Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Sorry, I've got feedback from my earphones.
So I just wanted to start off by saying thank you to my colleagues for the opportunity to speak to this, and I know that some of what I have to say will be somewhat repetitive a little bit. But I think it's important for residents for the Northwest Territories to hear, and I think one of the most important pieces of that is that piece on the number of priorities. And this was something that we talked about a bit in the very beginning of our time together, was the number of priorities that were appropriate for an Assembly. And I can't stress enough the importance of taking and kind of demanding that extra time upfront in order to really question how many priorities are appropriate. And one of the numbers that we kind of kept talking about that I remember in our brief conversations at the beginning were about that number to be about five to eight priorities would have been ideal, and that seems to be a number that has come up throughout the Assembly as the less the better.
And another conversation that we have had a lot in different kind of social circles and our time where we can really connect kind of out of formal meetings and out of session is the conversation around kind of legacy of an Assembly.
And so the other thing I guess that I'd like to challenge the next Assembly to do is to have a conversation upfront together about what each Member would like to see as their legacy together and then try building their priorities around that, because then you're deciding upfront what you're leaving behind for the people of the Northwest Territories. And I think that's so important, that key kind of message and piece about what you're really leaving behind. So I just wanted to reiterate that piece.
And then I also wanted to acknowledge both the hard work of public servants but then also our private sector. I think that this has been a very unique Assembly in that we have worked through COVID, but it's not just the Assembly; it is well, the entire world that has really kind of persevered through COVID and through change and trying to figure out what this all looks like and still move forward through that. And I think that the residents of the Northwest Territories all together need a huge kudos to that, including our colleagues on the other side of the House. I know that there were times where I myself stated that the excuse of COVID was no longer an excuse we were willing to hear. And that being said, it was still very much part of the lives of public servants and of Cabinet Ministers, and so I want to acknowledge the hard work that they did in spite of that and under immense pressure from this side of the House.
I look forward to this conversation, this public conversation about our priorities and what the next 18 months look like and note that it's not the end of this. I know that we discuss our priorities on a weekly basis with Cabinet, especially when we're in session. There's always items that relate directly or indirectly to our priorities.
And I also wanted to acknowledge what the Premier just said about thinking outside the box. And I think one of the important things that comes up a lot that I hear when listening to my colleagues or myself speak with Ministers on the other side of the House is quite often people will bring forward a challenge that they have with constituents. And often we hear a response of this is what the government is doing, or this is the process we've created. And sometimes, not all the time, sometimes some Ministers are very good to sit and kind of work through, you know, where's the gap or where's the break in communication. And I think that that thinkoutsidethebox piece is really important, especially as MLA Martselos referred to as that kind of tunnelled vision versus the whole picture and being able to say okay, this MLA or this constituent has brought forward a challenge and how does the current service or current process not working for this person is so important, and I think that some of our big challenges can be solved just by trying to, like the Premier says, think outside the box. So thank you very much, and I look forward to this conversation with our colleagues today, I know for the next 18 months. Thank you.
Thank you. Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Absolutely, again, the priorities number of priorities, can't stress enough, bring them down. Although I do have to say that although we've had 22 priorities and we've had COVID, you know, we're on the way at 65 percent are in progress; 23 percent are done. So, you know, we're still working on them and I'm quite impressed with this the public servants, as you state, because of that.
I think it's also important I like the idea of a legacy for the Assembly. You know, I think about the legacy when I first began and people were asking me what legacy do you want to leave. And more than a legacy.
I know Minister Green in the last Assembly, we were really big on women in politics. We achieved that in this Assembly. And so, you know, I mean, that's one legacy that I'm really proud of with my colleague and all of us here. But that wasn't enough. And I was debating what it would be. And then COVID hit, and my whole focus became one, keeping people safe, if I was to say what legacy it was at the beginning. And maybe even now with what's going on in Ukraine, it's keeping people safe was a priority for me.
