Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I will close discussion. So I was contemplating reading at length from Tabled Document 204-20(1), which is the patient survey that the Member for Yellowknife Centre and I brought forward to the House. I'm not going to do that. The document speaks for itself. But I do encourage everyone, in particular our Cabinet colleagues, to read that document and see in their own words what practitioners, members of the public, said in that survey. I think it's valuable to let them tell their own stories, and we'll continue to hear their -- we'll continue to hear those stories and bring them forward. This motion, and the other things that we're working on as a government, aren't going to change -- or are not going to change things overnight; I completely agree, there is no silver bullet.
But the audit that was just tabled in this House not too long ago was the result of a motion that was passed by the last Assembly. So, you know, it does take a while to get there, but I think we can all -- there are lots of lessons that we know we're going to learn from the Stanton renewal audit, you know, and not just were they following policy. Like, we have a very clear set of this is how we can avoid these things in the future, and I think that's -- that's the value of these things. And it shows that the OAG is listening to this Assembly. They're listening to the concerns of the people of the Northwest Territories. They always do. But we're just escalating that and asking them to prioritize this work because it is important. And with all these efforts that the Premier's office is putting towards health care sustainability, the health Minister, hopefully things do align and we're able to assess whether those things have been working and effective because those are policy changes that will now be part of any performance audit that comes forward.
I did want to say that my honourable friend from Yellowknife Centre mentioned that the town hall we had, and it was a pretty tremendous thing to have standing room only and have all these people engaged. Because sometimes Northerners do feel timid or that they can't speak out because they work for government or because they're worried about who's listening or there will be reprisals or they won't get contracts or whatever it happens to be. And it's a dam shame because this is our democracy, and it only works when we're listening to the people we serve.
So I was really pleased to see that. And during that, I made a commitment to bring forward this motion and that's the -- the people who were assembled wanted something like this. They wanted outside eyes taking a look at this. Because, quite frankly, Northerners are fed up, and things need to change. And it will take time. Everything we do will take time. But this puts us on the right course, and I think it's important that when we make a promise to the public, we keep it. So that's my effort today, Mr. Speaker. I look forward to the work of the auditor general. And I thank all my colleagues who have spoke in support of this motion. And I will recognize the commitment of the executive council to prioritize this as well, and we'll have to see -- hopefully everything aligns, and we start to make progress as soon as possible because, like I said, the system is breaking, if not already broken, and we desperately need to fix it. And I will ask for a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Member for Range Lake. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake. The Member for Monfwi. The Member for Frame Lake. The Member for Great Slave. The Member for Mackenzie Delta. The Member for Yellowknife North. The Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. The Member for Sahtu. The Member for Yellowknife Centre.
All those opposed, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand.
The Member for Thebacha. The Member for Yellowknife South. The Member for Kam Lake. The Member for Hay River North. The Member for Hay River South. The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. The Member for Nunakput.
Colleagues, all those in favour, 10. Opposed, zero. Abstentions, 7. Motion has carried.
---Carried
Motions. Colleagues, realizing that we've been almost three hours, we need to give our translators a break. We will have a brief recess. Thank you.
---SHORT RECESS
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, you know, these capital budgets are not the same as operational budgets, and I think that that's very important, you know. In other words, this is roads versus this is employee salary. It's not that simple, but in a sense, if you're trying to decide, you know, why this budget matters versus the other one, the timeliness of some of the questions -- my good colleague here next to me, he's right. Like, we don't have a lot of opportunities to say truly hold the feet of -- the government's feet, that is, to the fire with respect to important needs. I mean, the asks or the requests by the Regular Members don't come lightly. It's hard enough getting, you know, all of us together on the same song sheet. We are literally 11 independent parties that occasionally work together, and it takes a lot to, you know, get us all on the same page. If not, it's an impossible task. But what we did see this time around is such unanimity around many of the topics highlighted, again, just recently by my colleague, you know, such as housing as an example. I felt it was very important to be -- to demonstrate solidarity to send the message of housing matters.
I like numbers, so I'm going to throw a couple out here. I won't do them too fast, so they resonate. It was -- it's approximately 352 days since the last territorial election. Where's the housing file? It's approximately 340 days since the Members' speeches in this House about, you know, all the things we're going to do. All we heard about was housing and helping people, you know, even bigger centres wanted to help little centres, little communities or small communities. We wanted to be part of the solution. It's been approximately 329 days since Cabinet was picked. And yet we don't see the government as, you know, a war time mandate with the enthusiasm that we're going to make housing number 1, even though it was so loudly spoken. You know, without a number here in the sense of, you know, it's just over 300 days since the -- we met with the territorial leaders at the Tree of Peace. What was the number one issue everybody talked about? Housing. I feel like saying can I get an amen with the congregation here. It's true, though. It's true.
