Thank you, Member. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize Shirley Elias. She's a constituent of mine. She's also one of our interpreters. And I'd also like to thank all the interpreters for this first sitting of the 20th Assembly, and I'm sorry if I spoke too fast, and I'll try to remember to slow down. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll join the chorus of my colleagues recognizing former MLA, good friend, Kevin O’Reilly. You think retirement would keep him away but once it gets in the blood, politics will never leave. So thank you for being here, Kevin. Appreciate your interest.
Thank you, Member. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Tu NedheWiilideh.
Mr. Speaker, I too want to recognize former MLA Kevin O’Reilly. I still remember the days we used to play hockey; I'm still faster. But anyway, Mr. Speaker, I also want to recognize Marc Casaway, Mary Sundberg, Jonas Lafferty, all the translators out of here. I want to say mahsi; you guys are doing a great job. And all the ledge staff and my CA in Fort Resolution Delorme and Taylor. Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Recognition of visitors in the gallery.
I too would like to thank all our translators, especially Mary Jane Cazon from Fort Simpson, for being here and all the pages as well. If we missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to your Chamber. I hope you are enjoying the proceedings. It's always nice to see people in the gallery. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I'd like to acknowledge my constituents John Hazenberg and Gerda Hazenberg on the occasion of their 55th wedding anniversary.
When a couple reaches such an extraordinary milestone, it is worth celebrating with utmost joy and gratitude. After all, 55 years together is an incredible achievement of love and togetherness.
Today I'm honored to recognize John and Gerda and wish them many more years of enduring commitment in a relationship that has withstood the test of time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I understand that the Premier's position is generally to stay out of international affairs, and that is his prerogative. However, as the territory grows, especially with newcomers from many diasporas abroad, what actions is the Premier comfortable in taking to make them feel welcomed and supported in times of hardship and if he feels that that is the responsibility of the federal government? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Mr. Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So while I have made clear that I do stay out of international politics, of course we have residents in the Northwest Territories who are from abroad, and they are now Northerners and we want to make Northerners feel welcomed. So the things that we can do are things that the Member is doing herself, acknowledging when people are experiencing hardship, recognizing their concerns, providing support to them, when it's necessary condemning antiPalestinian racism, antiSemitism, listening. Mr. Speaker, the Member noted that I did have a meeting with her and her constituent and, you know, I heard stories that were moving. She was right I was moved, and I thought about that meeting every single day since then. So we need to be kind to each other. We need to recognize that somebody might be going through something that we don't understand.
In terms of official supports, the federal government does provide funding for settlement services for those who are immigrating to the Northwest Territories, but to make someone feel welcomed and to help them through hardship, I think that's up to each and every one of us as residents of the Northwest Territories. During my time in this Assembly, I've seen a number of a number of tragedies, a number of hard times, and what I've seen is people coming together and people supporting each other, and I think that's what is needed, and I'm willing to do that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Premier for that. In what ways can the Premier commit to acting on upholding human rights in Gaza on behalf of the residents of the NWT? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, again, I have no policy mechanisms to impact what is happening in Gaza. But that being said, the Northwest Territories does work with the federal government when it comes to immigration, and so I know the federal government has implemented some changes to their processes and the Northwest Territories Nominee Program, which is our side of that immigration process, is doing what it can to expedite or help expedite applications for those who are coming from impacted regions. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Premier for that. Just a comment really; I will follow up with the Minister of ECE on that program.
Thank you, Member. Colleagues, remember comments if you don't have a second set of questions, third question, please allow your colleagues to move on.
Oral questions. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Premier. Mr. Speaker, the Premier's committed to strengthening the relationship between this government and Indigenous governments and organizations. The Premier recently met with the Council of Leaders. What concerns have they brought forward from that meeting, Mr. Speaker?
Inuvik Boot Lake. Mr. Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Council of Leaders, Members of the Council of Leaders did come together, and that was in response to a visit from two federal Ministers. And so it was a it wasn't a general Council of Leaders meeting. It was focused on health care and we were actually all, as Members of that table, conveying our concerns and issues to the federal government. And so I think that the issues that were raised there are familiar to all of us in this House issues of medical travel, issues of access to services, and things like that. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Premier. Mr. Speaker, how will the Premier how does the Premier plan to use the Council of Leaders and Intergovernmental Council to build stronger ties with Indigenous governments?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I plan to continue the good work that has been happening. I've seen the Council of Leaders from its inception and how it's progressed over four years. One of the biggest benefits of the Council of Leaders is relationship building. I know, you know, all the leaders around that table now. I've made personal phone calls to virtually all of them, if not all of them, over the past few weeks. And so just that relationship side is a big part of that. Under the Council of Leaders, there is other work that can be done in other areas. So there's a housing forum that was developed under that. There's discussion about the territorial legislation and how we can work together on that. And so there's a number of different areas. I think that we are just scratching the surface of what that group can accomplish. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Premier. Final supplementary. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the Premier. And I know the Premier is passionate and serious about working closely with Indigenous governments, and I certainly appreciate that.