The other thing is, you know, I did ask every time I see an exMLA or an exPremier, mostly the Cabinet Minister, I tend to ask them what can you teach me. And I've gotten some valuable advice from that. But I think I'm going to change my tone because I think it's, like, I'm going to start asking them what would you have done differently might be a better question for them. So thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Premier. Ms. Cleveland.
No further comments, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Any other questions? MLA for Tu NedheWiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am actually for me to come in mid term midway through the this term for the 19th Assembly is has been interesting so far for me as MLA for Tu NedheWiilideh riding. And you know, I was had a chance to review some of these documents of the mandate that was put together in 2019 to 2023, and my immediate thoughts were they're very ambitious, in particular, you know, when you talk about the United Nation Declaration of Rights of Indigenous People; you know, how we're going to get there and, you know and I'd still like to see that through and the work is continuing on that area.
So I hit the road running, and I'm trying to catch up and understand, you know, what's been happening here and but you got to keep in mind too as well that, you know, as a former chief, band councillor, chairman for the impact review board, I did a lot of stuff here in the North, and I do understand how government works. And we talk about consensus government and how, you know, we're supposed to work together in trying to look for common ground and to build relationships. And at the end of the day, you know, we're trying to be accountable and transparent to our constituents in our here in the Northwest Territories.
You know, but when I think back about how I was involved in the communities as a tradesman and as a housing manager, and how I worked in government and later on became involved in construction management and that kind of thing, so I had a chance to sit on the national level and different levels and for DFN housing committees and etcetera, and housing's still a pretty passionate thing for us here in the Northwest Territories, and it's part of your mandate. And you know, your principles here, they're very important principles. And the thing is that how do we get there? And I know it's going to be talked about as well as the mandate of the Housing Corporation, how do we better bridge the gaps with Indigenous governments here in the Northwest Territories if in fact that it's been born in 1972? You know, here we are today, and we're still trying to figure out how we're going to resolve this issue of housing. And it's a huge undertaking.
But again, I said right from the beginning that I want to work with the Minister and the Premiers and the MLAs and colleagues to really trying to solve some of the issues in our community constituency, and I had no involvement in this document, but I would say that, you know you know, the work that was done by the 19 MLAs and the it's important document here. And for me is that I wanted to see how we can continue to improve the lives of our the people here in the Northwest Territories. And, you know, whether it be looking at fuel reduction of fuel, power subsidy.
Like in the Yukon, there's so many things that we could could take a look at to improve the lives of the people in our communities. And as a former chief, you know, it makes it really tough because I was on the other side. I seen the business side as the chairman for the impact review board. Now I'm here, and I this document that was put in front of me here is it's a big one that was put together by everybody here, and it's a very important document. And my question is how do we get there?
And I don't want to see, you know, some of the big ticket items fall off the table. You know, the biggest one I would say I'm in support of is the implementation of the United Nation Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People, you know. The other one is settling the implement of treaty lands and resources and settle government agreements. Those are big ticket items. But, you know, for me is that we also need a strong economy here in the Northwest Territories. We need to it's I know the two years that's been happening here already is you know, we hit the wall with, you know, this COVID, and before COVID, and life after COVID. You know, we got to work together I guess and see how we're going to address all of these issues.
You know, and so I'm looking forward to move through this document and really look maybe help provide some input to the Premier and Cabinet, and continue to look for ways to improve the lives of our people in our communities, in particular housing is still the number 1 issue. We have to look at new ways as to how we could work with aboriginal and Indigenous governments, you know, through contribution agreements, maybe work with Ottawa so that they could continue to get money back into the communities.
At the end of the day, you know, we still need work. People are looking for jobs. Mining industry is not going to always going to be there. Oil and gas is down. So, I hear that almost every day. You know, people who need jobs, you know, so.
