Caroline Wawzonek

Oh, Mr. Speaker, another one that I'd like to speak at about for some length. Mr. Speaker, I would like to say a strong yes. I just don't quite know how it's going to unfold yet. That is a big ask.

The Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker, we are not going to be able to last on diesel for the next ten years. That much is clear. Whether that will be in the form of the Taltson project, which we have spoken about in the House already and which has already a lot of interest in it, not the least of which is from the lithium companies, or whether we'll be looking for some other path forward. Mr...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the carbon tax was happening whether we did it ourselves or not. I can say with respect to the communities, again just a reminder that, you know, income assistance certainly is currently to cover the costs as it would for their clients' housing, Northwest Territories covers costs for their clients. But as to a calculation for the amount that would go to communities under the current amendments that are before the House, again, right now, there's a calculation, it's in subsection (5) describing what needs to be calculated. It requires knowing the total...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is, indeed, a well, again, bringing more expertise to bear from different areas in some ways can tackle what is really a very complex problem. So what we do have here is the teams are coming together. It's led by health and social services, so there is a team lead on it. Obviously from the perspective of commercial food production, commercial food growing, that is where ITI's expertise comes in. But this interdepartmental group involves multiple departments because it brings together, again, as I said, all these different areas and issues. I mean, I...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the numbers are only just beginning to I mean, the change only happened just this past July. So I don't yet necessarily know how much carbon tax revenue there will be. As soon as the calculation can be made, then the payments can be made.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, indeed, this is an area where, while health and social services is the lead for food security generally, ITI certainly plays a significant role, and we are responsible for the agricultural sector as well as for community gardens and providing some funds to them. I certainly know, and I'm confident that the department is working directly with communities, that regional superintendents are working with those communities, and are tracking the amounts of growth in the sector. There, indeed, has been a lot of growth in the community garden sector. And in...

Yes, please, Madam Chair.

Mr. Speaker, no one should wait. No one should wait. And, Mr. Speaker, I would encourage people the Department of Finance does now have a full online reporting mechanism around Indigenous employment and around the Indigenous recruitment and retention framework. It includes all of the different steps that we had put to ourselves to achieve under the framework. It also now has publicized the targets for hiring of Indigenous candidates, and reporting on all of the implementation of that has begun. So no one should wait. That should be a tool, and the department should be held to it. All...

Thank you, Madam Chair. On my left, I have Kelly Mahoney, the director of policy, legislation, and communications. And on my right, Victoria Carmichael, legislative drafter.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can't obviously speak for the executive as its entirety since that, again, is a policy that belongs to Cabinet as a whole. But I would certainly say that, yes indeed, the Government of the Northwest Territories is firm in its commitment to prioritize the hiring of northern Indigenous candidates and firm in its commitment to a diverse and inclusive workplace.

Mr. Speaker, much has happened over these last four years, not the least of which is a public service strategic plan, which we didn't have before, the Indigenous recruitment and retention framework...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I am here this evening to present Bill 83, Liquor Act.

The bill addresses the recommendations resulting from the review of the Northwest Territories liquor legislation completed by the Department of Finance in 2022. The liquor legislation review resulted in several recommendations. 20 percent of those recommendations were directly related to the Liquor Act, and the remaining 80 percent of recommendations related to the liquor regulations or the operations that support those regulations.

Bill 83 was drafted to directly address the 20 percent of...