Good morning. Maybe we can have a brief moment of silence to remember all of those people out there that we're serving, and then I'll do a short prayer.
Let us pray together. Gracious and almighty God, thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve the people of the Northwest Territories, the opportunity to work together in peace and harmony and to do the best thing for our people in the Northwest Territories, enable us to feel the suffering of those who are homeless and having a difficult time, and help us to make wise decisions together. We ask this through our creator. Amen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Government of the Northwest Territories has made a commitment in its mandate to take steps to close the skills gap using the Skills 4 Success Strategic Framework. I am pleased to advise Members that later today I will be tabling the Skills 4 Success Four-Year Action Plan 2016-2020, which outlines what we will do to improve employment success for the people of the Northwest Territories. This is an important milestone in meeting our mandate commitments.
The action plan aligns with the Skills 4 Success 10-Year Strategic Framework and contains four goals related to skills development, streamlined supports, NWT workforce partnerships, and labour market information. Together, these will help us achieve the vision that NWT residents have the skills, knowledge, and attitudes for employment success. We have focused the Action Plan 2016-2020 on jobs that are in demand, to prepare NWT residents
for the many employment opportunities that exist today and will be needed in the future. Mr. Speaker, we want Northern residents to be first in line for jobs in the NWT. We also want to help build and expand a skilled workforce to meet our future labour demand. To do this, we must ensure that our education and training system keeps pace with the changing dynamics of our labour market, so that NWT residents gain the necessary education and skills required to be successful in their employment pursuits.
Mr. Speaker, Action Plan 2016-2020 will do just that. It contains a manageable number of planned actions for the next four years. We chose these actions based on extensive research on adults and postsecondary education and training, feedback from informed stakeholder engagements, and evidence contained in the comprehensive up-to-date labour market information for the NWT. This combined evidence shaped our decisions and provides a solid path to identify and implement appropriate programs and supports to prepare residents for future employment opportunities.
We have reached this milestone with the support of many stakeholders who have provided their input. Our work involved a series of public engagements and regional focus groups, a territorial symposium, meetings and online surveys. We captured feedback from more than 1,000 residents and organizations, including educators, trainers, students, apprentices, job seekers, employers, employees, policy makers, and retirees. During the course of the action plan’s development we heard a call to build a strong culture of education that is linked to employment. This is reflected prominently in Action Plan 2016-2020.
Through all our engagements all partners expressed a willingness to continue working together. I cannot stress this more emphatically, Mr. Speaker, for this is the key to successfully implementing Action Plan 2016-2020 and achieving the strategic framework’s goals and priorities. The action plan places priority on growing the NWT workforce through partnerships. I am encouraged by the support that the department received when we proposed collaborating with partners, to reduce duplication and focus resources for improved education, training and employment outcomes for NWT residents.
Skills 4 Success builds on a continuum of education strategies that are essential for education and employment success in the NWT. Over the next four years we will continue to take the steps necessary to support NWT residents so that they have the skills for success to be first in line for employment opportunities in this territory.
Our success will be measured by how well we work together to implement the actions in the plan, and I call on all partners with an interest in improving our system to join us in this work. I am confident we can accomplish our goals when we all pull in the same direction. Mr. Speaker, I think we are on a solid path with Action Plan 2016-2020 and I look forward to working with Members to implementing it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Transportation.
Mr. Speaker, today I would like to provide an overview of the Department of Transportation’s efforts to capture economic opportunities at the Yellowknife airport.
The department is taking steps to make the Yellowknife airport financially self-sufficient. By running the airport more like a business, we will be able to make capital improvements, create jobs, and explore opportunities to drive economic growth across the territory. The Yellowknife airport is crucial to the territorial economy and creates 1,000 direct and 2,000 indirect jobs. We need to be sure we are capturing these opportunities for the people and businesses of the Northwest Territories.
The department has undertaken extensive engagement with stakeholders on the proposed changes and improvements to the Yellowknife airport. We have actively sought and received feedback about ideas for improvements to the airport and ways to increase economic opportunities associated with it.
We've learned that people are looking for increased business services, expanded food and beverage options, more parking options, streamlined check-in, a better sense of place, improved de-icing capabilities for on-time performance, more direct flights to more cities, and a commercial plan to drive business at and around the Yellowknife airport. Safety, of course, will remain our number one priority.
