Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories is home to a diverse group of people who live in a vibrant landscape shaped by rich culture and heritage. Our nine official Indigenous languages and our cultures bear sacred values and traditional knowledge that have been passed on through generations, shaping our identity and defining what makes the North truly unique. As leaders and residents of the Northwest Territories, we share the responsibility of revitalizing our Indigenous languages through celebration and practice to preserve our traditional ways of life. As Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, I would like to wish all Members of this Legislative Assembly and the residents of the Northwest Territories a happy Indigenous Languages Month. This month is an opportunity for residents to honour the rich culture and heritage embodied by the Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Territories and our nine official Indigenous languages.
The theme for Indigenous Languages Month 2021 is Cook With Me, which supports the mandate of this government to increase food security and is inspired by the United Nations' International Year of Fruits and Vegetables in 2021. This unique theme was cooked up in partnership with the NWT Literacy Council and embodies messages of warmth, home, family, and cooperation. Food and cooking are at the heart of our traditions, memories, identities, and togetherness. Food brings people from different cultures together, allowing us to learn about one another's backgrounds. We share our cultural heritage when we share food with others. Saying "cook with me" to our families and friends is an invitation to strengthen our togetherness, traditions, and customs.
Mr. Speaker, throughout February we encourage Northwest Territories residents to engage in the exciting activities and resources that have been organized for Indigenous Languages Month. In partnership with the NWT Literacy Council, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment has prepared a number of initiatives. You will see a social media campaign featured on the NWT Indigenous Languages and Education Facebook page that will support the theme, Cook With Me. In addition, a regional recipe book featuring recipes from individuals and families across all the regions of the Northwest Territories has been translated into all official Indigenous languages and will be made available over the course of the month on the ECE website and social media. This week, you can view recipes in Tlicho and North Slavey on our Facebook page. Lastly, digital Indigenous language Valentine's Day cards will be available for sharing with friends and loved ones.
This month, we are also offering regional Indigenous governments celebratory grants to produce videos and other creative projects that promote, celebrate, and engage in Indigenous Languages Month. We have also engaged with schools across the territory to encourage them to celebrate by creating food-themed lesson plans that are linked to the Our Languages curriculum by using Indigenized approaches to culinary arts classes and by organizing celebrations of traditional foods in schools. Promoting food-preparation-themed language education supports the Our Languages curriculum and provides the opportunity to learn Indigenous languages and culture while also promoting food security for youth.
Mr. Speaker, it fills me with pride to live in and represent our territory, which has an abundant living history full of vibrant culture. Mahsi cho to the elders, community leaders, language advocates, and teachers who continue to promote Indigenous language revitalization efforts across the Northwest Territories. I encourage all Northerners to advocate for Indigenous languages and join me in celebrating Indigenous Languages Month. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Highway No. 5 is the road between Fort Smith and Hay River, and it spans 273 kilometres. It was constructed in 1966 as a gravel road, but it is now a fully paved highway that passes through Wood Buffalo National Park. Missing from this highway, though, Mr. Speaker, is a cellular service along the entirety of the road. This is a long stretch of road to have no cellular service. I would like to enhance my colleague's request to build cellular infrastructure along Highway No. 3, servicing Behchoko to Yellowknife, and include with it a cellular service along Highway No. 5. This is a much-needed infrastructure that needs to be built in order to increase the level of safety for all travellers who use Highway No. 5. In the event of an emergency, unless travellers have a satellite phone, they are obliged to depend on other bypassers along the highway to get any rescue assistance. Again, this is a 273-kilometre highway.
Mr. Speaker, this is not okay and is not acceptable. In this day and age, I think we have reached a point where this is considered critical infrastructure, and building it ought to be a no-brainer. It's a busy highway, and it is the only highway in and out of Fort Smith. It is also the NWT's entryway into Wood Buffalo National Park, which is the second-largest park in the world, making it a great tourist destination. A project like this would serve twofold. It would both enhance our highway safety and help increase the prospects of tourism in the South Slave region of the NWT. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, if the government is planning to enter into any new service contracts to install cellular service along any NWT highway, I would like to request that Highway No. 5 be considered in any future negotiations. I will have questions for the Minister of Finance at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In November, I passed a motion in this House asking the Northwest Territories health system to stop using fax machines to send health records. This is from a 2018 report where the Chief Information and Privacy Commissioner asked the same thing. There have been numerous breaches over the years, including some egregious ones such as health records being sent to CBC North in 2010 and 2012.
