Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The evaluation is currently underway. It is not complete yet. Right now, I am anticipating it will be received by the end of April to myself, and I will then endeavour to have it to the Members of this House as quickly as possible thereafter. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Sahtu, that Bill 2, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 4, 2019-2020, be read for the third time. Mr. Speaker, I would request a recorded vote, please. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Sahtu, that Bill 2, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 4, 2019-2020, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am alive to the fact that, in fact, there has been some increase to the budget of the Victim Services provision here in the Northwest Territories. In the most recently tabled main estimates, there has been an increase of $240,000 to Victim Services. That is the first increase to victim-services based funding in many, many years and will help better support the provision of those services. One other note is that we are also improving the supports that we give to our Victim Services workers, that there is a small pool of funding provided through federal funding. That helps provide enhanced...

Thank you, Madam Chair. The installation of the fibre line alongside areas, for example, the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway, where there is a highway that you can utilize at the same time, bringing the fibre into the community makes it easier and makes it more possible for independent service providers to come in and provide that link into homes. That said, what it's doing for the communities is allowing opportunities to bring the fibre into schools, to bring the fibre into health centres, to bring the fibre into the GNWT offices, for example, the GSO offices.

While it's not a perfect solution...

One of the very first things I did when I assumed this portfolio was to ensure that the relationship between the GNWT and the unions was renewed, was strengthened. I am informed that, in fact, that relationship has been renewed, it has been strengthened, and that communications are ongoing about all of the matters for which we have to have many communications with the union, and that that continues to be, and, in fact, is increasingly, a positive relationship.

Madam Speaker, the Northwest Territories is a land of opportunity. We have a vast geography, a wealth of resources, and a population strengthened by incredible diversity.

The 19th Legislative Assembly wants to see the Northwest Territories make the best possible use of all of our opportunities and resources, including the strength of our people, to achieve the 22 priorities that were set by all 19 members of this Assembly. These priorities stretch across all of our communities and are our shared vision for economic growth, environmental stewardship, and a healthy and better educated population...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Any initiatives at this point that would be coming through from ITI would either have to be internally funded or would have to come through a supplementary appropriation.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents, "2020-2021 Main Estimates" and a "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 16-19(1), Prompt Payment of Northern Vendors." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Before any proposed legislation comes forward, obviously, there needs to be a legislative proposal put together, and in the course of preparing a legislative proposal, there is a process convention that requires that an appropriate standing committee will see a copy of that legislative proposal. That's the early stages of all development of legislation. It will certainly not be our intention to deviate from that. It would be our intention to follow that process convention so that, when we are going through those early stages, the relevant standing committee would be...