Thank you, Member from Mackenzie Delta. To the motion. Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too will be supporting this motion for reasons very well outlined by everyone else. It's really troubling to me that probably two-thirds to three-quarters of the requests and feedback I get back in my office every day are about health-related issues, are about staff who feel completely at the end of their rope, and it's very telling to me that people within the government feel scared to have this feedback to an MLA. I really would encourage Cabinet to support this motion if at all possible; however, they usually abstain. But it's really -- it's really a good tool to have in our toolbox as other people have said. It's good to have an external lens on this issue. I also recognize it will take a long time to get results, but I think those results will be exacting so I will be supporting this motion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Great Slave. To the motion. Member from Hay River North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Cabinet will be abstaining from this out of respect for the independence of the Office of the Auditor General.
I just wanted to say that I agree with much of what I've heard from the Members. I receive complaints about the health care services as well just like every MLA in here. I do want to temper people's expectations. I've seen a number of OAG audits. It doesn't necessarily result in change. It's not a silver bullet. The OAG can come in, identify some issues, and then leave, and then we are looking at some issues that we're aware of without the necessarily the solutions to get at those issues.
What we proposed here is to create a health -- what we have done is create a health care system sustainability unit, so we can actually work right in the health care system. The staff is embedded in the health care system but still independent, able to bring real time information to the decision-makers to help actually do that work.
Another thing I want to mention to the Members as well is that the Office of the Auditor General, the way they work with these performance audits is they look at the policies in place, they look at what you say you're going to be doing, and then they look for documentation to confirm that you're doing what you say you're going to be doing, and that documentation needs to be dug up by somebody. And so that is the staff of the health authority. So the staff that are already burdened with a large workload with increasing, you know, complexities of care, now they have to go and chase down a bunch of documents. And while the Office of the Auditor General puts in a significant amount of time on these audits, thousands of hours, territorial health authority staff will also have to put in a significant amount of time that will take them away from the work that they normally do.
I also want to note that, you know, the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority, it's the primary health care provider in, you know, 27, 28 communities, but we still have the Tlicho Community Services Agency and the Hay River Health and Social Services Agency. So this motion leaves out, you know, a significant part of the health care systems that serve, you know, 5, 6, 7, 8,000 residents in the Northwest Territories. So that's just something else to consider.
With that being said, we're not going to stand in the way of the wishes of the Assembly, but Cabinet will be abstaining. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Premier. To the motion. Member from Range Lake to conclude discussion.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I will close discussion. So I was contemplating reading at length from Tabled Document 204-20(1), which is the patient survey that the Member for Yellowknife Centre and I brought forward to the House. I'm not going to do that. The document speaks for itself. But I do encourage everyone, in particular our Cabinet colleagues, to read that document and see in their own words what practitioners, members of the public, said in that survey. I think it's valuable to let them tell their own stories, and we'll continue to hear their -- we'll continue to hear those stories and bring them forward. This motion, and the other things that we're working on as a government, aren't going to change -- or are not going to change things overnight; I completely agree, there is no silver bullet.
But the audit that was just tabled in this House not too long ago was the result of a motion that was passed by the last Assembly. So, you know, it does take a while to get there, but I think we can all -- there are lots of lessons that we know we're going to learn from the Stanton renewal audit, you know, and not just were they following policy. Like, we have a very clear set of this is how we can avoid these things in the future, and I think that's -- that's the value of these things. And it shows that the OAG is listening to this Assembly. They're listening to the concerns of the people of the Northwest Territories. They always do. But we're just escalating that and asking them to prioritize this work because it is important. And with all these efforts that the Premier's office is putting towards health care sustainability, the health Minister, hopefully things do align and we're able to assess whether those things have been working and effective because those are policy changes that will now be part of any performance audit that comes forward.
I did want to say that my honourable friend from Yellowknife Centre mentioned that the town hall we had, and it was a pretty tremendous thing to have standing room only and have all these people engaged. Because sometimes Northerners do feel timid or that they can't speak out because they work for government or because they're worried about who's listening or there will be reprisals or they won't get contracts or whatever it happens to be. And it's a dam shame because this is our democracy, and it only works when we're listening to the people we serve.