You know, and I get the interim budget was, in theory, keep the lights on. You know, I get it. I get it. And I supported that. And I think that's a reality. But then when we came in in the May/June budget, you know, where was the system listening to the leaders of this House, the leaders of the territory, the people of the territory, when everyone's saying housing matters? You would think in any system, you know, once they heard those consolidated echos of passion saying we want to make a difference on housing, they would literally stop the factory floor, you'd hit the button, the red light would go on, and say we're retooling for housing. Why? Because these people, these 19 people were sent to this building to make housing -- like, make a difference in housing. So we tried a couple weeks ago. We sent our letter. And, you know, I mean, it should have been written with invisible ink some days I think, because that's how it feels like the answers get. You know, holding it up, I don't see anything from the Members, let's just keep on.
And then there's the fracturing. Well, you know, there's the implied, whether it's direct or indirect or the pressure, oh my God, what's going to happen if we don't support the budget as given? And what happens if we don't support it as given in a timing? So in other words if you don't support this, well, who knows what's going to happen. Can't tell you. Beware of -- well, just beware.
Mr. Chairman, it's approximately 1,039 days left in this mandate before the next election. And some days I think, man, that's -- I wish it would come sooner. Because, you know, I really thought -- I believed, not thought -- I believed in holding the line because housing mattered. Now, I generally mean this commitment which is, you know, I feel very strongly about saying let's just put 500 houses in the communities. Let's do it. You know, that's somewhere between, you know, 12, 13, or even as high as 15 depending where it is. Why, as a Yellowknife MLA, would you say let's focus in on that first? And I -- I'll be frank about it. Because it's important. And the reason it's important is because people are coming from the regions and the communities because of the housing suitability and accessibility. It's just not there in some of those places. They -- you know, or they get a government house and a modular that rolls into town, the government heats it for two years, and everybody's staring at it. Boy, that's at a sore thumb. Nothing -- you know, the equating -- getting results for people is what hopefully we all ran for. To take pressure off Yellowknife. Yellowknife has a land issue with getting housing.
Now, I'm sure someone's going to say I'm wrong on this and that, but the truth of the matter is access to land is a big issue to get houses built here. We have developers that build big tracks of opportunities, whether small apartments, houses, apartment buildings, row houses. People want to build in Yellowknife. It's land. But housing solves the community problems. And I would never disagree that more public housing in Yellowknife wouldn't help. My goodness, that is certainly an important thing. But I just that that -- let's -- the other aspect is, Mr. Chairman, and I really want to stress this, if we could focus on an effort to have the greatest impact, I thought that would have an immediate ripple effect on everybody. Help Yellowknife, help the regions, help the communities, help families who are struggling. So, Mr. Chairman, I couldn't agree more. This notional -- let's put it differently. It's hypothetical. It's theoretical. It's well-intended. It would have been a monumental shift in doing business in recognizing the important story the Members are telling on this side of the House had our initiatives been adopted a little more. And that's really what's frustrating when you're on this side of the House. You know, my favorite saying is the government will always be there when they need you. Yeah, well, you know, if they don't need you, well, you're on your own.
Honestly, some of these initiatives didn't do a single thing for me personally in the sense of the riding in Yellowknife Centre. I didn't necessarily see it always helping Yellowknife at large. I saw it as helping the territory as a whole. And to me, the fabric is weaved very tightly together. And I'm -- I want to take only a -- like, a 30 second step off this, which draws the comparison -- although it's not completely on topic, so I want to recognize I'm doing this on purpose, which is when I'm arguing about the importance of what's happening in Fort Smith is I'm not trying to save a jail. And I told that to the people I spoke to on the phone. No, I'm not trying to save an empty jail. I have no interest in that. I have an interest in saving 32 jobs that make a difference in a region. I see this as helping the fabric of the North. I see possibilities for making sure families are sustainable, healthy, and whatnot. And that's why the housing to me mattered in the communities. How do we bolster our territory? You know, someone tried to give a poke at me yesterday saying I'm only doing this because I want to be in Cabinet. That wasn't it. It matters. It matters. And I was kind of offended by that pure suggestion. It matters helping people wherever they are. And if you can go home at night and sometimes remember you helped somebody, my goodness you sleep the best sleep you've had in a long time. And when you know you've done your best and sometimes you don't cross it over the line, well, you know, you still feel darn good. And they see it on your face when you put the effort. I thought some of their suggestions were going to do that.
So, Mr. Chairman, I didn't expect to take eight minutes, and I sincerely apologize, that wasn't the intent. But I am frustrated because, like I said Members' suggestions, I often deeply feel -- and I'm going to stress, I feel like we write them in invisible ink, and that's what happens to them. You know, and it's just frustrating when you're sitting there trying to help people, not yourself, people, families, make them healthy, make them strong, empower them, help their independence, because we all want good people, you know, and all want good results, Mr. Chairman. So I apologize, a little bit of a rant, but I am frustrated and certainly disappointed.