Anyway, so I just want to say to the Premier and the Cabinet and MLAs here, it's been a privilege and an honour to at least been here for the last month, and we're hitting the road running, and I'm trying to there's so many issues that I could probably talk about but this one here, I'm hoping that we go through this document and I will continue to provide input. So I just want to say that to Mr. Speaker and to the Premier and the Cabinet and my colleagues. Mahsi.
Thank you. Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. You're right, you did come in halfway through and you hit the road running. Probably the not best; no time to stumble, but. Could be on Cabinet; that's what we always say hit the road running and you keep running.
I think housing is a priority for this government on both sides of the House. It's why I came. I think you've learnt today I've spent 20 years of my life before politics working with low income family, specifically running homeless shelters. My that's why I came. And that's where I'm going when I'm finished, back to that work. So, and I always one thing I'd like to say is I always ask people for advice whenever. I don't have all the answers. I'm old enough to know that I don't know everything, and that's a strength in itself. So if you don't have my number, get my number from me. Call me any time you want, whether it's to complain about something, less of that, but if you have an answer or a solution, give me a call. I'm always willing Members call me at all times, day and night.
And one advice I'll give you, though, if you hit the road running, it's true. I think you're old enough that you probably were back in the day, you probably did some of that bumper riding on the ice road to Dettah. I used to do that. It's illegal now. Don't do that, anybody out there. But if you see a bus running, don't grab that bumper because that bus usually isn't very good in politics. But other than that, that's my advice. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Premier. Mr. Edjericon.
That's it. Thank you.
Thank you. Any further questions?
Seeing no further general comments, does the committee agree to review Tabled Document 56719(2): Annual Status Report 20192023 Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories, February 2021 January 2022, by priority?
Agreed.
Committee, we will begin at pages 21 to 22: Increase the number of affordable homes and reduce core housing need. Questions? Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Although it's not one of the specific action items in here, we did get the Minister and the deputy minister to agree to prepare a plan to get our housing out of core need, and I had understood that that plan was going to be available before March 31st so I guess they got three days to go. But I'm just wondering if I can get an update as to the status of that work. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Premier.
Mr. Chair, that would go to the Minister of Housing.
Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just received that document today, and I'm just taking a look at it right now, and it's up we're reviewing it. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Can I look over the Minister's shoulder while she's looking at it? Okay, all right, great. So I expect that we're going to get it in the next two or three days. That would be great.
And the reason why I keep raising this is when my colleagues from Cabinet go to Ottawa and talk about our housing needs, it's very easy to identify what the needs are. The more difficult part of the conversation is translating that into a plan and the costs associated with getting our housing out of core need. So that's why I keep harping on this. I harped on it in the last Assembly. So here I am five, six years later asking the same questions. If you don't have that kind of document ready, you don't really have any case to make with Ottawa in terms of our needs in a financial sense.
I know that we also need partnerships and, you know, skilled people but if you don't have a way of starting to put, you know, a financial cost on any of that, we're not going to get anywhere. So I guess I would also ask, you know, about this partnership arrangement.
Indigenous governments are increasingly getting money directly from Ottawa, and I think that's partly because we just can't do the job as a government, and/or that the Indigenous governments don't really trust GNWT to do it for them or with them anymore. So they're going directly to Ottawa to get the money.
So how are we going to deal with this as a government, not just as a government but as the Northwest Territories, so that, okay, if Indigenous governments are getting some direct funding themselves, what are they using it for and how do we know about that so that GNWT can better direct the money that it has available to it to meet other sorts of needs? So it seems like we need to have some better coordination, information sharing at the Northwest Territories level. And I don't really see anything in this particular area, and I think this is something that's quickly evolving and is likely to change even more in the next couple of weeks, but how do we start to build better trust and information sharing so that there's like a wholeofterritories approach to improving housing? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Premier.
Mr. Chair, I'll take this one. The Indigenous governments are getting more money from Ottawa, and the reason they're doing that I'm hoping is not just because that they don't trust us and we're doing a horrible job, I think it's because as a Cabinet we've been lobbying for the Indigenous governments to get money from Ottawa.
