Mr. Speaker, with the new year ahead of us, I am pleased to highlight the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission's new strategic plan, Paths Towards Safety 2023–2027, which is available for everyone to view on the WSCC's website. This document, along with the ongoing input from employers, partners, and workers, will guide the Commission's work over the next five years. Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission's mission is to promote workplace health and safety while providing nofault insurance to employers and care for injured workers. The new strategic plan provides a roadmap of how the WSCC will move forward by identifying the short, medium, and longterm goals during the fiveyear strategic cycle.
WSCC's three priority areas are:
Advancing safety outcomes to eliminate workplace disease and injuries. WSCC has an ongoing commitment to support safe workplaces, to continuously raise awareness of safety rights and responsibilities of both workers and employers, and to prevent and reduce workplace accidents and injuries.
Delivering quality services by enhancing processes and empowering staff to provide timely, accessible, understandable, effective, and culturally safe services and clear communication to northerners. Quality services incorporate WSCC's organizational values of respect, engagement, integrity, openness, cultural safety, excellence, and stewardship, are a foundation of our mission. And,
Ensuring financial sustainability so that every injured worker is cared for now and into the future. The WSCC maintains the workers' protection fund, which covers injured worker claims costs by using a fiscally responsible funding mechanism that is fair to all employers.
A high level of transparency, accountability, and engagement is critical to the success of the Commission's work. Each section of this plan describes the performance measures that shows progress. WSCC will use these measures to guide their annual corporate planning process and to report on progress each year.
There is no single path to achieve the WSCC's vision to eliminate workplace disease and injury. However, Paths Towards Safety represents that many different approaches that they take to make workplaces safer every day, as well as the diverse paths many employers across all communities in the Northwest Territories take to improve the safety culture at each worksite. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment.
Mr. Speaker, at long last, it gives me great pleasure to announce that the members of the new Aurora College Board of Governors have been selected. I would like to welcome and congratulate the following individuals on their appointments:
Joseph Handley of Yellowknife;
Lorraine Tordiff of Fort Smith;
Lucy Kuptana of Tuktoyaktuk;
Rebecca Plotner of Yellowknife;
Tom Colosimo of Hay River;
Jack Rowe of Hay River;
David Hurley of Yellowknife;
Kevin Antoniak of Fort Smith;
Stephanie IrlbacherFox of Yellowknife;
Richard Boudreault of Quebec;
Student member, Cayla Gillis;
Instructional staff member, Wanda Roberts; and,
Noninstructional staff member, Xiaoyi Yan.
Applause
Thank you, colleagues. The board of governors is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Aurora College Mandate Agreement, which is an agreement between the Minister and the board that sets the shared strategic priorities and the scope of activities to be undertaken by the college. The first mandate agreement was released on March 1, 2023.
Mr. Speaker, the commitment to transform Aurora College into a polytechnic university was first made in the 18th Legislative Assembly. The selection of the board represents an important step we are taking towards shifting this institution and establishing a fullyaccredited polytechnic university in the Northwest Territories.
I also want to note another critical milestone. The Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Social Work programs have been reviewed and will be offered once again beginning in September 2024, along with a new general arts and science program. These madeintheNorth degree programs will allow students to complete their education close to home, stay connected with their culture and land, and help fill critical gaps in the labour force.
Although the timing of certain critical milestones related to the transformation have been adjusted, all commitments are still on track to be fulfilled by October 2026. This includes the planning for the establishment of the Indigenous KnowledgeHolders Council, which will ensure an Indigenous lens is applied to all aspects of the college. I encourage everyone who is interested in the transformation or the new timeline to visit the Aurora College transformation website.
Mr. Speaker, there is still a lot of work to do. I would like to thank the champions of the polytechnic university for their continued efforts, and I look forward to keeping Members and NWT residents informed along the way.