So I was really pleased to see that. And during that, I made a commitment to bring forward this motion and that's the -- the people who were assembled wanted something like this. They wanted outside eyes taking a look at this. Because, quite frankly, Northerners are fed up, and things need to change. And it will take time. Everything we do will take time. But this puts us on the right course, and I think it's important that when we make a promise to the public, we keep it. So that's my effort today, Mr. Speaker. I look forward to the work of the auditor general. And I thank all my colleagues who have spoke in support of this motion. And I will recognize the commitment of the executive council to prioritize this as well, and we'll have to see -- hopefully everything aligns, and we start to make progress as soon as possible because, like I said, the system is breaking, if not already broken, and we desperately need to fix it. And I will ask for a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. To the motion.
Question.
The Member for Range Lake. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake. The Member for Monfwi. The Member for Frame Lake. The Member for Great Slave. The Member for Mackenzie Delta. The Member for Yellowknife North. The Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. The Member for Sahtu. The Member for Yellowknife Centre.
All those opposed, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand.
The Member for Thebacha. The Member for Yellowknife South. The Member for Kam Lake. The Member for Hay River North. The Member for Hay River South. The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. The Member for Nunakput.
Colleagues, all those in favour, 10. Opposed, zero. Abstentions, 7. Motion has carried.
---Carried
Motions. Colleagues, realizing that we've been almost three hours, we need to give our translators a break. We will have a brief recess. Thank you.
---SHORT RECESS
Mr. Speaker, I wish to present to the House Bill 15, Northwest Territories Indigenous-Led Conservation Fund Establishment Act, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Pursuant to Rule 8.2(3), Bill 15 is deemed to have first reading and is ready for second reading.
Mr. Speaker, I seek consent to proceed with second reading of Bill 15, Northwest Territories Indigenous-Led Conservation Fund Establishment Act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. The Minister is asking consent to bring forward Bill 15 to the second reading. All those in favour? Sorry, there we go. Oh, those guys wanted to say nay up there. Seeing no nays, you may proceed.
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member from Hay River North, that Bill 15, Northwest Territories Indigenous-Led Conservation Fund Establishment Act, be read for the second time.
The proposed Northwest Territories Indigenous-Led Conservation Fund Establishment Act establishes a non-profit body corporate called the Our Land for the Future Trust. Our Land for the Future Trust will manage the initial $375 million fund and any future contributions in accordance with the Our Land for the Future agreement. The fund will be used to support Indigenous-led conservation, stewardship, and related economic diversification activities in the Northwest Territories, including the establishment and management of Indigenous protected and conserved areas. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? Opposed? Abstentions? Motion passed. The motion is carried. Bill 15 now has been read for a second time and is referred to the standing committee of the Assembly for further consideration.
---Carried
Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 8.2(7) and have Bill 15 referred directly to Committee of the Whole for today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Minister is asking for unanimous consent to move the bill to Committee of the Whole. Any nays -- or I guess all in favour? Any nays? They want to see it there. No nays. It is moved to Committee of the Whole.
---Carried
Second reading of bills. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters. Bill 15, Committee Report 17-20(1), Committee Report 18-20(1), Tabled Document 193-20(1), with the Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh in the chair.
Calling committee to order. I now call the Committee of the Whole to order. I'm going to go to the Premier.
Mr. Chair, we wish to deal with Tabled Document 193-20(1), 2025-2026 Capital Estimates, to conclude consideration of all departments, and Bill 15. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, we have agreed to considered Tabled Document 193-20(1), 2025-2026 Capital Estimates. Does the Minister of Finance have any remarks?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I do have some closing remarks with respect to the consideration of the capital estimates. Mr. Chair, I would obviously like to support the 2025-2026 Capital Estimates that are still currently under review by this committee. These estimates outline a significant investment of over $339 million in the Northwest Territories to support essential infrastructure. They advance several key projects across the Northwest Territories, and they provide procurement opportunities for businesses around the Northwest Territories.
These proposed capital estimates, Mr. Chair, they are not flashy nor showy. These estimates advance key projects, including
The fire centre in Fort Smith which is replacing a facility completely unsuited to support functionality in an increasingly critical area of need;
Supports the Frank Channel bridge that is past due for a replacement and is a key connector for the Northwest Territories on Tlicho lands; and,
Support projects that continue to advance the work towards a desperately needed all-season road up the Mackenzie Valley.