Mr. Speaker, the Premier mentioned legislation, currently codrafting legislation that's currently limited to lands and resource, but the Premier's indicated a willingness to expand legislative codrafting. Can the Premier share with us or let us know his plans on the codrafting of other legislations, Mr. Premier?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And land and resource legislation is the development of that is governed under the devolution agreement, and we work with the Intergovernmental Council to advance that legislation. I've also committed in my previous role as the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment to codevelop the Education Act, which is one of the biggest undertakings legislative undertakings that we can do. And there's a desire to do more as well. And so I'm happy to have those conversations.
As I've said before, we are moving towards a future where Indigenous governments selfgovernments of the future are going to be taking on and administering the programs and legislation that we that currently exist. And so as we develop them, we need to ensure that Indigenous voices are part of those pieces of legislation and that they are they're developed in a way that Indigenous governments will want to take them over and will be successful when that happens. And, of course, we cannot forget about the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. That has put new obligations on the government. And, again, I'm happy to or I'm excited and honoured to carry forward that work from the last government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Premier. Oral questions. Member from Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question today is to the Minister of NWT Housing, or Housing NWT. As we mentioned on numerous occasions, the Northwest Territories is facing a housing crisis. In the Sahtu, there are 61 people on the waiting list, Mr. Speaker. My first question to the Minister is how many public housing units does Housing NWT have in the Sahtu region? Mahsi.
Sahtu. Minister for housing.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member from the Sahtu for the question. Currently, Housing NWT has 252 public housing units in the Sahtu:
4 in Colville Lake,
35 in Norman Wells,
50 in Fort Good Hope,
74 in Tulita,
89 in Deline.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the Minister for that inventory. My next question is how many new housing NWT public housing units will be delivered this year to the Sahtu region? Thank you
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I'm happy to report that Housing NWT will deliver a large capital plan involving 20 new public housing units to the communities in the Sahtu region. Housing recently completed four of these new public housing units in Norman Wells. Fourplexes are now under construction in Deline, Tulita, and Fort Good Hope. And duplexes are under construction in Colville Lake and Tulita. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It seems to be more good news here. Hopefully it's not like Leap Year, and we get these numbers here next four years. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, my third question to the Minister is what is Housing NWT doing to plan for the transportation difficulties like last year's low water on the Mackenzie River or poor road conditions, particularly in the low water season. We've had a number I think there's been a number of examples of possible low water this season. So can the Minister answer that there, please. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So contractors are delivering on capital projects for Housing NWT. They were affected by low water and barge delays and cancellations over the summer of 2023. Housing made alternative plans to deliver remaining construction materials during the current winter road season. It is recognized that planning will increasingly need to consider the unique logistical challenges immobilizing equipment, construction material, and modular units within the Sahtu with appropriate contingency plans in place for alternative methods of delivery. Housing NWT will continue to work with communities and Indigenous governments to find solutions to these issues caused by climate change, including low water levels and a shortened ice road season. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Housing NWT. Final supplementary. Member from the Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the Minister for that information. My last question for the last day of this month here, what work is Housing NWT doing with the Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated in the only government in Northwest Territories, the Deline Got'ine government, to increase housing in the Sahtu? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Housing NWT is active in working with Indigenous government partners in the Sahtu region. Both the Sahtu Secretariat and the Deline Got'ine government are participants in the NWT Housing Forum, which is currently cochaired by Housing NWT and the Yellowknives Dene First Nation. Housing NWT has an intergovernmental agreement from housing with both the Sahtu Secretariat and the Deline Got'ine government on housing. These arrangements address matters, including how we work together, share information, and maximize our joint efforts on housing. Under the SSI memorandum of agreement, we can put together housing working groups with each Sahtu community. The working group with Fort Good Hope, through the K’asho Got’ine Housing Society, is particularly active and has resulted in collaboration on home repairs and in other areas.
Under a separate MOU with the Deline Got'ine government, Housing NWT has been able to work with the Deline Got'ine government to contribute to the renovation of housing units associated with the community health centre to share building plans and discuss opportunities around market housing and to make surplus property available to the Deline Got'ine government for housing purposes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Minister of Housing NWT. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My first set of questions is for the Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
So I understand that currently underway there's collaboration with Indigenous governments, the GNWT, and the federal government in the design and development of the regional study for the Slave Geological Province. Will there be opportunities for public participation in the design of the regional study, such as the development of terms of reference? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Member for the question. On February of 2023, the federal Minister of northern affairs accepted the Tlicho government's request to conduct a regional strategic environmental assessment in the South Slave Geological Province. This study is being led by the Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada under part 5.2 of the federal Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act. A regional strategic environmental assessment is anticipated to offer opportunities for meaningful Indigenous and public engagement with participant funding provided by the federal government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm going to push a bit more on that one because the Minister mentioned that there will be participant funding once the study gets underway, but my question is will there be any public participation in designing the terms of reference of the study? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the study and the whole process is led by the federal government so that's not a question I can answer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wonder if the Minister can explain the value that his department sees in doing cumulative impact assessments, so in this case a regional strategic environmental assessment, before individual applications are considered by a piecemeal environmental assessment, so the value in doing cumulative impact assessment? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there's value in sharing information collected or gathered by the coordinated project corridor project and/or regional study for these two initiatives as they advance. We're in the early stages of developing the terms of reference for the regional study, and the timeline for the study has not yet been finalized. The advantage specifically here is for the participants to, you know, work together in ensuring that all of the information is shared with everyone that needs to know. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife North.