In closing, I would like to thank Mr. Denny Rodgers for his nearly six years of service as the administrator of the Aurora College. Mr. Rodgers provided stable and consistent leadership during a time of significant change, across multiple Ministers and presidents, and through a worldwide pandemic. I have enjoyed working with him, and his efforts and contributions are greatly appreciated.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Madam Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Caroline Wawzonek will be absent from the House today and tomorrow to attend the Prospector and Developers Association of Canada's convention in Toronto, Ontario. Also, Mr. Speaker, I will be absent for a portion of today's proceedings to participate in a meeting with honourable Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence of Canada. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, too often residents are receiving notices of physician shortages in Hay River. And without physicians in the community, proper health care cannot be dispensed. This may mean turning away those who are in need of emergency care, routine appointments, palliative care, detox services, and mental health services. Mr. Speaker, it is no secret that the community of Hay River is having issues with staffing of physicians for the Hay River Regional Health Centre. This issue has been ongoing for some time and continues to affect timely access to healthcare and degrades the quality of services expected by residents.
Mr. Speaker, the catchment area for the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority includes a population of approximately 5,000 people. Canada has an average of 2.41 physicians per 1,000 population a statistic that would translate into approximately 12 physicians for Hay River. At present, we have one locum in the community when, in fact what is needed as a minimum to provide proper and timely healthcare services, is 5.6 FTE positions.
Mr. Speaker, Hay River is fortunate to have dedicated permanent healthcare staff in place; however, without physicians and a full staff complement of healthcare workers, we may well see many of those employees leave to seek employment elsewhere. Working with limited physician support places stress on staff and management. When I say stress, I am talking about frontline staff and management working in an environment where they are unable to provide consistent, quality, and timely healthcare to residents.
These frontline workers are hearing and feeling the frustration of residents who are seeking timely access to a system that appears to be crumbling around them. Mr. Speaker, except for physicians, the Hay River HSSA recruits all other medical staff. But for some reason, and consistently, Hay River is without a full complement of physicians or, for that matter, any physicians at all. This is placing residents' health and life at risk. Although we welcome locums, our reliance on their services may result in their unfamiliarity with patient files, local cultural differences, medical staff, and processes, all which may affect one's diagnosis, treatment, and followup visits.
Change is needed in how physicians are recruited at HRHSSA. After all, we have a department with a $600 million budget whose sole responsibility is that of providing and delivering timely and quality healthcare to residents and with that budget, we are failing those residents in Hay River. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Members' statements. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, some would say you can't put a price on Indigenous knowledge that has been passed down since time immemorial. But that's exactly what the GNWT has done with their honorarium policy. It is a pittance. The knowledge passed down since time immemorial when Indigenous elders is the foundation of our northern society. Indigenous knowledge is a set of complex knowledge system based on our world views, it reflects the unique culture, language, values, histories, governance and legal system of Indigenous people. It is based on cumulative and dynamic First Nation, Inuit, and Metis communities’ whole knowledge system that involved living well and being in a relationship with the natural world. These systems build upon the experience of earlier generation and informs the practice of current generation and involving contemporary society.
Mr. Speaker, I am calling on this government's ongoing disrespect and undervalue of the Indigenous knowledgeholders who are requested to share their expertise. Not much has since the duty to consult with Indigenous people was checked, the consultation box, and the government not really wanting to hear from us.
This is slowly shifting to actively learning and listening but for far too long, the GNWT has set aside standard rates as a fixed honorarium of $250 a day for Indigenous knowledgeholders. $250 day is taken advantage of Indigenous people. It is insulting and it is clear, and it stems from colonization and constant evolving of our Indigenous teaching and wisdom.
The events that shines the light on inadequate compensation is upcoming for a fur forum planned for the end of March. We all know that the fur industry has been steadied attacked and for decades by socalled animal rights activists and demand for fur has been on the downward spiral since. What was once a thriving economic livelihood for Indigenous people is almost nonexistent. Now, finally in 2023, the Indigenous government is planning to bring together those who have taken a stake in these resurgence and revitalization of the NWT fur industry. Make no mistake, we have something very marketable to the world economy here. Wild fur harvested by Indigenous trappers is culturally appropriate and harvested in a humane manner. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my Member's statement.
Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, colleagues. Trappers are the knowledgekeepers with the equivalent of PhD in this industry. The artist of business owners working with fur hold integral knowledge to moving this industry forward. Their world view and Indigenous knowledge are vital to the success of this government's efforts. We need to the shift our mindset to understanding the immense value of knowledgeholders in the participating of informing government direction and policies. These contributions to public policies are more than valuable. They are integral for reconciliation and collaboration. It is time that we ensure that these knowledgeholders be fairly compensated and respected for their vital contribution and service to our territorial economy. I would have questions for the appropriate Minister at the appropriate time. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Tu NedheWiilideh. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we speak, Mr. Speaker, as of 5:30 this morning, Sachs Harbour is under level 2 emergency for the power. The generators being used to power the community are having difficulty to restart. The Minister reassured me that they have a power crew going in to work with the community to get the power back up and running and get the work done but unfortunately the situation is that our backup generators, our the last line of power in the community, are not working either.
Mr. Speaker, Sachs Harbour is the most northerly community in the Northwest Territories and the farthest north, the coldest tonight; it is minus 40. The power in the community for extended period of time, and it is a matter of survival. There is no other generator in regards to powering up and heating homes for the community, Mr. Speaker. This is far too cold for our elders, our young families, and just for anyone to go without power, Mr. Speaker.
In 2019, nearly $10 million was secured to replace Sachs Harbour and the 43yearold diesel plant. But Mr. Speaker, this is almost four years now later, and it still hasn't been complete. NTPC reports that the construction and the new diesel plant in Sachs Harbour will begin early 2020 but unfortunately the community is still waiting, and it's not done. Mr. Speaker, now we are barely hanging on to our backup generators in place. I will have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Members' statements. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for my statement today I am going to talk about the disaster assistance policy under the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Mr. Speaker, last year, the Government of the Northwest Territories completed a comprehensive review of MACA's disaster assistance policy following the flood disasters of 2021. I agreed with this review for a variety of reasons but primarily because the policy was outdated and needed modernizing to account for climate change and the changing nature of natural disasters. I was initially hopeful that this review might address some of the service gaps that the old disaster policy did not cover, but I was very disappointed with the updated policy that came out last May.
First of all, Mr. Speaker, I had suggested to the Minister of MACA several times that the updated policy must be expanded and eligible to more people when a natural disaster occurs. I told him that the new policy must account for unique and extraordinary events that may occur within the NWT, especially with the onset of climate change which brings an increased likelihood of extreme weather events. However, Mr. Speaker, I was disappointed to learn that the updates to this policy did not go far enough in helping victims of natural disasters.
The first part of the new policy I didn't like was the way the term "disaster" was defined, which is an emergency caused by a natural phenomena of unusual proportion affecting a large number of people which threatens loss of life, injury, property damage, or economic disruption.
The second aspect I didn't like was that under the list of emergencies that will be eligible for assistance, there is no mention of tornados which is odd because, while very rare, there has been least one well documented tornado in the NWT in the last few years.
The third part of this policy that I did not agree with is the section that lists excluded situations where assistance is not eligible which includes an event affecting a single sector or property. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
Unanimous consent granted
In closing, Mr. Speaker, I don’t want to start any conspiracy theories here, but it appears awfully coincidental that among the new changes to the disaster assistance policy, there are specific allocations that would make what happened to my constituent whose house was destroyed by a tornado ineligible for any coverage under this policy. It just does not make any sense to me that the Government of the Northwest Territories would not extend this policy to events that only affected one property. Why is that victims are only eligible for coverage under this policy if there was damage or widespread that a significant number of people or properties were affected? These are questions that need to be answered publicly. I will have questions for the question of MACA at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. Earlier this sitting, my colleague from Yellowknife North gave a statement promoting the virtues of electric bicycles, or ebikes, and questioning the government's level of support for their introduction. I'll add to that endorsement today with some further thoughts received from a resident.
