Mr. Speaker, expanding opportunities for post-secondary education for our residents is a priority of this Legislative Assembly. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment is pursuing an ambitious post-secondary agenda that is guided by the mandate of this government.
For more than 50 years, residents of the Northwest Territories have relied on Aurora College for their adult and post-secondary education and training. The college continues to be critical to our economic and social development, but we know we can and must do better.
The Government of the Northwest Territories has been mandated to conduct a foundational review of Aurora College. This foundational review will result in significant changes at Aurora College and provide a clear path for the college's future development.
The foundational review process has two parts. The first part is an independent review report provided by a contractor, MNP LLP, that I will be tabling later today. The second part will be the government's response to the recommendations in the review report, including a clear vision of the path forward for Aurora College.
Mr. Speaker, the work done by the independent contractor reveals a number of issues that we need to address, including the need for improvements in the areas of governance operations; academic program processes; accountability; and student recruitment and retention.
However, rather than simply pointing to what needs to be fixed, the report also recommends an ambitious path toward establishment of a new kind of institution that will better meet the needs of residents, employers, and communities. In particular, the report calls for the transformation of Aurora College into a Northern Canada Polytechnic University.
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to establishing a stronger, sustainable, and more vibrant post-secondary institution that contributes to stronger communities, an institution that is built for the Northwest Territories by the Northwest Territories.
I have already shared the report with the Standing Committee on Social Development and look forward to working with my colleagues to develop a whole of government response to address the full set of recommendations made in the report, including the possibility of transforming Aurora College into a Northern Canada Polytechnic University. This response will be tabled in the House in the fall.
The path before us is of critical importance for the future of students in the NWT, and the journey must be collaborative. Therefore, I look forward to continued collaboration with the Standing Committee on Social Development around the government's response to the recommendations. We must work together to take advantage of this unique opportunity and ensure future generations have access to a world-class education in the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the important contribution that a great number of stakeholders made in informing the recommendations. The independent contractor worked with Members of the Legislative Assembly, representatives from Indigenous governments and communities, Aurora College students and staff, northern employers, GNWT staff, and other key stakeholders from across the territory.
Mr. Speaker, I recognize that some of the recommendations in the Aurora College Foundational Review Report propose significant changes to our territory's public post-secondary institution. We will weigh these changes carefully. I am committed to looking closely at each of the recommendations with the Members of this House and considering what we need to do for Northerners to have the best possible adult and post-secondary education and training here in the Northwest Territories. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation is working hard to meet the commitments made by this government to advance affordable housing and address homelessness during the 18th Legislative Assembly.
Mr. Speaker, we know that some of our residents experience homelessness in communities outside Yellowknife. Meeting their needs helps us to address the issue of homelessness throughout the territory. The Housing Corporation is working with community groups to develop, design, and implement supportive housing for these residents through the Northern Pathways to Housing Program.
Research indicates that providing social supports alone is often not enough to change an individual's circumstances. The provision of housing plus supports has been documented as an effective method to stabilize a person who is homeless and then start to address needed life changes.
Mr. Speaker, the first of four Northern Pathways projects is now being implemented in Fort Simpson. Through the vision and commitment of the Liidlii Kue First Nation to support this vulnerable population, three people have been housed and supported, and one other homeless person is expected to be housed shortly. Indigenous and local governments know their communities best. The Housing Corporation supports their aspirations to address homelessness through this community-led housing approach.
Under the Northern Pathways to Housing program in Fort Simpson, the Housing Corporation provided four apartment-style housing units and land to support the project. The Housing Corporation also has a three-year funding agreement for participant housing support. This funding supports the community partner to pay for costs associated with the operation of a supportive housing program and to respond to needs of tenants.
The community proponent also provides assistance to program participants in accessing services and available resources from community agencies.
Another Northern Pathways project is starting soon in Behchoko. The Housing Corporation has been meeting with the community government and other community stakeholders to finalize the delivery approach there. In Aklavik, promising work continues with the Aklavik Indian Band and community stakeholders to develop a program that suits the needs of their community. The fourth project, which is in Fort Good Hope with the K'asho Got'ine Housing Society, is currently planned as part of their larger shelter project.
