Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The start date, I believe it's early in the new year, was what the program wants to when they want to begin the program. If we wait until after the election it will delay that, and they will miss their I guess their first semester. And so there are some deadlines involved here. Things would have happened earlier had it not been for the evacuations unfortunately. But I see what the Member is saying. You know, we have an environmental studies program. This is another one. You know, there's nothing wrong with a little bit of competition, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times, Fort Smith is the education capital of the NWT. Our community is proud and honoured with this distinction. Therefore, I am sure people can understand Fort Smith's concern with anything that might threaten the ENR technology program at Aurora College Thebacha campus. Can the Minister provide clarity on what exactly this new environmental program will be, which campus will it be offered at, and whether that will in any way undermine or threaten the ENR technology program in Fort Smith? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This program is being offered independently of the college, or it will be. And like the Member's said, the ENRTP is a worldrenowned program. Not just one of the jewels of Aurora College, I'd said it's one of the jewels of the Northwest Territories so I can't imagine that the program has anything to worry about. The program that is out for public input right now and I encourage everyone, including the Member, to provide that input is focused on, you know, really the Yellowknives Dene and it was developed in concert with them. It focuses on Dene ways of knowing, doing, and being. So I think that they are two different programs, and there's room for both of them. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister provide assurances that the existing and highly regarded ENR technology program is not going to be dissolved or replaced as a result of this new program? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And of course I can't make any assurances on behalf of the board of governors. They are arm's length from the Government of the Northwest Territories and from the Minister of ECE, but I don't think there's any concerns. I'm not at all concerned about the future of the ENRTP program. I think it's very well established and will continue to produce results for many years to come. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of ITI. As I mentioned in my statement, I'm hearing more and more from members of the community that are unable to properly feed themselves, especially people that are on income assistance and may only be taking home $800 a month. So given that there is a lot of money out there in the federal government, I'm also worried that we're not taking the most advantage we could of this area. So can the Minister advise me and I understand she has to get back to me on how much federal funding that we have received directly to support the growth in our agrifood industry? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can say that the I mean, we certainly have been receiving funding from the federal government under the sustainable Canadian agricultural partnership. This is a fiveyear investment by the federal government in the agrifood sector. And for us, we are expecting over $7.6 million over the life of that agreement here to the Northwest Territories which is, I would note, a 25 percent increase on numbers we were getting under the last agreement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, for once, that's great news to hear in this House. I'm always glad to hear that we're getting more federal money than less. I guess given that we've had these back to back years of quite terrible environmental conditions for our growers who are predominantly in the South Slave, you know, I just want to sort of reiterate that it is becoming quite concerning. So can the Minister or the department do they track the amount of, say, community gardens and greenhouses that are present throughout the territory? Like, how is the department supporting that initiative? Under food security, it's a little bit of a different one because each little bit of money could make a huge amount of impact so I'm just curious to know what way is the department kind of keeping track of that impact? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, indeed, this is an area where, while health and social services is the lead for food security generally, ITI certainly plays a significant role, and we are responsible for the agricultural sector as well as for community gardens and providing some funds to them. I certainly know, and I'm confident that the department is working directly with communities, that regional superintendents are working with those communities, and are tracking the amounts of growth in the sector. There, indeed, has been a lot of growth in the community garden sector. And in community gardens, Mr. Speaker, to be clear it's not just individuals going and using a plot only for themselves. I know I can speak, for example in Inuvik, where there's a benefit directly to the community and that what is being grown there does benefit the community. So the agricultural strategy, as I mentioned earlier, does require us to track. We are doing that. And I'd be happy to provide those numbers out into the public sphere. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate the Minister's response. But it did reiterate one of the concerns I raised in my statement, which is that this is an area where it does bounce between departments, or it's split over two, and like the immigration file we see that that does not generally work. You know, and if anyone is listening that will be around in the 20th, I do think there needs to be a Minister responsible for food security. I don't think we can go any longer without having somebody solely responsible for that who has to answer questions for it.
