Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories made a commitment in its mandate to work to resolve outstanding land, resources, and self-government agreements during the term of our government. I would like to update Members today on the work our government is doing to fulfill that commitment.
Concluding these agreements and bringing increased certainty to land and resource management in the Northwest Territories is one of the most important challenges facing the 18th Legislative Assembly. Over the last year, all parties have made renewed efforts to tackle the remaining challenges and finalize agreements. As a result, I am confident that the 18th Legislative Assembly will see success in this area.
Last fall, negotiators completed a full draft of a self-government agreement-in-principle for the Sahtu Dene and Metis of Tulita. On May 16, 2017, negotiators for the parties initialed the Tulita self-government agreement-in-principle in Tulita. Work is now underway to arrange for the formal approval and signing of this self-government agreement-in-principle. Once signed and approved, negotiations toward concluding a Tulita final self-government agreement will begin.
Negotiators for the parties have also completed an initial full draft of a Gwich'in self-government agreement-in-principle. Mr. Speaker, negotiators will be meeting next week to address issues that arose in consultations and in internal reviews of the draft agreement-in-principle. Mr. Speaker, negotiators for the parties have also completed a full draft of a self-government agreement-in-principle for the Sahtu Dene and Metis of Norman Wells. Each party is currently reviewing the draft agreement, and consultations with other potentially affected Aboriginal parties have begun. I am also pleased to report that negotiators for the parties are working on the last few remaining issues to complete a full draft of an Inuvialuit self-government final agreement.
Mr. Speaker, self-government negotiations with the Sahtu Dene and Metis of Colville Lake are working on text of a self-government agreement, and the parties have struck a working group to deal with important land related matters in the community of Colville Lake. Similarly, self-government negotiations are underway and a community information session is scheduled in June to hear from the community and keep them informed on these self-government negotiations.
Final agreement negotiations with the Acho Dene Koe First Nation of Fort Liard and the Northwest Territory Metis Nation have reached the point where key decisions on the central aspects involving settlement lands and land quantum and the approach to governance are before them. The GNWT looks forward to hearing from the Acho Dene Koe First Nation on how they wish to proceed following their recent band council elections.
Mr. Speaker, working with Canada, Minister Bennett and I appointed two ministerial special representatives to provide us with independent advice on whether agreements with the Dehcho First Nations, the Akaitcho Dene First Nations and the Northwest Territory Metis Nation are possible and how to approach concluding such agreements.
On April 5th Minister Bennett and I met in Ottawa with leaders from the Akaitcho Dene First Nations and the Northwest Territory Metis Nation to discuss the report of the MSR. These meetings went well, with all parties acknowledging the helpful advice contained in the report. With the parties having common ground on the approach to negotiations and generally supporting the ministerial special representatives' recommendations, Minister Bennett and I committed to providing revised offers to the Akaitcho Dene First Nations and the Northwest Territory Metis Nation. I am pleased to advise Members that government negotiators tabled a revised offer to the Northwest Territory Metis Nation on May 24th and a revised offer to the Akaitcho Dene First Nations yesterday. These revised offers were informed by the ministerial special representatives' recommendations and is flexible so that it can be aligned to meet the priorities of the parties.
Mr. Speaker, enhanced workplans are also being developed with the Akaitcho Dene First Nations and the Northwest Territory Metis Nation to conclude a negotiator's draft of an Akaitcho agreement-in-principle and a Metis final agreement in the next 18 to 24 months. In addition to these enhanced work plans, government will also propose new approaches to negotiations, approaches that make use of facilitators to assist all parties in finding solutions to issues involving overlapping interests between the Akaitcho Dene First Nations and the Northwest Territory Metis Nation.
Mr. Speaker, while I cannot go into specific details regarding the contents of the offers or what was discussed during negotiations because all parties have agreed to keep negotiating positions confidential, I can report that additional meetings and negotiations are being planned over the next few months to build a consensus among the parties on key elements each party needs to conclude agreements.
Mr. Speaker, Minister Bennett and I also met with leaders from the Dehcho First Nations on April 5th to discuss the report of the Ministerial Special Representative appointed to review those negotiations. Following that meeting, Minister Bennett and I wrote to Dehcho leadership asking them to confirm basic principles that are already accepted at other tables: that negotiations are trilateral and that a Dehcho Final Agreement will include the Dehcho portion of the single integrated system of resource management in the Mackenzie Valley.
The GNWT respects that the Dehcho First Nations must come to their own conclusions on these important matters, which are fundamental aspects on how to approach negotiations. We continue to await the Dehcho's response and look forward to being able to get back to the table with them if we agree there is a path forward.
