Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Mr. Chair. You'd think I hadn't done this before. For 2025-2026. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, an all-season road to Gameti is not currently in the Infrastructure acquisition plan for the immediate future for the Government of the Northwest Territories. I'm certainly alive to the concerns the Member is raising and, again, you know, we're seeing what kinds of challenges we have but at this point, Gameti is not in line for an all-season road. They are still relying on the winter roads system and air freight as a backup. We are right now working with the Tlicho in terms of trying to make sure that that winter road gets put in, and the costs of that are...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, that's probably a question for the Minister of Infrastructure, and that Minister doesn't have a briefing binder on the detail here. I can assure the House and the Member that I asked that very same question, and somewhere just around the timing of it in terms of -- and, again, I don't want to misstate certainly here on the floor, but my recollection is that we were just outside of the time of when there would have been warranty and that the nature of what occurred would not be one that would be covered. So, you know, I certainly haven't ruled out as I...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, there is no impact to the funding agreement. Typically, if there are changes of this nature, we would double check with federal counterparts just to be sure. So that certainly is fine. And with respect to the timing, the funding portion that you see here is simply being moved from the current fiscal year into a revised budget for a future year. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the last several seasons of the ice road certainly have been very challenging. They're starting later, and the roads are deteriorating sooner. As a result, the department has taken a number of measures. For one, and in fact I believe the Monfwi riding is one where they are leading in terms of having studies and better studies done of the permafrost of exactly what's going on to understand what's going on with our roadway systems. We are trying to get out and get the roads in earlier. They are able to try to build up faster so that they can move more...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, Mr. Chair, this is, I believe, fully funded by the federal government. Thank you.

Yes, I do.

Yes, that's correct, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said they certainly have been a little slower to get moving than what I might have hoped. That said, I've certainly spoken to my department about them to get updates, and I'm assured that one of the biggest things that's happening is these have been an opportunity and a vehicle by which our officials are actually able to engage with the appropriate counterparts in a context of identifying priorities in this space, identifying areas where a federal investment can unlock some of our priorities rather than being only a one size all -- fits all approach...

Thank you, Mr. Chair, happy to do so. Mr. Chair, obviously this summer there was a situation in Yellowknife where a number of folks who are underhoused were living in tents and the numbers surrounding homelessness and underhoused individuals in Yellowknife seemed to take a rather significant increase as a result of which one of the positives that came from that experience was that the Departments of Executive and Indigenous Affairs, Health and Social Services, were able to work with the non-government sector that provides a number of services, work with this community to determine what some of...