Mr. Speaker, I hope that the Minister in the reply can finally put an end to us sending health records. However, Mr. Speaker, there is a lot more to do in the area of electronic medical records. Specifically, I would like to see an online patient portal. In fact, our electronic medical records system was initially set up with one, but the department never turned it on due to privacy concerns, an ironic answer considering their consistent breaches of health information.
Mr. Speaker, in BC, a patient can log on and they can see their x-rays, they can see their MRIs, they can see status of the lab tests, they can see status of all their reports, including doctors' notes about their medical history. This allows patients to own their information and know when something is missing. In Alberta, which uses a very similar system to ours and which is our number one sharing-of-information jurisdiction, you can log in and you can see the status of any COVID tests. It has been crucial to their pandemic response, having people see where their lab tests are. I have had numerous concerns from constituents who are one week out from a COVID test, wondering where it is. They simply could have logged on to a patient portal, in Alberta, and seen that information.
Mr. Speaker, I understand there was work being done to upgrade our electronic medical records; I understand there is work being done to end the use of fax machines, but this work is long overdue. I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services when this work will be completed and when we can let patients truly see all their health records so that we can put an end to the faxing, the CDs, the USBs, and the numerous ways we try to share our health information with our Alberta that leaves patients' files often incomplete and in a confused state of disarray. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members' statement. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Today, I will speak on an all-important matter regarding conflict of interests in respect to GNWT employees. As employees of the Government of the Northwest Territories, everyone is held to high ethical standards in complying with the GNWT Code of Conduct and GNWT Code of Ethics. This is to ensure that GNWT employees are maintaining public confidence and maintaining the integrity of the public service in the execution of their duties.
Mr. Speaker, one of the guidelines states that it is a condition of employment with the GNWT to respect the code of conduct in respect to the conflict of interests. It also states that employees who fail to comply with these standards may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.
Mr. Speaker, a conflict of interests exists where there is an actual or perceived situation between the employee's duties and responsibilities of office and the private interests of the employee or an immediate family member, which can include but not limited to pecuniary interests including investments and business involvements. Outside employment service, whether voluntary or otherwise on the board, council or committee or any other organization and personal relationships, including immediate family or spouse.
Mr. Speaker, it is very important that GNWT employees be held to highest ethical standards to ensure the integrity of the public service. There are many rumblings and hearsay that GNWT employees are allowed to do as they please without any discipline whatsoever. GNWT employees who may be in an actual or perceived conflict of interest are being protected by the GNWT itself. Mr. Speaker, that is not being impartial when the GNWT dictates who is or isn't in an actual or a perceived conflict of interest. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Member's statements. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We always talk about how the North is such a unique place, and one thing that makes it so is our reliance on our winter road network. The allure and mystique of these multi-million-dollar annual ventures is so powerful it even spurred an entire television series, helping to put the NWT on the international stage. However exciting these roads are and how beautiful they are to drive, it must be pointed out that we spend millions of dollars every year building infrastructure that melts, not exactly a fiscally responsible situation.
The Mackenzie Valley Highway was completed to Fort Simpson in 1971 and the federal government, which was responsible for highway construction in the territories, promised the following year that it would continue up the east shore of the Mackenzie River and on to Inuvik. The highway would follow the natural route to the Beaufort Sea and provide outside connections to Norman Wells. It seemed only a matter of time until the road would complete the Trans-Canada Highway system. However, that was not the case, and the NWT still awaits the connection of this vital infrastructure corridor.
In the North, we need roads for every facet of our lives. If permanent roads connected northern communities, supplies could be replenished year-round. An established, constant and steady supply chain would reduce the cost of living for our people. Additionally, with travel limited outside the territory for the foreseeable future, a connected all-weather road system would allow for residents to travel internally, taking territorial vacations that would help improve mental health while stimulating the economy. An often-overlooked aspect of having connected communities is that of personal safety. Will a person fleeing a domestic violent situation be more likely to leave if they can drive away? A tank of gas is much cheaper than purchasing an airline ticket.
Given the current state of our environment, both physically and economically, permanent roads in the North are now a necessity. Millions could be spent on the construction of the Mackenzie Highway through to the Beaufort-Delta, ensuring contractors, consultants, and construction service providers stay in business. It would bring in tourism, internal to start, while the international travel situation recovers. It would cut 800 kilometres off the trip from Edmonton to Inuvik, lowering freight costs because trucks would no longer have to go through the Yukon, all leading to a reduction in the cost of food and other essentials in remote communities. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to finish my statement. Thank you.
