Denny Rodgers

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I apologize; I was getting ahead of myself as we often do.

Mr. Chair, I'd like to again thank the -- certainly thank the Members of AOC. I mean, it's been an interesting couple of weeks for sure as we've deliberated on this budget and negotiated on this budget and, as the Minister said, I'll certainly speak more to it once we have the main estimates in front of committee tomorrow.

I would like, again, to thank Members of AOC for their direction, for certainly working collaboratively to work towards our common goal and thank Cabinet for their support as well. The housing...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 275-20(1), 2025-2026 Main Estimates, Departments of Education, Culture and Employment and Department of Finance. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for that. Yes, and, you know, earlier the better when it comes to getting those dates out for sure. But I appreciate that they're are factors in that.

Mr. Speaker, I spoke in previous Member statements about the need to maybe look at logistically looking at Inuvik and/or Tuk or both kind of ramping them up a little more given that the difficulty we're having getting through the ramparts and sailing now and to maybe do some of that barging from Inuvik or Tuk all the way up to Fort Good Hope and certainly the coastal communities. Is that something that the marine...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, spring is around the corner. The sun is shining, and we all know that means things will soon start to melt. Mr. Speaker, that also means that communities around the North are busy getting ready for their yearly orders, for their barging orders again. Mr. Speaker, we're looking at construction materials, equipment, household items, vehicles, and, of course importantly, most importantly, the annual retail restocking in the coastal communities.

Mr. Speaker, given the disaster we looked at last year in Norman Wells and with the low water, I would hope that right...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Now that we've all caught up, Mr. Chair, I move that consideration of Tabled Document 275-20(1), 2025-2026 Main Estimates, be now concluded, and that Tabled Document 275-20(1) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an Appropriation Bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the Premier. I appreciate that, and I know the Premier's live to this, and I know he knows that I get plenty of e-mails and telephone calls from my community on this as military, again, as I've stated before, is important to my community, to my region.

So, you know, the Premier's people and the people in Inuvik, everyone is aware and everyone is speaking to each other, I guess if the Premier is planning to send a delegation or heading to the -- I noted in my statement there's meetings at the end of May between Joint Task Force North, the Department of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about Arctic security again today and, specifically, around the Arctic security council. Certainly the leadership in my community are very live to the issue of Arctic security given that we have infrastructure there, the forward operating location as well as the NORAD office in Inuvik.

Mr. Speaker, the federal department of defence announcement on March 10th identified Inuvik and Yellowknife as military hubs which will share in a $2.6 billion investment with Iqaluit. Given the recent article on Cabin Radio, Mr. Speaker, there may be some...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just hope the Premier will use his significant influence in that situation.

I also mentioned that there's a conference taking place in the Yukon this month called Conference Zero which is their Arctic security council have set up through funding through CanNor. Will the Premier or anyone from his office be attending that conference? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up on my Member's statement, the town of Inuvik, Mr. Speaker, is well aware of what military spending looks like in the community. Pre-1986, there was 140 to 250 military personnel there as well as their families, which made up about 800, which were school kids that integrated into the community and teachers and nurses and that was the model -- the preferred model at the time. A lot of the leadership, Mr. Speaker, are still there. They lived through that time. So when the Premier talks about setting up an advisory council, or as my colleague from Yellowknife...