I'd like to thank Bertha Catholique for the opening prayer and reflections today.
Colleagues, before we start the day, there's a couple things I'd like to stress. Remember, we have the dignity to be able to speak in this House but make sure we do not bring other people's names into this place or businesses because they don't have the right to defend themselves. We do have some autonomy here but make sure we have the information that we say in this House that it's very clear and as truthful as we can be so that we don't impugn integrity of that.
The second thing is on Friday somebody scheduled it so that we wouldn't be able to do something to him, so I'm going to do it today. I'd to wish our clerk a Happy Belated Birthday; life is good. That red looks really nice on you, Mr. Clerk.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and my colleague from Great Slave joined me in visiting Yellowknife high schools to hear directly from students what they think about this government's climate change action plan. Mr. Speaker, these young people were well spoken, thoughtful, and passionate, which wasn't a surprise, but what I did find remarkable was how laser focused they are on wanting to see action and measurable commitments to ensure a liveable planet even 10 or 20 years from now, let alone generations from now. They read through the draft plan, and they thought this plan is not speaking to me. Who was it written for? It's full of jargon and language about processes.
For example, one of the so-called actions listed in the plan says to update a climate change risk and opportunities assessment to inform the development of future frameworks and action plans. So to me, that says process piled on top of process.
There's a lot of emphasis in the plan on monitoring, but young people want to know what's the purpose of all that monitoring. How will that feed into decision-making? How will all this help us when we have low water levels and thin ice and caribou disappearing and forest fires at our doorsteps? How are we changing our energy systems to get off fossil fuels?
Youth are experiencing a lot of anxiety about climate change and the future, and so much is outside their control and even outside our control in the NWT. Political winds are shifting around the world, and chaotic and destructive decisions affecting the climate are being made without any of our input. It's worrisome how extremely dependent the GNWT is on federal funding to action most of our climate change and energy goals.
Now, the best remedy for anxiety is to take back control into our own hands. Yesterday the young people we spoke to named specific kinds of climate action they want to be part of that will also build community at the same time. For example, more community greenhouses, volunteering at the farmers' market, making our streets more walkable and bikeable, which also creates more traffic to our downtown businesses and boosts our local economy. While lots of things are harder in the North, the students notice that some things are easier. Mr. Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
There is a nay. Members' statements. Member from Range Lake.
Mr. Speaker, our pets are Members of our families. We welcome them into our home the where we love and care for them in return only for their unending companionship. All pet owners recall fondly of how their bond WITH their pets was first made, and for many that connection is made at a local shelter where dogs and cats are housed and cared for by staff and volunteers in preparation for the day they find their furever homes. Those animals may have nowhere else to turn at first, but thanks to the hard work of animal shelters, they soon find their place in this world, and in turn, those animal shelters find a valued place in our communities because we can't get enough of the compassion and humanity they inspire.
Unfortunately, while the NWT SPCA has that cherished place in our communities, they have no place in our territorial budget. Instead, they must rely almost entirely on donations from citizens and businesses to fund their operations which can top off as high as $700,000 annually. Donations are always appreciated, but they often require fundraising efforts and may not be consistent yearround, and larger donations may be narrowly dedicated solely to animal welfare alone and cannot be spent on administration or employee wages. In fact, the NWT SPCA only receives stable funding from the city of Yellowknife thanks to their work housing stray animals that bylaw apprehends.
Mr. Speaker, the NWT SPCA is not the Yellowknife SPCA. They serve the whole territory taking in cats and dogs as close by as Behchoko and as far as away as Gjoa Haven. They run clinics across the North treating dogs and providing crucial work spaying and neutering them. Mr. Speaker, the SPCA also provides services that can't be accessed in small communities by flying in teams of vets from southern Canada. Everyone in our territory, both human and animal alike, benefit immensely from the work of the NWT SPCA but they need to have territorial funding that fits them. They don't meet the criteria for NGO funding. They cannot access ITI funding as a non-profit. And MACA insists funding won't be made available to them unless communities apply for it themselves.
Mr. Speaker, the SPCA knows best what they need. Northerners trust them enough to donate thousands of dollars each year. It's time this government does the same and provides them with the stability to get cats and dogs into the homes they deserve. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Members' statements. Member from the Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Sahtu winter road season is critical to the region's resupply. Trucking schedules must be maintained. More importantly, the winter road itself must be supported by sufficient resources for efficiencies, trucking turnarounds, etcetera.
Mr. Speaker, the original truckload estimates destined for the Sahtu were in the neighbourhood of 1,000 loads. This includes essential supplies such as fuel products, not only to our government but the private sector as well, household staples, grocery inventories, and project materials. Mr. Speaker, I know of several projects that have a construction schedule, and they must meet this deadline for their resupply to start the season this spring.
Mr. Speaker, this government and the residents of Sahtu know very well the costly repercussions of costs associated with air transportation and the impacts of low water levels on the Mackenzie River. Mr. Speaker, as of today, there is 35 days left in our season, our affordable season I might add. It's comforting to receive delivery reports from the Minister of Infrastructure which eases the comfort of knowing we are all pulling together.
Mr. Speaker, my statements in sharing these concerns is to meet the deadline of March 31st for the affordable winter road season, and I must emphasize the need for attention and additional resources as I've received several concerns already this morning on the rough sections which is extending the trucking turnaround. Just to give you an example, Mr. Speaker, it takes the fuel truck from Enterprise to Colville Lake six days and four days to Fort Good Hope. So you can see the length of travel time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. Members' statements. Member from Hay River South.
Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker. This past weekend I had the privilege of attending the Second Annual Community Spirit Awards in Hay River. These awards provided a valuable opportunity to unite the community, celebrating the qualities that make our town truly special, particularly in light of the challenges we faced in the recent years.
Mr. Speaker, I'd like to acknowledge the remarkable individuals and the organizations recognized at this event.
Heather Coakwell was introduced into the Hay River Sports and Recreation Hall of Fame, her exceptional contribution to figure skating and a variety of sports.
Donovan Rogers was named as youth volunteer of the year.
Bobby Hamilton was honoured as a senior volunteer of the year.
The Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre was honoured both in the arts and cultural awards and the community spirit award.
Super A Foods received the good business award in recognition of their local support.
Kia Carter was named the outstanding athlete of the year, and
Gerald Dumas was presented with the Trailblazer of the Year Award for the outstanding work to the west channel ice road and the vital trails in Hay River.
I'm also proud to share that Tara Boudreau was named citizen of the year. This honour was well deserved as Tara dedicates herself not only as a principal of two schools, but she also plays a vital role in promoting youth programming and volunteering beyond her classroom.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all nominees and award recipients and nominees, and I offer my greatest gratitude to everyone who continues to work tirelessly to make our town a better place. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Hay River South. Members' statements. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. No, okay. Members' statements.
