ourselves? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. Part of the issues and why we're creating a climate change council is that the Auditor General said there is a lack of authority and clear direction of who is in charge of climate change in the GNWT, and some of that accountability is missing. Much of the research and work to be done in part 2 is addressing that. I'm looking for a commitment out of the Minister that the terms of reference of the climate change council will be shared. Ultimately, in order for them to succeed, we're going to have to really break down some departmental silos, and they are going to...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm happy to see that we are establishing a climate change council. Is there a terms of reference, or do we know who is going to be on that climate change council? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am really happy to see this increased funding for Indigenous languages. I am just curious, and I believe the Minister spoke to this previously, so I apologize. The difference between the $150,000 line item here for Indigenous language revitalization and the $450,000 line item for Indigenous language revitalization, I see they are in two different units of ECE, but if I could just get a distinction between those? Thank you, Madam Chair.