Denny Rodgers

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that this committee defer further consideration on the capital estimates for Housing Northwest Territories at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 193-to(1), 2025-2026 Capital Estimates, Legislative Assembly, health and social services, and the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister, and I certainly applaud the efforts to get the -- from the Yukon government and both ourselves to get that redundant line in. My concern, Mr. Speaker, is the beyond Fort Nelson. So the redundancy line right now goes into Fort Nelson. Is the Minister aware of any negotiations either taking place or planned to take place to ensure that we have access to that line as well so if -- to that line as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Mackenzie Valley fibre line was completed in 2017 -- oh, sorry -- Government of the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, this was welcomed news for the residents on the anchor tenants, the Inuvik satellite station facility, and the new north networks and their satellite station facility as well.

The Government of the Northwest Territories has made a long-term investment to improve telecommunications service and to support economic development along the Mackenzie Valley. Mr. Speaker, with the ability to handle greater volumes of high-speed data traffic...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that the chair rise and report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that this committee defer further consideration of the capital estimates for the Department of Health and Social Services at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I understand there is the IRU for the line beyond High Level, but I guess my question is if there's a disruption beyond High Level, then do we not -- we won't have the access to go the full loop from Alberta up to Fort Nelson. So is there any conversations taking place to have an IRU, as the Minister mentioned, on that line as well, the Fort Nelson to Alberta line?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Finance given my statement today on the redundancy of the fibre optic line travelling up the Mackenzie Valley. I'm wondering, Mr. Speaker, if the Minister could give me an update on where they are with the true redundancy plan for this line. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I know that, you know, this issue runs throughout several departments, this is not just a Department of Finance obviously, and I, you know, appreciate that I'm speaking with the Minister of Finance. But I guess -- and I don't know if this question, Mr. Speaker, is even able to be answered but when you're looking at a terms of reference or looking at putting together this red tape review, does it kind of take into consideration other items like the innovative -- innovation action plan that ITI has and different things like that to kind of look at the terms of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member's statement, I spoke about the issues entrepreneurs are having in Inuvik in processing applications and so on and so forth online. I referenced the 2020 red tape reduction group. My questions for the Minister of Finance is this red tape reduction group proactively addressing these issues to address and streamline the application processes and, if so, how? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.