Colleagues, this past summer, the Deh Cho First Nations celebrated its (audio) the 15th. I had the honour of being invited to the Assembly. It was great to see them work together in how they included youth and elders with the leadership and decision-making. I can tell you the 30th Assembly for the Deh Cho Nation marks a significant milestone in its journey of Indigenous self-governance and cultural resurgence in Canada. Established in 1990, the First Nation -- Deh Cho First Nation represented a collective of ten communities in the Deh Cho region of the Northwest Territories, each with its unique heritage and tradition. This Assembly not only celebrates the past achievements of the Deh Cho people but also serves as a platform for envision of future grounded in self-determination and sustainability. Over the past three decades, the First Nation made remarkable strides in asserting its rights and preserving its culture. The Deh Cho process of land claim negotiation framework has been pivotal in advancing the region's interests. This process emphasizes importance of land stewardship, reflection of deep connection between the Deh Cho people and their ancestral territory. As the nation navigates the complexity of modern governance, it remains committed to integrating traditional knowledge with contemporary practices, ensuring their cultural identity remains at the forefront of decision-making. Moreover, the Assembly serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by Indigenous communities, including climate change, resource extraction, and the need for economic development aligns with traditional values. The Deh Cho First Nation has been proactive in addressing these issues and advocating for sustainable practices that honour the land and its resources. Initiatives focused on renewable energy, wildlife conservation, and community-led economic projects illustrates the nation's commitment to a balance of development. As Deh Cho First Nation celebrates (audio) Assembly, it also looks to its future of hope and determination, legacy of the past combined with the vision for resilience and self-sufficient regions with the guidance of the Deh Cho people as they continue to navigate the complexity of modern society while honouring their traditional culture. I'm looking forward to the 31st Assembly. Thank you
Members' statements. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to talk about population growth today. Mr. Speaker, as I talk to employers, they talk about their struggles of getting anyone to work. I had a great conversation the other day with the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce, and they are fearful about what's actually happening with the nominee program because their membership, including our community at large, is struggling to find people to fill jobs. They don't care where they've come from, Mr. Speaker; we're dying to have anybody here with a pulse in these jobs to do these jobs, Mr. Speaker, because we're struggling.
We all talk daily here with the proverbial challenges of lack of nurses, lack of doctors, and lack of teachers. But we cannot let it go unforgotten that we have people such as the construction workers, the landscapers, and even the restauranteurs who are struggling filling positions. Now with the nominee program being pulled from the carpet of business, and our population is fearing what will happen next. Mr. Speaker, we cannot let this upcoming nominee program create chance as their business model for success.
Mr. Speaker, at the same time, the GNWT cannot be the singular salvation to our population growth by saying, in other words, GNWT jobs will bring them here. Well, as fact, it doesn't. We need a new strategy. Population growth is a barrier to our success. In other words, it isn't being done. It's the wall that we can't seem to get past.
Now, the GNWT is number one in a few areas. Allow me to remind this House. Well, our power bills are probably number one, and if not, number 2. Our unemployment, well, again, in the range of number one as in worst. What more factors of disaster flags do we need to raise? We need action on getting population here in the Northwest Territories.
I don't know what it will take to wake this government up from its sleepy slumber of saying if we don't have people, we can't fill the jobs. If we can't have jobs, we can't have growth, etcetera, etcetera. It's a vicious circle, Mr. Speaker.
Population growth will underpin our success. We're seeing the struggles here in Yellowknife. I can only imagine the struggles in the regions and in the communities. You know, often, we forget that the importance of the sustainable population growth will be key to our federal grant. So if we have people here, we'll get a federal grant. We have people here working, we have taxation. We have people who happy and doing things. Mr. Speaker, we can only sell our fresh drinkable water so long. We need a strategy that puts them on the hook, reels them in, brings them here. Whether they come from Alberta, they come from Nova Scotia, whether they come from the States, because they're probably looking for places to go there, or they come from overseas, whether it's Europe or Africa or Asia, I don't care. We need good people to bring their families here, and we need a strategy from this government.
Mr. Speaker, this territory is in dire need. We need people now more than ever. We need contributors who will help the North and its fabric grow strong, and I intend to push harder for this because we need them now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Members' statements. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we know too well how Indigenous children were failed by Canadian government, were separated from their families, their communities, and their culture, and put them into residential schools where they were exposed to trauma, injury, and illness. Many are dealing with physical and mental consequences to those experiences to this day. Whether through the experience or through intergenerational trauma, tragically many are who also passed away at those schools, we are still searching for their unmarked graves, so their remains are still -- we're still looking for their remains to this date. Unfortunately, some policies are still standing in the way of the acts of reconciliation because some of the remains of the Indigenous children who passed away at residential school have been unjustly classified as archaeological artifacts, and therefore, their rights returning to their families has been prevented.
I want to share the story of a young girl named Alma today who is one of many victims of residential school whose remains have been blocked from returning home due to these erroneous policy interpretations. Alma died at St. Joseph's School at the age of 5 years old. In the late summer, Alma's mother went to meet the boat from Fort Resolution at the dock in Fort Smith. When Alma didn't get off the boat, Alma's mother asked the other children why Alma wasn't there, and she was told that the nuns said that she has gone to heaven. The cause of the death at residential school are most often listed as TB by the nuns or priests recording the death. Even the child because of injury, Alma's mother never stopped grieving and was later hospitalized. Alma's now 88-year-old sister had promised her mother that she would find Alma and bring her remains back to Fort Smith to be buried beside her mom.
A rotting cross with Alma's nameplate was found in the Fort Resolution cemetery along with other children's crosses and nameplates. Alma's sister was informed and immediately asked when Alma could be brought back to the burial site of her mother.
The coroner's office had offered assistance, and the Coroner's Act has provisions for the exhumation of a human remains; however, the archeology department classified residential school burials as artifacts. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my Member's statement.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, colleagues. There are two branches of government that are clearly at odds in which other on how to proceed. There are currently investigations into the cause of the death of these children and why they were buried. But in the meantime, Alma's remains must be returned home. We need to make exceptions so that Indigenous children and culture and traditions are upheld, and the remains of these children are treated with upmost respect. I hope to get a clear commitment from the Minister later today to help bring Alma home to her family in the community. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize my constituent Nicole Spencer. She is the executive director of the SPCA for the Northwest Territories, does great work with animals, and is also a neighbour. So thank you for being here today, Nicole. It's lovely to have you watching our proceedings.
Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Hay River North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to welcome Bronwyn McVale who is joining us in the executive hallway as an executive -- sorry, the executive administrative coordinator for the chief of staff. So I'm happy to have her in the House here in her first week. Thank you.
Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to your chambers. I hope you are enjoying the proceedings. It is always nice to see people in the gallery. And remember, this is -- you put us here, so thank you very much.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity today to address some concerns around the budget, Mr. Speaker. It's maybe a little more of an elongated Member's statement but certainly, it certainly ties in closely to the items that we're reviewing in the budget this session.
Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt we find ourselves in some challenging times. The current budget, I think, and I feel, doesn't offer a lot in the way of reduction, nor does it move us away from basically a status quo budget, Mr. Speaker. The supplemental appropriations we passed in the House to offset the challenges of transportation due to low water, the continuing issues with road deterioration on the Dempster Highway and other road systems in the territory basically, Mr. Speaker, ate any surplus we had budgeted for 2024-2025. And of course Forced growth has also played a contributing factor. I anticipate, Mr. Speaker, that there may be difficult decisions ahead that may affect programs, services and staffing.
Now, Mr. Speaker, I want to speak a little to the economy.
In my address to the budget last year, I spoke about how between 2011 and 2017, we missed the boat on a major gas development opportunity. We had an Indigenous-led pipeline group that were forced to sit helplessly as the regulatory regime slowly choked the life out of what could have been a monumental game-changing project for our territory.
I spoke about all the wellness and housing projects we could fund together, the jobs we could create for our residents, the influx of others wanting to move to our amazing territory to work in these industries, bringing with them spouses and partners that may be nurses, teachers, doctors, or early child care workers, any many other professions that we so desperately need. Again, a year later, Mr. Speaker, we still find ourselves resource rich and cash poor.
If the current polls are any indication, we may be looking at a change in our federal government. The leader of that government, if he indeed becomes our next Prime Minister, has been speaking publicly about repealing Bill C-69 and once again fast-tracking LNG projects, restarting the ring of fire mining industry, and making Canada an energy powerhouse. I understand, Mr. Speaker, there is a lot of political rhetoric here but as a territory rich in resources, we have to be prepared in this budget to engage and indeed incentivise to ensure that we are tracking those national and international
companies to our territory.
Our economy must be key, Mr. Speaker. My fear is that with no meaningful economic growth in any sector other than the government, much of our talent will leave or have already left. We must streamline our regulatory regime so that national and international businesses do not look at us as a place with too much regulatory burden that require too much time and the costs that come with that burden.
Mr. Speaker, on energy, the GNWT energy action plan is set to have a significant 5-year review and update to the overarching energy strategy. The current energy action plan, Mr. Speaker, focused exclusively on renewables and reducing emissions. Exclusively. How is that, Mr. Speaker, a comprehensive energy plan?
I agree we have to have a path for renewable energy and emission reductions, but we need to step back and look at the big picture, Mr. Speaker. Biomass and solar is great but what is it doing to the grid in the communities that rely on non-renewables? The town of Inuvik is putting in a massive solar array to power its Midnite Sun Complex. That's the pool, hockey rink, curling rink, and community centre, 100 percent federally funded to the tune of $5.5 million -- and great for the town of Inuvik -- but what does taking such a large user from our current NTPC grid mean for the cost of power production in Inuvik? Has there been any analysis or even engagement on significant projects of this size? Has Northwest Territories Power Corporation kept up with the technology to have the proper integration of such large-scale renewable energy systems, Mr. Speaker? Mr. Speaker, the answer is no, we have not.
In my response to the budget last year, I also pointed out that In April of 2021, the Government of the Northwest Territories completed a report entitled Mackenzie Delta Liquified Natural Gas, or MDLNG Project. In this report, it studied the up to 19 trillion cubic metres of natural gas in the Mackenzie Delta that could be developed for export and will provide economic benefits to the Inuvialuit settlement region, the Northwest Territories and Canada. In short, the MDLNG report stated that project is technically feasible. Natural gas production facilities and associated pipelines have been operating safely in Arctic climates such as Alaska and Russia for over forty years, Mr. Speaker. Russia has shipped LNG in the Arctic waters since 2017 using LNG and condensate ice breaking carriers. The ice breaking carrier technology proposed in this pre-feasibility study is based on Russia's operating experience. These are the kind of projects that change the direction of our territory, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the Inuvialuit get it. The $293 million Inuvialuit-led M-18 well project involves the construction of a new plant to produce natural gas and synthetic diesel to secure a supply of fuel for energy, heating, and transportation.
The project will reduce reliance on transporting liquefied natural gas and synthetic diesel from southern regions thereby enhancing local energy security, reducing transportation emissions, and providing economic benefits for the region. The well will provide a stable supply of natural gas and synthetic diesel to meet the energy needs of the ISR for over 50 years, Mr. Speaker, and that's based on current consumption rates.
Mr. Speaker, the project will reduce energy costs for households and businesses. It will create much needed employment opportunities, and Mr. Speaker, it is expected to reduce up to 40,000 tonnes of emissions annually. These are the shoulder to shoulder projects we must be working on to find a path to develop our LNG, Mr. Speaker. The benefits would reach all of the residents of the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, transportation. I spoke earlier about the additional funding required to offset the cost associated due to the inability of MTS to complete its barging season in the Sahtu. We are all keenly aware of the dire consequences and effects it has had on the residents. This is not the first time we have had additional cost due to low water levels and cancelled service. In previous Member statements, I have encouraged this government to re-evaluate the current structure of MTS. I appreciate the long history it has in its current location and by no means am I suggesting it no longer operate in Hay River, but Mr. Speaker the reality is such that it would make sense to also have infrastructure in Inuvik or Tuktoyaktuk. This infrastructure, Mr. Speaker, that can service upriver as far as Fort Good Hope, the Inuvik region, and the coastal communities in the Inuvialuit settlement region. This work needs to happen immediately, Mr. Speaker, to ensure our supply chain does not continue to see residents without essential fuel, building supplies, and consumables, as well as supplemental appropriation costs that cost the GNWT millions of dollars.
Mr. Speaker, I have worked in finance for over half of my career. I have worked with corporate tax, personal tax, I have completed business plans and feasibility studies, I have created companies and prepared budgets and cash flows but, Mr. Speaker, after a little over a year as an MLA I am still often mystified with how the NWT housing corp budgets and forecasts its spending.
We have all agreed that housing is a priority for this government, likely the number 1 priority for most. What we need is a detailed plan of exactly what we intend to spend, what we intend to build, broken down by region, and we need to ensure that the regions with the most need are prioritized, and that the communication is clear on what we intend to spend and what we intend to build.
Mr. Speaker, we need to ensure the existing inventory of units are maintained and that the repairs are planned, scheduled, and completed so we can finally address the long waitlists that I know every community has.
Mr. Speaker, I have no doubt that the Members that we elected to Executive Council are working hard. I know they care just as much as myself and my collegues about the state of affairs of this government. But Mr. Speaker, we need to start thinking outside the box. We can no longer afford these cost overruns on projects that continually show after the fact that they were not properly managed or had proper analysis completed. Maybe its time we start to look, Mr. Speaker, at economic working groups that utilize the expertise we have in the regions. We have many long-term residents, Mr. Speaker, that have worked across many sectors and have a vast amount of knowledge to share. In energy, transportation, information technology like the Inuvik satellite station in Inuvik, and other major projects that have happened in regions outside of Yellowknife as well, there is a wealth of business expertise out there, Mr. Speaker, that if given the opportunity to be part of a think tank could provide ideas that we as a government may not have considered.
