Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Further to my statement on education and the graduation season, my question is to the Minister of education on sponsoring and supporting the spirits of reconciliation and the improvements to the Education Act. Will the Minister assist my office in organizing a strategic planning session with Sahtu Divisional Board of Education? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that in 2019, so almost some years ago now, that the Sahtu leadership came together to discuss issues of education and a vision for the future of education in the region and that this led to a fiveyear strategic plan that will be expiring in June of 2025. So I appreciate the Member for bringing this forward because it sounds like the timing is right. And so if leadership from across the Sahtu decides to come together in an education conference next summer, I would be more than happy to attend and to listen in to this and have the opportunity to hear the concerns from the region. And I think it's also worth noting as well that in October of this year, the Sahtu education body will be coming together for a conference of their own and an inservice, and so it sounds like there's some potential for some good synergies happening around the same time here. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the Minister for recapping the efforts that we had accomplished in July of 2019. It was a very well attended strategy session on how to upgrade and develop a plan moving forward to support education, and I'm glad to hear that the Minister supports that as a starting point to update our education journey for the young folks of the Sahtu.
And will the Minister provide staff supports there to help organize and put together the appropriate meeting packages in preparation for that session? Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like the opportunity to find out from the Member exactly what it is that he is looking for as far as support and be able to find out how we can help one another make sure that this happens, but I'd like to better understand what it is that he's looking for. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thanks to the Minister. Just to kind of share the moving forward, we can take the fiveyear 2019 strategy plan, update that to a 2024 package and see how we can extend and improve that. Since then, there was a lot of challenges, so that'll be a good starting point to upgrade the fiveyear Sahtu education plan here, call it the 2019 fiveyear plan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I didn't hear a question, but I very much look forward to discussing with the Member and absolutely very much look forward to hopefully travelling to the Sahtu. Thank you.
Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we continue on into our fire season, I'd like to ask the Minister of MACA some questions about our emergency management legislation, specifically the regulations. In other jurisdictions, command control and coordination systems are present in regulations. They require local authorities to establish EMOs that all use the same system so there's a consistent approach across the board, and typically, it's the instant command system. Can the Minister tell me what regulations are in place under the Act to ensure consistent approaches to emergency planning and operations in all of our communities? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Currently, with the Act and the regulations, we don't have detail to that level; however, I am looking forward after the afteraction review is complete to reviewing all these documents to see what changes need to or may need to be changed. Currently, MACA does offer the incident command system training, the ICS100, to all community levels, but we do not mandate it at that time. So thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what work is already underway to review the regulations, or absence of regulations I suppose, as we currently have them? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What I'm aware of is nothing has been fully done or looked at yet until the afteraction review is complete that we're currently doing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, given that we don't know exactly what's going to come out of the afteraction review but, presumably, there's going to be something around here. Will the Minister commit to implementing regulations that ensure that ICS is followed in all communities and that communities have to establish EMOs that use this system so we can ensure we're using the right system that works for us? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The ICS program is a nationally and internationally recognized program. It's a common one that's used for these types of incidents. I'm interested in looking at this and seeing what we can do to develop it; however, I don't know what our grounds are on fully dictating to the communities what their EMO structures may look like. But at the end of the day, the department does work with the communities to establish these guidelines and assist them in developing them, which also includes recommending the type of training and offering some free training to the communities so that they essentially will fall in line. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think we're on the same page, but I do hope that the Minister will look to mandating best practices for EMOs in the Northwest Territories. Can he ensure the House that he will do that and provide support for those best practices through training and planning support? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think we pretty much already do a lot of that stuff. We do offer the communities support with the development of the emergency plans and also provide the training. So yes, I will consider what the Member's requesting. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents regarding public participation in a regional study under part 5.2 of Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act.
The first is a letter dated December 6, 2023, from Alternatives North to the Minister of Crown and Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs; second is a Letter from the Assistant Deputy Minister of CrownIndigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada to Alternatives North; and, the third is a Letter dated January 30th, 2024, from the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to Alternatives North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, June 13th, 2024, I'll move the following motion:
Now therefore I move, seconded by the Member for Range Lake, that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a response to Tabled Document 11820(1) and table it in the House within 120 days. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Notices of motion. Member for the Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, June 13th, I will move the following motion:
Now therefore I move, seconded by the Member of the Mackenzie Delta, that the Government of the Northwest Territories update the business case to complete the Mackenzie Valley Highway immediately;
And further, that the Government of the Northwest Territories use the updated business case to formalize Indigenous partners in the project and to lobby the federal government in partnership to secure the funding requirement in the upcoming federal budget to develop this critical infrastructure for the territories and Canada;
And furthermore, that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a response to this motion within 120 days.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. Notices of motion. Member from the Dehcho.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, June 13th, 2024, I will move the following motion:
Now therefore I move, seconded by the Member for Monfwi, that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide the 10 percent funding needed for the installation of temporary housing in Enterprise;
And further, that the Government of the Northwest Territories align the Territorial Disaster Financial Assistance Program to leverage the 90 percent contribution provided under Canada's Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangement;
And furthermore, that the Government of the Northwest Territories immediately communicate with the hamlet of Enterprise its intention to fully participate in the installation of temporary housing in Enterprise;
And furthermore, that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a response to this motion within 120 days.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from the Dehcho. Notices of motion. Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, June 13th, 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, June 13th, 2024, it shall be adjourned until Thursday, October 17th, 2024;
And further, that any time prior to October 17th, 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 has been duly adjourned to that time.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to present to the House Bill 7, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act 2024, to be read for the first time. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Justice. First reading of bills. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to present to the House Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. First reading of bills. Second reading of bills. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters, Tabled Document 9320(1), Tabled Document 11120(1).
This House stands no, that's not it, wrong one. I was kicking you guys out already.
Call the committee to order. What is the wish of the committee? I'm going to go to the Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the Committee of the Whole wishes to consider Tabled Document 9320(1), 20242025 Main Estimates, the Departments of Industry, Tourism and Investment and Housing Northwest Territories, Mr. Chair. Thank you.
Thank you. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. We'll take a short recess, and we'll start in about 15 minutes.
SHORT RECESS
Okay, we're going to start up. Members, we have agreed to review Tabled Document 9320(1), Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment. We'll resume with key activity tourism and parks on page 247. Does the Minister of ITI wish to bring witnesses into the House? Minister.
