Caroline Wawzonek

Yes, Mr. Speaker; absolutely, Mr. Speaker, access to quality, available, affordable, reliable, competitive, internet telecommunications, absolutely that increases economic reconciliation. Mr. Speaker, there's I could stop there but this is an opportunity I know there's times where our federal government counterparts are listening. I know they follow what we say. I hope the CRTC follows what we say here because that is an absolute truth. We're trying to do our part. We need to have private sector involved. We need the federal government to be involved. These are major investments, major...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, having more competition certainly is one way, traditionally and historically, that improves affordability in a marketplace. It does, of course, rely on there being the infrastructure to provide the options to the market and that is still an area where we are challenged here in the Northwest Territories. As far as the all that said, Mr. Speaker, this is exactly what we've been expressing at CRTC for some time, trying to balance between the fact that we need significant investments to support infrastructure in a marketplace that wouldn't necessarily have the...

Mr. Speaker, the digital economy is most certainly the way of the future right now in many respects; it's upon us. It provides tremendous opportunities, and I would like nothing better than to see some of the many small businesses, artisans, crafts multiple sectors could benefit from better access to the internet, tourism, tourism providers, so on and so forth. There are programs at BDIC with ADAPT to try to get businesses online. There hopefully now there's going to be the new subsidy that I mentioned earlier coming available for residents. So, again, I think and this is where the Member...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are indeed some guideline changes coming through the Department of EIA to support more clarity around the negotiated contracts policy but, really, the challenges here are, as I think the Member's pointing out, the negotiated contracts policy's right now being used in place of an Indigenous procurement policy to really look at how we are supporting and helping grow Indigenous businesses in the Northwest Territories. So the Indigenous procurement policy really is what is going to be the focal point here with guidelines, as I've mentioned nonetheless in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think we're on a slightly different line right now than paying bills. But, Mr. Speaker, with respect to telecommunication services across highways, that, again, is one where all of Canada and all of rural and remote Canada struggles with this. I have certainly looked at many a map that shows the coverage for telecommunications. But we're not alone. And, in fact, northern parts of many provinces are in a more dire circumstances than what we are in terms of their demographics and populations that are affected. So as far as whether it would have prevented a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, Mr. Speaker, as I had previously said the work is well underway and will be delivered in the life of this Assembly. There will be a change to the definition. We're going to be getting rid of the need for a Schedule 3 and getting back to focusing on what the objectives of the BIP really are, which is around investment in the Northwest Territories, encouraging investment, encouraging business growth here in the Northwest Territories, and supporting businesses that support that objective. That definition, as I've said, so it is on its way. It will be here in the life...

Yes, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the minute there's another evacuation, all of the things start to happen again. The GNWT provides firstly, obviously, the cost of fighting the fire and, again, accommodations to all those who have been doing so tirelessly, 24/7 now for over a week. Mr. Speaker, we also will be providing again emergency transportation, emergency sheltering, emergency relief in terms of food, toiletries, some basic necessities. And perhaps what we now observed is that a lot of people don't want to come to Yellowknife. I appreciate that. We do now have also the community back the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, if you're on emergency leave, if you're subject to an evacuation order, you can remain on emergency leave and it won't draw down, again as I said, on your banks.

Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge there are public servants who are based within the community that is under evacuation who are working, who are working remotely, and I just want to acknowledge that we I'm conscious of the fact that they are doing so under great strain when things are more than disruptive in their lives. So wanting to also extend that while these emergency leave banks are...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a great deal of confidence in the staff of ITI. They are dedicated to the fish revitalization strategy. They are dedicated to the relationship they have with fishers and dedicated to the relationship they have with fishing organizations, including the Tu Cho and including the fish federation. So, Mr. Speaker, I will on behalf of all of the staff, and the public servants who may have been listening just now, I do want to say that I have confidence in their skills. I want to encourage them to continue working in this industry, and all of us are going...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was recently in Hay River. I attended there with the deputy minister and assistant deputy minister. We sat down together with fishers and with representatives from the Tu Cho. It was, I believe, a very productive meeting, Mr. Speaker. It gave us the opportunity to have action items.

Mr. Speaker, I think we need to I want to be realistic. I know that the fishers have also been evacuated from their homes, from their communities and from a critical time when they should be preparing to open the summer fishing season. That certainly is has no doubt...