Shauna Morgan

Okay. Can the Minister give any examples of what kinds of water research and monitoring work is being done this year versus things that were being done last year?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think it's important people have the head's up and know what's coming there.

On another aspect of 9-1-1, I know there have been difficulties in terms of working out a collaboration with the city of Yellowknife that makes sure that resources overall are used most efficiently. Obviously, there's -- you know, there's a dispatch service that 9-1-1 provides, but the city of Yellowknife has always provided its own dispatch service. I wonder if the Minister can speak to whether those sort of disagreements and conflicts have been worked out with the city of Yellowknife and...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So on page 89, under the item water research and monitoring (aquatic quality and hydrology), it looks like the budget has gone from, in 2022-2023, from $483,000 and then last year's budget $370,000, and now we're down to $346,000.

Can the department explain why the amount of money for water research and monitoring has been going down over the last two fiscal years? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So my first question is if it was determined that adding of the new positions would actually save money because it would lower -- is -- let me just first clarify. Is what I heard that it will -- the intent is to save money because we'll be paying less money in overtime? And if so, why do we see an increase in funding? Or is the intent to sort of make the human resources sort of more sustainable in the long term? Can the Minister just clarify whether we're saving money by adding these now positions. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So how is the department engaging with producers who might make these types of products, distributors who are bringing them into the NWT, or even local businesses who are selling them? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So in regard to the 9-1-1 program, can the Minister explain whether the 9-1-1 program is currently cost neutral or whether there are plans to make it a cost neutral program; i.e., the fees that go on phone bills will pay for the program itself?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of ECC. So the waste resource management strategy and implementation plan which was released in 2019 identifies three types of waste to focus on. As the Minister mentioned earlier, used oil, tires, and electronics. So why were these three types of waste chosen as the ones to focus on? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Is the Minister advocating internally to his own Cabinet to allocate more resources to communities in the territory for the funding the work on the ground that needs to be done to prepare for emergencies beyond just, you know, the theoretical frameworks? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So what we've heard from communities is that there's a huge gap in the kinds of funding that's available for emergency preparation and sort of avoidance and management. So I know that MACA provides some supports at the very earliest stage of, you know, theoretically coming up with sort of frameworks and very sort of broad plans, but then there's really no funding available between that very early stage and then once -- the next time funding is available is if widespread damage has already occurred. You know, you can get money after the fact if disaster has befallen your...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And is the Minister also in the process of trying to negotiate new federal funding agreements to replace the ones that have been sunset, or is there some sort of roadmap for what kind of funding and research will be needed in coming years? I know it might not necessarily be the exact same every single year, but are we actively negotiating new funding agreements to ensure that the work that we're planning for the future is going to be fully funded? Thank you, Mr. Chair.