---Unanimous consent granted
If I sound like a broken record, it's because I have often spoken about the need for all season roads. However, I do so again to urge my colleague, the Minister of Infrastructure, to go back to her federal tables and demand better for us; demand that we receive 100 percent funding to build our roads. They are literally the road to economic recovery for many northern businesses. Given the infrastructure deficit the federal government has left us in, the promised highway in the 1970s that never materialized, it is time we remind the Government of Canada that this was not our doing, and that it is an issue we can no longer afford to pay for at the expense of our people. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Member statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. Since its inception in 2012, the NWT Heritage Fund has grown to a very small amount of less than $30 million. During that time, the value of our petroleum and mineral production was about $18 billion. Of course, there were and continue to be benefits from resource development, but $30 million is not a lot to pass along to future generations for this one-time natural capital. That is less than 0.2 percent of the value of these resources. The purpose of the Heritage Fund is set out in legislation. It is "to ensure that future generations of people of the Northwest Territories benefit from ongoing economic development, including the development of non-renewable resources." I am not convinced we are doing a very good at that. The problems with the fund are well-known and were identified even during the discussion paper back in 2010:
There is no defined revenue stream for the Heritage Fund; and
There is no public governance and minimal reporting.
The Heritage Fund is so neglected that the last annual report posted on the Finance website is for 2014. Although there is a legal requirement for the tabling of an annual report on the Heritage Fund in this House, the Assembly website only shows annual reports for 2013, 2014, and 2016. In the last Assembly, there was even a promise of a discussion paper to revitalize the Heritage Fund and its legislation. That promise, too, was never fulfilled.
The only changes that seem to have been made to the original legislation and regulations since 2012 were to loosen up the very conservative investment requirements set in the regulations. The change was apparently made because the Heritage Fund was actually losing money against inflation. The management of the Heritage Fund was also contracted out to a third party.
The one saving grace is that there is a legal requirement for a ten-year review that must report at the first sitting after August 1, 2022. We must begin preparing for that review now. The review must include:
the operation of the act;
how to obtain public input and advice on expenditures from the fund;
independent oversight and management of the Heritage Fund; and
any other amendments that should be made to the act.
I will have questions for the Minister of Finance on improving intergenerational equity for residents of the Northwest Territories. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today, I want to speak a little bit about our front-line workers, and what I mean by front-line workers, our doctors, our nurses, our firefighters, corrections, people working at the borders, too many to list, social workers. I want to give out a good shout out to them today. I don't think we recognize them enough in the House, and the tough job that they have to do on a day-to-day basis.
They put themselves into harm's way. A lot of dangerous duties. Every shift, they go out there. They're putting themselves at risk. I just want to say: I can't say enough about them. I want to say a big marsi cho to them. When you go out there today, we're thinking about you. Again, I have been really thinking about this. It made me think about this on the way here when I drove to the Legislature this morning and saw the lights go on. I could imagine responding to calls in the very, very cold weather like this. You imagine fighting a fire in this cold weather. A lot of this is hard work. With that, I just want to say, a big marsi cho to all of those front-line workers. I am going to hit the desk for about five seconds just to show my appreciation.
---Applause
Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Speaking up on behalf of my teachers during this pandemic. In Nunakput, teachers provide a vital service, especially to our smaller communities, aside from parents, our kids' biggest resource for support. I have been talking to some of the teachers in Nunakput. They are really stressed out, and they need the government's help. Our teachers provide the essential services, but they're not being treated that way, Mr. Speaker. They are asking me why the nurses and doctors are considered essential service but they are not. I see where they are coming from, Mr. Speaker.
Teachers travel. They have to pay their own travel, their own hotel costs when they're going North for, say, spring break. Why is that? Why can't they do rapid testing? When they're in quarantine, they have to pay out of their own pocket, and they lose lost wages when they're COVID testing where we can get them back to the classroom more quickly, for the rapid testing, Mr. Speaker. We need our teachers more. Their job is hard and demanding, and even when there is no pandemic, it's still there. The stresses of work are there every day with them. I am hearing from the teachers who feel desperate but are afraid to speak out. I am here to speak out for them, Mr. Speaker. Today, I will have questions for the Minister of Health at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
[Translation] It is the government's responsibility to ensure its program and services are accessible to the people it serves. [Translation ends]
The GNWT spends millions on programs and services, but they are not accessible to the people who need them, and people are falling through the cracks. 2020 was a challenging year. Yes, Northerners are resilient, but Northerners have been fighting the social challenges highlighted by 2020 for a long time.
For many, life feels like an exhausting game of snakes and ladders where every roll lands them farther down the game board. We live in a territory with the second-highest family violence rates, staggering rates of undiagnosed FASD, trauma in every community, rampant substance abuse, mental health challenges, and $0.5 billion housing shortfall. When someone suffering through one of these challenges looks for support, the path needs to be clear. When someone is suffering through all of these, the path needs to be easy.