Mr. Speaker, the Northern Pathways program is intended to house people first and then to improve their housing sustainability by addressing the issues that contributed to their homelessness. Northern Pathways seeks to improve participants' social and economic well-being and independence, and to create new service pathways and working relationships with community service providers to address and end homelessness for these residents.
Mr. Speaker, partnership with Indigenous governments is an ongoing part of how the Government of the Northwest Territories does business. The Northern Pathways program is one more example of the kind of success we can have when we work together to meet the needs of Northwest Territories residents and implement northern solutions for northern housing.
Mr. Speaker, this is an exciting time in the Housing Corporation's history. Northern Pathways is just one of the new initiatives under the corporation's strategic renewal, but it shows the progress we are making toward fulfilling our mandate commitments and putting people first. I know how important housing is to our residents, and I pledge to work with all Members to meet our remaining commitments during the life of this Legislative Assembly. Mahsi Cho, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Infrastructure.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories has been working hard to fulfill its mandate commitment to secure funding to advance planning and construction of new priority transportation corridors in the Northwest Territories, including the extension of the all-weather Mackenzie Valley Road, the Slave Geological Province Access Corridor, and the Tlicho all-season road.
Last fall, the Department of Infrastructure submitted two comprehensive proposals for funding to the federal government under the National Trade Corridors Fund. In March, I provided an update in the House on the status of our application for the development of the Slave Geological Province Access Corridor. Unfortunately, that project was not selected in the first round of approved submissions; however, we are continuing to pursue opportunities for funding for all phases of the project. It is expected that there will be an opportunity to resubmit an application for the project under a northern-specific call for proposals under the National Trade Corridors Fund to be issued in fall 2018.
Mr. Speaker, my colleagues on this side of the House and I have urged the federal government to issue the next call for submissions as soon as possible, in recognition that is it critical that we address the North's infrastructure gap, and a timely decision would allow us to make the best use of the short construction season.
As I have said before, the development of the Slave Geological Province Access Corridor will address the lack of access to this mineral-rich part of Canada. The project will also increase our resiliency to the impacts of climate change while significantly reducing associated additional costs and operational difficulties for the mining industry. Once federal funding is secured, next steps would include the application of the Land Use and Sustainability Framework, as well as planning for the protection of wildlife, economic opportunities, and the involvement of Indigenous groups.
Mr. Speaker, work to advance the next steps for construction of the all-weather Mackenzie Valley Highway would also bring important benefits to residents throughout the Mackenzie Valley, including the employment and training opportunities that build local capacity. The Canyon Creek all-season access road outside Norman Wells, which is currently under construction and scheduled to be completed this fall, is already seeing increased employment to Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents as well as skill development that will prepare residents to take advantage of the opportunities that would come with the extension of the Mackenzie Valley Highway.
Increased traffic volumes and weights supported by an all-weather highway would result in efficiencies in the delivery of essential goods that contribute to stabilizing the cost of living in communities. Economic development would be enabled by increased access to the mineral and petroleum resources in the region and reducing costs of production and exploration for industry. In terms of social benefits, we only need look to the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway to see how enhanced intercommunity mobility has increased access to healthcare, education, sporting events, and more.
Mr. Speaker, it is anticipated that the Government of the Northwest Territories will soon receive an update from the federal government on its application under the National Trade Corridors Fund for the extension of the Mackenzie Valley Highway. In the meantime, the Department of Infrastructure is continuing to pursue other federal funding opportunities for the remaining components of the Mackenzie Valley Highway, as well as the Slave Geological Province Access Corridor. Discussions have been ongoing with the Canada Infrastructure Bank to determine how the two transportation corridors could fit within their program. It is expected that the Slave Geological Province Access Corridor will be viewed favourably, as it is a large transformative project, a matter of public interest, and has revenue-generating potential.
