Thank you, Member from Tu NedheWiilideh. Minister of Housing NWT.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there was two questions to that question. So the first question was on assets that the Northwest Territories or the Housing NWT holds and what the plans are for those homes, if I'm not mistaken.
From what I understand, we have over 300 homes that are 50 years and older, so Housing NWT is doing a review on those homes. And we also have many homes that are 30 years and older, so another we need to do another review on that.
In terms of the second question, I don't have that detail right now, but I can provide the Member information offline as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
(audio) anyway. Thank you. I was going to tease a little bit but thank you to the Minister for her answer.
Going forward, after as you know the 20th Assembly is going to be going through some fiscal constraints, etcetera. Can the Minister share with the House maybe as to how they're going to deal with their overall structure and maybe even staff and that kind of thing, so I just want to have an idea on that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A very general question and openended as well. What are we doing as Housing NWT realizing that one of the priority number one for this 20th Assembly is the affordability, suitability, and accessibility of housing. I think it's the 20th's responsibility to make sure that housing continues to be a priority of this government. And what we're going to do as Housing NWT to respond to this priority is some work that is being done and being done on the mandate and delivering that mandate to the House. So, again, we have to look at things. We have to analyze things. We have over a hundred staff with Housing NWT. We have 22 maybe local housing associations, organizations. So a lot of work being done at the local level. Like I mentioned, the housing units and the state of housing units, especially those that are 50 years and older, so a lot of concerns in that. Plus a declining fund with CMHC and the continued collaboration with our Indigenous governments. So a lot of work that's ongoing. And we hope to continue this work and continue these discussions so Housing NWT can be successful. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, thank you. And thank you to the Minister for her response. I guess while I'm thinking about it, the 20th Assembly has have priorities and housing is part of that. Going forward, though, in the next prior to 2038, if an Indigenous government wants to come forward to make application to CIRNAC, etcetera, how can we work with them in partnership to help guide them to make application for housing for their communities and homeownership repairs? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, one of the great things of the 19th Assembly is it came up with the strategic renewal plan, and there's 42 initiatives with that strategic renewal, and the NWT Housing forum and the partnerships with Indigenous governments was introduced at the time and it continues to this day. So through the work of the NWT Housing forum and the Council of Leaders, NWT Housing or Housing NWT staff have these conversations on a daily basis with Indigenous governments. So I think the work continues. The discussions continue. We all want to see success for Housing NWT throughout the North, and we want to add more homes, and we also want to maintain the homes that we have in our current stock. So there's a lot of promise, and I hope to continue that work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Housing NWT. Final supplementary. Member from Tu NedheWiilideh.
Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Minister. Going forward, can the housing corporation sorry, Housing NWT work with Indigenous governments to undertake projects in their community rather than have it tendered out in Yellowknife, and the communities are looking for work. They want to train their own people and that kind of thing. And that could probably be done through a partnership agreement or universal partnership agreement. Is that something the Minister could look at? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's something I can look at. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Since 20192020, the consolidated Government of the Northwest Territories public sector grew by 1,391 positions, or 27.3 percent for a total employee complement of 6,482. As the Minister of Finance noted in Restoring Balance: A Fiscal Sustainability Plan for the 20th Legislative Assembly, "when the public sector grows, associate costs such as employee benefits, pension, dental, health insurance, other ancillary supports like IT hardware and maintenance, office space, etc. also increase."
My questions to the Minister of Finance are:
Can the Minister provide the total money value of all job positions added to the Government of the Northwest Territories public service since 20192020;
Can the Minister provide a regional breakdown of all job positions added to the Government of the Northwest Territories public service since 20192020;
Can the Minister provide the vacancy rate of all job positions added to the Government of the Northwest Territories public service since 20192020 by fiscal year;
Can the Minister provide the total money value of all vacant job positions added to the Government of the Northwest Territories public service since 20192020; and
Can the Minister provide the approximate length of time job positions added to the Government of the Northwest Territories public service since 20192020 have been vacant by fiscal year?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member. Your question will be added to the orders of the day.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to present a petition dealing with the matter of a ceasefire and end to Canadian support for the plausible genocide in Gaza.
Mr. Speaker, the petition contains a total of 905 signatures with 295 being handwritten and 610 electronic signatures collected on change.org. Of those signatures, 645 are from Northwest Territories residents, including 276 handwritten signatures and 369 electronic signatures.
And, Mr. Speaker, the petitioners request the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories to request the Premier of the Northwest Territories, due to the vested interest the Northwest Territories has in universal human rights, international humanitarian law, and the Genocide Convention, to call upon the Canadian government to:
Fully uphold its obligations to the Genocide Convention;
Effectively call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza;
Fully fund organizations, including UNRWA, that will assist in the necessary lifesaving humanitarian efforts; and,
End Canadian sale of arms and military goods to Israel until it fully complies with the Genocide Convention and international humanitarian law.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member. Petitions. Mr. Clerk.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents: 20222023 Annual Report on Official Languages; and, Aurora College Annual Report 20222023. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. Tabling of documents. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document: The Northwest Territories and Nunavut Lotteries Operations Annual Report 20222023. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, February 29th, 2024, I will move the following motion:
I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that notwithstanding Rule 2.1, when this House adjourns on Thursday, February 29th, 2024, it shall be adjourned until Thursday, May 23rd, 2024;
And further, that at any time prior to May 23rd, 2024, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as it had been duly adjourned to that time.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Notices of motion. Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, February 29th, 2024, I will move the following motion:
And further, that this Legislative Assembly calls upon the Premier to write a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly, and permanent representative of Canada to the United Nations Bob Rae, that will call upon the Canadian government to:
Call for an immediate and effective ceasefire and halt to violence by both Israel and Hamas;
Advocate for the immediate release of all hostages;
Advocate for, and provide funds for, unhindered access for humanitarian aid for all those in need in Gaza; and,
Take all actions necessary to fully uphold its obligations under the Genocide Convention.
And furthermore, that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a response to this motion within 120 days.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to present to the House Bill 3, Carbon Tax Repeal Act, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member. Pursuant to Rule 8.2(3), Bill 3 is deemed to have first reading and is ready for second reading.
First reading of bills. Minister of Finance.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to present to the House Bill 5, Supplementary Appropriation Act, (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 20232024, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Pursuant to Rule 8.2(3), Bill 5 is deemed to have been read for the first time and is ready for second reading.
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that Bill 5, Supplementary Appropriation Act, (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 20232024, be read for the second time.
This bill makes supplementary appropriations for infrastructure expenditures of the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 20232024 fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Finance. The motion's in order. To the principle of the bill.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Abstentions? Motion is passed.
Carried
Second reading of bills. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters. Minister's Statement 420(1), Minister's Statement 520(1), Minister's Statement 1720(1), Minister's Statement 2420(1), Tabled Document 2920(1), with the Member from Tu NedheWiilideh in the chair.
Thank you. Calling the committee to order. What is the wish of committee? I'm going to go to Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the committee wishes to deal with Tabled Document 2920(1), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 4, 20232024. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, we'll proceed with the first item but before we do that, we'll take a short recess. 20 minutes.
SHORT RECESS
Ready to go. We got quorum. Order. Mr. Hawkins. Order. Learning from her, former okay, thank you.
I now call Committee of the Whole to order. Before proceedings begin today, I will ask that everybody please make an effort to slow down when speaking for the benefit of our interpreters.
Committee has agreed to resume consideration of Tabled Document 2920(1), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 4, 20232024. Would the Minister like to bring witnesses into the chambers?
Sergeantatarms, please escort the witnesses oh, sorry. Does the committee agree?
