Caroline Wawzonek

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nunakput, that Bill 25, Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures) 2025-2026, be read for the third time. Mr. Speaker, I would request a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to present to the House Bill 25, Appropriation Act, (Operations Expenditures) 2025-2026, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, Mr. Speaker, it's -- I'd have to go back and double check just to ensure that I'm, firstly, understanding the nature of the financial question that the Member's asking, but I'd certainly be happy to go back and take a look at the arrangements that were being made. Again, this does date back to an agreement and an offer that was from 2014 and certainly happy to provide the Member with some further detail. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, Mr. Chair, as we conclude deliberations on the 2025-2026 Main Estimates, I want to recognize the work of Members in shaping this budget. And through collaboration, note that we are making additional strategic investments that reflect the priority of this Assembly and the needs of Northerners.

One of the most significant outcomes of our discussions, Mr. Chair, is that there is a commitment here being made to support housing. We will be introducing a $41.6 million supplementary appropriation for Housing Northwest Territories in 2025-2026 to make critical investments in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I obviously have not a whole lot of control over what a new federal government may or may not do to funding levels that support all three territories and to, frankly, 40 percent of Canada's land mass. Certainly, with the current geopolitical climate would certainly hope that Ottawa recognizes the importance of investing in 40 percent of Canada's land mass as a statement about Arctic sovereignty, as a statement about Arctic security. The territorial formula financing approach for us comes up due in 2029, but we are engaging with the other two territories. We...

Mr. Speaker, no, that's not the only reason. The situation we faced over the last several years of climate impacts and fiscal challenges has put us in a situation where the significant sized operating surpluses that we've been managing to create for ourselves, rather than having those available to reinvest or to cushion us, are winding up being used for those purposes and so that means that we then take on more debt to fund operations and to fund our investment and capital. So looking, then, over the next few years and, frankly, seeing, you know, what is happening and what may be coming over...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are no plans at the moment to significantly modify the infrastructure that's up in the Beaufort Delta region. However, I can say that some of the -- there was a tug and a barge -- barges left up in Inuvik back in 2024 so that they are ready -- more ready and more able to move quickly as soon the waters are navigable. Obviously still hoping that this year's water levels come back and that we're not facing quite the same level of challenges next year but did take those steps to say that we are positioned so that at early parts of the season when, hopefully, things...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Inter-activity Transfers Exceeding $250,000 from April 1st to December 31st, 2024. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The fiscal responsibility policy puts up some guardrails around how we take on debt and for our debt management. But -- and while that's obviously something I'm happy to talk about that, and it's important to maintain those guardrails, we want to be in a situation where we're utilizing our debt ideally to invest in things that benefit future generations since those would be the generations that would be ultimately be paying off debts whereas operational expenditures, programs and services of today, ideally are funded by the operational budgets that we have today. So...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, so last year we were able to see successful delivery using -- in some cases coming up and around the top and utilizing Tuktoyaktuk as a delivery starting point as well as relying on the Dempster Highway. Obviously, there are challenges with both of those routes, Mr. Speaker, but we certainly were able to use those over the last couple of years and have always learned lessons to help improve it. So now I don't want to say that that's for sure the only option this year; we are still hopeful. MTS monitors water levels. We work with ECC's hydrology team about...