Once the Dehcho First Nations provides confirmation that there is common ground between the parties on these matters, Canada and the GNWT will provide the Dehcho First Nations with a revised offer shortly thereafter. The certainty provided by final land claim and self-government agreements is central to the health of our communities, our economy, and our environment. Concluding these agreements is an essential step towards providing certainty on how land in the NWT can be used for economic development, for conservation, for recreation and for traditional activities. The GNWT remains committed to doing its part to finalize land, resources and self-government agreements as quickly as possible in a manner that is fair, balanced and continues to promote workable and affordable agreements that respect Aboriginal rights. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Government of the Northwest Territories made a commitment in its mandate to strengthen culture and heritage in the NWT by working with partners and stakeholders to update the 2010 NWT Aboriginal Languages Plan.
I am pleased to share with Members that later today I will be tabling the 2017 Northwest Territories Aboriginal Languages Framework: A Shared Responsibility. This is the product of extensive engagement across the territory with Indigenous governments, language communities, cultural organizations, elders, and regional language coordinators. The Official Languages Board and Aboriginal Languages Revitalization Board members worked very hard in reviewing past recommendations the standing committees had put forward during their reviews of the Official Languages Act. They discussed and debated which recommendations would best serve to help shape the future of language preservation and revitalization, and they are the primary architects of the framework. I thank them for their clarity, commitments, and valuable advice as we move toward a future where all official languages are supported, respected, and thriving.
This framework and the soon to be released action plan reflect the government's new partnership approach to language revitalization and promotion, where regional Indigenous governments are funded and responsible for managing their own language revitalization efforts. It also includes measures to ensure all partners in language revitalization remain accountable.
Mr. Speaker, we have a monumental task ahead of us. Many of our languages are in a critical state, in danger of disappearing as we lose language speakers across the North. Languages are the foundation of culture. If we are to preserve and invest in our many cultures across the North, we must be focusing on preserving and teaching, which will aid in rebuilding the foundations. Earlier today, our MP, Mr. Michael McLeod representing Canadian Heritage, and I announced much needed investments in Indigenous languages over four years, totalling $19,600,000.
This will allow us to increase funding for Indigenous governments' regional language plans and provide more support for the regional language coordinators. We will also be appointing a new territorial linguist to assist Indigenous governments in their work, investing further in the interpreter translator program, offering professional development, increasing funding to community radio stations, and providing support to communities to deliver Indigenous language and culture programming.
Mr. Speaker, we are proud of the territory we live in, and welcome people from all cultures to visit, and hopefully stay. Multiculturalism in the North is constantly expanding and becoming more vibrant. Language is the key to thriving cultures, and supporting and revitalization efforts in partnership with language communities and key partners are critical. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. Member responsible for Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
Mr. Speaker, affordable, quality housing is one of the foundations from which we build on to meet our other life goals. As children, healthy and safe places to live allow us to learn better, to do well in school, and help us to become successful as we grow into adulthood. Establishing stable, secure housing is a goal for most people from the time they begin to contemplate leaving their own parent's home. Over the course of our lives, from young adulthood through to becoming elderly, housing can be a concern. Many families, young and old, worry about the affordability, suitability, and adequacy of their homes. The importance of having a safe home to go to is never truly understood until someone doesn't have one. There is no denying that homeless people face many challenges, but the most urgent is where will they sleep and whether it will be safe.
It is through the lens of this continuum that we must look at housing. This multifaceted perspective also informed our approach when we reached out to users of housing programs, community and political leaders, Aboriginal governments, and residents of the Northwest Territories to gather their recommendations through the recently completed housing engagement survey.
I am happy to report that all communities contributed to the over 1,400 responses to the survey that were received. That's approximately one out of every 10 households in the Northwest Territories. Respondents were very knowledgeable and did not shy away from providing feedback on open-ended questions. There were approximately 6,000 write-in answers.
In many ways, the feedback reinforced situations that we are well aware of, for instance, that public housing is one of the most important programs offered but that improvements need to be made. Communications with tenants was noted as key to improving the program, specifically in the areas of customer service and rental counselling, which includes budgeting and maintenance courses. Homelessness was identified as a main priority, with many respondents citing the need for integrated supports offered in combination with housing. Housing for specific groups such as seniors, families, and persons with disabilities were targeted as priorities for many communities. Respondents also noted that homeownership is a critical component and lease-to-own programs by the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation need to be considered. Similarly, in market communities, many people felt that the Transitional Rent Supplement Program needs to be redesigned to be more effective to meeting the needs of the working poor. With respect to repair programs, people indicated that access to these programs needs to be improved and that there needs to be maintenance services for private homeowners in rural and remote communities.