The department has prepared a draft business plan for the Yellowknife airport using this feedback and input from experts in the aviation industry experienced in airport commercial development. This plan has been shared broadly and is available for public review and input. The improvements identified in this plan will help to ensure a safe, secure and efficient facility, making the overall travel experience more enjoyable for visitors and residents.
To make these changes possible, the department is proposing to increase fees, with all revenue collected at the airport being deposited into a revolving fund. The revolving fund will ensure that all revenues collected at the Yellowknife airport will only be spent on the Yellowknife airport. This fund is separate from general GNWT revenues and would allow management to make the improvements noted in the draft business plan. The airport would no longer require a subsidy from the Government of the Northwest Territories.
Across North America, airports are important economic drivers and play a key role in generating additional economic growth, creating jobs, and providing an enjoyable travel experience for residents and visitors alike. As we move forward in this process, we look forward to working with all stakeholders to gather additional input on how these improvements will unfold. Mr. Speaker, improving territorial transportation infrastructure will remain one of the priorities of this government, as part of our commitments to support business and employment opportunities, and maximize opportunities to realize our economic potential. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Public Engagement and Transparency.
Mr. Speaker, openness and transparency are fundamental principles of democracy that contribute to government accountability. These principles underpin our debates and discussions here in this House, where government plans, policies, and budgets are presented for examination and approval by the public's elected representatives. Every day during session, Members ask Ministers to explain government proposals, decisions, and actions in a public forum open to anyone who wants to attend or watch our proceedings on television.
We see the commitment to openness and transparency in the Guiding Principles for Consensus Government in the Northwest Territories, which state that the business of consensus government should be carried out in public and that public meetings should be the rule, not the exception.
We also see it in the GNWT's Communications Policy and its requirements that we:
ensure that the public is informed about government policies, activities, initiatives, and programs and services;
take public concerns and views into account in establishing priorities, developing policies, and implementing programs; and
ensure that the government is visible, accessible, and answerable to the public it serves.
Yet, while openness and transparency have always been important principles for the Legislative Assembly and the Government of the Northwest Territories, we recognize that policies and procedures need to evolve over time to keep up with changing expectations.
During the last two Assemblies, for instance, MLAs adopted increasingly public and transparent processes for setting priorities and choosing the Premier and members of the executive council. During his candidacy speech, the Premier made several commitments around improved openness and transparency, including the commitment to hold meetings with Cabinet in NWT regions and naming a Minister to take the lead on developing an open government policy.
In its mandate, the Government of the Northwest Territories made several commitments responding to the Legislative Assembly priority of improving accountability, transparency, and collaboration, including:
maximizing citizens' ability to access government;
establishing an open government policy;
improving public visibility and accessibility of Cabinet;
improving opportunities for meaningful public input into government decisionmaking;
making residents aware of mechanisms to appeal government decisions;
improving awareness of government programs and services; and
developing Ombudsman legislation.
The Premier's mandate letter to me as Minister of Public Engagement and Transparency instructed me to:
establish an open government policy;
publish an open and accountable government document;
advance the principles of open data;
enhance awareness about how to access GNWT programs and services;
enhance awareness about how to serve on territorial boards and agencies;
promote gender equity on boards and agencies;
identify standards for public engagement;
promote awareness about information government accountability;
support the review of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act; and
develop Ombudsman legislation.
Today, I'd like to update Members on some of the progress that the Government of the Northwest Territories has already made to improve its openness and transparency.
In response to a commitment made by the Premier in his candidacy speech in the Territorial Leadership Committee and repeated in the GNWT mandate, we are improving the visibility and accessibility of Cabinet through regional open houses. Over the past several months, Cabinet has held open houses in five communities; Inuvik, Norman Wells, Hay River, Fort Simpson, and Yellowknife. We are currently making plans for an open house in Behchoko, and the Premier has also committed to a second round of open houses in Fort Smith and some of the smaller communities in each region.
In response to our commitment in the GNWT mandate, we also held a meeting of the Economy and Environment Committee of Cabinet in public and are planning meetings in public for other Cabinet committees in the new year.
