Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that commitment from the Minister. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister commit to, yet again, meeting with our local producer to discuss these potential changes so we can ensure their perspective is heard as the department is reviewing it, the policy. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Certainly happy to do that. As I've said, I understand they've looked at having a retail end point. Our perspective has been to put at the markup, which is really the end that we control. So to ensure that we all move forward on a policy that makes sense to everyone, if we're going to do this review, I'd be happy to meet with them and make sure that we're all speaking the same language. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Finance. Final supplementary. Member from Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for that further commitment. Mr. Speaker, finally, can the Minister give a timeline for when we can expect all of this to occur? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Subject, obviously, to finding an opportunity to meet with these producers, what I could say is we can have a review in front of the financial management board this summer. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Finance. Oral questions. Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister of ECC explain how the GNWT is diverting as much plastic from NWT landfills as possible under the current regime? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Minister of ECC.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question. The GNWT currently has three waste diversion programs. The single use retail bag program, which was the first of its kind at the provincial/territorial level in Canada. Since the program's inception in 2010, it's estimated that we've prevented more than 84 million bags, or 422.1 tonnes, from being used and discarded. We also have the beverage container program, which on average diverts 141 tonnes of plastic waste each year. And plastic components of electronics and electrical items are returned through our electronic recycling program, and the e-pilot are also recycled. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And recognizing that this is a little bit of an overlap to MACA's jurisdiction, I hope the Minister can answer this. What is the GNWT doing to support municipalities on waste reduction and diversion? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the GNWT is committed to creating three to five new expanded regulated programs by 2030 as part of the waste reduction management strategy and implementation plan. To date, ECC has identified used oil, tires, and expanded suite of electronics and electrical items. These materials were chosen primarily because they're already segregated in landfills and have been identified for their environmental risk. Work to create regulations to enable the recycling of these materials to update existing regulations is underway and will be undertaken in the next several years. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I guess more specifically to my statement earlier today, what is the GNWT doing to fully support Canada's zero waste plastic agenda? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on the national level, the GNWT endorses the Canadian Council of Ministers of Environment's strategy on zero plastic waste, which aims to reduce the harmful environmental impacts of plastic waste. Canada has also played a key role in moving toward the development and adaptation of a United Nations plastics treaty, which this work is expected to wrap up at an international level in 2025. Once the UN plastics treaty is ratified, we anticipate that any outcomes and commitments will be incorporated into the future work of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment of which the GNWT is an active member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of ECC. Final supplementary. Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, you know, recognizing that this is a much bigger problem than just our jurisdiction, I appreciate that answer.
Finally, will the GNWT be able to enact extended producer responsibility regulations or policies in the life of this Assembly? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the last Legislative Assembly, the GNWT amended the Waste Reduction and Recovery Act to enable extended producer responsibility. Before the new Act can come into force, ECC will need to amend the existing beverage container regulations and the electronics recycling regulations so that these will be a priority over the next few years. The work is expected to be completed by 2026.
The GNWT is committed to creating programs for used oil, tires, and the expanded suite of electronics and electrical items. ECC will consider EPR approaches for all three programs that will engage with communities, residents, and stakeholders for their input on the proposed programs and regulations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of ECC. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, I've raised the issue of recreational land leasing in this House before. It seems like we don't have a clear path forward. What has the Minister been able to accomplish on his end since I've raised this leasing issue in the North Slave? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of ECC.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question. Since I last spoke of this item in the House, Mr. Speaker, I've had the pleasure of meeting with several Indigenous governments to discuss the topic. Primarily, in early March, I met with the Chief Sanguez and Chief Betsina and my staff and their staff at the YKDFN to discuss this exact topic. And at the end of that meeting, both sides have committed to ensure that our officials are going to work together and discuss the issues as we move forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Well, that's good. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's good, it's good to work with the First Nations. It's essential to work with the First Nations. But the Akaitcho process has obviously never been settled, so why have we been issuing these leases in the past? There are cabins out there. There are homes out there. Why have we made these decisions in the past, Mr. Speaker?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I stand here today, I think I'm more than comfortable speaking to decisions that I've made but I'd rather not try and stand here and explain the decisions of my predecessors. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I can respect that because I could have a lot to say about decisions of his predecessors, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister have an answer for my constituents any time -- will my constituents have an answer, yes or no, any time soon? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, thank you to the Member for the question. This is truly not a yes or no question. There are a lot of factors at play and certainly one of the most important ones -- and this was something that I brought up with the discussions with all of the Indigenous leaders that I've met with to date and, you know, it's the respect for the consultation process and to ensure that this is a collaborative effort going forward and that both parties have the ability to ensure that their perspective and point of view is recognized. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister issue a moratorium on all future land leasing until he can get this problem solved? Because it's unfair to raise expectations in the hopes of my constituents and any other Northerner looking for a recreational land lease. Let's just call it quits. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said previously, this is not a one-party decision. This is a collaborative process involving Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations, and I will not stand in the House today and make a unilateral decision on that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of ECC. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services with respect to the monolith challenge and the impact challenge the day shelter is going to have on the community of Yellowknife Centre and Yellowknife at large.
Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask in the context of when a road is built, we have impact funds and other types of things similar. And that is particularly the issue. So my question for the Minister specifically is now what impact fund is being designed to support the impacts of the community of Yellowknife Centre once this giant shelter, to solve all the problems of the world, is built? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are many shelters that are in Yellowknife and have been for many years. You know, there are many of our Northwest Territories residents, a large population of Indigenous people that struggle from historic traumas, and they are not a road. And so what we are doing here in Yellowknife is -- you know, the federal government gave a large sum of money to the Northwest Territories to specifically, in Yellowknife, to build, to replace, to provide a space that -- you know, that was worked with the Indigenous advisory board. There was consultation as what it should look like, where, what it should do. It is to provide shelters to those people that are living in the Northwest Territories, in the capital, that are struggling with homelessness and addictions right now. So right now, there is no impact to the community. There are already homeless shelters here, and we are not providing impact monies to the city of Yellowknife for that. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, again, I want to reaffirm that the merits and principles are not the issue of the shelter, so I want to make sure we never go on a tangent in the wrong direction on that.
Mr. Speaker, the last shelter that was downtown had impacts. Security cameras to be put on buildings. Homes were threatened. People were doing people things in yards -- I'll leave it at that, I won't use that language. But that said, Mr. Speaker, it impacted neighbourhoods and changed neighbourhoods specifically. What is the Minister doing to meet the needs of the community that this giant shelter will cause once they establish it and have it up and running? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, like again like I said, I don't understand whether it's where it is now, it's downtown Yellowknife, where it was before, it's downtown Yellowknife, where it's going back, it's downtown Yellowknife. There's nothing changing, it's downtown Yellowknife. I don't know where the Member wants me to put our Indigenous homeless people, predominantly, that are here that are struggling. So thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, we're getting awful close to a point of order wherein she keeps saying Indigenous people, and I feel it's drawing the attention of I'm trying to separate our field some motivation. There is none. So, Mr. Speaker, as I qualify that point, it's not about a racialized issue in any way. It's about impacts on the community.
Mr. Speaker, I'm asking what type of discussion is the department of health having with the neighbourhoods about these pending impacts that are coming to the neighbourhood? As I've given examples, I won't repeat them, will the Minister agree to meet with the neighbourhood and call a neighbourhood meeting to discuss these things? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there was already consultation done within Yellowknife. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there's a petition that I'll, in the near future, table before the House, not today, but it has over a thousand signatures. The point being is there's a lot of people concerned about the impacts. Would the Minister go to the community again, call a community meeting, and discuss about how to address the impacts? Again, not about removing the shelter, the impacts the shelter will have on the community. Will she do that for the community who needs that conversation again and again until we get it right? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there was extensive engagement done. The wellness and recovery centre isn't expected to be opened until 2027. At that time, you know, the operations and all of those things that are going to come into play with that and following the opening, you know, that's where we can discuss ongoing, you know, issues that may come arise. But, you know, as of right now, we don't know what those issues will come, you know, how this facility will support those residents that are here in Yellowknife going to be utilizing that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The elderly homeowners do not have an advocate that they are aware of. Due to this problem, their homes are neglected until it becomes a major problem and too costly to repair. My question to the Minister responsible for Housing NWT is can the Minister provide an annual housing inspection for the elders so that they can take action before it becomes a financial burden on the elders? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Mackenzie Delta. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Housing NWT has many programs in place to help homeowners with any type of repairs they require in their homes provided they fit the core need income threshold and the policy around these repair and maintenance programs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The local housing authority conducts annual inspections on public housing units to cut down on major costs. Can the Minister and/or the department direct local housing authorities to have their maintenance staff conduct annual inspections on these few elders' homes within their respective communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Housing NWT can book a trip into Tsiigehtchic, and other communities in the near future, to meet with homeowners interested in applying for the program or requiring program assistance. We will advertise well ahead of time and also communicate with the MLA. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister consider contracting an Indigenous government or company to conduct these inspections? This is just to bring comfort to the elders. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We recently signed the collaborative agreement with the Gwich'in Tribal Council, with Housing NWT. So this might be an opportunity to work with them and work with the elders in the communities for homeownership repair. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
