R.J. Simpson

Yes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We've added quite a few new RCMP positions since I've become Minister. I sometimes have difficulty keeping them straight, which year we've added them, but I do know that we have added a number of positions in the Member's regions for those communities. And if not this year, the past couple years. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. One of the nice things about partnering with a large jurisdiction like British Columbia is that colleges and universities recognize that the way that BC does its curriculum and its grading, and so BC does use percentage grades for grades 10, 11, and 12. It's up to grade 9 where there is the proficiency scale that the Member is talking about. So there will be percentages for grades 10, 11, 12. As for grades 1 to 9, we're still working on what that might look like, whether or not we're going to fully adopt British Columbia's scale. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This month, they'll be ready. There is a plan for the training. It was released on May 23rd and so the actual plan is out there. I understand what the Member is saying these materials are not immediately available. There's no expectation that teachers will have to work over the summer. You know, that's the benefit of being a teacher. You get that little bit of time off in the summer there so we're not trying to burden teachers with anything.

I will say that in the upcoming school year, there will be some teachers who will be trialing the new British Columbia curriculum...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So I can't bring the commanding officer anywhere; I don't have that authority over the commanding officer. The RCMP are independent from the Government of the Northwest Territories. They are contracted. However, the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight can reach out and contact the officer. And, frankly, given the interest from the Regular Members I would expect that they would be doing that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

So this is for instances where perhaps for example, I believe, that money is flowed from the GNWT to the Tlicho government so that they can then pay for their members to go to Poundmaker's. So that's an instance where the GNWT has incurred costs. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I know this has come up a few times in the House and, you know, the last time it came up it was a heavy subject and I, you know, expressed my concern and my thoughts with the family, and I'll do the same today. Clearly this is an issue that's touched people across the territory.

So when there is a missing person, the RCMP do look into it. If there is evidence of a crime, then there's a criminal investigation that occurs. If someone is missing and there is no evidence of a crime, it's still an open case, so. I have been in contact with the commanding officer about...

Thank you. So the legislation covers costs that would be incurred by the Government of the Northwest Territories. Those could include costs that were contributed to Indigenous governments, flowing through Indigenous governments. But if Indigenous governments incurred costs on their own and tried to bill back the Government of the Northwest Territories, those types of costs are not included. I can hand it to Ms. Zimmer for a response. I knew her first name; her last name escaped me for a moment. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, in 2021 the Government of the Northwest Territories released the Northwest Territories Arts Strategy, a 10year plan to improve NWT's arts programs and services and strengthen the territory's arts sector. The first key action identified in the strategy was to complete a review of the GNWT's arts programs so that we could have a better understanding of the changes required to help us achieve our goals for the sector.

The results of this review were released in November as part of the Arts Program Review Report, reflecting the thoughts and concerns of NWT artists, craftspeople, and...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am here today to present Bill 72, Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act.

The purpose of Bill 72 is to permit the Government of the Northwest Territories to file a lawsuit to recover from manufacturers and distributors of opioid drugs, the past and future health care costs incurred on behalf of Northwest Territories' residents for opioidrelated illnesses. The opioid crisis has incurred substantial costs to federal, provincial, and territorial governments who have spent increasing amounts on health care to address the fallout of opioid over-prescription.

Brit...