Mr. Speaker, I welcome my colleagues back for the February to March 2023 sitting of the 19th Legislative Assembly. I hope you all had an opportunity over the last few months to spend time in your constituencies hearing from residents and stakeholders so we can collectively and collaboratively work together to advance the priorities of the people who elected us to represent them.
With just under eight months left in the life of this government, we have much work to do. We must find ways to continue to advance the priorities of the 19th Legislative Assembly in the spirit of partnership and collaboration. I, along with my Cabinet colleagues, look forward to working with you to improve the lives of residents.
The past three years have been interesting to say the least. At the beginning of this Legislative Assembly, the first global pandemic in over a century required us to quickly shift our focus and prioritize protecting the health and wellbeing of Northerners. As we slowly adjusted to COVID19 as endemic, we faced previously unseen flooding in communities, which challenged the Government of the Northwest Territories, communities and residents. Soon after, geopolitical instability, supply chain issues, and rising costs became a concern as Canada reached a 40year high inflation rate last summer. Cost increases continue to raise an already high cost of living for Northerners. All these issues have influenced the government’s priorities and resource investments.
Although we needed to shift our priorities depending on the situation, the work of government continued, and we have made significant progress on the commitments that make up the mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories. We have fulfilled 48 percent of our mandate commitments to date, up from 23.5 percent this time last year. 48 percent of commitments are in progress, down from 65 percent in February 2022, and we have no commitments still in the planning process. At this time, 4 percent of commitments are delayed and 0.5 percent have been discontinued.
Mr. Speaker, this progress has been made despite the government having to refocus and redeploy staff as we shifted our full attention to protecting the lives and wellbeing of residents during the COVID19 pandemic. When people look back at the legacy of this government and the 19th Legislative Assembly, it will primarily be remembered as the government that navigated the most significant public health crisis in the last century.
But, Mr. Speaker, we are so much more than that. Over the course of the next eight months, the Government of the Northwest Territories will deliver on a number of actions outlined in the mandate. This includes advancing several outstanding land claims with hope to conclude several of them. We will also complete a draft homelessness strategy to be tabled in this House; we will reduce the municipal funding gap by $5 million; complete regional economic development plans; and finish reviews on the Income Assistance and Student Financial Assistance Programs. Based on our mandate progress to date, I am confident and optimistic that by the end of this government, the Northwest Territories will be better positioned for a brighter future.
The last three years we have also increased the focus of reconciliation. Just a few short weeks ago, the Northwest Territories Council of Leaders, which this government is a member, agreed to a memorandum of understanding to work together to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. This MOU gives us a collaborative path forward on the development of a legislative framework for a new NWT law that will implement the United Nations declaration, and a fiveyear action plan to ensure effective implementation of the law.
This MOU is a powerful example of what reconciliation looks like. The Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to advancing the implementation of the United Nations declaration in the Northwest Territories and together, in partnership with Indigenous governments, we are one step closer to this historic achievement.
Mr. Speaker, Indigenous people have the right to enjoy the same benefits their fellow Canadians enjoy, including freedom from poverty, a firstworld standard of living, good physical and mental health, and access to goodpaying jobs, and economic opportunities in their home community and region. By implementing the United Nations declaration in partnership with Indigenous leadership, we are building an NWT in which the human rights of Indigenous peoples are respected, celebrated, and implemented in every aspect of society. I am confident that we will achieve this work in the life of this government.
While the Government of the Northwest Territories will be the home of the legislation, we must ensure, with our Indigenous government partners, that the legislative framework meets the needs of Indigenous people and the governments that represent them. The United Nations declaration will solidify already existing work that has been ongoing for decades in the Northwest Territories. Indigenous people must be part of the decisionmaking process, and their views and priorities must be represented at the very heart of our public government. They must not simply be a special interest group to be consulted as part of the process.
The Northwest Territories is a leader in Canada, and an example of how genuine partnerships with regional and community Indigenous governments, based on mutual respect and recognition, can lead to increased political selfdetermination and economic participation for the North’s Indigenous people.
