Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in 2014, the Government of the Northwest Territories released its mineral development strategy. It's a document -- this document was a result of broad engagement with industry, Indigenous governments, and other stakeholders and moved the industry forward by creating incentives to keep explorers exploring, evolving its legislation, mapping more geology, including more ways for Indigenous participation in the industry, and creating a strong local workforce. We haven't had an update to this in some time. Can the Minister speak to what the department is doing to build on the success of this strategy. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of ITI.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, not to go on for too long, but I would say that we are working on this strategy every single day. We are supporting currently 42 exploration projects within the territory. We have Pathfinders, a fabulous team of Pathfinders that work every day to make sure that people are connected. We are ensuring that we are including Indigenous governments when those that need funding sources, if they want to join the GNWT at places like PDAC and Roundup, and making sure that we're bringing people together. When it comes to education, we're in the process of transitioning to the BC curriculum which is a driver of innovation through project-based learning for students across the territory. So I'd say this is something that we are working on collectively right from our students to our workforce that exists today and encouraging investment and continuation in this great sector. I think it's also worth noting that this year we are expected to increase exploration expenditures in the Northwest Territories by 27 percent. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that's good news. And I know the Minister knows that mining matters, and it's great to see it move beyond just the mines and actually to other areas of public policy.
Mr. Speaker, the mining incentive program was a big part of the success of the strategy, continues to be successful. Can the Minister tell us if the increase in investment is due to that fund? thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, of course I couldn't speak directly to the correlation, but what I can say is every year while the mineral incentive policy is fully subscribed that not every year are all of those dollars spent. Sometimes at the end of the year companies have to give those dollars back because they weren't able to spend them how they originally anticipated. But I would say the best thing that we can do to continue to increase exploration in the territory is continue to have good conversation like this, continue to make sure that we are participating in events like Roundup, like PDAC, and continue to make sure that we have supporting all partners at the table and bringing everyone together. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there's a bunch of regulatory improvements that would greatly help the industry. I know the Minister has spoken about this before in her Minister's statement. But apart from the mining Mineral Resources Act, how is she working with her colleague, the Minister for Environment and Climate Change, to streamline environmental regulations so we can get these projects moving quicker towards the larger regulatory stage? Get exploration projects moving quicker. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, luckily on this -- well, on both sides of the House, we have great working relationships, and that doesn't stop between myself and the Minister of ECC. We're able to come together, and we're working hard to better understand what the other -- what one another is looking for, where each of our departments is at, and what industry is looking for. So we are meeting on a regular basis to work through some of that. What I will also say, Mr. Speaker, is this is work that's not only being done within, you know, the confines of meeting rooms within the GNWT but that industry itself is also looking for ways to streamline processes between the GNWT and the federal government as well and is doing their part to make sure that we're all working together as well. And so I think that over the course of this term, we'll see some really creative things happen as far as industry is concerned in being able to move forward. Also worth noting here, Mr. Speaker, is there's also the Mackenzie operational dialogues that feed right into the work that myself and the Minister of ECC are doing so that there are industry and government tables that exist for this work that we're able to tap into as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of ITI. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister. As I said in my Member's statement, it's Mining Week. So what is the Minister doing to celebrate Mining Week? Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd be more than happy to commit to the Member to sharing the schedule of Mining Week on my Facebook page to ensure that people have access to it. But there's everything from virtual events so that people can participate across the territory. There's also rock walks happening so people can get out and hold some cool rocks, and believe me, there's a ton of them out there. There are also site tours for lift and lithium, which is a pretty big deal in the North Slave region at the moment and one we definitely want to make sure that people have the opportunity to ask about. And, of course, there's even colouring books for our youngest residents to be able to get involved in Mining Week. And of course, at the end of the week, there is on Saturday here in Yellowknife, a barbecue at the miners' picnic, and that is something that is put on by -- where industry all comes together, and I will be out there flipping burgers and I hope to see as many Yellowknifers and people from the surrounding region out there as possible. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of ITI. Oral questions. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure or Finance, I'm not sure. It's the same person, so she'll figure it out I'm sure.
On the fibre line, Mr. Speaker, I spoke to, can the Minister tell me if there has been any consideration given to the redundancy beyond Fort Nelson and is it too late, I guess, to relook at that agreement between the GNWT, Yukon government, and NorthwesTel. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is an overall good news story here, so I appreciate the questions. I know there are residents and businesses in Inuvik who are really leading the charge in terms of what's happening in our advanced technology industry here in the Northwest Territories, with the satellite array and providing servicing to them. The agreement we have the Yukon ensures that their traffic can use the Mackenzie Valley fibre line in case of need and that our traffic could use the line that comes down the -- or in case of need. I think there is some additional work that's going to happen to increase the redundancy. Now, it may not be under that contract exactly, but I'll take the Member's point on this and make sure that we are continuing to engage with industry to provide them the best services we can. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister. Certainly, that portion of the redundancy is very important to the businesses and the satellite station facility as the Minister alluded to. Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, I guess, who is the owner of the fibre line once it's complete, the redundancy line?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Inuvik branch of the line, I would have to confirm. I believe it would be NorthwesTel that continues to maintain ownership of that line. By contrast, of course, we have a P3 partnership on our end on the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Line. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I ask that question, of course, because it's my understanding that the federal funding was provided for the Whitehorse to Dawson portion of that line. I'm wondering if that line, then, would be owned by NorthwesTel.