Mr. Speaker, we need to further engage our Indigenous business community. The Indigenous development corporations are doing some amazing work in the NT. They are partnering with long established Canadian companies to foster economic growth. The private sector has the expertise and experience that often governments do not. Any economic plans we produce must, again, be less about statistical overviews and more about strategic roadmaps to prosperity.
Mr. Speaker, again, I appreciate the Executive Council that we elected in this House; I know how hard they're working; I know it's a difficult time, but I know if we continue to working together and we put the economy first and make sure that we are creating jobs, we're creating opportunities and we're building industry in this territory, Mr. Speaker, that will to take us to prosperity. That will solve the issue we have around social issues, around housing issues. We need to find a way to generate revenue, Mr. Speaker, and I know working together, working with this group, we can get there. Thank you.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance delivered the second budget of the 20th Assembly on February 6th. The proposed 2025-2026 Budget forecasted spending of $2.7 billion.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that the government needs to plan and budget for emergencies and unexpected natural disasters. There were lower water levels across the territory and more fires again last year. In my riding, my constituents have seen communities devastated by wildfire and flooding. Some residents are still waiting to return and rebuild.
Mr. Speaker, I represent four small Indigenous communities established and governed uniquely. But what is common to all communities in my riding is the striking difference between the economic outlook in small communities, Yellowknife and regional centres. There is a divide between those who have, who are living in bigger centres and communities, and those who have not in the small communities.
Mr. Speaker, I don't see enough emphasis on improving the lives of residents in small communities in this budget. I would like to see more emphasis on building the economy in small communities. It is a mandate of this Assembly to strengthen the economic foundation of the NWT. The government has committed to grow and enhance a northern workforce by investing in skill development and by attracting skilled workers to the NWT, increase investment certainty, and create opportunities for the private sector.
Mr. Speaker, we cannot achieve this unless we improve education outcomes and heal past traumas associated with the residential school system. We need better options and workforce training in our small communities.
Education is a treaty right. We have recently heard in the House that Aurora College is closing 19 community centres across the territory in June. This includes a centre in Fort Providence as well as one in K'atlodeeche in my riding. Mr. Speaker, these closures unfairly target Indigenous communities and will make education less accessible for Indigenous learners. They are adding to disparity that is already present in small communities. Our people need more learning opportunities at home in our communities.
Mr. Speaker, I understand Aurora College has a board of directors to make decisions about the college programming, but the GNWT currently provides nearly 80 percent of the college's revenue. The GNWT allocated almost $64 million in grants and contributions in 2024. I feel we need to look at this and reduce the amount of funding for the college if they are going to cut programs and jobs in small communities. Small communities cannot afford to lose these learning centres, Mr. Speaker.
I also see great opportunity in our small communities to increase small businesses, entrepreneurship, and tourism. This is part of the 20th Assembly's economic mandate. I would like to see more lending, financing, and business service offered through the GNWT public agencies. We need more support through industry, tourism and investment to support business development, entrepreneurship, and tourism development. We should be moving jobs to the communities or at least getting ITI into the communities more often.
Communities appreciate regular consistent visits from department heads. People value the leadership of departments that show community support, that they will take the time to understand people in their region and understand their challenges. Learning from each other is the only way we can be successful in meeting our goals and funding programs. There needs to be more emphasis on increasing awareness of tourism, promoting the benefits of tourism, and developing tourism training, especially in small communities.
People in small communities also need good business advice and guidance to make their idea a reality. Small communities need consistent regular visits from business experts who will work one on one with them to develop their concept and to support them through their business development process. Mr. Speaker, tourism is a natural opportunity. People want to visit. We can show them the Dene culture, our land, our way of life. We need more support in tourism to help people in small communities to make a business idea into a reality.
Mr. Speaker, I know the department has been supporting business development for years. But how effective are these programs? Are they delivering the results we want to see in the small communities? Are these business development programs reducing the reliance on income support? Increasing entrepreneurship helps people pay their bills.
The cost of living is a struggle for many residents, and these costs are only going to go up. But even a small home-based side business can help people pay their bills. Many residents in my riding are on income assistance support. How are we supporting people on income support to start a small business as a means to become financially independent? How does this budget help us break the cycle of dependency, Mr. Speaker? There needs to be more reporting on the results of business development programs as well as income assistance reporting. What economic development programs or services are helping residents get off income support and participating in the economy?
Mr. Speaker, the government should be putting money towards actions that will improve the lives of residents in small communities and improve the capacity of local communities because this strengthens the territory overall.
An unfortunate reality facing my riding in the territory, Mr. Speaker, is homelessness. There are many people in my riding who do not have a home to live in. And as I have stated in this House before, housing is a human right, and we need to be making progress to uphold the right for everyone in the territory to be housed.
I see increased investment in the transitional housing addictions recovery program and more funding for the Yellowknife shelter and sobering centre. But how will these benefits be extended to small communities?
Mr. Speaker, access to health care and addressing the effects of trauma is a priority of the 20th Assembly. I want to see an increase in health promotion and reporting. As we know, small communities are fighting increased violence, drug use, and crime. Mr. Speaker, health promotion is a real way to fight back against addictions. If children understood the consequences of smoking, drinking, and drug use, would they be easily influenced?
Mr. Speaker, I am concerned that the public health promotion is not being delivered effectively. The government is planning efficiency improvements through the health system sustainability unit. They are proposing $9.1 million cuts across all departments. My hope is that this won't impact health care in small communities. I believe many elders could better manage their health with increased education and home visits. Investing in health promotion is preventative. The money we put into health promotion today will save our health care system over time.
Mr. Speaker, our people should be empowered to live the most healthy active lifestyles they can, free of addictions. Our people are worth the investment. It is an investment that will bring savings over time. And these are my concerns for the 2025-2026 Budget.
There are many challenges to overcome in small communities, and the only way we are going to overcome the economic problems, social problems, violence and crime, is with healthy people. I want to see an increase in health promotion for the NWT. I want to see our people make healthy choices. Our people are worth it and deserve it. We need to work together to build up the North and make changes that will empower our residents. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today would like to respond to the Budget Address for this fiscal year by this Government of the 20th Assembly. I am not just looking out for the best interests of my community, my riding, but I am concerned about the Northwest Territories as a whole.