This government has also been outstanding in our housing supports. We have brought more federal funding to the Northwest Territories for housing than ever seen before. By the end of this Legislative Assembly, we will have also implemented the largest increase in public housing units in decades, meeting one of the most critical mandate commitments of the 19th Legislative Assembly. By the fall of 2023, 100 new housing units will have been added to our public housing stock across the territory. In addition to the housing units put into place by the Government of the Northwest Territories, there has been an unprecedented investment in Indigenous government housing capacity.
Mr. Speaker, this major accomplishment was achieved because of strong partnerships we have built with Canada and Indigenous governments to address the diverse housing needs of residents in all regions of the territory. This collaborative work is helping us to develop housing solutions that will benefit residents and the communities in which they live. The GNWT recognizes that we cannot address the housing needs alone. We are pleased that Indigenous governments are now playing a significant role in housing, and the federal government continues to provide funding directly to Indigenous governments and to the GNWT for housing in the NWT.
There is not a onesizefitsall solution to housing in the territory. Indigenous communities and governments have different needs, aspirations, and varying capacity. Housing solutions must be tailored to their unique circumstances. Only through collaboration and partnership with Indigenous governments, Indigenous organizations, and communities, will we be able to effectively address the NWT's housing crisis and put us on a clear path to meet our mandate commitment to increase the number of affordable homes and reduce core housing need in communities across the territory.
The Government of Northwest Territories is also committed to an energy system that contributes to the territory’s economic, social, and environmental wellbeing, while doing our part to transition to a lower carbon economy. The GNWT, with the assistance of the federal government, plans to invest approximately $194 million to implement the 2030 Energy Strategy over the next three years. This is on top of the approximately $138 million worth of energyrelated investments made as part of the 20192022 Energy Action Plan. These investments support the goal of making our energy system more affordable and reliable while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. They will help stabilize the cost of power, increase alternative and renewable energy use, and explore the potential for longer term transformational projects and emerging technologies. By 2025, we will have reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by 51 kilotons, and our reduction trends show that we are on our way to meeting the reduction target, which is 30 percent of 2005 levels, by 2030.
The rising cost of living is having a significant impact on NWT residents and businesses. Access to secure, affordable, and sustainable energy is vital for economic growth in the territory. By making investments that stabilize the cost of power, increase the use of alternative and renewable energy, and advance plans like the Inuvik Wind Project, the Fort ProvidenceKakisa Transmission Line, and the Taltson Hydroelectricity Expansion Project, we are not only doing our part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but we are also supporting a green economy in the North.
Mr. Speaker, in early December 2022, I was in Ottawa with Members of Cabinet, to meet with federal cabinet ministers and the prime minister, to make our case on several key priorities in advance of the 2023 federal budget. These priorities help set the Northwest Territories up for economic growth and social success. We want to build on the partnership we had with Canada during the pandemic and to move key initiatives forward. Canada has been a supportive partner, but we need to move towards additional investment. We want to create connections in the territory. We want to expand our green energy potential, support a netzero future, expand our critical mineral opportunities, make education for Northerners more accessible, and build strong, safe, and thriving communities that demonstrate security through sovereignty.
However, with our limited resources, collaboration with the Government of Canada and Indigenous governments is critical to closing the gap between the North and southern Canada. Projects like the Taltson Hydro Expansion, Mackenzie Valley Highway, and the creation of the Northwest Territories' first polytechnic university, will develop our economic potential, support the transition to a green economy, and improve the quality of life for residents in the NWT.
We have a lot to offer, and we want to contribute to Canada’s economic future. The transformational opportunities that exist will not only support the development of our true economic potential, they will support national efforts to transition to a lowcarbon economy and create longlasting economic benefits that will be good for all Canadians.
The Northwest Territories is positioned to be at the heart of the shift to a lowcarbon economy. This means we can be a leader in the green mining and green energy technologies needed to help grow Canada’s economy and achieve its objective of netzero emissions by 2050. Resource revenues from the development of critical minerals and natural resources will provide direct benefit to our government, Indigenous governments, and to Canada.