Mr. Speaker, one final question, part of this proposal obviously was having redundancy and fibre into the community of Tuktoyaktuk too along the new Inuvik to Tuk highway. Can the Minister speak to the ongoing work on getting that line in as well? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this project makes good on a promise dating back sometime to when the original Mackenzie Valley Fibre Line was under consideration and under development. That work is advancing and, in fact, is advancing this summer. We did have an opportunity that we were happy to make use of where the folks that were doing the work on the Yukon portion of the line are already mobilized, which will reduce costs for us by utilizing them and utilizing that opportunity to complete that section of fibre up to Tuktoyaktuk, and having had some significant engagement and some support from the IRC in the region, it's their lands ultimately, as I say, that project, my understanding, is that it's underway for this construction season and will be completed, if not this year, then within the next few construction seasons. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Finance. Oral questions. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in 1970, the city of Yellowknife was created, and they drew municipal boundaries around the city of Yellowknife, and that included the community of N'dilo. When they did that, there was no consultation or accommodation with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, and they did it without their consent. My question is to the MACA Minister. Can the Minister update this Assembly on any progress regarding changes to the Yellowknife municipal bboundary with Yellowknives Dene First Nation? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The city of Yellowknife and Yellowknives Dene First Nation jointly submitted a boundary change request under the Executive Council Community Boundaries Policy. In December 2022, MACA requested additional information from the city regarding the proposed boundary line and its impact on adjacent land and improvements. The city provided its response in December 2023.
During the December 2022 meeting between DKFN and the city and MACA, a DKFN representative indicated that they were reviewing their land withdrawal areas and considering changes that might impact the proposed boundary lines. When MACA then requested that the city and DKFN reengage with each other to discuss proposed boundaries and identify any further revisions before approval process proceeds, both parties were advised to follow up with MACA whether they would be proceeding with the boundary lines that they'd proposed, and the department is still waiting for a follow-up on that meeting. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Even though the boundaries were drawn, there was no consent from YKDFN, but the GNWT continued to recognize N'dilo as part of the city of Yellowknife. Will the Minister commit to funding N'dilo as a separate entity distinct from Yellowknife going forward? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Currently, we are currently funding 32 communities in the Northwest Territories and at this time, until these meetings are held and discussions are agreed to, we will stick to our current policy. Thank you.
Yeah, thank you. I know the territorial government was born in 1967, over 55 years now, but the thing is that, you know, it's concerning that the GNWT accepted the municipal boundary of Yellowknife. But going forward, Mr. Speaker, will the Minister commit to compensating N'dilo retroactively for lost funding dollars that they have been going to the city of Yellowknife without their consent? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm sure the Member is aware, but the funding that the government gets is federal funding that we receive, and those pots are allocated through the formula funding that we have that go through all the communities. So we would not be able to retroactively commit to providing funds retroactively for the community. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Final supplementary. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
So what I'm hearing is that Dettah will continue to subsidize N'dilo while N'dilo provides funding to the city of Yellowknife. Can the Minister provide a timeline for when this work on administratively separating N'dilo from the city of Yellowknife, when would that occur? That we here, we could get the funding we need to subsidize our own business in the community. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In order to discuss a timeline, the DKFN would have to make the separate submission on behalf of the residents of N'dilo to be considered a separate community government once boundary issues have been resolved with the city of Yellowknife. If a newer community is formed, MACA's current community funding budget would be reallocated amongst 33 communities rather than 32. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Oral questions. Member from YK Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. With the budget in the range of $650 million with hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of employees on the books both funded, unfunded, etcetera, Mr. Speaker, what does the department have in terms of jobs specifically that are targeted to analyze spending of the department in the context of an efficiency expert? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, within the department, we have the ADM of finance, policy and planning. Within NTHSSA, they have their own finance. And within the NTHSSA, there's also a sustainability unit that has been working through the NTHSSA reviewing all of the programs under the government renewal. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With two CFOs, dozens of managers, directors, even bookkeepers for goodness sakes I'm sure, it's not a policy issue. It's a numbers issue. Why doesn't the department look at hiring someone specific to identify efficiencies with respect to costs? If health is so expensive, you'd be thinking health would be leading the charge to find the most efficient way to do things. And, Mr. Speaker, I believe in the department of health. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe in the department of health as well and all of the associations. And I know that, you know, given the Member, you know, highlighting the amount that it costs to run health and social services in all 33 communities, it is a high cost. The Member also stated that there are a lot of unfunded positions. A lot of those unfunded positions are third party funded positions which we get a lot of federal money for. Those positions -- and then there's -- because we have such a high number of workforce within, we have one-third of the employees as well. We do not, however, have one-third of all of the senior management of the government. So, you know, when you take in the size of the organization versus the senior management versus the staff that are unfunded, we also have a large population of our staff that are away for, you know, maternity leave, sick leave, education leave, so those also have to be backfilled because those positions are not -- you can't just leave those positions unfunded. So within the department, there is a lot of work going on within measuring all of our programs. However, a lot of our programs that are core, and then there's a lot of programs that we as NWT also support so that there's services. And those are the tough ones. Those are the tough ones. The core funding ones that we get core funding, it's all of the ones that are not core funded that we struggle to be able to maintain that stability, the sustainability. And so those are the things that you'll hear, and that's a lot of those discussions go on in this -- the floor of this House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, again, speaking on the theme of being not confident to do change, Mr. Speaker, I believe in the department, Mr. Speaker. I know they have the skills, Mr. Speaker. And I hope the Minister wasn't suggesting she's going to hire more ADMs, DMs, and who knows what else.
