Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 322-18(3), Main Estimates 2019-2020, now be concluded and that Tabled Document 322-18(3) be reported as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I cannot support anything that would increase the cost of living for the people of the small communities. The people I represent are natural people who go out and they hunt. That is how they supplement their income. As everyone knows, we have very low incomes in the small communities. When an elder asks a young hunter to go hunting for them, their responsibility is to pay for the gas. Then the young person does all the work, goes out on the land. The further away the caribou is moving, the more costly it gets for the gas for the young person to go hunting.

Even if there...

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today we celebrate International Women's Day. The purpose of this commemoration is to bring attention to and advocate for the advancement of women in all areas of our society. On this day, we acknowledge gender inequalities and celebrate the empowerment of women. According to the official website for International Women's Day, this year's theme is "Balance for Better," which is a call for action for improving gender parity across the world.

In honour of this theme, Mr. Speaker, I would like to discuss the issue of women representation in electoral politics. This issue...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Committee would like to consider Tabled Document 322-18(3), Main Estimates 2019-2020, with the Department of Legislative Assembly. Also, Committee Report 13-18(3), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Bill 31, Northwest Territories 911 Act, and Bill 26, Statistics Act, and Bill 31, 911 Act. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Marsi. Also, two of five of the regional grand chiefs within the Dene Executive Council are women, with Bobbi Jo Greenland as Gwich'in Grand Chief and Gladys Norwegian as the Deh Cho Grand Chief.

Mr. Speaker, while these stats have improved over the years, both within the territory and across the country, I know that our society can do better. In fact, in our upcoming territorial election, I hope to see women running in every single of the 19 ridings in the NWT. Even better, I hope to see at least six or more women elected to our Legislative Assembly to meet the 30-percent benchmark that all...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to ask the Minister, based on the community housing development plans or community housing plans referred to the by the Housing Corporation, if there is any consideration to start working with the Indigenous governments to sign contribution agreements to have them take over some parts of the delivery of home ownership programs, not public housing. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. When I refer to divesting public housing, I am essentially asking the Minister if he has developed a strategy to either sell the public housing at a market rate in the communities where there is a market or a quasi-market or give the houses away to the public housing tenants themselves in communities where there is no market.

Right now, as it stands, the public housing units are for sale, but it is not feasible in the small communities for individuals to go to the bank to buy public housing units. They are appraised higher than they are worth. We have units that are...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Committee would like to consider Tabled Document 322-18(3), Main Estimates 2019-2020, with the NWT Housing Corporation and the Department of Lands. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Considering the master agreement has not received any funding increase since it was created in 1997, would the Minister commit to advocating for a funding increase?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member's statement I talked about the Transboundary Water Agreements. I would like to ask the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources questions. My first question is: I know that the GNWT has signed bilateral agreements with all affected jurisdictions, with the exception of Saskatchewan. Can the Minister provide us with a timeline of when this bilateral agreement may be signed? Thank you.