Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, February 22nd, 2024, I will present to the House Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you kindly, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, February 22nd, 2024, I will move the following motion:

Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that the following persons be recommended to the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories for appointment to the Northwest Territories Honours Advisory Council effective immediately for a term of three years:

Ms. Jane Arychuk of Yellowknife; and,

Ms. Denise McDonald of Inuvik.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, colleagues. I think everybody should enjoy the thanks. And clerks table too. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I want to return to the GNWT fiscal sustainable strategy released. And, Mr. Speaker, this release is not an options paper. This release is not a discussion paper. It's a manifesto for the 20th Assembly. They clearly outlined that this strategy is looking at our financial situation, and they clearly state that proposed changes resulting in this review will be reflected in the upcoming budget that we'll see in days. Not weeks, not months.

Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my next question is for the Finance Minister is when is committee going to matter? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I'm going to quote Premier Simpson: It does take time to work together, but that is important. Mr. Speaker, that was said on November 27th by Premier Simpson.

Mr. Speaker, my questions for Premier Simpson is how is he meeting those objectives, the hallmarks of consensus government, by publicly by allowing publicly the release of carbon tax policy and the restoring fiscal balance plan to the public in advance of working with Members? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll just be brief. I think the if I understood the Member correctly, I think she was curious if it included the forced growth cost reflective of certain contracts, and I think that's ultimately the question that was being asked. And then I have a clearer a separate followup. Thank you.

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And on that point, across the North, as the Minister said, there's homes sitting being heated and families not accessible throughout the territory, and the Minister knows this.

Mr. Speaker, my next question is specific to the units. Is there a way to develop a program that builds pride and we'll call it theoretic ownership into this? In other words, is there a way to get families involved in the project? And when I'm saying involved, I mean like painting rooms and being involved in that stuff. The moment you get clients building some type of relationship with...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last summer, in June of 2023 that is, Canada supported one of the housing projects here in Yellowknife, and it's called the Aspen Apartments. It will provide 36 permanent units, homes that is, for families.

Mr. Speaker, noting what the Minister had just said about 330 people on the waiting list and how slow it is to get on that list, and it appears to be a chronic problem, where is the current state of this particular project and when can we expect them to be putting families into homes? Thank you.

Perhaps my question was just too simple, Mr. Speaker. I'll go about it this way: Can the Minister put all information on the health and social services website as to the stages and where it is with respect to this particular project and where it's going? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a very important issue downtown in Yellowknife is the wellness and recovery centre. Many of the residents in my riding, in Yellowknife Centre, are concerned. But equally so, I've talked to many of my community colleagues, including my good friends deep into the far reaches of the territory, all wondering the same thing, where their wellness and recovery centre is. Is Yellowknife getting everything again they say, and I say to them I support my communities and colleagues, but I'm concerned about that particular messaging that that does.

So maybe the Minister...