Kate Reid

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Deputy Premier elaborate on the plan for the temporary on-the-land healing camp that EIA staff spoke of with the CBC earlier this week? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I think the Minister has anticipated what I wanted to say next. So in the Homelessness Strategy, the goal of establishing functional zero of homelessness says that in less than two years that there will be goals set for each community to reduce homelessness. That was a year ago. That gives us one more year on the timetable. So what is the GNWT seeing right now that they want to take steps in the next three years left of this Assembly to help us reach functional zero? Thanks, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. In terms of the encampment and its residents, I want to note that NGOs really stepped up to the plate with possible solutions. So aside from this camp that the deputy Premier just spoke of, what, if any, rental options have been pursued with NGOs in absence of any secured federal dollars to date? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the 51st Street encampment could have happened anywhere in Yellowknife. It just happens to be in my riding. The encampment started out as a group of folks not being welcomed at various locations prior to staying in this empty lot. To its credit, the GNWT quickly worked to find a location that they own near the downtown core. The solution is far from ideal least of all because the site will soon be an active construction site. I want to take this time to thank the residents of the neighbourhood for being extremely patient and compassionate and providing...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will add my voice to support the Member for Sahtu and the community of Norman Wells. Much has been said already, and I'm going to keep my comments brief.

About a year ago I was talking to people in my riding during the election campaign and we spoke endlessly of chronic and persistent cost of living issues then. I think my key message was the cost of living is skyrocketing, and people are struggling to make ends meet. The Sahtu's crisis puts this into stark perspective, Mr. Speaker. This is an exceptional problem in our territory that deserves immediate action and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So we're nearing the restart of this program in January for a new batch of, I guess, up to 500 now, hopefully, but 300 definitely, which brings fears for my constituents about a bottleneck. Can the minister explain how ECE is preparing for applications in 2025 and whether the applicants who are affected by the pause will be prioritized? Thank you.

Thanks, Mr. Speaker. After that exchange, I have a lot of questions for the Minister of Finance myself, but I'll keep it to the Minister of ECE for now.

So like many issues in the North, the federal one-size-fits-all approach isn't working for the territory, and recent federal limits on temporary foreign workers are concerning to my constituents. Has the Minister formally asked the federal government to increase the quota of nominees? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the riding of Great Slave has a large population of newcomers, immigrants, refugees, temporary foreign workers, and permanent residents. These folks can't vote, but I still proudly represent them. I want to be clear. I know immigration is a federal issue, but decisions made in Ottawa affect our neighbours. Some are highly skilled individuals, including health professionals, but they're often only able to secure unskilled positions. There's a stark reality for many newcomers who feel tied to jobs that don't pay well, feeling compelled to stay in a job because their employer tells...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does the Minister have a handle on how many applications she's expecting for 2025 considering the backlog now and what she might expect in the new year? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for that. That's good news.

I'm also wondering in the solution that she is proposing with her federal counterparts whether there might be part of it that would look like the deal that the Yukon recently secured earlier this month to secure temporary measures to extend work permits. Mr. Speaker, if she could elaborate on that. Thank you.