Caitlin Cleveland

Thanks, Mr. Speaker. I'll try to be very, very short. Does the GNWT plan to identify positions that can and should be staffed by Indigenous language speakers? Right now there are some French specific positions within the GNWT. There might also be a small number of Indigenous language specific positions but there's not a large number of them. And I'd like to know if the GNWT plans to be a lot more proactive in identifying positions where they'd like to see Indigenous language speakers and grow them in those positions. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, in the work that committee did, I'm sure people have noticed by now that not everything in this report is solely focused on housing. And a lot of this work we wanted to be preventative and wanted to go upstream. And so we can't have a motion that speaks to safe housing in regards to family violence without going upstream as well and ensuring that healing is also supported there and so that's what this really speaks to. And I look forward to seeing the government's response on this. I know that this has been an issue for both the 18th and 19th...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I move that this committee recommends that Housing Northwest Territories develop a supportive community housing strategy focused on youth and youth aging out of care. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a response to this report in 120 days. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for that. Mr. Speaker, this is a good start but to reverse the decline of Indigenous language communities, the GNWT needs to do so much more. One key area for improvement is around the bilingual designation policy. The Indigenous Recruitment and Retention Action Plan talks about celebrating and recognizing employees speaking an Indigenous language but there's no reference to modernizing the bilingual designation policy, including to ensure that employees who speak or are learning their language are properly remunerated. So...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Health and Social Services lead the development of TSLGBTQIPA+ guidelines for emergency shelters, transitional housing, and nonprofit organizations providing housing and homelessness prevention supports by the 20232024 fiscal year. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Health and Social Services expand the eligibility for projects under the community suicide prevention fund to include sports, arts and recreational programming; culture, language and on the land programming; and informal elder/respected community memberyouth mentorships. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I move that this committee recommends that Housing Northwest Territories develop a first right of refusal clause in leasing agreements to ensure family members of tenants receive the first opportunity to lease a public housing unit before the unit goes to market. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are in year two of the UN's decade of Indigenous languages. Here in the Northwest Territories, we have 11 official languages, nine of which are Indigenous languages. Half of our 6,800 Indigenous language speakers are over 50 years old and onefifth are over the age of 65.

Mr. Speaker, the UN considers all nine of our official languages endangered. During the standing committee's engagement on official languages, committee heard that young people are losing their traditional language and language teachers shared concern over students being able to maintain...

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I move that this committee recommends that Housing Northwest Territories establish a women's housing fund by the 20232024 fiscal year that provides sustainable multiyear funding to Indigenous governments and nonprofit organizations to purchase, operate, and manage housing for women and their children who are at risk of violence or have experienced violence. Thank you, Madam Chair.