Mr. Speaker, survey results have been compiled in a summary document. We have been using the survey to focus our efforts in the strategic renewal of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. Specific priority actions will be developed over the next year, with the express goals of addressing issues raised by residents and lowering core need.
At this time, we have been analyzing the survey results for nearly three months, and I am pleased to report that we are in position to announce immediate quick wins in terms of new programming and initiatives. In the near-term, some of the specific actions that we will be bringing forward include:
An Aboriginal and local government housing innovation initiative which will enable these organizations to access support to develop and implement housing solutions of their own design.
A targeted lease-to-own program designed to transition higher income and/or financially stable public housing tenants into homeownership, realizing homeownership goals of those tenants as well as freeing up much needed public housing for those that need it most.
We will also be looking at repurposing vacant housing for other identified needs as identified within the community survey results.
A new repair and renovation program is ready for implementation for seniors to support them to age in place. Repairs and renovations under this program will focus on energy-efficiency...
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Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I want to welcome the grade 6 class and the chaperones from Princess Alexandra School. We have with us today, Ashlyn Angiers, Addison Ehkohina-Anavilok, Joseph Mouse-Arcand, Byrin Buckley, Destiny Villeneuve-Brown, Hailey Ekotla, Alyssa Flamand, Grayson Groenewegen, Kandace Groenewegen, Kellan Mandeville, Annika Pellisey, Kynidi Robillard, Jayda Robillard, Batiste Sabourin, Michelle Sabourin, Madyson Schwartz, Simara Tambour-Wilson, my cousin Dallas Gray-Casaway, and we also have with us my constituency assistant and birthday girl, Myrtle Graham. Thank you.
Welcome to our proceedings. Happy birthday, Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, too, I want to recognize a grade 6 class and all the chaperones, J'Lynn Boyce, Belinda Chen, Jonathan Demarcke, Reese Leonard, Logan MacIntyre, Mason McPherson, Austin McArthur, Miranda Orr, Lynn-Don Proud, Seth Patterson, Stephanie Patterson, Erik Scheper, Harry Scheper, Chase Templeton, Colbey Walters, Roy Walters, and Brady Wickert. I would also like to recognize my wife in the House today and also my son, CJ. It is his birthday on Sunday.
Masi. Member for Yellowknife South.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Bob from Hay River, who is in grade 6, and he says he is enjoying his trip to the Legislative Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is not often that we get folks coming on consecutive days, so I would like to give credit to Yellowknife North resident and NWT Teachers' Association executive director Mr. Adrien Amirault, and I also want to acknowledge and welcome, from the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and Yellowknife North resident, Jessica Smith. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Members, colleagues, I was just giving the opportunity for Hay River constituencies to be recognized, so we still have the opportunity during the recognition of visitors in the gallery, item 5. I would like to proceed with Ministers' statements at this time. I am going to ask the Minister of NWT Housing Corporation to continue with her statement.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
A new repair and renovation program is ready for implementation for seniors to support them to age in place. Repairs and renovation under this program will focus on energy efficiency to improve the cost of living for senior homeowners.
We will be amending policy to support students who live in public housing so that their education is not impacted by housing concerns. We will also be implementing a fuel-tank replacement initiative to assist homeowners to deal with a growing risk area that represents significant environmental implications. These are some of the areas that we will be implementing in the short term.
We are also developing new programming, new initiatives, policy changes, and research in the mid-term and long-term, as well.
Mr. Speaker, we have an opportunity now to transform the approach to housing programs and policy for possibly the next decade, making proactive changes and transforming the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation into a true social program that will have real, tangible, and positive results for our residents. I look forward to rigorous debate and examination of the proposed directions that we are contemplating.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all our Members who promoted the survey to their constituents. I want to thank the local housing organizations and government service officers who facilitated the filling out of the surveys in small communities, providing helpful assistance, and even translation when needed. Most importantly, I want to thank the over 1,400 respondents that took the time to seriously contemplate what is working, what is not, and what is missing, and for transferring their recommendations into the housing engagement survey. The participation in the survey clearly sent a message that affordable, quality housing is a main priority for residents in the Northwest Territories. I look forward over the next year to working with everyone in this House to design a housing system that will be enduring, responsive, effective, and appropriate for the residents of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Justice.