The main point is that the very limited $10,000 devoted to ebikes compared to electrical vehicles fails to put the money where it will do the most good. Electric cars are great but ebikes have a more significant environmental benefit, don't require expensive charging infrastructure, are being purchased by northerners in much greater quantities, and are more suitable for our northern climate because the batteries can be removed and kept warm inside a building. The proposed limitation of rebates for ebikes to people living in hydro zones fails to recognize the immense environmental benefits provided by ebikes. Calculations indicate that a full charge on a typical ebike would use less than 1 kilowatt hour of electricity and require about 0.3 litres of diesel at the power plant. An average truck will burn more than that amount in ten minutes of idling, Mr. Speaker. By the time a driver warms their vehicle in the winter, it's already consumed more diesel than the power plant would to fully charge an ebike. So ebikes make sense in nonhydro communities. So if someone charges an ebike in a dieselpowered community and uses that bike rather than a passenger vehicle, the emissions reductions are even more significant. We should expand this program to the entire NWT.
Other the opportunity will be reprofiling of funds within Arctic Energy Alliance. My understanding is that there will be $10,000 for ebike rebates, $20,000 for ontheland evehicles such as snowmobiles and quads, and $200,000 for ecars and charging stations. There are not a lot of proven designs for ontheland evehicles now so we should ensure that money can be reprofiled to the ebike fund, when demands exceeds the mere $10,000. I'll have questions for the Minister of Infrastructure regarding the ebike rebate program.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, since 2020, I have been raising my concerns with the delivery of dental services in the Northwest Territories. In the NWT, in order for a dental hygienist to work they need to be under a dentist. So if you are a dental hygienist in the Northwest Territories, you are not able to provide your services unless you work under a dentist. This is not the way many other jurisdictions in Canada operate.
Mr. Speaker, we know that oral health in the Northwest Territories, and especially in small communities, is a problem. We also know that oral health in Indigenous people is extremely different than nonIndigenous people. We know that prevention is the key of oral health. Recognizing the difference in health outcomes between Indigenous and nonIndigenous populations, dental prevention services in the NWT need to be greatly improved and this should be considered an act of reconciliation.
Mr. Speaker, prevention services for oral health has always been limited in the North and this problem has been amplified since COVID19. Now Mr. Speaker, we are seeing all patients from all communities in the NWT who are in pain and struggling to take care of their teeth. From young children to the elderly, we are seeing major challenges with dental problems. The problem has increased so much we can't even get through the dental emergencies.
So why is the NWT limiting dental hygienists' services in the NWT right now? The Dental Auxiliary Act requires dental hygienists to be registered under a dentist, that's why. And so all service provided by a dental hygienist are at the discretion of a dentist. Mr. Speaker, we know that there is a major backlog in dental services in the NWT, and that are people are literally in pain. If we change the legislation to recognize dental hygienists are professionals in their own right, we open up the doors to letting them get into our communities and to provide the much-needed preventative services that are required. Not only could our Indigenous government contract these dental hygienists to provide much needed service to their communities, the GNWT could support dental hygienists' travel just as they do for dental travel. If we can get the hygienists into the community, we open up the opportunities for them to do business and services our residents broadly and consistently need. So why are we preventing the delivery of this much needed service? I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services later today.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, more needs to be done to protect our people, especially our young people from crack cocaine and other drugs. At one time we all know that we had no drugs in many of the small communities. It was unheard of. Now we hear about it and see it everywhere and the communities have had enough.