In the last Cabinet, which I was a part of, the philosophy was give us all the money because we know best and then we will decide where the money goes. That didn't work well for that Cabinet in honesty. Like I said, I was part of that, and I did see one Indigenous government get money and no other one. And so I learned from I try to learn from my mistakes as well as learning from our successes, and I learned that that was a bad strategy for the Cabinet. And so this Cabinet, from the very beginning, I've been saying to Ottawa and to the Indigenous governments, we are not your enemies; we are not a Cabinet that says give us all the money. We will stand beside the Indigenous governments. I've told Trudeau; I've told Carolyn Bennett that; I've told all the ministers that. They were shocked at the beginning and now they take it as normal. I told the Indigenous governments and I had to gain their trust, and it took some time, but I listened to them and I've gone to Ottawa with their asks and asked for their asks, not only for our asks but for what they need as well. So I think that we're doing a great job of working together with the federal government and with the Indigenous governments.
One of the things that I'm most proud about in this government, one of them, is the Council of Leaders table that we took part in. So we formed the Council of Leaders table. Every single Indigenous government is on it.
And one of the first priorities that we're doing, the Council of Leaders and Minister Chinna kudos to Minister Chinna is that we've agreed that there is a working group that is formed from that table that will be looking at every single one of the housing policies. How more working in collaboration can you get than actually sitting at a table with all of the Indigenous governments and looking at all of the policies for housing?
And I'm hoping, Mr. Chair, that that will just keep going. Not only ending with housing but every program because that is part of United Nations declaration, is doing that work. And it's going to take time but we're committed to doing it. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Premier. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Well, that's good to hear about the work at the Council of Leaders with the working group on housing, and they're going to look at policies. But I guess I'm hoping that they're going to look at more than just policies, that they're actually going to be sharing information, as our government can and should as well, about what the housing needs are in terms of our stock and the programs and so on that we have in place.
Look, I don't really care who improves the housing. The question is getting the work done. And if partnerships are part of the answer, just go and do it, but. So I guess I want to get some assurance from the Premier that this working group is more than just looking at policies; this is about information sharing, coordination, and improving housing for everybody. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Premier.
Mr. Chair, to begin with, we started as just a housing, looking at the policies. But Minister Chinna can expand on what she's doing and what she plans to do, if you can pass it to Minister Chinna, Mr. Chair, through you.
Minister of Housing.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And, you know, since I've gotten the portfolio, I'm, you know, absolutely grateful that, you know, to be sitting in this seat as well too and really highlighting and looking at what is needed at the ground level. Policies is just it's just a fraction of what needs to be done.
We need to improve the relationships. We need to improve the programs that we absolutely deliver at the ground level. Our relationships with the Indigenous groups is key, and it is priority. And looking at I just want to elaborate on those partnerships as well too, where we're able to for an example, we looked at furnace repair. We did that in one of the communities where we funded the community to go ahead and establish and provide that service. We looked at building decks. We looked at siding. We looked at pilings as well too. So working through those initiative those projects.
Not only that, the other one is apprenticeships and working through that as well too and trying to highlight the opportunity with our 90unit delivery coming through the Northwest Territories and really enhancing and connecting with the communities. And as we move forward, we are going to see a lot of improvement in a lot of a lot of housing moving in a really different direction and really putting the Northwest Territories first and also looking at the funding.
I did just finish a presentation to the standing committee with the House of Commons last week as well too, which turned out to be very successful and was very well received as well.
We do also have a federal working table where I wanted to work with the federal government and look at all of the funding pots that are out there because there's not just specifically one; there's several of them. And I wanted those pots to be available to the people of the territories. But in response to that, very grateful that we did end up getting the $5 million over three years to support those federal applications.
I don't want to take up too much time but I'm, you know, quite passionate about it as well. All of our housing designs and energy efficiency designs as well, and that's all available to all of the Indigenous groups as well too. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.