Mr. Speaker, when I took the oath of office of this 20th Assembly, I took this oath very serious because I personally know the state of what our residents of the NWT are facing and what challenges they will have to endure in the near future. We as MLA's set priorities for this government to implement, to ensure the residents can live in a place of hope, a place of safety, and a place of prosperity. The residents of my community of Tetlit Zheh, Tsiigehtchic, and Aklavik, along with the non-government organizations and the Indigenous governments, have also echoed these priorities for this government to act on. To date, into our second year of our mandate, we have very little in terms of implementing the priorities.
Mr. Speaker, housing is the foundation of every community, every family, and every individual. Without a solid foundation our communities and families will not have a secure future. Prior to the 1970's, the Indigenous Peoples of the North were very strong and independent then the government came into our communities and stated that they will build us houses and make our lives easier. Well, some 50 years later we are no longer strong nor are we independent; we are more reliable on the government.
Mr. Speaker, for the past 50 years the Government of the Northwest Territories have been focusing their efforts on public housing, some of their units have passed its life span two times over, and yet our Indigenous population are subject to live in these units that should have been replaced 25 years ago. In each of my communities within the Mackenzie Delta, we have a waitlist anywhere from one to three years long.
Mr. Speaker, housing has been set as the top priority by the Members of this 20th Assembly and all levels of government, but we have witnessed very limited implementation into the living conditions of our NWT residents. Homeownership and market housing should play a bigger role in our smaller communities. Options should be made available to our Indigenous population. Believe it or not, not all of our Indigenous residents are dependent on the government but want their independence back. But with policies and procedures, we have to struggle, living within public housing and the polices that govern our lives.
Mr. Speaker, I have heard stories of our great Chief Julius from Tetlit Zheh. He signed our treaty in 1921 because he wanted a better and secure life for his people. One of the major clauses of this treaty is education. Chief Julius wanted a school built in Tetlit Zheh because he did not want any more of community children taken away to the residential school system. This treaty was signed to ensure that the community's children would receive the best education that is available today. This treaty is being breached and not upheld by the federal and territorial Governments.
Mr. Speaker, the education system of today is failing our students. The system is setting our students up for failure in life before life even starts in the real world. Today the students, particularly in the smaller communities, are graduating without any credentials. The graduating students are not able to pursue a post-secondary education for the mere fact that they are not given the proper education to pursue a career.
Mr. Speaker, when I was going to school, we would await our report cards to see if we were ready for the next grade. If not, some would have to repeat the grade again because we were being prepared for life after high school. In today's system, the students don't even wait for their report cards; they already know they are being promoted, not because they have reached their academic level but because of policies and procedures that the educators must follow. Socially promoting our students is a practice that this government must revisit and make the system right, make the system prepare our students for life after high school, not life on income support.
Mr. Speaker, the income support system in the NWT as a whole is used by 70 percent of the population. In the Mackenzie Delta riding we have 15 percent of the population, most of these recipients are young able adults. As you are aware, I have been advocating and trying to find a way to get these recipients off this program and to be viable partners in the workforce and help build our economy in the Northwest Territories. But we have a majority of recipients of this program making this as a livelihood.
Mr. Speaker, I am aware that this program should assist the select few, the elders and the disabled, because it is these recipients who really require the help because of their inability to work for themselves. But this government, and past governments, are enabling the young residents to make this a way of life. I would like to see the productive choices brought back to the program. Make the people work for the program, not the program work for the people. I don't know what else to say about this program that I have not said in my Member's statements on the subject - maybe give the program to the Indigenous governments to administer; maybe have the recipients be eligible for eight months out of the year; I really don't know.
Mr. Speaker, attending adult education was once considered a productive choice when an individual was on income support but attending Aurora College within the smaller communities may no longer be an option. The board of governors of the Aurora College made a hasty decision that has or will have a negative impact on so many resources within our community learning centres. It is understandable to close or suspend funding to certain learning centres that are not being adequately utilized by the respective communities, but there are few learning centres that are trying to promote adult education.
Mr. Speaker, this government has to be advocates of all the community learning centres and seek public input from each of the communities to see how they can play a role in their respective learning centres. I believe the local organizations can administer their local learning centres because they know their membership and will promote education within the communities. Education is very important for the benefit of the individual and the community.
Mr. Speaker, the health and social services department has been identified as a priority of this government, the Indigenous government and non-government organizations throughout the Northwest Territories. The health of our Indigenous population is another treaty right that is not thoroughly being upheld. We have our residents expressing their concerns about medical travel, escorts, and accommodations on a daily basis.
Mr. Speaker, although the government is only administering the non-insured health benefits on behalf of the federal government, there is room for improvement. The biggest obstacle that the department is having to deal with is a dental team to set up a practice within the Beaufort Delta region. It is putting a strain on medical travel, medical escorts, and especially accommodations. Having our dental patients travel to another jurisdiction and be fully covered by the NIHB would alleviate the demands on the department.
Mr. Speaker, aging with dignity within our respective communities is a major concern for our aging population. Ours elders would like to stay in familiar surroundings with their families for moral support. Most family members are in the workforce and can attend to their parents or grandparents after working hours. Having our elders move to another community, even though it may be only an hour drive, puts a strain on everyone involved.
Mr. Speaker, sending our residents of the NWT who are battling addictions to a southern institute should no longer be a viable option. Keeping our people in the North, in their own culture, will make the process of the healing journey a success. The resources are right there within the communities. We know the needs of our people and they would be receptive to share their hardships with a local concerned person who will be there throughout the process. Resources should be made available within the communities, like it was in the past. We have seen results and it is still evident today.
Mr. Speaker, alcohol and the influx of hard drugs is in every community in the Northwest Territories. We have our own people killing our own people by selling alcohol and drugs within our communities, and the authorities are not acting on tips from the concerned residents. We need the cooperation of the local RCMP to help us fight this ongoing illegal activity. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to hear that this government is initiating a task force to combat bootlegging and the drug trafficking within our communities. Most of these illegal activities are taking place within Housing NWT public units. The local housing authorities are not following through with the terms of the lease agreement that both the representative and tenant signed.
Mr. Speaker, the SCAN legislation that is being proposed to help control the alcohol and drug sales both in the public units and private homes, I would welcome and support this long-awaited legislation. The majority of the community members and resource people know who are conducting these illegal activities and yet there are policies and procedures that are protecting the criminals. For the safety and health of our communities, we need to expedite the SCAN legislation and the inception of the task force to combat the alcohol and drug activity within our communities. The court system also has to play a big part in this process by prosecuting the criminals to the full extent of the law. The bootleggers and drug traffickers cannot hide behind their children; therefore, we must set a precedent and imprison these criminals so that they do not continue to kill our law-abiding citizens.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Justice should assist the communities in setting up justice committees to give courts recommendations on the outcomes of a verdict and proposed jail terms. The justice committees can also ask that the courts do not allow repeat offenders from re-entering our communities if the community would be put at risk for their safety.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, I believe that the small communities of the Northwest Territories do matter and will play a major role in reshaping the economy of the NWT. This government and this budget should start investing in its greatest resources. No, it is not precious metals or oil or gas, but our people of the North. This government has to start consulting with the general public on issues that will impact their lives in their communities.
