Denny Rodgers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member's statement I spoke about the inspiring work initiated by the Indigenous governments in my region in providing food baskets and country foods to residents or beneficiaries up there. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Executive and Indigenous Affairs and our Premier. I know he's well versed in all things food security, and I'd like to ask him how is the Government of the Northwest Territories working with Indigenous government in the Inuvik region to address food security? Thank you.

Thank you. Nothing further, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Yes, it just makes sense to me if we're losing that portion of a department, then likely there's less work the department needs to do.

My other question, Mr. Chair, is that is there any consideration given the -- I mean, the opportunity to work in this, certainly in this field, or to work in general in Fort Smith, likely not as robust as in the capital city, was there any consideration given to potentially closing a couple of wings in the Yellowknife facility and keeping the Fort Smith open and given there may be easier then for either a transfer of jobs for the people affected here...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, my question is -- so if I understand correctly, the Fort Smith correctional facility equates to about 40 percent of what the department has. Is that -- or there was a 40 percent occupancy in the corrections facility itself?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I apologize to our amazing interpreters and I try and move slow today.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I presented the AOC response to the 2024-2025 GNWT budget. These are the items that we generally agreed up and support, and I am proud of the work committee done and the work the committee put in to create this document, Mr. Speaker. But make no mistake, there are areas that I am concerned about that are specific to my region and that may not have been in that document, and I want to present those today, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, several years ago, between 2011 and...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And I thank the Minister for that answer. And, yes, of course, I mean, the funding that they receive to -- for in the Gwich'in -- for the Gwich'in centre to renovate, they got the feds, and I know that the Inuvialuit as well got federal funding to build their new centre. You know, and, yeah, we need their money likely more than what they need ours. But certainly for programming, and I get that. And I know this will -- both these programs will dovetail very nicely into the new aftercare centre we're going to build there next year. So that's great to hear.

So the other thing...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that the committee defer further consideration of the activity administrative and support services in the main estimates for the Department of Health and Social Services at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that this committee defer further consideration of activity legal aid services of the main estimates for the Department of Justice at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

So can the Minister confirm that that option was looked at, sorry.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, I note in here that there's been no recommendation of any cuts at the senior bureaucratic level for this department, just at the corrections facility in Fort Smith. And given that it is low and if things are as, my colleague from the Sahtu said, improving, are there any considerations for potentially then having some of those positions that are currently in Yellowknife cut as well?