So next, can the Minister advise if there's been any grant programs that are available to residents or communities in those harder areas to grow? So I'm talking more about my colleague, say from Nunakput, or areas where they're not known to be agriculturallyminded in the past. What kind of programs or initiatives are being taken by the department to increase growing food in those areas? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there's not under the agricultural strategy, there's not a carve out for one riding or another necessarily. They are done by ways of application. So, therefore, not necessarily reflecting that there might be more challenges to participate in one form of food growth and food commercial good growth or food creation because, Mr. Speaker, there's other options. And certainly, in some communities, country food harvesting may well take a greater place and have a greater role in providing for a community than what agriculture, say, might in another. But that's where while I there are multiple departments involved. This brings yet another department in of ECC. That said, Mr. Speaker, we have one shared briefing note. We have a group that works together across deputies and across officials. And so while I certainly don't speak for other departments, I am able to stand and to give information about all of them because there is the shared messaging and the shared commitment to the issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's not often that Cabinet proves my point, so I do appreciate that there is a third department that is now involved in this.
I think, again, it just speaks a little bit to what I was saying before, that there needs to be a sole direction, there needs to be a plan. We really need to be tackling this and especially given the food insecurity that people are facing. And, Mr. Speaker, I'm sure you're not immune to this. I am on a weekly basis hit up by residents of this territory for money to buy groceries for their children. And I know from speaking with my colleagues that I'm not the only one that this happens to. So when I look at this from a standpoint of mental health and getting young people involved and connecting them back to the land and, as well, even just things like food wastage is minimized when you're actually growing your own food. That one tomato I grew this season, I am going to eat that with gusto, I'll tell you, so.
So can the Minister speak a little bit further about sort of the impacts of the last few years on the agrifood industry. I'm glad to hear there's been some growth but the biggest complaint I heard was around heating the greenhouses, fuel costs, those types of problems or issues that are common across all of our industries. So could the Minister speak to that a little bit, given that we now also don't have the heating fuel rebate any longer. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is, indeed, a well, again, bringing more expertise to bear from different areas in some ways can tackle what is really a very complex problem. So what we do have here is the teams are coming together. It's led by health and social services, so there is a team lead on it. Obviously from the perspective of commercial food production, commercial food growing, that is where ITI's expertise comes in. But this interdepartmental group involves multiple departments because it brings together, again, as I said, all these different areas and issues. I mean, I certainly can speak at some length about the challenges across sectors from the costs of fuel, from inflation, from supply chain issues, all of which has affected the agricultural sector, not to mention, of course, the wildfire seasons, the flood seasons, which have also in particular affected some of our most critical areas that provide a significant contribution to agriculture. Mr. Speaker, ITI's certainly well aware of it. We are looking to the federal government advocating for our sector with the federal government and for the need for more carve out. All of that work takes time, and all that work is lengthy. So I'll leave it at that today but, Mr. Speaker, to those working in the sector, we are well aware of how important this sector is to supporting food security in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the early days I was involved as a young councillor for YKDFN and impact benefit agreements with our community now, also with resource development agreements in our communities as well. So I've been involved with working with BHP, Diavik, and De Beers, and now we're getting to the point where these mines are going into reclamation. And so having said that, you know, our communities really are really in need of, you know, new mines to come up and to, you know, look for work for our young people in our community. And, you know, I was pleased today to talk about the Live Power, the Canada exploration project in our riding. And so I just got two quick questions to the Minister of ITI.
What steps are the government taking to ensure critical minerals exploration companies have the support they need to help the NWT transition to a critical mineral based economy? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Tu NedheWiilideh. Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, Mr. Speaker, I'm quite pleased to get that question. I can say a couple of things quickly, mindful of time, although I would be happy to go on longer if I had more time.
First of all, Mr. Speaker, the MIP, or the Mineral Incentive Program funding, this is the amount of funding that is provided to exploration projects of all different sorts. And out of the almost $1.5 million disbursed thus far, Mr. Speaker, over $1.2 million of it went to critical minerals and metals projects, including a good proportion for lithium projects. So there's that.