In November, I walked with an NWT resident trying to access supports. They agreed to share their journey, but I will call them "Avery" to protect their privacy. In short, Avery was a parent facing eviction from public housing, struggling with substance abuse and family violence in the home, both of which started during the COVID-19 lockdown. Avery's story is not unique and is relevant to all of our constituencies that we serve.
Avery's rock bottom brought us together. In the week that followed, they made 14 connections with public servants with the primary goal of accessing integrated case management and its wraparound support services. Mr. Speaker, I know the GNWT system, refused to take no for an answer, and it still took us 14 connections to find support that extended beyond the first contact. If an MLA can't untangle the system, how can someone struggling be expected to? Avery's journey went from RCMP to specialty courts, NWT Housing, adult FASD clinic, mental health counsellor, adult social worker program, and ICM itself, all in an attempt to work through social challenges prevalent in the NWT, and ones that I would expect that the GNWT prepared to address. This siloed system of dead ends is failing our people. Accessing support should not feel like a rigged board game. We need to meet people where they are with the right support. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.
Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] Today, I am going to talk about Highway No. 3. Today, as we all know, the winter road has opened to the mines. When we look at it, there are a lot of people travelling on Highway No. 3. All sorts of vehicles go through. At times, we know that there is danger, and yet, that's the way that we are living today. Right now, we have issues that have been brought a few times already. This is why I am bringing it up again. [Translation ends]
Many have been hurt driving the road. Many have been killed, Mr. Speaker. Most recently being Kelly Washie, a 45-year-old constituent of mine who died on New Year's Eve. Mr. Speaker, I heard firsthand what had happened on this very sad day from my father, who was driving Kelly Washie to Yellowknife for a grocery run, an in-and-out quick trip. It turned out to be a very tragic trip for all.
Mr. Speaker, on the way back from Yellowknife, Mr. Washie wanted to use a restroom, to which none were available on Highway No. 3, so they had to go outside in the back of the vehicle. When they parked on the side of the road with flashing lights, as soon as Mr. Washie went to the back of the vehicle, a few transport trucks drove by without slowing down, leaving a cloud of snow flying behind. Couldn't see anything.
Mr. Speaker, that was when Mr. Washie was struck by this semi-truck head on. Would it have made a difference or saved a life if this transport truck was going under the speed limit or slowed right down for a parked vehicle with flashing lights? Mr. Speaker, we'll never know the answer, but we must strive to make changes that could save lives on Highway No. 3. I will have questions for Infrastructure at the appropriate time, Mr. Speaker. Masi.
Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Members' statements. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the family for the honour to read the eulogy for Charles Edward Inglangasuk Lennie, known to most as Edward Lennie, who passed away on November 6, 2020.
Edward Lennie was born at the Husky Lakes area on June 23, 1934. He is the youngest child of Sarah Kyikavikchick and Lennie Inglangasuk. His mother Sarah was a Gwich'in who came from a historical line of Gwich'in chiefs, and his father Lennie was a well-known leader amongst the Inuvialuit. Lennie was known as a Bankslander because of the numerous trips by schooner to Banks Island on the mainland.
Edward spent his first ten years of his life travelling by schooner and by dog team with his family all over the Beaufort coast, Arctic islands, and Mackenzie Delta. His family had camps at Napoyak in the Mackenzie Delta, Nulluk in the Husky Lakes area, Lennie River on Banks Island, and he spent his winters on Victoria Island north of Ulukhaktok.
In 1944, his mother passed away, and the following fall, he was put into residential school in Aklavik. He mentioned some hardships but mostly talked about the lifelong friends that he made from Fort Good Hope, Fort McPherson, Tuktoyaktuk, and the Beaufort-Delta. His father died a few years later, and at a young age, Edward lived with his older sister Winnie Cockney. He also stayed with his aunt Alice Simon and Old Simon at Nepoyuk.
Square dancing stories started when he was living with his sister Winnie. When word came through that there were square dances at the station, he would finish his chores early and run over to the dance no matter the weather. His cousins remember waltzing with him at the cabin to music over the radio. If you didn't know how to dance, he would let you stand on his feet to follow his lead.
Edward's passion for dancing showed effortlessly when he participated at local square dances in all of the communities. He loved to call out square dances, and he was proud to see the young men learning to call, too. Edward would dance all night long if people would let him.
One of Edward's first jobs was working on the Hudson Bay supply boat, and he continued to travel all over the Beaufort coast. In 1958, he married Jeannie, and they began their family. He moved his family and worked at numerous DEW line sites, including Cape Parry, Stokes Point, Shingle Point, and Horton River.