Mr. Speaker, with the collaboration on the Cabinet, MLAs, Indigenous governments, and the residents of the Northwest Territories, we can have a territory that will be safe, healthy, and prosperous for today and the next generation. Keep investing in our small communities to make a big difference.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when I replied to the last year's budget, I started with a quote. This year I will simply say, the race is not always to the swift.
Mr. Speaker, that is the moral of Aesop's fable of the tortoise and the hare. For many years, if not decades, the GNWT has been criticized for being too slow and not doing enough. It's a criticism rooted in a truth, which is that this government does tend to move slowly. This is why this criticism is continually repeated. I think there is nuance within that truth, Mr. Speaker. First, however, I want to talk about what I have heard and seen in my time here as a Member.
In this House, I have heard that communities and residents do not have enough to make do. I have seen families, often led by single moms, trying to make things work in apartment buildings that are dangerous due to the drug trade and buildings in dire need of repair. I have taken the Premier and the Minister of housing to meet some of these folks, to see their day-to-day reality. I have been in communities where buildings are falling apart but people are expected to live in them and make it work. I have seen and I have heard a lot of frustration, Mr. Speaker.
To make meaningful change in the time we are allotted, Members want to see more investment into what we decided collectively needs to be improved in the territory. It is why Regular Members keep circling back to housing and demanding more. In my constituency, I am happy that Housing NWT is taking positive steps with the renovation of Aspen Apartments, slated for opening this fall. But I've also seen an encampment pop up next door to that project, because we don't have enough shelter, transitional, and supportive living spaces in our capital. This budget begins to address those issues, but there's always room for improvement and expediency.
In his reply to the Budget Address, my colleague from Frame Lake spoke about his constituent Emily. And he has told me that since he gave that reply, people in the public service have reached out to him and said I can understand the need for cuts if it means folks like Emily and her disabled child have a safe place to live. For something more nebulous like fiscal sustainability, it's not particularly an easy sell.
Emily's story underlies why we must action and fund core functions like housing more expediently, and indeed, with equity issues in focus. Restoring balance for fiscal sustainability is important, but social stability and social investment are important too. Divorcing one from the other is a recipe for slow-moving disaster.
When we talk about good debt of investments by government, I argue that we need to be talking to the good debt surrounding social investment; in other words, what debt we take on to house and support folks directly stemming from our priorities.
Due to the continual cost pressures that climate change impacts are having on our territory, we have reached a point of perfect storm of lack of dollars for social investment because we are desperately working to cover the basics. Water levels mean that barging of basic necessities doesn't happen, and costly airlifts begin. It means we burn diesel and safeguard residents against massive electricity bill jumps. Extensive snowfall means unexpected expenses to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars spent on clearing highways. Continued wildfire evacuations, well, almost all of us know how bad those can be. I applaud the GNWT for pivoting to handle these challenges financially, but as of right now it means less dollars overall for the extensive social needs of our territory.
Mr. Speaker, I don't know my colleague's constituent, Emily, but the outlines of her story are familiar to me. I grew up with intense family budgetary pressures, so much so that there was a time in my life where it seemed like the bank might repossess our family home. I was young enough to not know all the particulars but old enough to know it was bad. I see people reaching that point right now, and it's why my Member's statements are focusing more tightly on the everyday cost pressures and anxieties of my constituents. I know exactly how it feels to wake up every day in dread that one unexpected cost may break everything you worked so hard to build for yourself and your family.
Mr. Speaker, I know it's tough to balance sound policy decisions with the speed that people want to see the problems that dog us get addressed. I do not envy Cabinet at all in this regard. I also know that move fast and break things might be a great mantra for people who work in tech, but it is not a good way to govern and make choices where the ripple effects of decisions can easily negatively impact residents without foresight and critical, data-based decision-making.
I do not want to be a part of a government that cuts without foresight of the impacts of lost services that can harm so many. Action for the sake of action is hollow and empty and can hurt our territory for generations. To Cabinet's credit, there is not overwhelming doom and gloom in this budget, which I think many folks expected to see. As the Finance Minister said, Restoring Balance is part of shifting the culture of how we deliver programs and services to ensure that we maximize the value from the budget available.
Mr. Speaker, I very much want to see that culture shift realized in the 20th Assembly. However, an underlying problem slowing down that shift is the fact that we don't have extensive, foundational evaluative data on most of our programs and services. I would like to see tangible human resource investments in the government renewal initiative, or what GRI is becoming, as it becomes a responsibility of all departments. The evaluations that result from such an investment would mean that all MLAs, but especially Cabinet, could make better data-driven informed choices. Those choices will remain hard choices but there will be evidence to back them. And that's how I want to talk about effectively investing the dollars we have. I have had these conversations with the finance Minister over many months and given her a suggestion that's fairly cost neutral. I hope she is taking it to heart.
In my reply to last year's budget, I spoke about what good governance looks like when we relate it to those who have the least, Mr. Speaker. I want to expand on that today.
Government culture shifts based on financial choices are admirable, but to make them lasting, sustainable and socially-driven, requires a larger shift in how we approach decision-making and governance. We have started to talk a little bit in this Assembly about ESG, or environmental, social and governance indicators or frameworks, that are most associated with investment and corporate sustainability. I am interested in what approach to governance we can take for regenerative sustainability.
Although I might not agree with my colleagues on what option is best to take, I do support the core concept about talking about improvements to government and decision governance, and decision-making is always a good conversation to have.
As I've said before, we need to stop saying that Northerners are resilient. The goal of government should be to prevent people from being put into situations and circumstances where they need to be resilient to begin with.
To shift our perspective on that, Mr. Speaker, I argue that we must look through a new lens. Almost all systems in our western world are hierarchical. They are rooted in scarcity, domination, exploitation, greed, and prize the individual over the collective. What I love about consensus government is that it prioritizes the collective over the individual. It makes our community of the North its priority. In practice, it does fall short when it comes up against hierarchical, patriarchal ways of acting and thinking that we practice as a western culture in almost every other facet of our lives.
I want us to recommit to prioritizing what puts balance, regeneration, and the health of communities and their people that make those communities vibrant first. I think all of us want to strive to realize those ideals in one way or another. I am uninterested in my own power or domination of making government bend to my individual will, Mr. Speaker. I am interested in a government that puts community care as its ultimate goal.
When I was in Australia with you last November, Mr. Speaker, I had the great pleasure to attend a presentation by Ms. Jennifer Nadel, from the UK group called Compassion in Politics. One slide of that presentation caught my imagination. It was titled old versus new politics. In this presentation, old was assumed to mean Westminster politics.