Mr. Speaker, as Members know, the Government of Canada has made a public commitment to legalize cannabis. On April 13, 2017, the federal government introduced its proposed Cannabis Act in Parliament. The proposed Cannabis Act would set a national framework for legalizing, strictly regulating, and restricting access to cannabis. Provinces and territories will have the authority to regulate the retail distribution and sale of recreational cannabis to adults but cannot undermine the federal legislation. If passed in Parliament, the federal government intends to bring the act into effect by July 2018.
The Government of the Northwest Territories, or GNWT, wants to make sure that it is ready for cannabis legalization by having the right rules and guidelines in place to govern those aspects that will be within our power. That includes matters like determining and regulating how cannabis is distributed and sold in the Northwest Territories, or NWT, rules around age and public use, ongoing education and awareness campaigns outside those done by the federal government, drug impaired driving, and workplace impairment policies.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my Minister's statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Although we have had to wait until the federal government released its legislation to fully understand the proposed framework for legalizing cannabis and what things the GNWT would be responsible for, our government was already researching this issue and monitoring developments nationally. Now that we have a more complete picture of the federal framework, we need to move forward on our own policy, program, and legislative regime.
To help guide our work, the GNWT is proposing a set of draft principles that would establish our approach to cannabis in the NWT. These draft principles include:
Restricting youth access to cannabis, and protecting young people from the promotion or enticements to use cannabis;
Allowing for adults to possess and access regulated, quality-controlled legal cannabis;
Discouraging drug-impaired driving;
Protecting workers and the public from drug-impairment in the workplace;
Protecting public health by controlling the public smoking of cannabis;
Enhancing public awareness of the health risks associated with cannabis;
Providing a safe and secure retail regime for the adult purchase of cannabis; and
Providing for local options to establish cannabis distribution and consumption restrictions and prohibitions.
We know that this is an issue that matters to many Northerners, Mr. Speaker, and about which they have concerns. Our government wants to make sure that our plans respect those concerns and take the views and opinions of NWT residents into account, while still complying with federal requirements.
To make sure we understand Northerners' views, we will be engaging with the public and stakeholders over the coming months. Our engagement will include public meetings in regional centres and select small communities. The public engagement documents will also be posted online to allow residents to make their views known through written submissions. The GNWT will also be writing directly to key stakeholders, such as NWT community governments, Aboriginal governments, the NWT Chamber of Commerce, and the NWT Medical Association, to seek their views on the proposed principles.
With a federal deadline of July 2018, we will need time to develop, draft, and pass legislation, and make other preparations, Mr. Speaker. We expect to complete this public engagement process by mid-September and to share a what we heard report with Members of the Legislative Assembly and the public after that. This will ensure that we have time to incorporate public feedback into our plans and proposals before bringing them forward. It should be noted that, in addition to the public engagement on proposed principles, there will be further opportunities to provide feedback as legislation is advanced.
We know this is an important issue to residents, and the GNWT is committed to having effective measures in place to protect the health and safety of NWT people and communities. We encourage everybody to take the time to let us know their views on this issue and the principles the GNWT is proposing to guide its work over the coming year. I look forward to hearing from Northerners on this subject, Mr. Speaker, and from Members. I am sure that we will have many more discussions about how to regulate cannabis as specific plans and legislation are developed and brought forward for consideration over the fall and winter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I hear tell that, down at the Department of Infrastructure, there is something like a "swear jar." Every time anyone says "NTCL," you have to put a buck in. Although various names have been suggested for the new government entity, like "The Schumann Shipping Company" or "Bob's Navy," the official name is Marine Transportation Services, or MTS for short.
For those who don't know, the core staff at MTS is made up primarily of employees who were laid off last year when NTCL shut down, so they were able to hit the ground running. However, operating a marine shipping company is a monumental task, and there are many challenges. It is a smaller staff than NTCL employed. They had a late start because of the circumstances and those complications because of how NTCL left the operation. However, it appears that things are on schedule, and that is because of the effort and dedication of this group of employees. I want to commend them and thank them for their hard work. Mr. Speaker, take note because this doesn't happen very often, but I also have to commend the senior management responsible for this endeavour, because I know they are working just as hard to make sure that this shipping season is a success.
That being said, it is not all sunshine and roses. Residents were perturbed when they saw an ad in the paper, directing them to send their resumes to Newfoundland for a position at MTS. I have been asked repeatedly why we had to go outside of the Northwest Territories for this service. There is also the $1.3 million of NTCL's outstanding property taxes. The GNWT says it bought the assets, not the debt, and we are going to have to just suck it up, even though MACA admits they have been underfunding the town by millions. Without that money, those of us at Old Town will continue to have to drive on dirt roads for the foreseeable future. In the meantime, though, the GNWT can begin cleaning up the dozens of lots scattered throughout Old Town that are a part of the purchase.