In 1960, Edward moved his family to Inuvik, where he worked for the transient centre, and he continued to work for the Canadian Armed Forces, the federal government, and for Nortran, a branch of the oil industry, to recruit and train Northerners.
Inuvik was a modern town, so Edward made sure that his family lived a traditional lifestyle. He taught his family to burn wood for heat, haul ice for water, and use a dog team to check the snares down the river. He ensured that his family had always had time out on the land.
As Edward and Jeannie raised their children, they also provided a home for students who attended residential school. Edward enjoyed encouraging youth through northern games. They would spend hours playing these games in the living room that were always accompanied by the aroma of traditional foods that they would feast on at the end of the evening. Edward and Jeannie cared for a lot of young offenders who were placed in their home, as well, and showed them their way of life. Years later, the same boys would express their appreciation for the positive impact they made in their lives. Through his life, he promoted a sober lifestyle, teaching people that you did not need alcohol to enjoy yourself.
Edward worked hard at keeping his culture and history alive, and for this, he received many recognitions. In 2003, he was a recipient of the Indspire Award for Heritage and Sports, and they made the following statement: "When Edward Lennie heard that the Arctic Winter Games were to be held in Yellowknife in 1970, he was dismayed, 'How could they call something the Arctic Winter Games when there was nothing Arctic about them?' More than 30 years later, Mr. Lennie fixed all that. Northern games -- the one-foot kick, seal skinning, bannock making, and traditional dancing, to name only a few -- are alive and well in Canada's North. In 2000, the games that Mr. Lennie founded celebrated their 30th anniversary and are a vibrant part of the Arctic life. From Alaska to Labrador, they provide the Inuit with a critical cultural exchange and a chance to reconnect with an ancient past. Their components have also taken their rightful place in the Arctic Winter Games and are now demonstration sports in the Canada Games. He taught by example, and we are richer for it. An Inuit leader once said Mr. Lennie trained athletes himself, raised funds when necessary, and brought his beloved games and culture to a wider audience through performances for Royals, Prime Ministers, and the national television audiences. Needless to say, northern youth have kept up this elder's call. 'Wherever the Inuit came from, that is where it all started,' Mr. Lennie says in describing northern games. 'All these sports fit into one life story. A guy that moves slowly does not have to be fast as long as he can think fast. The best way I can explain this is to keep playing the games.' And you can be sure the Inuit keep playing northern games for generations to come."
He was also the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medallion in 2012, where he was presented this award in Inuvik on February 15, 2013, by the Deputy Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, Gerry Kisoun, and Robert C. McLeod, MLA for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Edward is greatly missed by many who experienced his warm smile and his smarty sense of humour. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Morris Daniel Lafferty was born on September 22, 1934, to James and Marguerite Lafferty. He was the fifth born of five sons and five sisters. He spent his life in Fort Simpson, attending school locally and completing up to grade 8. Morris wed his late wife, Susan, on December 17, 1965. Together, they had two daughters, Zina and Marcie, and their son Skylor, who was lost in early infancy. They raised Gloria as their own from the age of five months old and fostered many other children throughout their lives. Two weeks prior to the arrival of their firstborn, Morris had emergency brain surgery to remove an abscess that formed from an accidental hit on the head from an axe, as a child. The surgery left him paralyzed on his right side.
He was a musician, an artist, and a long-term supporter of the Metis nation and promoted the unique Metis culture and traditions. He served as the first president of the Indian Brotherhood of the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, Morris started working at a young age, holding various positions throughout his life, buying his first fiddle from the Eaton's catalogue for $45 as a young man. In 1958, while working for the Power Corporation, he was given the privilege of turning on the power for the first time in Inuvik. He had a wealth of information and was always willing to share it with others, including contributions to publications related to the history of the Metis of the North.
He will be remembered by those who knew him for his witty sense of humour and ability to tell stories for hours. He leaves behind his three daughters, 10 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. The family would like to thank everyone for their kind words, thoughts, and prayers during this difficult time. As well, they would like to thank the long-term care staff in Fort Simpson for their continuous to support and the care they provided him. He will be sadly missed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I encourage all my fellow Regular MLAs to use this opportunity to set forth their views on the budget, our fiscal situation, and how to translate our priorities and mandate into action through this second budget of the 19th Assembly. Of course, our priorities have changed with the pandemic, and while I encourage Cabinet to stay focused on that emergency, the mandate should not constrain what we need to do. We also cannot possibly achieve everything in the mandate, either. I will make some suggestions as to how to better focus our work going forward to ensure economic relief and recovery and to build long-term sustainability.