Mr. Speaker, would the Minister have the confidence that I'm giving her -- would she take the leadership I'm encouraging her to take to hire someone from an auditor general point of view to do value for money audit on the work we do there in the department because of the inefficiencies of how the programs are currently being run, such as the example I talked about earlier today? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, you know when we hear inefficiency, you know, in our public service staff, especially in Health and Social Services, are run off, you know, their feet, then we say there's inefficiencies is -- you know, they're doing multiple jobs and they're providing frontline service. And I hear the Member, and I understand where he's coming from. That is why the Minister of health and I have had active conversations on where we are financially and, again, where those core programs are, where those noncore funded that we are funding from within that we're providing to the residents of the Northwest Territories, and are those sustainable with our fiscal picture. However, Mr. Speaker, for so long, you know -- and this is the thing is when I think of my computer that just updated, our health and social services authority, all the authorities, you know, every single year there's increased growth, costs, all these things, but not everything can make it through forced growth at the budget table. And so we have to prioritize. And then sometimes things get bounced back until then they become urgent and then they get pushed forward. So there's only so much money in the budget that we can do that. And so that is an ongoing battle. That is an ongoing -- not battle, but it is a battle within Health and Social Services as what we bring forward for forced growth. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When the Minister of health said she has conversations with the Minister of health, I hope she wasn't having an out of body experience. And that's meant as a joke, Mr. Speaker, okay, in the nicest way. Because I believe in the health Minister. As a matter of fact, I know the health Minister has the ability and knowledge, rah, rah, rah, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I didn't talk about any of that stuff about people running around. I'm talking about being efficient with our money, Mr. Speaker. I'm talking about value for money. Instead of sending people daily to Edmonton for rheumatoid arthritis, examine the business case of saying bring someone here. I'm not going to go through the rest of the examples; I've already made them, Mr. Speaker. I'm strictly speaking about value for money.
So, Mr. Speaker, my question to the Minister of health, again, is what about hiring some type of auditor who could examine the way we do businesses program by program to find more efficiencies within it, and then our staff won't be running their feet off. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, you know, and that was where this health sustainability unit came into play, and that was the expectation of that, and now that they've completed one part of it, that is the discussion that I'm having with the Minister of Finance, not the Minister of health, and does that department need to -- you know, is it continuing the way it's going to continue or does it need to do something else now. So thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services.
Colleagues, we would like to focus our questions and our answers a little bit more concise, please, so we can get through the process.
Members' statements. Member from Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are to the Minister of Infrastructure to my statement earlier. After MTS barge cancellations in 2018 and 2022, the GNWT organized an airlift for affected communities. My first question there, Mr. Speaker, has the Minister looked into this option for the Sahtu region? Mahsi.
Thank you, Member from Sahtu. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can tell you it was just under $2 million for the airlift up into the high Arctic communities. The situation was a little bit different in terms of timing, in terms of where we were at in the season, and mitigation measures that we were attempting to put into place. That was the situation where it was quite late in the season, and there was very little ability for anyone to mitigate. Conversely, in this situation, what we have the opportunity to do, myself and Minister for Industry, Tourism and Investment, and our teams, is to work directly with the communities identify where, in fact, people were not able to mitigate, where the various businesses were not able to mitigate. I know those meetings have taken place with officials already as of last week to identify where the needs are going to be, who was or was not able to otherwise manage their cargo, given the notices that we were sending out early, and with that information we'll be able to come up with a response that is appropriately dealing with the situation at hand and not necessarily relying only on what would have happened a few years ago, but being responsive to the realities on the ground in the Sahtu. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the Minister for that information. My next question, can the Minister commit her department to organize an airlift at pay-for-service-fee to the Sahtu for 2024 season? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