It helps leverage dollars. So companies have to bring their own funding to bear and only then can they access this funding. So it leverages significant amounts of funds but provides an important incentive to the mineral resource industry here.
But secondly, Mr. Speaker, is with respect to criticals and minerals more broadly, we are looking to bring our own action plan, or priorities document, to put out into the public sphere the importance and the role of critical minerals and the future mineral resource industry of the Northwest Territories. And I am looking forward to that being out before the end of this Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Minister. Does the government have plans to support the critical mineral industry with green power to help ensure NWT resources will be competitive in the global market where low carbon products will prevail? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Oh, Mr. Speaker, another one that I'd like to speak at about for some length. Mr. Speaker, I would like to say a strong yes. I just don't quite know how it's going to unfold yet. That is a big ask.
The Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker, we are not going to be able to last on diesel for the next ten years. That much is clear. Whether that will be in the form of the Taltson project, which we have spoken about in the House already and which has already a lot of interest in it, not the least of which is from the lithium companies, or whether we'll be looking for some other path forward. Mr. Speaker, I can say this is a good example where the industry is asking for this. The industry is asking for green power. They want a solution. And they want to be they want us to work with them and to keep them involved as we move forward so that they can, in fact, be the consumers, be the customers, and provide the pathway to really change the energy industry in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Minister of Environment and Climate Change who seems to be the lead on the climate emergency. I asked this question in the last sitting about whether our government considers climate change a crisis or an emergency. The answer was, from the infrastructure Minister was, quote, We could be dismissed or polarized by individuals who are holding very different views, end of quote. That's why we don't do it.
So following the horrendous fires this summer, can the Minister now tell us whether this government considers climate change an emergency for the Northwest Territories? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister responsible for Environment and Climate Change.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the GNWT continues to acknowledge the profound affect climate change is having in the NWT right now and the importance of building resiliency and addressing our emissions. Climate change has been a key part of this government's mandate. We've moved climate action in the territories forward through our climate change strategic framework and energy strategy. We're listening to Indigenous government partners through the NWT Climate Change Council, and we've advocated for the NWT perspective and funding at the federal and internationally level. We all agree that climate change will continue to affect our territories in many ways into the future, and we all need to work together to address this. Mr. Speaker, as the Member says, you look at climate change; four times of what the impact is at the national level. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. I didn't hear him actually use the word "crisis" or "emergency". At the recent Our Energy and Climate Future in a Changing World conference in July, some members of the public service used the words "crisis" and "emergency". So can the Minister tell us what the next steps are in GNWT's climate crisis approach as the current one continues to fail? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, other people use words that may or may not be what we're talking about. But the NWT is on track to meet its greenhouse gas emissions target though we acknowledge that this is in part due to the mine closure. GNWT departments are working with partners to implement the 2030 NWT Climate Change Strategy Framework and Action Plan. Of the 132 action items in the action plan, 74 are completed and 58 are on track. The climate change council includes a youth council and have been meeting quarterly to improve coordination, communication around climate change. And I've had the opportunity to meet with that council. I would certainly not characterize this process as failing. GNWT will conduct an independent review on the NWT Climate Change Action Plan/Renewal Plan in 2025. The GNWT is currently in the process of conducting engagement on climate change mitigation and adaptation actions through public engagement and our collaborative work on the risk and opportunities assessment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister. Of course, I still haven't heard him say the word "crisis" or "emergency" in relation to climate change. But the Auditor General raised the failure of two previous GNWT strategies to reach their greenhouse gas reduction targets, and the current one would also fail without the closure of the Diavik mine. Can the Minister tell us whether GNWT will actually embrace net zero as a target and when we might expect to reach that? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, GNWT recently completed a broad public engagement on emissions and targets. One possible scenario discussed was net zero emissions. There is a need to balance healthy economy with climate change mitigation in the NWT. The NWT approach needs to be achievable given our remoteness and cold climate. Any change to the approach to emission targets in the NWT will be part of the renewed climate change action plan and energy strategy in 2025.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Final supplementary. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. Of course, we've actually already incorporated net zero as a target in the carbon tax that's been imposed. But many at the recent conference expressed concerns with the poor communications and accountability around GNWT's carbon tax, governance and direction at the NWT power corp, and need for communitybased renewable energy solutions rather than mega projects.
