Shauna Morgan

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The problem that we're facing here is we have an arm's length, you know, corporation that is supposed to be sort of balancing its own budget, but then we're asked to essentially subsidize operations to avoid ratepayers having to pay too much. But there are not many levers we have to, for example, ask them to prove that they can't do things differently or find savings in different ways as opposed to charging ratepayers. And I understand that that's the role that the public utilities board is supposed to serve.

I'm just thinking of a parallel here. You know, we have the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. First I just want to establish can the Minister confirm that the Northwest Territories Power Corporation is expected to have a balanced budget each year, or can they run operating deficits? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm wondering whether the Minister can explain why the $1.869 million increase to the school funding framework. I'm hoping that perhaps it's related to increased attendance in schools and therefore increased transfers according to the school funding formula, but maybe the Minister can explain. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I am heartened being able to take away from that that there is a focus on actually improving the patient experience and delivery of care for patients. So given the rumors of impending cuts, can the Minister assure us that we will not see cuts to frontline health care practitioners? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I wanted to close out the week by pointing to a spark of inspiration that we can hopefully all get energized about, if folks will excuse the bad pun.

This week Det’on Cho, which is the economic development corporation of the Yellowknives Dene, presented their plan to pursue a major renewable energy project that could supply much needed clean power to N'dilo, Dettah, Yellowknife, and emerging critical minerals operations in the region. We are well aware of how unreliable our Snare hydro system has become. While Yellowknife has typically met about 95 percent of our electricity needs...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I do think that this is a very conversation to have in more detail with committees. I know that we're not going to sort it all out here on the floor. But I personally am not satisfied that the processes surrounding the public utilities board examination would really have the kind of analysis of the system and the way costs are incurred and that would be able to provide us with some insights or recommendations on, you know, how to run the power corporation more efficiently with better cost savings. I mean, I -- I don't think that can come through those kind of hearings...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for that. I look forward to outcomes of those further discussions. So some shelter providers in Yellowknife are looking to establish better working relationships with Indigenous governments, both to explore what further supports could be offered to shelter users who are members of those communities but also to explore is the potential for establishing on-the-land camps for shelter users. So what steps has EIA taken to help facilitate those kinds of partnerships between Indigenous governments and shelter providers in Yellowknife given that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my next set of questions are actually for the Minister of Executive and Indigenous Affairs.

So last fall, the government responded to the challenge of encampments popping up around Yellowknife by establishing an on-the-land camp for those who didn't have access to a home in Yellowknife. But the camp required participants to be sober in order to be there. Can the Minister explain whether the camp did actually consistently reach its maximum capacity, and if not, whether that requirement for sobriety prevented the camp from including all those who really did...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So what has the GNWT done to reach out to partners, such as Indigenous governments or non-profit shelter providers, to discuss whether or how managed alcohol programs could be newly established in other NWT communities or strengthened here in Yellowknife? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, one priority of this Assembly that we talk about surprisingly seldom is addressing the effects of trauma. And when we do talk about healing, we tend to frame it as black or white, all or nothing. We sometimes assume we can just take people with substance addictions from their rock bottom and then send them to treatment to become totally sober, all healed. And maybe that transformation does happen all at once for some people. But our shelters and our streets are overflowing with folks who are not totally sober. Maybe they've tried multiple times, maybe they're at some messy place...