Key words for old politics are conflict-based, discriminatory, triggering, aggressive, one upping, compartmentalized, winner takes all, short-term advantage drives agenda, simplistic, divisive and rewards lying and stoking division.
The qualities or key words of new politics are collaborative, promotes psychological safety, value led, respectful, builds for peace, protects the needs of most vulnerable, holistic solutions, generative, consensus building, inclusive, nuanced, and kind.
Mr. Speaker, I don't think it's a shock to anyone that I am drawn to the qualities of compassion and generative, nuanced discourse in politics. When we lean hard into divisive approaches, people with the least are those who suffer. Seeking solutions for those who have the least is exactly why I entered politics to begin with. Instead of seeking common ground, I want us to create it. It requires an active effort and intention to focus on what unites us rather than divides us. Passively waiting for that common ground to show up isn't working.
Mr. Speaker, I entered this role with my eyes wide open. I spent nearly a decade and a half in the public service before running for office. I know that culture shifts take time, that change management is a struggle for everyone, and that due to our push and pull between consensus and hierarchical systems in the Northwest Territories, change is slow.
Mr. Speaker, I did not think for one second that I was coming into a time of ribbon cutting politics. I knew from day one of the 2023 wildfire evacuations that the 20th Assembly would grapple with just keeping the train on track, and perhaps thinking of ourselves as custodians or janitors of all the problems that keep dogging us year after year since 2020. I also hope that all 19 of us speak in caucus of regenerative change to our systems, so they work better for the residents of the NWT.
My dream is one day, perhaps in my lifetime if not in my tenure, that we can have a government that prizes the qualities of new politics, of consensus, and less about how we structure ourselves to look like a Westminster system. What I know in my bones is that the only way we can become and stay healthy as a territory, in all meanings of health, is if we prioritize community over self-interest.
Mr. Speaker, you could argue this is a pretty wild tangent to go into when we're talking about money. But if we aren't talking about how we invest our intention and leadership along with our money, I am not sure we are having conversations that challenge us to do better in every aspect of how we govern. And those are the conversations that seem most crucial to me in this time of great uncertainty that pervade almost every facet of our lives.
Ultimately, Mr. Speaker, I am inviting the Government of the Northwest Territories to formally expand its focus on investment to include how we are creating systems of intangible wealth for our residents; systems that do not exclude dignity, autonomy and a healthy environment. These are things that have no dollar figure because they are invaluable. They require our investment with no expectation of a 'return' beyond social prosperity. Economic and administrative efficiency cannot be the only criteria that budget expenditures are measured by just because they are quantitatively easy to measure. Qualitative and mixed methods are wonderful tools that can help us take bold new steps.
Mr. Speaker, if I could leave this on a note that wraps it all up, it would be invest wisely. Invest in initiatives that help us make good choices. Invest in the priorities we have all identified, especially housing, but also in how we address trauma. If we don't address trauma, we can't make nearly as much headway into all the priorities of the Assembly as they do interlock.
Mr. Speaker, if we invest in social good and health of our territory, it will pay dividends. The nuance of our situation is that taking steps to do that thoughtfully and sustainably takes effort. This must be balanced with urgent issues like increasing our housing stock. For cultures to shift and endure, however, it takes time. And so yes, Mr. Speaker, we are the tortoise, and I am confident we can win the race. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, when people have asked me what do I think about this year's operating budget, I've been describing it as a status quo budget. The government describes it as providing stability. It reminds of a lesson I've learned while paddling some of the beautiful rivers of the Northwest Territories, especially whitewater rivers. So when you're in turbulent waters and the boat feels like it's about to tip, your instinct is to grab the gunnels of the boat and to try to stabilize yourself. But the problem is that that doesn't work and sometimes it makes you even more unstable. You can't control the waves underneath by holding onto the boat, and you have to let go of our paddle to grab onto the boat. So you lose control of where you're going.
Anyone who's ever taught white water paddling will tell you over and over again, whatever you do, don't grab the gunnels, keep your paddle in the water. And yet almost everyone grabs the gunnels, and I've grabbed the gunnels more times than I care to admit. Because it's just our instinct. When things get turbulent, we reach for stability, the status quo. We hold on tight to what we already have, and we resist change. But what I hope that we can do as an Assembly is to keep our paddle in the water no matter what, to keep focused on where we need to go. That is the only way towards real stability and safety.
Most of the spending items that the government has highlighted in this budget as evidence of achieving this Assembly's priorities so far are really just signs of us barely treading water, or to use my previous analogy, barely keeping the boat afloat.
For example, we're highlighting that we've spent -- or we're spending $12 million to dispute to ratepayers to mitigate impacts of the general electricity rate increase. But that's not a sign of a robust economic foundation. That's a sign our power system is in major trouble.
We've got hemorrhaging health care costs. We're showing that we're spending an additional $64 million on health care. But that's mostly a sign of a population that is sicker and failing to get the preventative care and the primary care earlier on to prevent more serious illnesses. So that's not a sign of success. We're spending more, but we're not necessarily getting better results.
So we can't be both pointing to those things as the source of our fiscal crisis but then turning around and bragging about spending money on those things like electricity bailouts and health care costs to demonstrate that we're working on our priorities. You can't have it both ways, Mr. Speaker.
I do want to acknowledge that this government has taken a few major steps in positive directions. The health care system sustainability unit represents a significant investment in trying to make our health care system work better. The establishment of a new unit within executive and Indigenous affairs to create a strategic approach to homelessness, including the creation of new transitional housing units, represents a notable commitment to help our most vulnerable community members. But by and large, what's been missing in this era of fiscal sustainability is a positive vision of what we're building, where we're going, what difference we want to make in people's lives. The message coming through is that we need to tighten our belts, do more with less, just hold on with our fingernails.
Now, we don't always need to be on this march towards progress and change, getting better and better and better year after year, but we do need to show that we're making positive impacts. We need to nurture the seeds of where there's positive energy, grow the momentum where there's initiatives that are working on a local level, things that are motivating people. And what I keep hearing from my colleagues here is that people in NWT communities need to feel more sense of ownership over their lives, less helplessness and dependency. And so we need to seriously rethink how we deliver housing and income security and education.
For a long time, we've thought of government money as coming from this bottomless well. So if it gets wasted or spent on silly things, people often joke and say, whatever, it's just government money. But we're realizing now that the well is not bottomless and that attitude can't be sustained. So what if we used public resources and spent government money as if it was our own money, our own family's money, not as if it's government money.
When it's our own money, we want to see results. It's not enough just to show that money was spread across various communities and processes were followed, and boxes were checked. When it's our own money for our family, we need to make sure that money gets us meat on the table at the end of the day, wood in the stove, that our home is fixed up nice and sturdy and cozy, and that there are trained health care practitioners and emergency responders to keep us healthy and safe, that our children are well cared for and learning everything they need to know to ensure our communities continue on over the long term. When it's our money, we spend it on the things that really matter at the end of the day.