I will use my reply to the address to set out some thoughts on the following:
a quick summary of the 2021-2022 budget;
high-level observations on the process for the 2021-2022 budget;
comments on the fiscal strategy;
what is not in the 2021-2022 budget; and
some concluding remarks.
Summary of the 2021-2022 Budget and Fiscal Context: the 2021-2022 budget is the largest ever for this government. There are no new cuts to programs and services to fund infrastructure. I am glad that there are no cuts compared to where we were four years ago with the previous Cabinet. There is only $117 million, though, of increased spending or about 5.5 percent of the total budget. I agree and can support most of the new spending in this budget, including the following:
increased costs of existing health services;
increased capacity in Child and Family Services;
funding to participate in the National Housing Co-Investment Fund that the Regular MLAs fought hard to get added in;
the final phases of the Child and Youth Care Counsellors program, including a travelling mental health team;
increased funding for Income Assistance;
some money towards the municipal funding gap;
more funding for Northern Distance Learning;
expansion of the dialysis unit in Hay River;
increased funding for Indigenous language revitalization that the Regular MLAs pushed for;
increased funding for daycare spaces
more funding for long-term care services provided by AVENS;
increased funding to emergency shelters;
a renewed tourism strategy with Tourism 2025;
funding to advance the knowledge economy;
increased funding for the Sustainable Livelihoods Program;
more funding for work on climate change; and
the creation of a gender equity unit.
There are some spending items I cannot support, including increased funding to the NWT Petroleum Resources Strategy when there is no interest in exploration or development beyond possible production for local consumption.
I want to talk, Mr. Speaker, about the budget process. I can say that the relationship and negotiations with Cabinet over financial matters have generally been cordial and respectful, a much different and welcome change from the previous regime. With this budget, we had the benefit of the four-year business plans, although the links or changes could and should have been better documented and highlighted. In addition, it would have been very helpful to hold a meeting between the Minister of Finance and Regular MLAs to discuss priority areas for increased funding prior to development of this budget. That didn't happen, but I would encourage the Minister to do this next year.
Fiscal Context, while I appreciate the difficulty of trying to carry out prudent fiscal management during a pandemic, we are facing a fiscal crisis, despite anything to the contrary from the finance Minister. We just had our debt limit increased to $1.8 billion, and in this budget, we are already at $1.59 billion. Operating surpluses, which are required for spending on capital projects or infrastructure, have crashed dramatically, from a predicted $203 million to a deficit of $31 million this year alone. Only $68 million is predicted for 2021-2022. This drop is due to declining revenues and, in my view, overspending on capital projects initiated by the last Cabinet, which put roads over people. Unfortunately, we seem to be on the same path.
The Finance Minister promises creativity, innovation, and systematic evaluation of programs and services through the Government Renewal Initiative. While I support rigorous program evaluation, this will take time and extraordinary focus. It cannot make up the fiscal shortfall or make for a complete strategy moving forward. Put simply, we need more revenues to continue to provide the current level of programs and services, let alone the promises made in the mandate.
The untold story of the 2021-2022 budget is the catastrophic collapse of our own-source revenues, namely resource royalties and corporate taxes. I'll have questions for the Minister of Finance later today. Do we really expect to get nothing, zero, in terms of resource revenues from mining in the current year and only $1.5 million in 2021-2022? It's predicted we will raise about $28 million from alcohol and $14.5 million from tobacco, but corporate taxes and mining royalties are going to be about $2 million this year and even less next year, with negative corporate taxes.
Why does this government continue to promote mining if we don't get any direct revenues? This is a serious question that this government must come to terms with as part of its review of the fiscal regime for mining. In fact, there is no mention in the entire budget of any efforts to stabilize or increase any revenue sources. I am going to press the Minister of Finance to publicly release another version, hopefully with less anti-tax rhetoric, of the revenue options paper.
We need to start to have a public debate about options to raise revenues, such as an updated Territorial Formula Finance arrangement and keeping more, if not all, of our own-source revenues. A pandemic may not be a great time to introduce new taxes or increase taxes, but our current path is completely unsustainable. We need to have that debate. Some trumpet the reduction of the small business tax in terms of fairness and competitiveness. I've tried unsuccessfully now for five years to get Cabinet to seriously consider adding another personal income tax bracket in the same spirit of fairness and competitiveness. We're one of the few jurisdictions left in Canada that only has four income tax brackets. Nova Scotia went to five in 2010. British Columbia and Ontario went to five in 2014. New Brunswick went to six in 2015. Newfoundland and Labrador went to five in 2015 as did Yukon. Alberta went to five in 2016. Even the federal government went to five in 2016.