In an interview late last year, I was asked about the general criticism that the Government of the Northwest Territories does not know how to do things differently and when it comes to the economy, we are stuck in our ways. Our government is just too small to make transformational investments on its own. We do not have the population base to generate revenues adequate to run the kind of catchup needed given the history of development in the Arctic versus elsewhere. Canada’s leading economic provinces did not get to where they are today without the support of federal investment and private investors. The North is in a similar position today. The opportunity exists, and we must establish the partnerships and build the relationships that will bring investment into our territory for the benefit of all our residents.
Mr. Speaker, this is a crucial time for the Northwest Territories. As I mentioned earlier, this pivotal time gives me hope for our future. Investments in infrastructure are needed and, arguably, owed to the people who call Canada’s North home. We have spent this government building the necessary relationships in Ottawa to advance projects that will change the Northwest Territories. We are in a position to see the hard work we have put in over the last three years pay off in a way that will alter the territory’s future for the better. We have changed how we do things when it comes to working with Indigenous governments. These changes will help support current and future economic growth and prosperity, as well as the economic selfdetermination of Indigenous governments across the territory.
The Legislative Development Protocol is the first agreement of its kind in Canada. It supports the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by respecting, consulting, and collaborating with Indigenous governments on land and resource management.
Mr. Speaker, I have never been content with negotiations continuing the way they have in the past. I made it clear when I ran for Premier that it was time to focus on collaboration and partnership. Change was needed. That is why we have eliminated the negotiating mandate on core principles and objectives from our negotiation approach in the interests of making progress, and because it was the right thing to do. For the first time, we have made public the key principles and interests that guide the Government of the Northwest Territories at the negotiating table to ensure transparency and clarity to the other negotiating parties. No more do negotiators have to guess what our mandates are.
As a government, we have unpacked how we procure goods and services and prepare the contracts to see them through. We are exploring a benefit retention approach, and we are prepared to make changes as necessary to ensure the most benefit to northern businesses and residents.
Mr. Speaker, these are longstanding foundational elements of our economy that we are opening up. We are working to increase regional decisionmaking when it comes to the economy. We will introduce an innovation action plan, a first for the Northwest Territories, in the area of the knowledge economy. We have turned the page to a new chapter for the NWT mining industry that is focused on rare earth elements and critical minerals. We are leveraging Indigenous partnership and participation in mining, as well as our robust regulatory system of which we are a leader in environmental, social, and governance practices. These are not examples of the same ole same ole. They are changes that will affect not only this government but will impact the way we do business in the future.
Mr. Speaker, this sitting, several bills will be introduced in the Legislative Assembly as part of our efforts to advance legislative initiatives that this government has been working on over the course of this term. We are expecting to introduce several bills during this sitting, including bills that will advance reconciliation, improve healthcare, support businesses, impact women's lives across the territory, and support our collective efforts to improve the lives of residents and communities. This work can only be completed by working closely with Regular MLAs in the spirit of collaboration and partnership. I look forward to healthy constructive discussion and debate on these legislative initiatives.
The Finance Minister has tabled the last budget of the 19th Legislative Assembly. This budget focuses on where we are going in the next eight months to ensure that the momentum that we have created carries on to the next Legislative Assembly.
Mr. Speaker, we are putting the COVID19 pandemic behind us. Despite the challenges faced, the Government of the Northwest Territories has maintained stability during a time of uncertainty. We have worked hard to avoid reductions to the public service and to the programs and services we deliver to residents. Budget 20232024 will assist in ensuring future governments have the longterm fiscal sustainability needed to continue providing the support that residents need. Our accomplishments as a government over the course of our term, the work we continue to achieve, and the opportunities that await us in the future are all about partnerships, Mr. Speaker. Without investing the time and energy into these partnerships with the federal government, Indigenous leaders, community leaders, the business sector, and residents across the Northwest Territories, I might be standing here less optimistic about what the future holds for our territory.
Our work in this House, as Ministers and Members of the Legislative Assembly, is so important. We may not always agree, but we are all here to do what we think is best for the residents of the Northwest Territories and advocate on their behalf when called upon. I look forward to seeing what we achieve this sitting and over the remainder of the 19th Legislative Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