To help improve public understanding of Cabinet's role in the consensus system and how it makes decisions, we have published on the GNWT website all of the ministerial mandate letters issued by the Premier. We have also published the Members of the Executive Council Handbook and the terms of reference for each committee of Cabinet. To advance the GNWT commitment to establish an open government policy, I will begin public engagement sessions to ask NWT residents what open government means to them, what kind of information they want from their government and how they would like to access it. We expect to hold public sessions in at least 14 communities across the Northwest Territories, and we are also looking at some targeted sessions for selected stakeholders, including media. I look forward to updating members on our public engagement sometime during the next sitting of the Legislative Assembly.
To promote awareness about information on government accountability, the government is launching a new mandate reporting website later today. This website will allow any member of the public to quickly find out what progress the GNWT has made on each of its mandate commitments. Citizens will be able to see milestones for each commitment, quickly gauge progress, and drill down for more detailed information.
We are also making progress as a government in expanding the volume and accessibility of government data available to citizens. These initiatives include a new public board appointments website with searchable vacancy data that will be launched in the coming weeks. We will also be launching a new website for reporting on Ministers' travel and on meetings between Ministers and outside parties. Instead of quarterly PDF reports, information will now be sortable online and published monthly. We expect to go live with this website within the month.
To improve the accessibility of information that we are already publishing, we are planning to publish data on government solesource contracts in an opendata format. This will also be making the GNWT's Contracts Over $5000 report available in an open data format. Mr. Speaker, improving government openness and transparency is a responsibility that all Ministers share. While the Premier has assigned specific tasks to me, all Ministers are responsible for taking steps within their departments to live up to the government's obligations and the expectations of our residents. I look forward to updating members again on our work in this area in the next sitting. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, [Translation] today I would like to talk about Rocher River and Rat River. Since 1959, the school had burned down and, since that time, the people have been dispersed away from the community. Some moved to Fort Resolution. A lot went to Hay River, Fort Smith. The people moved to the south, even. That's what I want to talk about today. [Translation ends.]
During 1959, the small Dene community of 200 to 300 people and about 50 residents just 24 miles upriver at a place called Rat River were relocated from their established communities. The Dene were displaced to Fort Resolution, Yellowknife, Fort Smith, while others moved out of the territories totally.
Mr. Speaker, ironically, the people were forced to relocate after the local school burned down on New Years' Day 1959, a new beginning of a year that was far from celebratory. In fact, the government of the day made no attempt to rebuild the school. This small community was called Rocher River and was located on the Taltson River, a few miles from the mouth.
By 1964, most residents of Rocher River had moved to other communities and only a few continued their lifestyle, living off the land. Of these, some stayed in Rocher River, some at Rat River, and some up other parts of the Taltson River. The Government of Canada built the Taltson River hydroelectric dam without consulting the people of Rocher River because they were relocated. The same dam was built to generate electrical power for the Pine Point Mine. This process took people away from their homes and their traditional lifestyles. Mr. Speaker, my family was one of those that were displaced. My mother told me that Rocher River went from a place to build a prosperous living to nothing after the dam was built.
The Taltson River dam created an irreversible situation for the people that depended on the land to make a living. You see, unstable water fluctuations during the winter months discouraged trapping and hunting along the river. The impacts of these changes are still felt today. Younger generations have been deprived of opportunities to grow in their rightful knowledge of the land.
Without adequate consultation with the affected people of Rocher River, the people's way of life was destroyed and their community is hardly known by many residents of the NWT today. But Rocher River should not be forgotten. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I want to remember what happened there and commend the residents' story into a permanent record of the House. Marci cho, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, change in the ice coverage and the longer open water season means greater potential for commercial fishing in the Arctic. Ten stakeholder countries gathered in Iqaluit this past summer to negotiate measures for sustainable fishing in the Arctic Ocean and address dangers of unregulated and reported fishing that could deplete the fish stock.
Mr. Speaker, currently international law says that anyone can fish on the high seas. Mr. Speaker, for those who don't know what the high seas are, the high seas are waters 200 miles off the shoreline. The area most likely to be fished in the central Arctic Ocean in the near future would probably be adjacent to the Beaufort Sea. The ice there has been opening up more and more over the course of the past five or six years. Any offshore fishing that takes place in that region has the potential to affect fish stocks in the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, Canada, Denmark, Russia, the United States, Norway and Denmark have been meeting on the issue since 2010. This year, negotiations expanded to add delegations from Iceland, China, Japan, South Korea, and the European Union. ICC was part of the Canadian delegation. I had the privilege of attending the sessions in July representing Canada.