Mr. Speaker, lastly, we are nearing a decision on the future of the proposed Tlicho all-season road. The Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board has issued its report of the environmental assessment, and a decision from the responsible Ministers is anticipated in the coming months. On December 4, 2017, a request for proposals was issued and the three proponents that were identified through the request for qualifications were invited to submit proposals. Should the project be approved, the procurement process is expected to be finalized in the fall of 2018, which would allow for construction to begin as early as next winter.
Partnerships with our Indigenous organizations will be critical to ensuring the success of these projects. The Tlicho Government has been an active partner on the Tlicho all-season project since 2012 and has played a key role in managing elements of the project description report. Our government has also been working closely with the Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated on the Mackenzie Valley Highway. The Sahtu Secretariat's efforts to help lobby for the advancement of the project through the Mackenzie Valley Highway Working Group has strengthened our case with the federal government. With regard to the Slave Geological Province Access Corridor, we look forward to continued discussions with Indigenous groups who have interest in the project on the various partnership models available to us.
Mr. Speaker, the hard work of the Government of the Northwest Territories has paid off so far, but there is still a lot of work to be done. As we wait for important decisions to be made, we will continue to work with its partners and to ensure the people of the Northwest Territories are in the best position to realize the benefits that these strategic transportation corridors will bring. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. The Honourable Premier.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources will be late arriving in the House today to participate in the Environment Minsters' teleconference. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, across my entire riding of Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, the land taxation and land-leasing policy has many elders convinced that they will never own their own homes or properties. At this time, some elders owe so much tax and lease debt that they believe that, when they pass on, GNWT would own their homes and that surviving members who move into their homes will not be allowed to remain in them and will have to move out. Many of these family members do not own homes and are reliant on social housing, therefore costing the government about $20,000 a year to house them.
Mr. Speaker, as the government of the people of the Northwest Territories, we must work diligently with elders and their families to help them resolve this huge systematic issue as soon as possible.
Mr. Speaker, the Lands division must not only look at this through the lens of legislation, policy, and regulations to determine the best course of action. Mr. Speaker, when the treaty in my riding was signed, the Dene people were left with the impression that the treaty was signed so that both the government and the Indigenous landowners would share the land as equal partners. How did we get to the stage where the original landowners are now being billed thousands of dollars for their own land? What has transpired to make this possible, and how did the ownership transfer to the GNWT? The GNWT was not present at the Treaty 11 signing.
Mr. Speaker, one elder told me it was like somebody asking you to provide them a place to sleep for one night, only to wake up to find that individual repairing their unit and suddenly starts charging you rent.
Mr. Speaker, Indigenous people have used this land for thousands of years. Within the last hundred or so years, the government has taken all of their land away and is charging to live on their lot, in their homes, in their communities.
Mr. Speaker, now we have come to a situation where a trapper must pay hundreds of dollars for a trapping cabin. If things do not change, the GNWT would own everyone's trapping cabin. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on being elected, we spent a good amount of time working together to come up with the mandate for the 18th Assembly. One of the mandates was to reduce the cost of living for the residents of the Northwest Territories. Well, I guess I must have missed something or did not understand what we meant by "reduction of cost of living." On March 15, 2018, during oral question period, I asked the Minister of Lands about the difference in lease rates between Commissioner's and NWT's lands. We were informed that the NWT's lands rates were going up to a minimum of $840 so there would be similarity between minimum rates on both leases.
On March 22nd, they sent a media notification that there was going to be a briefing about Commissioner's and territorial land payments. Commissioner's lands were going down by 5 per cent. This was a good-news story. However, NWT land lease payments were going up from $150 to $840 upon the renewal date. This is either a 336 to 560 per cent increase. There was no plan to implement an increase over a period of time. It was bang, here you go. The funny thing is that there is no reference to cutting the cost to seniors. They have a hard time paying $250 presently.
When I looked into this new directive and how it affected Nahendeh communities, especially designated authorities, there were going to be over 170 leases affected. This included traditional cabins that are part of residential traditional hunting and trapping areas. This could mean people would have to pay additional money to the government to hunt and trap.
In an interview, the Minister of Lands said that it was based on cost-of-living index the last time the payment was raised. I find it very interesting that this government is willing to use this formula when they want to generate revenue, but don't use this when they are calculating income support.