In 2018, the NWT tobacco, alcohol and drug survey shared that 16 percent of people aged 15 and up had used crack cocaine at least once in their lifetime. Additionally, Indigenous people in the NWT had used crack cocaine at 22 percent. This is two times greater than nonIndigenous people. In Behchoko, youth are being targeted. Our young people are our future leaders. We need to do everything possible to protect their lives from drug dealers and ensure they have a good life ahead of them. The RCMP need to act and work with the Indigenous governments to understand the challenges. They need to talk with the community. We know who the drug dealers are, and we know some of them even live in public housing. Beyond enforcement, Mr. Speaker, we need to be able to direct our young people to safe healthcare and treatment. Our young people need opportunities for their lives, for their health, healing, and strong cultural identities.
Our people never traditionally used drugs. We are in crisis in many of the small communities. The accessibility of crack cocaine is far too easy. Our communities need more RCMP on the ground and as this crisis seems to grow, the drug dealers are killing the dreams and aspirations of our future generations. These kids are not safe in their own homes where family Members are also abusing drugs. This is a pandemic of another kind, and one that is just as deadly with no discriminatory purpose. It could potentially wipe out an entire generation if we don't do something about it right now.
CBC News report "family and community mourn two teens found dead in northern Manitoba. The girls took drugs before freezing to death." This was reported on March 5th, 2023. Mr. Speaker, this is happening, we cannot avoid it, and we must work to protect our communities right now. This is not a big city problem or southern problem. This is right in our backyard and it is making its way into our homes and destroying the families. I will have questions for the Minister of Justice at the appropriate time, thank you.
Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on February 25th, Home Base Yellowknife hosted the Coldest Night of the Year, inviting residents to walk in the shoes of those experiencing homelessness in Canada's frigid winters. The walk began at Home Base's downtown youth centre and was followed by a hot chili supper cooked by Yellowknife city councillors Steve Payne and Ben Hendricksen.
Several community Members came out, not only to walk and raise funds, but also as volunteers to register walkers, as safety personnel or, as was my task, to run and bid on the silent auction. The Coldest Night of the Year is a day each year when tens of thousands of Canadians step outside the warmth and comfort of their homes to shine a light of welcome and compassion in their communities.
Since 2011, the Coldest Night of the Year has raised over $57 million across Canada in 166 communities with 100 percent of net proceeds remaining local to support CNOY charity partners. Sponsors of this year's walk included Signed, Canadian Tire, Nicole Loubert Art, Old Town Glassworks, Tim Horton's, Quality Furniture, NWT Brewing Company, and 100 True North FM, as well as some of my fellow Yellowknife MLAs.
Mr Speaker, luckily for those walking on the 25th, it turned out to be one of the warmest evenings we had in February, sitting at a balmy minus 11. Unfortunately, that luck rarely extends to those Members of our society who have the misfortune of trying to survive on our streets in some of the toughest climatic conditions experienced in Canada, and for the longest duration.
Mr. Speaker, with a lack of adequate housing, lack of services, lack of shelters, we are only seeing more and more people experiencing homelessness. And more and more, these people are the working poor of our society single parents, youth aging out of the system, elders, and those with disabilities, are finding it harder and harder to make ends meet resulting in further debt. It is only a matter of time before they are unable to keep up with their bills and find themselves the recipient of a dreaded eviction notice. And Mr. Speaker, once a person starts to fall down the financial mountain there is nothing to stop their slide. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, mining is the largest economic driver in Canada's Arctic. In the final days of 2022, the federal government introduced the Canadian Critical Mineral Strategy that it says will increase the supply of responsibly sourced critical minerals and support the development of domestic and global value chains for the green and digital economy. According to the federal government, critical minerals represent a generational opportunity for Canada's workers, economy, and net zero future. But looking to Canada's critical mineral goals, it is clear they hinge on the North's critical mineral mining success. Of Canada's 31 critical minerals, six are potentially prioritized for this federal government's strategy, and they are found in our backyard.
To achieve its strategy, the federal government will push five core objectives:
Driving research, innovation and exploration; accelerating project development;
Building sustainable infrastructure;
Advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples;
Growing a diverse workforce and prosperous communities; and
Strengthening global leadership and security.
