Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
I outlined some concerns with the recent socioeconomic forum held in December. I received several commitments that this would be an inclusive event. Those promises were not kept. How can we get everyone on board to improve benefit retention when the Minister continues to exclude key players like Aurora College, NGOs, and the NWT Association of Communities. Can the Minister explain why the participants included only GNWT staff, the mining industry, and a few Indigenous government staff at this socalled "forum?" Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, this work arises from the mandate document that is published on the GNWT's website, specifically under the priority commitment to adopt a benefit retention approach to economic development, a commitment that was agreed to on behalf of the Assembly, and then the mandate document that was determined thereafter where it says, host a socioeconomic forum with representatives from the mining industry, Indigenous governments, and the GNWT, to identify ways to work together to increase the socioeconomic benefits from resource development.
In fact, Mr. Speaker, we went further than that, though, and did in fact invite, and have involved since day one, the Native Women's Association and have certainly encouraged participation from all Members of this Cabinet, which certainly includes input from other departments, including ECE. And so, Mr. Speaker, you know, again and on top of that, Mr. Speaker, one last thing. This work has been going on since 2017. The Mineral Resources Act has been under contemplation since 2017. Nothing is lost. Any input in that process speaking to socioeconomic agreements is not lost. And any opportunity that other organizations may want to contact my office, to contact ITI, have been met with and welcomed and will continue to be welcomed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. You can't call it a forum when you purposefully exclude some parties; I just don't get it. But there was a very large, and no doubt expensive, report commissioned on socioeconomic agreements and was released only after this event with no public fanfare. It clearly shows that our current approach is failing to secure and retain benefits.
So can the Minister explain why that report was not or why the people that did the report didn't present it at the forum; why it was only released after the event; and why there's been no news release or even notice on the release of this work? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to pick which question I'm going to answer, Mr. Speaker, but let me see how many of them I can get through in a reasonable amount of time.
There is a fairly detailed report, Mr. Speaker. It's extensive, it's lengthy, and it certainly is being produced in the context again of a massive project under the Mineral Resources Act to develop regulations that will apply to that entire act under multiple streams, including socioeconomic agreements, which right now, Mr. Speaker, are not policybased. They're one by one. That's not how we want to do this going forward. We want this to be not only policybased but actually in regulations, to provide guidance to everyone, to make them more public, and to make it more clear exactly what's at stake.
Mr. Speaker, that lengthy detailed background piece of work was not included initially. It was clear from the participants that they wanted to see it, that they were prepared to go through it, and that's why it was released after. And there's certainly since that time been now almost two months of opportunity for folks to respond back and to speak to the details therein.
As for fanfare, Mr. Speaker, it seems to me there's been a lot of mention and a lot of opportunity for people to be aware of the work of the socioeconomic review. I am not I'm certain and confident that those interested have had an opportunity to make their interests known. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Colleagues, before we continue, twopart questions are acceptable but maybe not four or five. Just for the future. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I accept that, and of course I'm a little bit excited but, you know, it's question period. I don't actually expect to get answers. But aside from that recent onehour public discussion with Alternatives North on socioeconomic agreements at the invitation of the organization and ITI wouldn't actually allow the event to be recorded I'm not aware of any public engagement on this massive report that the department commissioned.
So can the Minister tell us whether there will be any public engagement on the socioeconomic agreement program review in the report? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, at this point overall public awareness and opportunity for engagement with ITI broadly, and at different stages of the development of the Mineral Resources Act and its regulations, started back in 2017, back with the development of the Mineral Resources Act, back with understanding what the public's general desire and wishes were for that piece of legislation. There was a fulsome consultative process at that time. None of that is lost. All of that has filtered back now into the process of developing the regulations. And in the regulation process, where it's into the weeds and into the specifics, there have been invitational opportunities and targeted opportunities with public reporting in the usual fashion. There's the open portal websites where people can provide their information. And there have been these opportunities for the targeted forums for those wishing for more specific opportunity. There's actually been two meetings with Alternatives North. I had the opportunity to sit with them as well as the department sat down with them thereafter. And now, Mr. Speaker, we're trying desperately to get to a point, Mr. Speaker, where some decisions can get made and drafting can get done so that this work can actually get underway and be delivered upon. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final short supplementary. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I'm well on record as to the systemic issues with ITI's approach on public engagement on the mining regulations, and this has been repeated again with this disconnected socioeconomic program review. The command control model for public engagement and regulatory capture are alive and well in this department, as proven again by this event.