It is my understanding that it is common practice that these ideas are vented through Cabinet before coming to the floor. This makes me wonder if we truly care about small communities with these types of decisions.
Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding after post-devolution a commitment was made to the Legislative Assembly and the people of the Northwest Territories that changes would not be made to the way leases were structured or lease rates were calculated. Unfortunately, this has changed.
Mr. Speaker, I have reached out to my residents and told them of this news. Not surprisingly, a lot of people did not hear about this and were not engaged about this potential increase. Later today, I will have questions for the Minister of Lands about this issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, fire protection services in the NWT are reliant on volunteer firefighters. The dedication, time, and effort that volunteers invest in keeping our communities safe are invaluable.
The Fort Providence Fire Department currently has 14 active and engaged volunteers. I am pleased to see community members stepping up to take the new positions with the fire department, and have no doubt that they will continue to protect the community from harm.
Mr. Speaker, new volunteers have had three team meetings to clean and organize the fire hall. Firefighter Level I training took place May 25th to the 27th. Firefighter Level II training is scheduled for July 6th to the 8th. Plans are in place for air brakes training and first aid courses.
Pending the successful Firefighter II training in July, the volunteers will be ready to return to a response community. Until that point, we are still a non-response community.
Mr. Speaker, as a new group of volunteers come in, we must also say thanks to those who served before them. Previous fire chief Andy Sapp, Malcolm Tosh, Kelvin McLeod, and Jimmy Nadli have invested years of service in keeping Fort Providence safe. Thank you to those who have served in the past. I wish the best to the new intake. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I rise to speak to an important issue that is integral to the development of our territory: the education of our children and young Northerners. Earlier this month, in a CBC article, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment confirmed that the educational achievement of our school children is lower than hoped for.
The article reported that just over half of grade 6 students and about 47 per cent of grade 9 students met an acceptable standard in English. While, in math, this was shown to be worse than 43 per cent achieving acceptable standards in grade 6 math and 39 per cent in grade 9.
Mr. Speaker, underperformance in student achievement is a long-standing issue in the NWT. As far back as 2010, the Auditor General of Canada indicated that, between 2004 and 2008, there was limited or no progress in grades 3, 6, and 9 in math and in grades 6 and 9 in language arts.
As an MLA but also as a parent, I find the lack of progress on this issue deeply troubling. Mr. Speaker, the Education Renewal Initiative was launched in 2013 to much fanfare. From the outset, the initiative specifically identified student achievement as an area that required improvement and even noted that the existing approach to student achievement wasn't producing the desired results.
Well, here we are five years later, halfway into the 10-year cycle of education renewal, and still we hear that the results are not up to the department's expectations. I understand that many of the actions take time to bear fruit. However, after five years, I would think it is safe to say we should be seeing at least modest improvements. Instead, we appear to have stagnated at roughly the same levels we had in 2013.
On top of that, evaluation and reporting on the goals of education renewal is scant to non-existent, in spite of the department's own website claiming that results need to be shared with the public and different interest groups. This leads many members of the public wondering what fundamental impact the Education Renewal Initiative has had on the school system to date.
Mr. Speaker, the goals of the Education Renewal Initiative are commendable. I admire them for setting such ambitious goals. We need to empower children and young Northerners and provide them with the tools to succeed, not just in academia, but also in life. Later today, I will be asking the Minister responsible what she is doing to make this vision a reality. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we approach the last few days of our spring session and starting our summer season until our next October sitting. Mr. Speaker, planning is an essential and prudent principle to any initiative, program, or project, given this fundamental component and potential overlapping idle summer time.
Mr. Speaker, I'm encouraged by the Department of ITI 2030 Energy Strategy or plan when consideration is given and taken into account energy planning, developments, and security. This past Monday, Enbridge Pipelines held a public meeting to update the community of Norman Wells for the Line 21 Segment Replacement Repair.
Mr. Speaker, one proposal in advancing our NWT energy strategy and post-devolution responsibilities is in supporting a Post-Devolution Summer 2018 Sahtu Energy Conference. This will only add to other existing NWT Regional Strategies.