No, that's thanks, Mr. Chair. That's all I've got on this one. Thank you.
Thank you. Ms. Martselos.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm just going to make a couple comments. I just one of the comments that my one of my colleagues said about Indigenous governments.
Indigenous governments always facilitate that they always want to have control of the funds for housing. It goes back, like, 17 years now, and every time there was allocations of $59 million to the federal to the territorial government, it was just another roadblock for them to actually do to actually control the funds and do the work. So saying that because I know that's the way it was every time we met as a group.
I also want to just make a statement on policy is not always the correct way of looking at the delivery of services. Once again, one size doesn't fit all. There are individual needs out there that have to be addressed. And many times as ordinary MLAs, we get calls of people who are couch surfing, people whose names have been on for four years on lists and have never been called. There's always these other issues that are very dear to all of us in this House, including the Cabinet Members, I'm sure.
And so you get into the homelessness issue and, you know, homelessness you said was, Madam Premier, one of your one of the things that you advocated on before your time as an MLA. And this government has addressed a lot of those concerns within the last budget with in this past budget with this budget that we're doing I should say with Hay River and Fort Simpson. And coming from a large community, a regional community, and all small communities, we should all be addressing homelessness in in our in a way that is innovative and so that we can all succeed. And I just feel that, you know, sometimes we have we have we have mini roadblocks just by expressing on some of the things we want to do.
And in consensus government, we should be able to sit down and work through those roadblocks but when you just get a no commitment and just oh, you're going to go back to the federal government, well, by that time there will be double the amount of homelessness in the community, and I don't agree with that.
And you know, I've been advocating on behalf of a group on homelessness, and this group has carried the homelessness majority of the funds have been coming from this one group, and now they have a solution, and they have an innovative solution, and I'd just like to know how you feel, Madam Premier, about the whole issue of homelessness and the whole issue of policy that the delivery of services doesn't always one size fits all. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think the MLA knows me well and she's just trying to testing me, but she's right. One size doesn't fit all. I know that we've you know, and I come from the NGO world. I'm a social worker by degree, and people always said one stop shopping and I've always been the one that says no, because what happens when that one person can't go in that building; they have nowhere else to shop. So, you know, I always say that you need to have flexibility in programs.
The reason I say that it's really important and it's a huge milestone that the Council of Leaders is actually doing a working group to look at the policies of the Housing Corporation is because the Housing Corporation doesn't have any legislation. All they have is policies. So being able to get them into the policies is like looking at their whole the whole way they operate. It's a huge milestone in my opinion. If they had legislation, it might be different. I might be saying move into that direction. But they don't.
So I think that you'll find I'm very hopeful that as they go forward, that I know all the Indigenous governments know one size doesn't fit all, and I know that they will bring flexibility I trust, in the process that they will bring flexibility within the policy.
So give us a chance. I know that we're just beginning that work. Let's see what happens. We're at mid term. This is new work. It's just, I think, in the last six months or so we put this on the table, and Minister Chinna's just getting her head around it. And I am hopeful that things will come, positive things will come from this. And I am hopeful that I also agree that homelessness is an issue that needs to be addressed, and if we can't address it all in fact, we can't address it all. We don't have enough money in the NWT to address it all from the GNWT. And we don't have all the answers. But by working together with the Indigenous governments, as you say that was what they wanted in the beginning, and us being open enough to being able to take that jump and working with them, I think we'll have better answers and better housing solutions for people. And my wish is that every single community in the NWT will have some kind of accommodations for homeless people because that's where I come from, and that's where my heart is. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Ms. Martselos.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The other thing I wanted to address is the homeownership program.