One of the successes of this conference was ensuring that Inuit local and traditional knowledge is a key factor in working alongside scientific knowledge as we move forward. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier this sitting, to the people of the Arctic the ocean is our grocery store. Protecting the interests of Indigenous people in Canada's North is a big part of the negotiations, as well as incorporating traditional Inuit knowledge.
Mr. Speaker, over 200 species of fish thrive in our ocean, and we need a binding agreement on Arctic fishery that's broad enough and strong enough to stand up internationally. It was encouraging to see all 10 countries around the table willing to work together to address the issues of unregulated fishing and to cooperate on research and science. Traditional and scientific knowledge is essential to making the best decisions for the Arctic.
Mr. Speaker, despite the complexity of the negotiations, good progress was made this summer. Right now, the US is pushing for a legally-binding agreement. I am optimistic that all parties can reach their goal of finalizing a draft very soon. Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker.
Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Mr. Speaker, it is almost to the day that I and all honourable Members of this House were elected to the 18th Assembly, and I simply cannot put into words the honour felt when the confidence of Kam Lakers was bestowed upon me on November 23, 2015, to represent them here as a Member. I imagine that the feeling is shared by all my colleagues in the 18th Assembly, for politics is the art of the possible, and those who are fortunate enough to be in public service must always remember why we decided to stand up and run for office: to assist in the continuance making of our society better.
When I went to the doors during the election, I offered Kam Lakers a costed platform with key priorities such as supporting the natural resource industry and small business sector while also supporting the developing of a diverse and knowledge-based economy; taking action on poverty, homelessness and addictions so we can live in healthier communities; and also looking at innovative and practical ways to achieve that within the life of this government.
Doing all within my ability to make government more open and transparent while protecting the public's right to information is a huge priority for me, because, Mr. Speaker, the people should always know how their representatives are doing their jobs. All these priorities are common-sense concepts that can easily be accomplished by this Assembly and this government, and I'm proud to say we are well on our way to making many of these commitments happen.
Mr. Speaker, an essential aspect of the role of being a Member of the Legislative Assembly is holding the government accountable, and though the honourable Members of Cabinet and I do not always see eye to eye, I do believe that we have the best interest of Northerners at the forefront of our efforts to build a stronger NWT.
To the honourable Members who sit with me on standing committees and the seats opposite Cabinet, I congratulate you all in the way you've conducted yourself as Members of this House over the last year. We have proven to work hard for our constituents and to work together in solidarity to ensure that our government doesn't lose sight of the people we serve. I urge all of us to keep pace and to carry on with the good work that we have been doing to date.
Mr. Speaker, when I first stepped into this Chamber I was struck with the awesome responsibility that has been placed on me by my constituents. I again want to thank the people of Kam Lake for this amazing honour. I will continue to serve their interests as my top priority, and will continue to work to deliver on the promises I made during the last election. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll see you next year.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I'm going to just do a couple of acknowledgements. First of all, I'd like to thank all my colleagues both here and on both sides for a great sitting and the work we are doing for the residents of the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, today I would like to take my time to recognize a few individuals in an organization in my riding. Mr. Speaker, the first person I'd like to recognize is Kathie McLeod. Ms. McLeod is the Echo-Dene School secretary and I know her personally, and I find her to be an amazing individual.
Mr. Speaker, after receiving her residential school common payment she decided she had to do something for her community with this money. After thinking about it, she organized and offered a community feast and a drum dance. She covered all the costs for all the food and prepared the meal. The community covered the cost for the drummers from Fort Providence and the hall rental. When asked why this individual did this, she said, "because I wanted to."
Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, the community of Fort Simpson held a community event for the National Skills Trades and Technology Awareness Week. The regional Department of Education, Culture and Employment service centre hosted an Apprenticeship Trade and Occupational Certification for top awards to promote careers in the skills trade and technology.
Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize William Blyth from Fort Simpson, a second-level electrician, and Al Harris from the Hamlet of Fort Liard for the community works foreman for receiving their award, as well as the companies in the hamlet and community band organizations for the support of all workers.