The Finance Minister has said we have $25 million in discretionary funds to work with to begin to make progress on the mandate over the next four years. The Finance Minister has never shared a costing of the mandate items, despite having been asked for that several times. What we do know, is that each of the large infrastructure projects, Taltson expansion, the Slave Geological Province Road, and the Mackenzie Valley Highway will cost a lot more than $1 billion each. We have to stop fooling ourselves that these can be done at the same time. We simply cannot afford them all at the same time, even if the federal government gave us or other potential partners all of the money. There would be lots of costs in simply managing these projects. For example, we have seen with the Stanton Territorial Hospital with its ever-increasing operational costs, some of which are found in this budget for the first time.
What we do need, and I will continue to push for, is some realistic and detailed economic evaluations of the big three projects in comparison to other ways of investing these public funds. We need to look at the number of jobs created, the longevity and the location of those jobs, building of local capacity, how our labour force matches with the job opportunities, and other ways of more objectively examining value for money. If I had to choose between investing a billion dollars in the SGP Road or Taltson expansion and getting all of our housing out of core need for $500 million or having 20 years of universal childcare, this would be a no-brainer. We would create more jobs, especially outside of Yellowknife, with an investment in housing and childcare and help our residents to better participate in our economy.
There is no funding for the large projects other than dribs and drabs provided by the feds for planning. There are no confirmed buyers or users in some cases and we cannot afford them. We need to make the tough decisions now about these three large infrastructure projects to stop us going over the fiscal cliff. We should focus on a phased approach for the Mackenzie Valley Highway to ensure we maximize local benefits, and we should drop the other two projects. That way, we can focus on people's immediate needs and build a more sustainable NWT.
Mr. Speaker, I want to turn to what is not in the 2021-2022 Budget. I recognize that this budget is status quo and that the mandate will require additional funding, partly through supplementary appropriations. Perhaps, the greatest missing item in the budget is the absence of any new funding for a comprehensive economic relief and recovery plan. In fact, there is no plan other than what has been cobbled together almost exclusively using federal assistance. We need the plan and a clear identification of any funding needs or gaps particularly for small business support, an area that we have some control over. That plan needs to include further support for the service sector, tourism, agriculture, and, even better, food security and the performing arts. We must look at how we can transform our economy to better take advantage of our knowledge, the Polytechnic university, and environmental remediation. No plan and no money in this budget is not a good place to be at this point in terms of economic relief and recovery.
In terms of other items that should have been in the budget, I have been a persistent advocate for midwifery, having raised it 15 times in this House over more than five years. A territorial midwifery program has been in development for at least seven years and seems to be stalled now as there are no further funds for its implementation. As I understand it, COVID has again intervened as a competing priority. While I understand the fiscal cliff this government is facing, investment in completing a territorial midwifery program has long-term savings and preventative benefits. It makes sense to support mothers, babies, and families get the best possible start. I will have more to say about this when we review the Health and Social Services budget in Committee of the Whole.
The budget address was virtually devoid of any discussion of the commitment to and need for additional resources for completion of the ongoing Indigenous land rights negotiations and implementation of the agreements already in place. To assist with these efforts, our government also needs to seriously move forward with implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. If we are to achieve more than the one agreement-in-principle at one self-government table in the last Assembly, more resources and a fresh approach are needed. It's not clear whether new mandates and/or negotiators have been identified to carry forward this important work.
Barrenground caribou surveys are to be done this upcoming summer as the surveys were cancelled in 2020 due to COVID. However, ENR has no funding for 2021-2022 budget to carry out this work. It's not clear where the funding would come from other than internal cuts. This is how ENR funded its work on legislative initiatives in the last Assembly, and it had a devastating impact on its work and morale. We have made very little progress in taking any concrete steps to save caribou and most of the herds are in a desperate state. The surveys are one of the key ways to determine the health of the herds and should be a funded activity.
There was no mention in the budget of the potential for benefits from the billion-dollar remediation of Giant Mine or the work required to reclaim the Norman Wells fields or other areas such as Cantung. The remediation economy is the equivalent of at least one of the big projects. It won't cost us anything as this is work to being done by the federal government or the private sector, but we have to work much harder to ensure Northerners will benefit. Of course, we must also put in place a proper post-devolution system to identify and manage environmental liabilities before they come back to this government and taxpayers. This is something the last Cabinet failed to do as we have seen with the Cantung mine, Cameron Hills, and the rollback of mandatory financial security in the Public Land Act. The Finance Minister must stop this bleeding now, working with her Cabinet colleagues and this side of the House.