The homeownership program and also the we they're always there's always these thresholds that seem to be a barrier to ownership. So if you're at the very lower end of the scale, you can get ownership of because I know a couple, a young couple in Fort Smith who just started jobs and just started a new family, and they were told that they were over the threshold. And, you know, they're just starting out. They don't they bought a car and they wanted to buy the house they were in. And everything's with a threshold in this department. You have to think of all the inflation issues, all the other issues that are pending in our today's world, you know, with cost of food, cost of living, cost of fuel, cost of gas. All those things come into play. And I think that we have to be more innovative in the way we think with regards to these thresholds because, you know, every one of us, including all 19 of us, know that this is a the major problem with homeownership, there's always you know, and you want to give it to the people that are going to actually pay for the homeownership program that you know, and you have to be able to minimize those barriers, and I just wonder how we're going to be able to do that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Premier.
Mr. Chair, if you can divert that to the Minister of Housing, Minister
Minister Chinna.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And, you know, thank you to the Member for these questions because it's exactly where I'm sitting with the corporation, is looking at all those in flair rising costs, looking at all of those, and because I come from a smaller community. You know, Fort Good Hope in my riding was the most expensive community to be living in. We're looking at I think the last was $2.78 per litre for gas. And looking at the limited amount of time to get your supplies on the winter road just, you know, according to Minister Archie, the last post that we're going to be closing down in 72 hours. And I I hear you when I'm looking at looking at the housing needs in the North and looking at what needs to come with it.
Looking at those thresholds is something that I'm bringing back to the department because if you're making a hundred thousand dollars in Nunakput and you're paying, you know, $50 for a package of steak, you know, and if you're living in a home in Colville Lake and your fuel is $1,400 in four weeks, those are those are costs that I'm absolutely looking at. And I want to make those changes within this government. I need to look at those policies, and having the Council of Leaders at that same working table and getting that information right from the ground level, it really fuels and emphasizes the need for change in the Northwest Territories and how the Housing Corporation is actually doing business.
And I also just wanted to highlight, the other thing too is we have 2600 units, 45,000 people. I have an issue with that. You know, and when I had met the last and Nunavut had made had made some comments, and they've got, according to them, 10,000 units. And I thought, there's I asked my department to go back to making sure, is that number correct, because we only have 2600.
So it really fuels that conversation with the federal government as well too to to really look at those numbers, and looking at the operation and maintenance as well too for those units. But also I want to see more homeownership throughout the territory. I was, you know, born and raised in the Northwest Territories. I was around when they had the HAP units. Very successful program. And I would like to look at that and look at the opportunities. But with that, community driven, where we are able to provide that funding to the communities, support them with the the stipend based funding that they did receive. But it's up to them if they want to invite us to the table, and if they want to see what it is that we have to offer to them. But I'm more than open to be meeting with them. Council of Leaders is the first place to start. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Ms. Martselos. Ms. Cleveland.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. My first question for the Minister or sorry, for the Premier is in regards to the very first status on the first piece, which is working with including federal and Indigenous governments to increase funding for housing programs that currently that reads as fulfilled, and given that accessing or working with people or different partners to access funding is an ongoing and kind of a constant within the housing portfolio, I'm wondering if the Premier is willing to change that to ongoing and maintain that as ongoing for the life of this Assembly. Thank you.
Thank you. Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'd just like clarification. Exactly what is the Member wanting to get changed out of this how we do it? I want to make sure that I'm clear with that direction. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Ms. Cleveland.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, currently I'm in the line item of work with partners including the federal/Indigenous governments to increase funding for housing programs. It is marked as fulfilled.
Given that this is something that the Housing portfolio is constantly working on and that we don't want to lose sight of, I'm wondering if the Premier will commit to changing the status of that to ongoing so that we are consistently looking for additional funding opportunities. Thank you.
Thank you. Premier.
Thank you for the clarification. I thought she was looking at a different one but this is fine.
What I do recommend I'm not going to change all of these mandates. That's not going to happen. But what I will do with the status is put fulfilled and ongoing, if the Member's okay with that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Ms. Cleveland.