Mr. Speaker, the third person I would like to recognize is Jennifer McInnis-Wharton, who won the BMO Financial Group's first art award. This event was an individual student art competition. She was selected as New Brunswick's winner, where she was going to College of Craft and Design. Mr. Speaker, Ms. McInnis-Wharton submitted a piece entitled "Home," a tribute to her father. Ms. McInnis-Wharton won a national prize and a trip to Toronto for the opening of the first Art 2016 Exhibition in November. Mr. Speaker, I'd like unanimous consent to finish my statement. Thank you.
---Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues. Finally, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to congratulate the Fort Simpson Historical Society on their work towards the new Heritage Centre. If everything goes well, we'll be opening this March. Mr. Speaker, the society spent years of planning and fundraising to start the project in August 2014. There were a few challenges to the society during the construction period, but they were getting closer. It is great to see this project almost come to completion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we come to our last session day of this calendar year, I've come to realize and see government's operations from a different and more positive perspective. I'm not saying that, Mr. Speaker, I just got up, I'm only saying I'm waiting for my colleagues.
Mr. Speaker, as elected Members of this 18th Assembly, starting with the selection of our representation back in December 2015 and January 2016, understanding of the operations and deliverance of programming gives me confidence in our mandate. This deliverance can be seen by the developments of the strategies that each department has initiated as their focus of need and aspirations of the people we serve.
Sure, Mr. Speaker, we don't always agree; geographically, our areas are very much different, and every circumstance. The one largest challenge we have is our fiscal inheritance. However, our managers from the other side will guide us in the right direction, hopefully, while providing certainty and confidence in our investment community.
Development on directions can be seen by the listed strategies; I highlight a few, Mr. Speaker:
NWT Climate Change Strategy
Agriculture Strategy
Northern Manufacturing Strategy
National Housing Strategy
Anti-Poverty Strategy
Mental Health Strategy
Early Childhood Strategy
Lands Integrated Risk-Based Strategic Plan
ENR Strategic Plan 2015-2020
Skills 4 Success
Oil and Gas Strategy
NWT Mineral Development Strategy
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Aside from the strategic directives, projects under way for capacity building, just to name a few, are:
lnuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway
Mackenzie Valley Fibre Line
Stanton Hospital
Mr. Speaker, there are other projects to come. As my colleague across the way once said, "the best social program is a job," and I totally agree.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, I recognize the efforts and dedication of the departments and the executive staff and their pledged after-hours work duties. I will remain a supporter for accountability and transparency of maximizing our public funds returns, and I look forward to working with this government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to start by taking this opportunity to once again thank the constituents of Yellowknife North for putting their trust in me. Mr. Speaker, the 18th Assembly has almost completed its first year. We are 25 per cent of the way through this term. It's a good time to take stock and reassess.
We can proudly point to some significant accomplishments. Leading the way was a new mandate, the commitment to our people. We've made significant progress toward transparency and openness. We approved an operational and a capital budget that staved off major program cuts and job reductions, and found some new program money. We adopted a plan for a mid-term review, and updated our consensus government principles. We achieved unanimous agreement on moving forward with junior kindergarten.
Just in the last few weeks, standing committees have made significant steps towards public access to their proceedings. Ministers have made significant announcements in this House, signaling progress on mandate issues.
Mr. Speaker, there's still work to be done. We have a commitment to bring forward Ombudsman legislation in the next year. Demand for 911 services is not going away. The dark cloud around power rates and electricity services still hangs. What does made-in-the-North, post-secondary education look like? Maybe most importantly for our health, education, environment and economy, is the work that needs to be done on unsettled land claims.
Mr. Speaker, our successes were achieved by working together in the true spirit of consensus government. That doesn't mean that these 19 people will always agree. We have differences. We have been willing to collaborate and, when necessary, compromise. In that spirit, and recognizing that we must be responsible stewards of the public purse, I suggest that our mandate calls on us to make investments in our future.
Residents heard our commitments. Now they want to see us expanding educational opportunities, providing better health care, supporting small business and advancing exploration, developing partnerships, and creating infrastructure. These are steps that will support real economic growth, and create good jobs.