Can the Minister explain how the NWT is going to transition from a fossil fuel importer to energy resiliency while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and drawing in the NWT power corp into building energy selfsufficiency? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned, the GNWT recently completed broad public engagement on climate change mitigation emissions reduction. Any update to the approach to emissions target in the NWT will be part of the renewed climate change action plan and energy strategy in 2025. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Finance. Mr. Speaker, phase 1 of government renewal was intended to do an inventory of GNWT programs while phase 2 was meant to look at how those programs are funded. Can the Minister start off today by informing this House of the current status on government renewal? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister responsible for Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say that all of the phase 1 work, including up to and including the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority, have all had their inventories completed as of July of this year. That was the last group to make their way through. That work is all done now. And phase 2 is also well underway.
Since November of last year, we kicked off with Housing Northwest Territories, Department of Finance, and Department of Education, Culture and Employment. They are the first ones to see themselves having their programs select programs going through the evaluation stage of the GRI. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I guess my next question, then, would be when do Members on this side get to kind of see the fruits of the labour, so to speak, of the GNWT with in regards to phase 2? What is the expected timeline that they are working towards? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know we've been sending over updates along the way as the work has progressed. I'm happy to send another one before the end of the life of this Assembly so that all Members are well aware of where it's at. And, certainly, it's also part of our own business planning processes that we are continuing to report on where this work is at. And so all of those all of those tools can be used but, as I've said, happy to give one more further update to Members of this House and this Legislative Assembly. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for that commitment. Mr. Speaker, my next question is for government renewal to really be effective, it cannot happen in silos. How is the GNWT working to ensure that now that they're at the phase 2 of this review that this review really is done with a crossdepartmental lens? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that is really one of the core elements of government renewal and the shift in thinking around this is that every department has to be thinking about its evaluative process. We have, Mr. Speaker, when government renewal was coming out, we put in place a requirement of program evaluation policy requiring that any programs over $2 million, we need to have a logic model and performance tracking indicators. Mr. Speaker, a lot of programs did not. A lot of departments struggled with that. The majority of the capacity for evaluation resides in the Department of Finance. So having the GRI now underway creates that crossdepartmental work so that this is happening, that departments can access these resources, that they can bring forward their needs and their programs to have logic models, performance tracking, so we can actually have evidencebased programs and evidencebased decisionmaking about those programs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there's a lot riding on government renewal as far as fiscal sustainability is concerned. You can look through Hansard and find numerous occasions where the response in regards to deficits or concerns about spending where Ministers have responded well, we're doing government renewal, we're partaking in government renewal. So we're really relying on this exercise here. So I'm wondering if the Minister can speak to how the GNWT intends to measure the success of this government renewal exercise? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd go back to looking at, really, the purpose of government renewal short term, gathering information and evidence. We do like to talk about having datadriven decisions, about having evidencebased decisionmaking. You can't do that without the data, and you can't do it without the evidence. We had to get that in place, and it has taken quite some time, Mr. Speaker, because we are doing it over the entire Government of the Northwest Territories in a way that has never been done before.
Mr. Speaker, along the way, we found there was over 200 different programs that didn't have evaluation metrics in place. It was important to know that. It's important to understand that that alone, in my view, Mr. Speaker, is a success of this program. But over the long term there needs to be, of course, a really corporatewide, governmentwide, approach to evaluation to employ program evaluation policy, to have the tools ready, to know where to go within the system to do those kinds of evaluations so that so that we the traction around and the culture change for evaluation and datadriven decisionmaking only solidifies further. We have a tremendous foundation here, Mr. Speaker, and that is the success but as it goes forward, it will continue to be measured by the programs that get evaluated. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.