There is little to no mention of the untapped potential of arts and culture to diversify the economy. This is another no-brainer, and there isn't even a whisper of it in the budget. Where is the promised Arts Strategy that should be used to help identify opportunities for investment and spur on economic recovery?
There are many other commitments from the mandate and elsewhere that will require our attention and investment, likely beyond the $25 million that is available under the current fiscal strategy. This includes completing the network of the single-window service centres in all our communities. We need additional and redirected revenues for addictions that should be focused on aftercare and mental health support. Measures to fight poverty including in my wildest dreams, a guaranteed basic income program. That also needs to be addressed. I will be happy to work with my colleagues on this side of the House to push these priorities.
In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, the decisions of the last Cabinet and the ongoing impacts of the COVID pandemic have clearly boxed us in, in terms of our fiscal situation and budgetary options. Previous cuts to programs and services to fund big infrastructure projects has pushed us closer than ever to the debt wall coupled with additional spending on COVID. This has resulted in more short-term borrowing and increased debt servicing cost. The infrastructure agenda from the last Cabinet continues to lead to increased O&M costs. It has generally failed to bring the anticipated benefits, whether it is the Mackenzie Valley fibre link that has not tied in communities, the failure to stimulate tourism in Tuktoyaktuk, the lack of northern workers on the Tlicho All Season Road, or the deficiencies in the Stanton Territorial Hospital P3 arrangement.
I am pleased to see this Cabinet beginning to promote a more balanced approach to our mandate in this budget with no reductions. We need to spend more on our basic needs, whether that is housing, healthcare, or education, for the long-term outcomes our citizens deserve, and we need to raise the resources to do that. This means more revenues and a new fiscal arrangement with Ottawa. Now is the time to start to focus on building a more sustainable revenue base for the NWT.
I sincerely thank my Cabinet colleagues and their staff and my Committee colleagues for much hard work in getting us to this point. We still have more work ahead of us to ensure that the priorities of regular MLAs are more clearly reflected in the budget, but I am confident that working together we can reach a reasonable compromise and a better balance. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I brought up for the teachers not only in Nunakput but the whole Beaufort-Delta, and my questions will be, today, for the Minister of health. Does the Minister, working together to respond to COVID-19 and becoming aware of the teachers' situation, not able to travel and putting them on the rapid testing list and supporting them, if they go out for travel and having them covered under hotel accommodation for their pay, is she working with the Minister of ECE to get them on the rapid testing list? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to start by saying how grateful I am to the 800 teachers in the Northwest Territories for the sacrifices they have made during the pandemic to switch to virtual instruction, to forgo holidays because of the isolation required. I realize it has not been easy. I have not heard from the NWTTA on the question of rapid testing. Our rapid testing capacity does exist in every community but in a fairly limited way, so that is something that I could enquire about, whether there is any interest on behalf of the NWTTA in ramping up rapid testing for teachers.
Did the public health officer determine that, as doctors and nurses are essential workers, is it possible to put teachers on that essential workers list also?
The Chief Public Health Officer determined the occupational groups that are in priority on the vaccine list, and the teachers are not there. I have heard from NWTTA about that. The CPHO determined the priority based on risk exposure and risk of severe illness. Fortunately for us, schools have been very healthy places. They have obviously been very diligent with their isolation, with their hand-washing, with their cleaning and so on. Maybe they have done too good a job, but they have not been placed on the priority list at this time.
I am asking if the Minister of health could talk with her colleague the Minister of Education to put the teachers on that listing. I am bringing it forward because I am getting calls from my teachers in Nunakput who are too scared to speak up, thinking that they are going to have backlash. Is the Minister prepared to talk with her colleague to put the teachers on the essential workers list and get them rapid testing and able to cover their costs when they are travelling out during spring break, for instance? The teachers need support, just like we do our doctors and nurses, which they do such a good job. I've been worked on for the last few months, so the Inuvik hospital are awesome, thank you, but I need help from these Ministers to help my teachers, all the teachers.
Just to say again it's the Chief Public Health Officer whose decision this is, so it's not my decision and it's not the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. We do know that we are on track to vaccinate everyone in the Northwest Territories who is 18 years and older by the end of March. At that point, teachers will be in the same position as everyone else in terms of having protection, from the vaccine, but as I mentioned last week in response to questions, I do not think that our border controls will come off at the end of March because the vaccination rate in the rest of Canada is so much lower.
I do want to say that teachers have access to the Employee and Family Assistance Program through their union, the NWTTA. It's available to them 24/7, and of course, they are also eligible to receive any of the services that we offer to residents of the NWT through the NWT helpline, the Community Counselling Program, and similar things which I also spoke about at length last week.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.