Yes, we face challenges in this great territory. However, we promised to invest in our people, and that's what we must do; follow the mandate, invest in growth, and bravely move ahead. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over these past few weeks Members have spent much of our time in this House talking about the importance of empowering parents, children, and communities to actively participate in how their children's education unfolds. This means empowering parents to choose language education classes for their children, whether Gwich'in or Inuvialuktun. It means empowering parents to choose which pre-kindergarten program best suits their child, whether junior kindergarten, Aboriginal Head Start, or another.
The junior kindergarten motion that we carried in this House on the 26th of October shows our commitment to choice and access to the best possible programming for NWT parents and children. This motion calls on the government to recognize that a one-size-fits-all approach won't work for all communities, especially communities with current and thriving programs, but smaller populations. Fort McPherson, for example, has a long-running and successful Aboriginal Head Start program, run by fully trained staff.
Mr. Speaker, we know that the department's recent study of junior kindergarten found that many program providers, including the teachers and experts who run Aboriginal Head Start, felt that their program had not been valued or respected. Before this sitting ends and we return to our ridings, Mr. Speaker, I want to make sure, that these early childhood educators know Members do value their important work with children in the NWT and I will continue to defend it in this House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I am extremely proud to rise and stand in the House this morning and recognize a constituent. Lois Phillipp has worked in Deh Gah Elementary and Secondary School since 2005. Later this evening, in Toronto, Lois Phillipp will be receiving an lndspire Award. lndspire Award for Leadership states, "First Nation, Inuit or Metis person who consistently takes on a leadership role in the educational community that fosters achievement amongst K-12 students."
Mr. Speaker, Lois Phillipp has been a principal at the Deh Gah Elementary and High School for 11 years. Her colleague, Margaret Thom, respectfully states about Lois, "I've spent days at the school and have seen Lois having a deep passion in her job, her students, and her staff; making sure she's creating a safe environment for each and every person coming into the school. I've seen her work with people and get them out of their comfort zone. Lois is a huge part of Fort Providence; she goes above and beyond and gives it all she's got."
Mr. Speaker, I would like to extend congratulations to Lois. Lois, you are an amazing and wonderful person and a great principal. You continue to provide stellar leadership and inspiration for our youth and community. Mahsi for all you do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in March of this year I raised the issue of the dormant NWT Disabilities Action Plan, completed in 2008 but apparently forgotten until the NWT Disabilities Council resurrected it in 2015 with questions about its implementation and status. Their evaluation contained a number of recommendations, all based on the principle that we have all the information we need on current supports, or the lack thereof, and that we now need to move on to action.
I attempted to move this process forward through a motion, which was adopted by this House and supported by my colleagues, and supported by the Cabinet, as well. It called on the government to work with the NWT Disabilities Council and other stakeholders to develop a new action plan, including measurable outcomes and ongoing evaluation.
In June, the government replied to that motion. Government said it would first of all complete an updated inventory of the disabilities supports in place. The work would identify gaps in those services and assess the barriers to providing services in the right combinations. Key to the effort would be a collaborative process, including both service users' and service providers' input.
I understand that a working group including government and stakeholder representation has been created and they are hard at work. Detailed service and gap information is being assembled, with government members showing good effort to collaborate across departmental lines. Next week, departments and stakeholders will gather again to review that disability program review and set plans for completing a new action plan that relies heavily on accountabilities and evaluation. In the reply to our motion, the government has promised that plan will be in place by the end of this fiscal year. Mr. Speaker, I seek consent to conclude my statement.
Unanimous consent denied
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm proud to recognize my wife, Judy McLeod, who has joined us today in the gallery. Welcome.
Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just want to take an opportunity to thank all the pages who have been working with us over the last couple weeks. They provide us a great service, and we really appreciate everything they do. In particular, I wanted to recognize one of the pages who happens to be a resident of the Great Slave riding, Ethan Aumond. Thank you so much for everything you've done.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's always a pleasure to see our constituents from the communities in the Chamber, here. I would like to recognize one of my constituents from Inuvik Boot Lake, Ms. Judy McLeod. Welcome. Thank you.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we've missed anyone in the gallery, thanks for joining us. It's always great to have an audience in this part of our proceeding. Masi. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to go back to Members' statements so that I can conclude my statement, please.
Unanimous consent granted