The common theme here seems to be accountability, that we all need to take more care with the precious resources that we have, to make wiser choices, and that people in each community need to take more ownership over what's happening there. Residents need to feel a sense of ownership over their own homes, and that's not all on the GNWT, obviously. But we can start with what we do have control over, such as helping more residents in public housing take ownership over their units.
To circle back to where I began, Mr. Speaker, as we sit in this boat together on turbulent waters, as the waves start to crash over the sides, we have to remember we're not going to steady the boat by holding on tight to the status quo. We have to keep our paddles in the water, keep moving towards where we need to go, even if it's slow, even if we're fighting against wind and currents, and most of all, we have to all paddle in the same direction. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker [Translation] Masi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm talking about the -- I'm talking about the -- the federal government is -- what happened -- (audio) using a lot of million dollars of our -- so the 19 of us in here, each and every -- each and every one of us, there's a lot of things we need for. We know that it will be hard and difficult for us at times. So right now, we are in the deficit. We're in a huge debt. So -- so the -- so -- so at this time, at times, when we have a bill, we have to pay our House, power bills, grocery bill, our vehicle bills, snowmobile, boat, you know, the things that are very useful for us. When we have a lot of bills, and at times you are -- you feel uncomfortable. Sometimes that's why people get into because they want to -- they used to think about how they can get out of the deficit. That's the way -- that's in each of our community. So -- so people that live in the communities, so there a lot of things that all that money we get from here, we know that we're not getting enough money as we should. But still I know it could be -- I'm pretty sure we can make a lot of change, so if we can make a budget work really well, so -- so what I'm talking about now about the Budget Address for 2025-2026 Budget. Masi Mr. Speaker. [Translation Ends].
Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak to the 2025-2026 Budget. The government has proposed a budget projecting $2.7 billion in revenue, $2.5 billion in operating expenditure with the $170 million surpluses being used for infrastructure or to pay off debt. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister of Finance and government for tabling a sustainable budget. It is important that we live within our means while providing programs and services for the residents of the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, I recognize that we are treading on dangerous ground as we are within 2 percent of the debt limit of $1.8 billion. It is good that the GNWT requested an increase. Hopefully, we will get a positive response from the federal government in April.
Mr. Speaker, this government is in a difficult spot. On the one hand you want to have enough borrowing capacity in case an emergency situation comes up. On the other hand the solution to our fiscal problems isn't to just continue to borrow money; money that someday will have to be paid back by our children and grandchildren.
Mr. Speaker, on a personal level. I used to live my life like the GNWT, when I ran out of money I borrowed. I borrowed from the banks, I borrowed more money from the banks. This is a bad long-term financial strategy. One day I woke up under a pile of debt that had to be paid back. There is no easy way to do this except lifestyle adjustment which is something this budget is trying to accomplish.
Mr. Speaker, using credit in an irresponsible way leads to financial ruin. I would like to see the GNWT borrowing capacity be reserved for infrastructure projects that are in the public interest that contribute to the economy and ultimately pay for themselves. Mr. Speaker, we need to find ways to reduce our debt levels so that our children and future generations are not negatively impacted by the decisions we make today. We should be investing in their future not borrowing against it.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the Minister of Finance in her commitment to discuss the topic of creating a Tlicho administrative region. It is good to see that the GNWT and the Tlicho government will address this topic at their bilateral meeting in April 2025. Mr. Speaker, in the meantime, it is important to have information on revenue and expenditures for the Tlicho region. I will continue to ask for this information to be provided. Tlicho financial information should be distinct from Yellowknife/North Slave region.
Mr. Speaker, in 2005 the Tlicho Agreement came into effect, we have our own 39,000 square kilometres of land and communities. The residents of the Tlicho region should know what programs and services are being delivered by the GNWT and what those programs cost.
Active positions. Mr. Speaker, there is a proposed reduction of 4 positions in the Tlicho riding while the rest of the North Slave and Headquarters will gain 20 positions. There are no significant program changes. It is disappointing that my region must provide essentially the same services with fewer positions.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister and Department of Finance for all the work and effort that went into creating the budget. While the budget does not have everything that that we want, but we must continue to work together as elected MLA/leaders by the residents of the NWT to provide the best programs and services possible that help the residents of the NWT. We must always remember who we do this work for and that this will have an impact on all our people.
Mr. Speaker, I believe that this budget is responsible, sustainable, and the first step towards reducing our debt so that our future generations are not burdened with it. I look forward to working together on future budgets that will get us even closer to reaching our collective goals. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Replies to the Budget Address, day 7 of 7. Reports of committees on the review of bills. Reports of standing and special committees. Returns to oral questions. Acknowledgements.
Colleagues, realizing that we've been talking for an hour and a half, to give the translators a break we will take a short break.
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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier I talked about bringing a young child that was buried in Fort Resolution home to Fort Smith. But, Mr. Speaker, right now in our community, the family has reached out to the chief in Fort Resolution to help do that. But we ran into a little bit of a problem now as we went looking into this whole situation about how we're going to exhume the body of the baby and bring him home. But we understand that the GNWT has a policy on archaeological artifacts dating back over 50 years, and I'm not really sure if that applies to cemeteries. So I just want to ask the Minister does that apply to cemeteries? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the Member first and foremost for raising this very important intersection of legislation and how it impacts the lives of Northerners. And I think that's really very important that we always take a look at, we always keep in mind, and making sure that our legislation is responsive is incredibly important.
Mr. Speaker, under the Archaeological Sites Act, Justice has provided a legal opinion that this legislation does include ancestral remains of Northerners. Mr. Speaker, I think it's incredibly important to note here that this is a piece of legislation that was mirrored off federal legislation post-devolution and that we are in the process of updating that through our Intergovernmental Council process, and I look forward to updating this House on that work. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As well as you know, in the 19th Assembly, I think it was Bill 85 on the -- where we worked on the UNDRIP file, and we did that for about a year and a half and we finally brought it to the House in the 19th Assembly, and we passed it, and that legislation. So that legislation recognizes and respects the Indigenous governments' culture and values. So I just wanted to ask the Minister now that there's a chance where we could go back and revisit to make -- to modernize this agreement -- or sorry, this new legislation so that we are able to exhume further remains that we have buried in the graveyard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I agree with the Member and had the privilege and honour of working with the Member on that legislation from the other side of the House. And this -- the work there really is to determine what pieces of legislation are prioritized and go first and as identified within the legislative priorities of this Assembly, this piece of legislation has been identified as needing to be updated and be reflective of where we're at in the territory, be reflective of what the Member did bring up, Article 12 from UNDRIP, and making sure that our legislation is in line with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. That's incredibly important to this whole House. And so that work will be done through the Intergovernmental Council, and that work will be done in concert with Indigenous governments. Thank you.
