Shane Thompson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I thank the Member for the question. And the Member did bring it up to my attention and I did a little bit of research on that.

So the honorarium rate is set out with the financial administration manual with the Department of Finance. I can't speak on why or when the rate was set, but I can say that the honorarium is paid to individuals attending the meetings and other official businesses. But I'm willing to meet with the Minister with the Member and the Minister of Finance to get further information on this. And, again, I'd like to thank the Member for bringing...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the definition of "emergency" speaks to events of unusual proportion. The criteria clearly outlines the requirements for an event to affect a large area or a number of people. Across Canada, and the majority of the world, disaster assistance programs are not applied to events affecting a single property. The intent of such disaster assistance programs are to ensure the continued function of a community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Lands recognized there may be lessees who have utilized their cabin or dwelling as a residence. There has been longstanding discussion with recreational lessees regarding what restrictions may be in place regarding their occupancy. Issues related to increased waste and fuel storage when people occupy these dwellings on an increased or fulltime basis needs to be considered. The department is working to address lease conditions that allow for permanent residency within certain leases under the Public Lands Act and regulations. Thank you, Mr...

It's Friday, and I feel like I'm crushing dreams here, so I apologize to the Member. I'm aware of strong interests for new recreational lease opportunities. The Member has brought this up to the House a number of times. Now opportunities need to be carefully planned and that's what we're going through. We also have to reach out to our Indigenous governments, and that's what we're doing. We're working with our Indigenous governments, doing section 35, to be able to do this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, ENR along with ITI and ECE participated in the socio-economic working group and the socio-economic advisory body group. These groups provided the Giant Mine project with specific geo-economic advice and input. ECE, with the support from ENR, has developed the North Slave regional training hub to support trainers and funding responses to large scale projects. Canada and Yellowknife Dene First Nation are in the process of finalizing a procurement framework agreement which will finalize Canada's commitment to providing socio-economic benefits to the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, ITI completed an analysis of the GMRP arson contract in June of 2022. The results showed 68 percent total spending had gone to NWT Indigenous businesses and that is on par with the diamond mines. Categories of spending that has gone to southern businesses include construction, air quality monitoring programs, medical sampling and analysis, minerals such as lime, sulfate and dust suppression, drilling and installation specialized equipment, specialized water pumps, and pylons I think I guess I got that one wrong. This helped us identify opportunities for...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, caribou have sustained Northerners and communities across the Northwest Territories for generations. Today, caribou herds face pressure from a wide range of natural factors and human activities throughout their range, including the impact of climate change. We all want to see healthy caribou herds that can sustain harvest and cultural traditions for generations to come. With the winter’s harvest underway and weather getting warmer, I would like to speak today on respectful harvesting, why it is important, and what our government is doing to encourage safe...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I thank the Member for the question. Current provisions for recreational or residential leases does not allow for commercial activities such as an Airbnb. Having a home business or a B and B is considered a commercial endeavour. In most jurisdictions, it requires a commercial lease as well as business license. Commercial leases are available to the public now in appropriate zoned areas. If this is a desire, lessees should reach out to the department to discuss the parameters for changing the use of their lease and potential issues that may need to be considered...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member is aware, we are wrapping up the review of the land leaseonly policy, and I committed to providing the results prior to the end of this sitting. However, we are aware that land resources and selfgovernment agreements are under negotiations, and we continue to work to ensure that land is managed appropriately under these agreements that are under negotiations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the GNWT is part of the Giant Mine Remediation Project team and is involved in all work planning, including consideration of timelines. The GMRP timeline has recently been lengthened to maximize Indigenous and northern business opportunities. The GNWT will continue to pursue opportunities associated with the Giant Mine Remediation Project that will create opportunities for Indigenous and northern businesses. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.