So can the Minister tell us what she is doing to ensure public participation in the development of resource management legislation and regulations and the decisionmaking itself? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again, there has actually been quite a lot of public engagement in the last six years, quite a lot of feedback provided, not the least of which even includes the dialogue within this House. That is not lost. There's always public servants listening to everything that's said here. There's public servants that attend every public briefing in standing committee. There's been public servants involved in this work, again, since 2017, getting a very solid and thorough understanding. And now the work has gone through a process of codevelopment with Indigenous governments who also have gone out and done their own work to engage with their residents and those that they represent.
Mr. Speaker, I certainly make it my practice to try very hard never to turn down any ask for a meeting, any ask for an opportunity to submit letters or comments. And there's been open portals on all the various pieces of the Mineral Resources Act regulations as they've gone along. I'll continue with that process, Mr. Speaker. I'm always happy to receive things, whether through that formal process or through a less formal process, as are members of the staff and officials at ITI. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have not asked this question in about a year. So I hope the Minister will have a different answer for me.
Has the Minister found a way to reduce the 460 percent increase in minimum land lease rent costs for territorial land leaseholders? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister responsible for Lands.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I thank the Member for the question. I can tell you right now she's probably not going to like the answer, but I'm going to tell you what it is. As we developed the regulations, lease costs are part of that process. It's been taking us longer because we're going through a new process called working through the intergovernmental council land and resource management legislation development process. So we need to be working with our Indigenous governments, and we're going back and forth. Lease fees and I can tell you right now, lease fees were the top issue that were identified in the public engagement on the Public Land Act, and the department will seek public review on proposed regulations once they are developed.
Mr. Speaker, I'm looking forward to sharing this information with committee, and I'm looking forward to their comments as we move forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Lands has previously stated that the government only increased lease rent fees was to create more revenue for the government. Well, can the Minister share with us how much more revenue the Government of the Northwest Territories has made since these fees were increased compared to the revenues before that? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the 18th Assembly, this may have been said. I can guarantee you I have not said that; it wasn't part of what I believe. And as the Member said, I asked 83 questions 72 times I stood up in this House to ask these questions, so. So just so everybody's aware, lease rental reviews are conducted every five years, depending on the start date of the lease. Since the lease increase in 2018, the Department of Lands lease revenue has increased by approximately $1.034 million. This does not include the 20222023 fiscal year and the COVID relief when we did that for that year, for the COVID relief there. And, again, some of this revenue is with new increases with new leases. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, will the Minister recommit to visit Fort Smith for a public meeting to discuss the issue of land lease rent fees and all related issues before the end of the 19th Assembly?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I'll commit that. I've already committed to the Member. We'll get in there to have a meeting before the 19th Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
At least I got one yes from him. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister give me a date for when he will visit Fort Smith for the public meeting? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can't make that commitment here today; I don't have my calendar. I don't have what the Member's calendar is. But our staff my staff and her staff can work together, and I'll work with the Member to get this done. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It seems to me that there are a number of solutions to make sure that the nursing licensing process runs smoothly. Ontario is exploring as of right nursing licenses for any other Canadian nurse. A number of provinces have issued ministerial directives with timelines in them. Perhaps some sort of temporary license while the whole process goes through is possible. Or, you know, perhaps it's as simple as accepting a less kind of formal version of the paperwork so we can make sure that these processes are running timely. I don't know exactly what the solution is, but I have to believe this is a solvable problem.
So my question for the Minister of health is she willing to work with the Registered Nursing Association of the NWT and Nunavut and make sure we have a clear and efficient process to get these licenses processed? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question. So the licensing of nurses of all kinds is handled by the Registered Nurses Association of the NWT and Nunavut. So they're the ones who process the registration application. And the application does require proof of credentials, prior work sites, hours worked, and so on and so forth. That means that often they have to apply to the licensing authority where they were previously employed for paperwork. And as the Member said in his statement, in the case of Ontario it took a couple of months to get that lined up. So I don't know how the registered nurses association can speed up the process. It's something I can ask them about but they have the ultimate authority. And it's the authority we want them to have to ensure that nurses that we welcome in the NWT are qualified to work here. Thank you.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know, I think there's a bit of a I appreciate the Minister saying that. And, you know, I think there's a bit of a first step is a meeting to kind of figure out if they recognize any processes they could speed up on their end. I recognize a lot of this is in other provinces' nursing associations hands. But it seems to me if this is just going to be the reality accepted, then some sort of larger step is needed. And whether that is legislating timelines, ultimately we do have control, whether that's a ministerial directive. I do believe that, you know, if they're not willing to make sure their process is running smoothly, the Minister has to look at other options. So I guess I'll just confirm the Minister's commitment that she will meet with or her staff will meet with the registered nursing association and see if there's anything that can be done in the shortterm to speed up this process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm certainly willing to make that commitment to meet with the nurses association and see if there is anything that we can assist them to do to speed up the licensing. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to first ask some questions to the housing minister in regards to data collection as a whole for the organization.
