Caroline Wawzonek

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 45: Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures) 20222023, be read for the third time. Mr. Speaker, I would request a recorded a vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 45: Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures) 2022-2023, be read for the first time.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 24(n) so that I may make a ceremonial offering. Thank you.

Unanimous consent granted

Mr. Speaker, I have just made a ceremonial offering to you as the presiding officer of this House to represent the people of the Northwest Territories. The offering is presented to you representing the traditions of many First Nations, Metis and Inuit, and their spiritual beliefs, values, and the principles by which they live. Through this offering, I am paying my respects and asking for their blessing but more importantly, to honour those Indigenous women...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again, I don't like to get into a battle of somebody's notes that they might have taken that weren't a transcript. But just to give some context here about what that says is that the first steps are glossy highlevel goals, and it does says that these will be short and high level, emphasizing, again, that that's the rationale, that this isn't something we were engaging in strategic planning or framework or an action plan. It really is meant to be a discussion.

Mr. Speaker, the critical minerals workshop, in a lot of ways, was something that started because a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am not a Minister responsible for one of the Crown corporations so I certainly want to be cautious in that regard. Now, that said, we are certainly operating on a wholeofgovernment approach, and I am able to work closely with my colleague, the Minister who is responsible, and I think perhaps here the messaging lies largely around the Northwest Territories Power Corporation. So they are not right now subject to the same procurement policies just as they are not subject to the same human resources policies. And as to whether or not they might then want to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that, indeed, does essentially restate the obligation that is on us because of the mandate, and not because of the mandate but thanks to the mandate. It is an articulation of a priority that we all came together here and found, and it's one of Cabinet's priorities as well in terms of maximizing benefits to Northerners. So that is exactly what we want to try to do.

How it's going to come down, what that's going to look like, is the exact process we're in right now. So I hope that's enough of an almost yes for the Member for today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, I wasn't at the meetings but I was able to make inquiries, and I appreciate a bit of a headsup that these topics might be coming.

The importance or the desire of industry to ensure that they have access to leases that are effective has long been a matter of their advocacy. That said, this is an area where, although I understand CIRNAC on behalf of the federal government might have actually taken the position that leases should be extended, the GNWT has not taken a position. We have remained neutral and we continue to remain neutral, and whatever process...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is no surveillance being conducted. Mr. Speaker, I understand that these meeting minutes continue to be a source of great consternation. They are minutes. They are taken by a note taker, they are not transcripts, and they certainly are not something to which I would say speak on my behalf about what the department is or is not doing or the priorities of the department. So just to put that context on the quotes that are coming, again there are notes taken by someone at a meeting.

That said, Mr. Speaker, philanthropic organizations, this quote, this has...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Northwest Territories Carbon Tax Report 2020/21. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are meetings between officials happening across sectors. So the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, in particular, meets with Northwest Territories Tourism on a very regular basis. They are funded to do the majority of the marketing on behalf of the Northwest Territories and are really a key partner involved in understanding what's happening in that industry.

So what I understood last week's conversation to be about maybe reaching out individually to some of the operators who might not be as directly involved in the tourism association. I...