Caitlin Cleveland

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, my next question for the Minister is in regards to the request for a tractor for Hay River. And I just want to understand why a health authority would need to purchase a tractor and have one, I guess, of their own rather than potentially hiring a local contractor who owns a tractor to do whatever they're going to do with that tractor. And I'm just wondering if I can get more information on that. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for that. I know that Regular MLAs will be watching for this to make sure that this does happen because it's really important to both the students and MLAs, that we're able to retain the students who are trained here at Aurora College and have most likely grown up here in the Northwest Territories as well.

Madam Speaker, currently public servants are being denied education leave for nursing as it does not fulfill their home department's mandate within the government. And so I'm wondering if Health and Social Services will work...

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. So Madam Speaker, I agree with the Minister 100 percent. There is much more retention for people raised in the North to stay and to work as nurses in the Northwest Territories. Given that there are 30 seats a year within Aurora College for nursing students, does the Minister know or are they currently lobbying Aurora College to increase the number of seats that are available to nursing students a year, and does Health and Social Services plan to expand the bursary program that they're currently offering to northern students to southern students as well...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess I'm trying to get all my words in this week after two missed days.

In March of this year, Mr. Speaker, the three northern Premiers wrote to the Council of Federation to express concern with Canada's Arctic defence and security and requesting Arctic sovereignty and security become a standing agenda for these meetings. And so I am wondering if the Premier can explain how the federal government responded to the issues of the northern Premiers, how the northern territories are working together to advance the northern interest in Arctic security, and if the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Premier.

Mr. Speaker, on October 17th, 2022, the Premier said in this House "northern security is not just about robust military presence. It is mostly about building strong resilient communities through significant investment in critical infrastructure like roads, ports, telecommunications, and energy."

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada released its Arctic and Northern Policy Framework in 2019. This framework speaks to goals like ending poverty, eradicating hunger, reducing suicides, broadband for all, enhanced trade, and...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate that we're that we're this government is being consistent in asking for more money. But in 2022, the federal budget announced a total of $8 billion new funding over years in response to the defence policy from the federal government. There was $40 billion or sorry yeah, $40 billion to modernize NORAD over the next 20 years and $4.9 million to update aging North American air defence systems.

So I'm wondering if the Premier can explain how the federal budget that has been set and has been allocated to Arctic security will impact the NWT...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, just this past Monday in Iqaluit, there was a collection of policymakers that got together in order to discuss this very thing, Arctic sovereignty. And that was in response to a $4.9 billion investment from the federal government. So these conversations are still happening. And having this conversation twice over the course of this Assembly just isn't enough. We need more attention from the federal government here in the western Arctic and, especially when here, any NWT resident could tell you, that the North definitely felt things in a more...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over the last week I had the opportunity to attend and speak on a panel at the Arctic Circle Assembly. Arctic nations from around the world discussed the unique challenges and opportunities faced by circumpolar nations in the face of climate change. Youth, Indigenous leaders, bureaucrats, politicians, researchers, and even royalty, discussed an array of topics from Arctic biodiversity to green energy and mental health to critical infrastructure.

Infrastructure development is a key circumpolar focus as the world continues to warm. In September this year, the...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The question was already asked, but I'll ask it again. What is the anticipated additional cost of this, and is this expected to come forward in a sup or be funded from within. Thank you.

For.