Denny Rodgers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Minister. I know there are -- I mean, the whole purpose of this is to increase capacity in Indigenous employment in the regions, you know, give opportunities for Indigenous businesses to grow. I'm wondering -- and it's a question I've been asked -- there's also some non-Indigenous ran businesses that employ many Indigenous employees in the region as well. They've asked is there going to be any kind of a -- is there going to be any opportunity in the new policy to account for that as well, account for that to have -- if you, you know, and again, it's all...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Finance. I know the Indigenous Procurement Policy is in in the consultation stage. I know they've been in Inuvik. I talked to some business owners up there who have reached out to me with some questions around how that's going. I wonder can the Minister of Finance give an update on how those -- how the consultation process has been going and where they are in the procurement policy? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, and I appreciate that, and I recognize that we still have guidelines that we do offer through the department; however, what we don't have is enforcement. Can the Minister commit to -- and I know the previous Minister had a plan to have a plan. Can the Minister commit to sharing that plan, workplan, once developed by the working group with the House, please. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm happy today to recognize Inuvik Boot Lake constituency assistant, Ms. Sheila Nasogaluak here today. Her advocacy and certainly her passion and hard work for our constituents is invaluable for the work that we do up there, and I would not be able to do my job without her. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to thank my colleague from Range Lake for bringing this bill forward. Recently, Mr. Speaker, in Inuvik, we had a community feast held by the town of Inuvik for its first responders, the first of its kind in Inuvik, and it was a wonderful event and obviously the firefighters were there as well, and I was honoured to be able to speak and thank them on behalf of the residents of Inuvik Boot Lake and certainly the community of Inuvik as well.

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, I'm a bit of a poster child for first responders in the last three or four years having had -- in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I thank the Minister. And certainly I support this important work. I live in a riding with two Indigenous governments, well established, both with well-established development corporations. So my next question is there going to be -- is there any consideration -- I had originally had thought to potentially, for example, Mr. Speaker, if there was $2 million worth of government contracting work to be done in my region, is there any appetite to, say, carve out 10, 20, 30, 50, whatever the percentage would be, of that work and then have that work then with qualified...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since we're on the topic of commitments, we love commitments and I certainly appreciate that, can the Minister -- big, huge commitments. Can the Minister please -- would the Minister commit to, then, as the previous Minister committed to, having this building code in place when we walk out of this building at the end of this 20th Assembly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member's statement, I spoke about a building code for the North. I would like to ask the Minister, given the number of units that certainly we are planning on building through our housing corporation as well as all the work that's being done with the Indigenous governments in my region and throughout the territory, can the Minister update this House on the work that's being completed by the working group to datez. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on March 3rd, 2025, I rose to give a statement on building codes, Mr. Speaker, or rather lack of building codes in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, all government buildings, as I understand, do adopt or abide by the National Standards Building Code, and that building code includes the electrical code, the plumbing code, the fire code, the energy code, as well of course as the building standards code. Mr. Speaker, however, all other developments, there is no code whatsoever. And, Mr. Speaker, we're the only jurisdiction in Canada without a building...

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