Mr. Speaker, I believe the timing is appropriate for all stakeholders in sponsoring a strategic discussion for the resource legislation amendments on engagements for unlocking the Sahtu energy potential.
Mr. Speaker, we can no longer sit idle, but rather encourage and initiate engagements of support for the Northwest Territories in becoming a major contributing player in both non-renewable and renewable resource developments. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Later, I will have questions for the appropriate Minister.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Minister of Infrastructure's optimism in his statement earlier today, but 75 cents of every dollar we have comes from the federal government. In this Chamber, we are all aware of the dependence on the federal purse.
For years we've been working with Ottawa, Mr. Speaker, signing on to devolution and managing more of our own affairs here at home. We're trying to be fiscally responsible while moving forward on our mandate priorities. We've been focusing on land rights to provide certainty for all levels of government and potential investors in our resources.
We even signed on with the federal carbon tax, even though there are lots of reasons not to do that. We do these things because we are team players. We want to work collaboratively with our friends in Ottawa. What are we working toward? I go back to the words of Arthur Laing, a previous federal Minister of Northern Affairs. In the 1960s, he articulated a vision of northern economic, social, and political development with the goal that "the territories underwrite their own expenses, and eventually contribute to the economic growth of Canada." He wanted to convince industry that northern investment was "no long-shot, but rather a sound investment in Canada's future."
Mr. Speaker, the 60s was the old days. A lot has changed since then, mostly for the better, but we should realize that we still hold the goal of growing and developing our territory to be able to pay our own way. In order to do so, we are still in the business of attracting investment to our territory. Berger told us to settle land rights, and we have made significant strides in that regard. McCrank told us to get our regulations in order, and again, we have made significant improvements that Northerners and industry see as fair.
The recent federal decision to delay support for some of our crucial infrastructure projects is disheartening, Mr. Speaker. Those projects could have set us up to attract new investment in exploration, new developments in tourism. These would have helped create the base we need on which to continue building toward self-reliance.
Mr. Speaker, we've worked in good faith towards our own self-reliance, but at times, it seems our federal partners aren't completely on board. To continue to lessen our dependence on Ottawa, we need confidence that we are sharing the same vision, and are equally committed to a strong and respectful relationship. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have been an enthusiastic supporter of the efforts by the City of Yellowknife and the GNWT to tackle social issues downtown. The Safe Ride Program and the sobering centre together reduce the harm intoxicated people may do to themselves, and they have made the downtown a more hospitable place for all of us to live and work. These initiatives respond to requests by residents of Yellowknife Centre to take action on what seemed to be then an ever-expanding problem.
Today, I want to focus on the operation of the sobering centre. The NWT Disabilities Council operates the centre on contract with the GNWT at the Salvation Army. The contract for the sobering centre and the day shelter together is worth $1.4 million a year. Both are expensive and essential services. Mr. Speaker, my expectation of the sobering centre is that it would be a destination of last resort for intoxicated people, an alternative to going to the hospital emergency room, a stairwell, or a heating vent, but the reality is that not everyone is welcome there.
The NWT Disabilities Council has been known to ban people from the sobering centre. Clients may be banned for yelling, possession of alcohol, and physical aggression. At the staff's discretion, each action is accompanied by escalating penalties that range from being directed to go for a walk to a three-month total ban from the premises. Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge there's a fine balance between protecting the staff from the harm by clients and protecting clients from harm by staff by being kicked out, especially in the cold weather. The NWT Disabilities Council has a special duty of care to ensure their staff are trained in harm reduction for this group of clients, and they deliver services that are trauma informed, from a trauma informed perspective that views addiction as a disability. Surely it comes to no surprise that clients who are drunk are often difficult. It is the nature of this service.
