Denny Rodgers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And certainly I appreciate the Premier has a lot of issues in his portfolio. But I will ask, and something else to add to that wrap, I guess, is that has the GNWT established a definition of Indigenous businesses for the purposes of the policy? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the 19th Legislative Assembly committed to ensuring that government procurement maximizes benefits for the NWT residents and businesses. In order to fulfill this commitment, in December of 2020 the GNWT hired an independent panel to provide recommendations to strengthen GNWT procurement policies. This independent panel conducted public consultation, engaged with stakeholders, and reviewed years of contract data.

Mr. Speaker, on August 2023 the GNWT responded to this panel review report with a report on the review of GNWT procurement policies and practices...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Then I'll just do one final one. Will the GNWT evaluate the outcomes of the current negotiated contracts policy to ensure that it achieves the intention to support the development of the Indigenous business policy? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm a little nervous; I want to make sure I get this right.

Mr. Speaker, as a followup to my Member's statement on Indigenous procurement, I'd like to ask the Premier if he can make the approach to the Indigenous procurement policy publicly available? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion I gave notice of earlier today regarding appointments to the Standing Committee on Government Operations.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion I gave notice of earlier today regarding appointments to the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Friday, February 9th, 2024, I will move the following motion:

I move, seconded by the Member for Great Slave, that the following Members be appointed to the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment:

The Member for Frame Lake, Julian Morse;

The Member for Great Slave, Kate Reid;

The Member for Mackenzie Delta, George Nerysoo;

The Member for Sahtu, Daniel McNeely;

The Member for Yellowknife Centre, Robert Hawkins; and,

The Member for Yellowknife North, Shauna Morgan.

And further, that the following Members be appointed as...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that the department is working on that. From what I've heard from speaking with Children's First in Inuvik that they've asked or requested timeline. They don't have the funding numbers, nor do they have a timeline to when that funding will be provided. Can the Minister provide a timeline when they expect to find out when that funding will be available.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister mentioned the wage grid, and I understand that the wage grid has been provided and the wage grid has been broken into zones for the territory. The concern for the Children's First Society in Inuvik is that they are in zone B while the surrounding communities are in zone C, and I wonder if the Minister can provide a little update as to why that is. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, has the department determined how that money will be allocated to each region and each Children's First Centre?