Richard Edjericon

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table a letter dated February 9th, 2023, which I want to send to the Premier and the Minister regarding community visits to Lutselk'e, Fort Resolution, Dettah, and N'dilo. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. George Giroux was born on December 10th, 1979 and died on October 8th, 2022, at the age of 42, born in Yellowknife to George Giroux Senior and the late Denise Jerome. George is survived by two sisters, Kim and Sharlene Giroux, and his daughter Mercedes Pearl Sharlene Giroux. George was a Deninu Kue First Nation member and travelled with his father throughout his youth living in Fort Providence and Pine Point. George attended many schools as a result, making many lifelong friends, especially from Deninu Kue School. Always very respectful and well-mannered and polite...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member's statement earlier, I left out two names by accident. I just want to go on to recognize Bridget Mackay and Kinesha Norn, who also had gold in the hand games and Dene games category. I just want to acknowledge them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Wood Buffalo 2023 Arctic Winter Games officially began on Sunday, January 29th with an opening ceremony at Legacy Dodge Field at Shell Place in Fort McMurray, Alberta, on Treaty 8 territory ancestral traditional lands of the Cree, Dene, and Metis. Due to the COVID19 pandemic, the Wood Buffalo 2023 Arctic Winter Games is the first Arctic Winter Games since 2018 and is the 26th edition of the events starting in 1970 in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.

According to the Arctic Winter Games website, Commissioner James Smith (Yukon), Commissioner Stuart Hodgson...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table two documents: One is the Dene Nation letter to the Premier dated December 19th, 2022, regarding Housing Crisis; and number two is, CBC Article, "NWT to see $60 million in federal housing dollars, allocation to be determined."

Mr. Speaker, I got a third document here that was just given to us today in regards to the budget. If I could, I'd like to add it as my third document. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, Deputy Premier, for your responses. Mr. Speaker, clearly the Dene leaders do not feel that any engagement on housing investment has been sufficient based on the resolution passed on December 13th and 15th here in Yellowknife. And has the Premier reviewed this resolution and taken steps to address the issues with her departments? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier I had mentioned that we're in a housing crisis here in the Northwest Territories. I'm not really sure whether or not the Indigenous governments here in the Northwest Territories know that the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Housing Corporation are making application to CIRNAC to apply for grant money, to take that money and then reinvest it in fixing up public housing, when they're supposed to be using that money to be dealing with the housing crisis here in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, as my statement earlier today, I rise...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know that the Minister of Housing NWT has taken steps to review the department internal workings, but I'm speaking to the relationship between the GNWT and First Nations. Will the Premier direct the remaining $30 million to be allocated to First Nation governments and honour her government's obligation to Indigenous people as equal and sovereign government?

Mr. Speaker, as well, you know, when the Premier in her mandate letter had said that they were looking at building new relationships with Indigenous governments and but when they go ahead and make application to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wanted to call the Guiness Book of Records because I heard too many yes’s today.

Mr. Speaker, in her capacity as the Minister in Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs, how has the Premier engaged with First Nations, and the Dene Nation in particular, on the $60 million into housing because what happens is that they're taking that money to deal with their own housing crisis, but they're fixing up public housing. But yet in our communities, we're suffering. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's no secret that the NWT is experiencing a housing crisis. Furthermore, it's nothing new. Our residents, particularly Indigenous people, have been struggling to find safe and affordable homes for decades with little progress made by this past government. Last year, the GNWT received $60 million to help solve the housing crisis. At the time, the Honourable Premier described this investment as a drop in the bucket. I agree entirely, considering the federal government has taken steps to double its total rate of new homes construction over the next ten years. In the...