Mr. Speaker, I am concerned that the NWT Disabilities Council is struggling with this balance, and the most vulnerable people, those who are intoxicated and have no other resources, are at risk of further harm because it turns out that the sobering centre isn't a destination of last resort, but yet another place to get kicked out of. I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services about how to get the sobering centre back on track. Mahsi.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as summer approaches, concerns over this year's fire season start to emerge. We are already seeing conditions getting dry, so the chances of having a busy fire season are higher. Last year, Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic experienced a few local fires, but luckily, the wind pushed them away from the communities. Mr. Speaker, my constituents are concerned about the current status of firebreaks in their communities. Over the last few years, we have observed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources put the onus of fire smarting on communities. This means that ENR has stepped away from maintaining firebreaks. Communities have had to spend their own funds on fire smarting. This takes away from other community needs, leaving them with fewer opportunities to improve critical infrastructure.
In February, when we reviewed ENR's 2018-2019 Main Estimates, I raised similar questions, noting that only $75,000 was available for fire smarting for all communities in the NWT. This is not enough, and the Minister confirmed that this fund has been oversubscribed in the last few years.
Mr. Speaker, capital funds should be for capital projects. Forest management is the responsibility of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and as such, with their expertise and operations budget, they should be the ones maintaining firebreaks in our communities. I will have questions for the Minister of ENR later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. The federal deadline for a carbon pricing plan has come and gone, and the public has heard almost nothing from our Cabinet colleagues on an issue commanding priority attention everywhere else. I pointed out this gap in this House on February the 12th. Nothing meaningful has been revealed since. On July 26th of last year, the Minister of Finance released a discussion paper and public comment on carbon pricing, and that public comment period closed on September the 15th. A public survey was also conducted.
Where are the results of the public engagement? Here we are, eight months later, and our government hasn't even bothered to compile a "what we heard" report. There has been no policy direction, no legislative proposal, nothing in the budget. There is hardly a mention of carbon pricing in the Northwest Territories Energy Strategy or the Climate Change Strategic Framework, which makes no sense at all.
The federal government released its proposed legislation for carbon pricing on January 15th of this year. Letters were also sent to all the provincial and territorial Premiers on December 20th, setting a March 30, 2018 deadline for choosing the federal backstop, or developing their own system to be in place by the end of 2018. The federal government backstop in carbon pricing will kick in on January 1, 2019, and we still don't even know whether our government has responded yet.
The federal carbon pricing system has two elements:
A charge on fossil fuels (e.g. gasoline, diesel, propane, natural gas), which would be paid by fuel producers or distributors; and
An output-based pricing system for industrial facilities with high levels of emissions.
What will our government do with regard to carbon pricing? Earlier in this sitting, I called on the federal government to reject Cabinet's climate change plan that is masquerading as an infrastructure proposal. Is this government finally committed to accept our responsibility, live up to our national and international obligations, and act on climate change through a carbon pricing system? I will have questions later today for the Minister of Finance. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, housing continues to be a large issue affecting the remote northern communities of Nunakput. In the Northwest Territories, reducing core need in housing is vital to reducing the many social problems associated with the poor quality of housing.
The previous Housing Minister stated that, although the yearly decline of the CMHC funding will end by the year 2038, CMHC will provide no funds to Northwest Territories for maintenance and operations. Mr. Speaker, it is important that we stay on top of housing, and that we act strategically so that there is sufficient housing support, especially for those who are at risk of homelessness, as well as for those who are struggling in their current homes.
Mr. Speaker, evictions are not the answer, and we need to take care of our residents during the times they struggle, especially with the high cost of living in the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, the recent work that led to the corporation's report On Level Ground was a great start. Now, the government must plan for the strategy to interact with the federal National Housing Strategy, which is where new funds and new opportunities will be in the years to come.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories must continue to strengthen its working relationship with the federal government, as well as Indigenous governments, to mitigate housing issues and improve the quality of life for the residents of the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, later, I will have questions for the Minister responsible for Housing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Colleagues, I would like to draw your attention to Ernie Bernhardt, who is a former Member of the 12th Assembly. Welcome to our Assembly. Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to recognize Ernie Bernhardt, who is also a constituent of the Great Slave riding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize two Pages from my riding, two Pages from Fort Resolution, Alexa Mandeville-Pasowisty and Santina Vanloon. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize a Page today from Yellowknife North, Page Ramanda Castillo. I thank all the Pages for the great work that they do on our behalf. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
