Caroline Wawzonek

[Microphone turned off] ...number one, again looking at to what extent there can be some case-by-case relief in terms of the work requirements, but really could not agree more that we have good success right now with the diamond mines and really exciting early-stage exploration projects coming on, early-stage projects coming online. We do need desperately to get the exploration sector going and have it active. There is money out there. It's starting to look around to where to be spent, and we would like to see it spent in the North. This is the place, in my view, to spend it for exploration...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. All but one of the three diamond mines obviously remained in operation, and as of last month, the third one has come back online. The major contributors to our mineral resource industry have managed to operate through COVID-19, through strenuous efforts undertaken to be compliant, to protect their workers, which I really cannot understate. As far as the exploration side, Mr. Speaker, we have six advanced projects, all of which have been at least partially if not fully active. It's the smaller explorers and the smaller exploration companies who have, as I believe the...

Again, it is ENR that is the lead on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories in terms of engaging and leading our role on this project but again working closely with ITI. Even before knowing that this might become a topic today, it turns out the Minister of ENR and I had actually been talking about the project and ensuring that he and I would have a chance to meet in the near future to check in on the role of the GNWT, what we are doing to ensure that Northerners are seeing themselves reflected in this project. Mr. Speaker, as I have said, the procurement process here is one that...

Yes, there is an assessment process that does exist. There is, in the event that a criminal record has what we call a bona fide connection to the position of employment. In other words, if there is a legitimate connected reason why having a criminal record would prevent someone, for safety reasons, to perform the conduct of their duties, there is a process by which, once they are being offered the position, they could be asked to go and get their criminal record checked and bring that back. There is a process for how that would be evaluated, including potentially by a deputy minister who would...

Again, there isn't intentionally a barrier. There shouldn't be a barrier, again, acknowledging that there may be positions where not having a criminal record is directly connected to the performance of that duty. That said, someone who may see that advertised certainly wouldn't necessarily want to apply if they have a criminal record, and they may not be in a position themselves to make the evaluation of whether that connection is there or not. People may well feel shame around having a criminal record. I very much want to emphasize that people can get criminal record suspensions, and that...

Thank, Mr. Speaker. The GNWT does not prohibit the hiring of any individual with an unrelated criminal conviction, and as such, there are no people who are screened out simply on that basis. Thank you.

I think, actually, that is a regulatory question, and that then falls back to the Liquor Act review that is underway. The good news is that there is much work happening and many opportunities to affect change that will make things hopefully better. It has to be done in a methodical way and in a process-oriented way. One thing I have discovered in this role is that liquor brings out a myriad of different opinions about whether it should be controlled or whether it should be more open and whether there should be more production or whether there should be less production. It has to be methodical...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The pricing review is not done yet. It is on track and on time, and it should be back by March. Once we have the information back, available to us, we will be able to make some decisions. Right now, beer manufacturing, of which there is exactly one individual, is receiving a fairly significant discount in terms of the typical markup that would normally be seen. Where they are at right now is worked on fairly significantly between that producer and the department, so I am confident, Mr. Speaker, that, when that review information comes back, we will again work with our...

We are on track to deliver on a pressing review about the structure of the pricing of alcohol in the Northwest Territories. As I say, it's on track. It's coming back in March. As soon as I have the information put together, that will demonstrate what, in fact, is happening in other jurisdictions, what best practices there are available, and at that point, we can make a decision based on that information as to whether or not there are best practices that we aren't following and go forward from there.

Mr. Speaker, at this point, if we were to earmark a certain percentage, my concern, of course...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The consolidated revenue fund is the entirety of the budget of the Northwest Territories. That is the money that is spent to do all of the things that the Government of the Northwest Territories does, including funding Health and Social Services, including funding addictions services, including funding housing. It's not misuse. That is really the money that we all, then, come together and decide what we want to do and where we want to allocate it through the budgeting process.

Mr. Speaker, to the extent that there are concerns about the budgeting process as we do the...