These estimates also advance necessary planning work that can include work such as engagement and design for projects such as the long-term care facilities in Fort Simpson and Inuvik. Besides the ongoing pressure to see the Mackenzie Valley Highway advanced, there is money in these estimates to keep two other major projects alive and progressing; namely, the Taltson hydro expansion collaborative project, collaborative with Indigenous governments from the watershed region; and, the Slave Geological Project. Both these projects have significant federal dollars that we want to leverage, not lose, and both are key opportunities to bring large-scale economic growth to the territory.
That said, Mr. Chair, this is consensus government and passing of any budget through the House is an opportunity for discussion and negotiation as a Legislative Assembly as a whole.
At the start of this session, MLA colleagues made it very clear they were dissatisfied with the status of ongoing work, direction of policies, and pace of change in health and social services, the health authorities, and the housing authority, from Housing NWT. We've benefitted as a collective from many conversations over the past two weeks. And in the course of those conversations, Mr. Chair, we have committed to renewed leadership within these key areas of priority that were set by the 20th Legislative Assembly.
Those commitments from leadership are coming at a key moment in the life of the Assembly as Ministers are nearing the one-year mark in their roles. It is difficult in the course of brief remarks to summarize an intangible commitment such as this, but I am reaffirming to our MLA colleagues the commitment from their Cabinet colleagues to follow through on these discussions, follow through on the critical need for leadership in these key areas.
I must also acknowledge Members' concerns around resource allocation within these estimates and specifically the question of whether we need to shift our allocation towards more public housing. Mr. Chair, it is extremely challenging to shift already insufficient resources in a budget that is built from a risk-analysis where almost every project has a substantiation that speaks to the need to address infrastructure that is old or lacking, and where there was strong interconnection between so many of our needs such as between new housing districts and the roads to get to them. As well, these investments in capital projects, whether it's road work or otherwise, provide ongoing opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses across the Northwest Territories. And while it is challenging to meet all of the infrastructure needs of the territory with the limited funding available, I am confident in our ability to continue our work with Members to ensure that our resources are directed in a manner that reflects all of the Legislative Assembly's priorities.
Mr. Chair, as part of the discussions I am referencing and in addition to those discussions around strong leadership and priority direction, we have agreed to the following to support some of those shared discussions and shared priorities:
Firstly would be the prioritizing and removal of at least 100 derelict housing units from across the Northwest Territories over the life of this government to free up the land and improve communities;
Conducting a rent scale review of core need income threshold values as well as reviewing the rent for both market and public housing units to ensure market units are competitive and to ensure that rent calculations are updated regularly to minimize hardship on clients and address barriers to homeownership such as income thresholds and outstanding arrears from the housing corporation;
Also, providing a three-year notional investment plan for housing which details a minimum funding level of $50 million per year, and that will also outline the operating funds associated to support any new builds;
Completing a review of core programs and services in the health and social services system to ensure equitable and sustainable delivery of health and social services programming;
Conduct a review of the leave policies and their implementation for health care professionals; and
Solve the challenges faced in engagement with employees at all levels in the health and social services system.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. This concludes my remarks.
Thank you, Minister. Does the Minister of Finance wish to bring witnesses into the chamber?
No, thank you, Mr. Chair.
Okay, thank you. Minister, please -- sorry, Members, I will now call the Department of -- departments that have been deferred into the order -- sorry, in the order they are presented in the tabled documents. Members may pose questions but please keep in mind that the activity summaries have been concluded and we are only considering department totals at this time.
The committee has agreed to forego general comments. Is the committee agreed to proceed with the details contained in the tabled document? Committee?
Agreed.
Thank you. We will begin with Education, Culture and Employment. Please turn to the departmental summary on page 19. Department of Education, Culture and Employment, 2025-2026 Capital Estimates, $2,330,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, we will now consider the document of Environment and Climate Change. Please turn to the department summary on page 23.
Department of Environment and Climate Change, 2025-2026 Capital Estimates, $25,096,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. We will now consider the Department of Finance. Please turn to the departmental summary on page 33.
Department of Finance, 2025-2026 Capital Estimates, $5,068,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, we will now consider the Department of Health and Social Services. Please turn to the departmental summary on page 38.
Health and social services, 2025-2026 Capital Estimates, $61,932,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will now consider the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Please turn to the departmental summary on page 45.
Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, 2025-2026 Capital Estimates, $6,649,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will now consider the Department of Infrastructure. Please turn to the departmental summary on page 53.
Department of Infrastructure, 2025-2026 Capital Estimates, $184,875,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