I won't leave it to a mystery, but I'll let people wonder which way I'm going with this one, which way I'll vote. But I do think a recorded vote on this very matter will be key for Northerners to see if they want to take a point in time to ask who dug in the sand for something that's meaningful. And I feel that this one mattered. And it would have had a monumental achievement recognizable about our efforts and our passion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you. Any other comments from Members? Thank you. The motion's in order. To the motion. It's been asked to have a recorded vote. Okay, thank you. To the motion.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Sorry, it's earlier they had asked for a recorded vote. So I'm going to go back to the motions. To the motion. Question.
The Member for Hay River North. The Member for Hay River South. The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. The Member for Nunakput. The Member for Sahtu. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake. The Member for Monfwi. The Member for Great Slave. The Member for Thebacha. The Member for Yellowknife South. The Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you. All those opposed, please stand.
The Member for Yellowknife Centre. The Member for Range Lake. The Member for Frame Lake. The Member for Mackenzie Delta. The Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you. The results of the recorded vote: 11 in favour. 5 opposed. The motion is carried. Tabled Document 193-20 will be reported as ready for consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill.
---Carried
Committee, we have agreed to consider Bill 15, Northwest Territories Indigenous-Led Conservation Fund Establishment Act. I will ask the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to introduce the bill.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the opportunity to discuss Bill 15, Northwest Territories Indigenous-Led Conservation Fund Establishment Act.
I would also like to thank the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment for receiving a technical briefing on the legislative proposal on October 23rd. Based on the feedback from committee, several amendments were made to the bill before you today.
[editors note: the above statement was corrected on November 1, 2024 through a point of order. The Minister of Environment and Climate Change made the following correction to Hansard: “Mr. Speaker I rise to make a correction to the Hansard record. Yesterday in my opening remarks on Bill 15 during Committee of the Whole, I said ‘Based on the feedback from committee, several amendments were made to the bill before you today.’ This sentence is inaccurate and was included in my remarks by error. Thank you.”]
The NWT Project Finance for Permanence, or PFP, Agreement, which has been renamed the Our Land for the Future Agreement, was negotiated by the partnership of 23 Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations, the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Government of Canada, and three private donors. The agreement will provide long-term funding for Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations to support Indigenous-led conservation, stewardship, and related economic diversification.
The process was Indigenous-led. Negotiations involved extensive collaborative discussions between the partners with the Indigenous leadership initiative acting as a facilitator. In August of this year, the final draft PFP agreement negotiations were completed.
I have approval, as Minister of Environment and Climate Change, to sign the PFP agreement on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories.
A signing ceremony will be held on November 14th in Behchoko. Canada is currently seeking approval to sign the agreement. While this agreement has not yet been signed, we will be tabling a copy of the agreement tomorrow for the purposes of transparency and for the ease of reviewing the bill.
The Our Land for the Future Agreement makes no changes to our existing regulatory or decision-making structures in the NWT, nor does it commit the GNWT to establishing new protected areas. The bill before us today would establish the Our Land for the Future Trust as a not-for-profit body corporate for the purposes of holding, investing, and managing funds contributed to the Trust in accordance with the PFP Agreement; Distributing funds to eligible Indigenous partners to carry out core activities in accordance with the Agreement; and,
Supporting the partners in achieving the purpose, vision, and objectives of the agreement.
Establishing a Trust in this way will provide the strongest case to the Canada Revenue Agency that the trust will be able to receive and disburse tax-exempt funds. I look forward to committee of the whole's review of Bill 15. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Does the Minister wish to bring witnesses into the chamber?
Yes, I do.
Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witnesses into the chamber.
Minister, please introduce your witnesses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, to my left, I have Mr. Charles Hunter, senior advisor, Executive and Indigenous Affairs. To my far right, I have Ian Rennie, legislative council for the Department of Justice. And to my immediate right, I have Amy Kennedy, assistant deputy minister of Environment and Climate Change. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. As a bill, it was not referred to the standing committee for review. I will now open the floor to general comments on Bill 15. Any general comments from Members? Seeing none.
Does the committee agree that there are no further general comments? We will proceed to clause-by-clause review of the bill.
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, we will defer the bill number and title until after consideration of the clauses. There are 14 clauses in the bill. Please turn to page 2 of the bill.
Clause 1, does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Clause 2, does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Clause 3, does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Clause 4, does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Clause 5, does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Clause 6, does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Clause 7, does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Clause 8, does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Clause 9, does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Clause 10, does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Clause 11, does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Clause 12, does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Clause 13, does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Clause 14, does the committee agree?