From solar panels to sunny conductors, wind turbines to advanced batteries for storage and transportation, the world is looking for critical minerals to build energy alternatives. Without critical minerals, Canada states there is no energy transition. Ironically, Mr. Speaker, keeping some potential investors on the sidelines of NWT critical mineral projects is access to clean energy to mine these minerals. We have ourselves the mining version of the chicken or the egg; or, in this case, clean energy or the minerals make the clean energy. Either way, Canada's North, and our backyard, is the holy grail to helping Ottawa achieve its critical mineral strategy goals and our own next economic turn. Federal Budget 2022 includes up $1.50 billion for infrastructure development specific for critical mineral supply chains.
So Mr. Speaker, is not Ottawa not laying the groundwork for its own strategy success? Are they unprepared to fund 100 percent dollars to achieve their critical mineral infrastructure needs? Or is the GNWT simply not asking for or spending the dollars needed to create energy alternatives north of 60? Given the time it takes to move a project from exploration to production and secure the right investors, the time for energy alternative progress was yesterday. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Irene (nee) Bertrand was born April 9, 1955, on the Liard River in a boat while travelling on the way to the old Fort Liard Health Centre. Irene was raised by her parents Gabriel and Verna with help from her Grandma Selena and Grandpa Michael Bertrand. They lived about a mile above the BC border on the Liard River. The majority of her upbringing was with her Grandma Selena until she passed away. As Irene grew older, she was sent to residential school in Fort Simpson. She stayed at Lapointe Hall and attended Thomas Simpson School. Later, she was sent to Yellowknife where she stayed in Akaitcho Hall and attend Sir John Franklin High School.
In 1974, she met and married Angus McLeod in Fort Liard. This is where they began their own additions to the Bertrand and McLeod family. They started with their beautiful daughter Lisa and added two handsome sons, William and Clinton.
Irene's favorite season was the fall time. It was the time when the family came together to go moose hunting and spending time together. As well, her husband would bring a friend or two to go with them to help with the hunting. Irene loved her family and took the time to be with them. They would travel by boat on the rivers of the Nahanni, Petitot, Liard, Beaver, Scatter, Crow, Toad, Fort Nelson, and Cooper River.
As the children grew older, Angus built a main camp at Whissels Landing. There, they would do their fall hunt and where Angus taught the boys survival skills and how to hunt. Over the years, Irene had become skilled at making dry meat and her dry meat was in high demand. There was never a dull moment for Irene. There was always something that had to be done and worked on or sorted out.
Mr. Speaker, Irene received the Wise Woman Award for the NWT. Like the river, Irene's life flowed in and out of people's lives. Along the way, Irene made many lasting friendships. She was an amazing friend. Irene was a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandma, greatgrandma, auntie and greatauntie. I had the pleasure of knowing her personally and had great conversations with her.
Mr. Speaker, Irene had many talents and there is a list attached to this statement that I wish to have been deemed as read.
Mr. Speaker, Irene passed away on February 5th. She will be greatly missed by all that knew her, especially her beloved husband Angus, her sons, and their family. Rest in peace, Irene.
Among other skills Irene acquired was photography (taking portraits of elders; she had a collection in a photo album) croqueting baby blankets for newborns, and she was a patient teacher as well. There were other talents that Irene shared with the community such as:
Interpreting, administration and medical travel for the Health Centre for about 40 years.
She served as the Justice of the Peace.
She was Acho Dene Koe First Nations councillor.
Thank you, Member for Nahendeh. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and community at this time.
I would like to recognize Al Karasiuk, the principal of PWK High School, a constituent and a great friend of mine.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to welcome today Aidan Widow, grade 9, and Colby Campbell Modeste, grade 8; both from Tulita, and they're here to support us while we're doing our proceedings this week. And hopefully we inspire future politicians. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Sahtu. Recognition of visitors in the gallery.