Right off the top, Mr. Speaker, I'm wondering if the Minister will commit to changing the current data collection practices of Housing NWT and commit to strategic data collection and analysis? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question. I'm always looking for different ways of doing things within this portfolio as well too, and this has been discussed already. And and answer to her question is yes. This is a focus of the strategic renewal that is currently underway. As an example, we are working with data with the Indigenous governments, looking at their distinctionbased funding and how they are going to be spending it. Whether they want to have those discussions with us or not, it takes a whole of a government, and also the community governments as well too, to address the housing needs. But in order to identify them, we need to be working together in order to collect that data information. That's the first approach. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for that yes. I'm wondering, Mr. Speaker, if the Minister is working with ISSS to determine best practices and available systems for data collection, management, analysis, and use. If not, will the Minister commit to working with ISSS to determine a solution for integrated data collection management and use? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I hope the Member is going to be quite happy. This is going to be her second yes. Housing is already working with ISSS to complete necessary system changes. With the renewal and program changes, we are working on a number of areas. We are looking at also including a creating a data dashboard that will make the data collect more easily, accessible for the decisionmakers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I want to thank the Minister as well. Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge that data sharing increases the risk of exposure as well as potential for bias. But there are existing frameworks that work to reduce this bias. The First Nations principles of ownership, control, access, and possession assert that First Nations have control over the data collection process. This is also known as OCAP and is the framework that protects Indigenous sovereignty as well as people at risk of or experiencing homelessness. In addition to those concerns, experiencing homelessness, or the broad structural factors that impact housing, is a traumatic experience. So will the housing minister commit to trauma informed data collection through frameworks like OCAP? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, housing is aware of the potential impacts and risks of data collection, both for Indigenous people and the public. As part of the renewal strategy, housing is aiming to take a traumainformed approach, not just to data collection but to client service as well too. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Why stop at three, let's try for a fourth.
Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge that the Minister did inform us that housing is intending to create a data dashboard with the information that they collect, and I want to thank the Minister for that. The Minister might remember that the Department of Finance also has their open data portal that was recently released. And I'm wondering if the Minister of Housing will commit to ensuring that collected housing data is, where appropriate, updated on the GNWT's open data portal as well so that we have a consolidated solution for GNWT data for the residents of the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we collect information and create this data collection, I will update the Members as well. I just want to be careful on how this information is going to be distributed and how the files are going to be handled. I will follow up with the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier I had mentioned that we're in a housing crisis here in the Northwest Territories. I'm not really sure whether or not the Indigenous governments here in the Northwest Territories know that the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Housing Corporation are making application to CIRNAC to apply for grant money, to take that money and then reinvest it in fixing up public housing, when they're supposed to be using that money to be dealing with the housing crisis here in the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, as my statement earlier today, I rise to request that the Honourable Premier engage in meeting with the Dene Nation and its member First Nations to ensure the remaining federal investment dollars in public housing is used exclusively to support safe and affordable housing in our communities. Will the Premier take action? Mr. Speaker, this question will be to the Deputy Premier. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Tu NedheWiilideh. Deputy Premier.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to start off by saying the homeless strategy is a priority of this government. As a result, it's being led by the Premier. So meeting the Northwest Territories needs is bigger than any single government or organization. It's critical that we take coordinated interdepartmental approach and work in partnership with Indigenous governments and the Government of Canada, as well as community governments and other stakeholders. Mr. Speaker, Premier's not here today so I would hate to commit her to meeting with Indigenous groups but I will bring it up to her. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wanted to call the Guiness Book of Records because I heard too many yes’s today.
Mr. Speaker, in her capacity as the Minister in Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs, how has the Premier engaged with First Nations, and the Dene Nation in particular, on the $60 million into housing because what happens is that they're taking that money to deal with their own housing crisis, but they're fixing up public housing. But yet in our communities, we're suffering. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do want to note that the Premier and Cabinet have been meeting in several discussions with people like Council of Leaders, bilateral meetings. So, I mean, we are meeting with the Indigenous groups. I also do want to note, Mr. Speaker, that Housing NWT works as well with Indigenous governments to be able to facilitate conversations about housing priorities and to have conversations about how to support each other because, Mr. Speaker, I think that's very important. You know, as we look at this housing strategy, we as a government as a whole need to start looking at some actions. And I think that breaking down barriers between government departments is probably a first step. That's why we have the first draft of the homeless strategy which will be released to standing committee. And I think standing committee will be very happy to know that and the public during this session because it takes a whole of a government approach, and I can't stress that importance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