So far, there have been over a dozen companies that have expressed interest in taking away the abandoned barges and tugs, and other piles of scrap litter in Old Town. That would beautify our community, free up land, improve prospects for tourism, and create employment and training opportunities. Despite these immediate benefits, I am told we have to wait until inventory is done, which could be years away. Mr. Speaker, these are just a few of the issues. I could go on for hours, but I will have questions for the Minister of Infrastructure at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to speak about the successful men's counselling program called A New Day. It is aimed at providing healing and offering a way forward for men who use violence in their intimate relationships. By all accounts, from people involved with delivering the program and those receiving counselling themselves, A New Day is a success. Even with disagreement about the program's completion rate, men who participated partially reported great benefits.
A New Day has now been extended twice but will shut down in about five weeks. Although the Department of Justice issued an RFP for bids to continue operations, so far there have been zero bidders. That is because the department, in its wisdom, decided that it needed to change the terms of the counselling. In this RFP, the department changed the type of counselling offered and the way it was scheduled. Critics of the RFP, including a former director of the Centre for Northern Families and of the Coalition Against Family Violence, said the change was "incompatible" with the program's success and that all the good work will go down the drain. But the department didn't listen to these experts, so now the program will end in a few weeks, and no one wants to sign up to continue it.
When we debated A New Day in this Assembly last fall, the question seemed to be: is it worth the cost? Only 12 men completed the whole program. Can this be worth what we spent? These questions miss the point. Family violence is an epidemic in northern Canada. How do we measure that cost? How do we measure the cost of women being barred from safety and from free participation in public life, or the cost of children witnessing or experiencing violence at home? What does abuse and violence against women and children cost our healthcare system, and in missed work, missed school, crisis response and treatment for trauma, and, of course, men's wellness?
Mr. Speaker, A New Day took some time to find its legs, but it had become successful, making progress on one of the most difficult social problems our residents face. But the department thought it knew better than our frontline agencies. Now none of those agencies is willing to step forward to carry this important mission forward. Mr. Speaker, we need to get back to basics and work closely with those who know how to successfully deliver this program, and it needs to be sooner not later! Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Hear! Hear!
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on May 11th to the 15th, I had an opportunity to travel with over 60 youth on their annual soccer trip to Grande Prairie. Talk about an adventure. What is really unique about this adventure is we have youth from Fort Liard, Nahanni Butte, Fort Simpson, Wrigley, and Trout Lake playing on this team, which is Sambaa K'e now, sorry Trout Lake.
So, when we took this adventure, how do we start? Well, it starts at 7:30 in the morning. We get the stuff to the school. Then we have to use Rowe's Construction's cube van to get our luggage transported to the ferry landing. There, Rowe's Construction takes the luggage, packs it for us, and then Great Slave Helicopters flies our luggage over the Mackenzie River. Then Great Slave transports all our athletes and chaperones to the bus. Then it's a 14-and-a-half-hour drive, or adventure, to Grande Prairie with a bus and a convoy of vehicles.
Mr. Speaker, this is the uniqueness about this soccer tournament and the commitment of our community for our youth. I would like to thank a number of organizations and businesses here: the Mackenzie Recreation Association, who commit $4,000 to each community for the opportunity for them to travel. This funding is thanks to the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. Then we have the local businesses such as the Nahanni Inn, who sells our bingo cards for us throughout the whole year. Thanks to them. Then, the Sambaa K'e First Nation, they do our bingos for us. These people make a commitment to our youth. Sambaa K'e is a small community who does recycling and utilizes their core funding to get our youth to this event.
The youth look forward to this event and are great ambassadors for the Northwest Territories and their communities. Each year they get this great opportunity. I'd like to thank all the coaches and chaperones, businesses, and bingo players, because, if I miss the bingo players, we're not going to be able to do these trips, so I thank them again. I would like to get the House to give them a big round of applause. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the mandate for this Assembly calls for action on the crisis of family violence and creating opportunities for healthy lifestyles. The program that provides healing for men who use violence in intimate relationships ticks both of these boxes. A comprehensive evaluation of the program revealed it is working, yet the Department of Justice has decided to dismantle A New Day. The current contractor didn't bid on the RFP for the program and nor did any non-profit service provider that might have both the skills and interest. That's not a surprise.
During a briefing in January, the Minister of Justice and his staff assured the Standing Committee on Social Development that the non-profit community had been consulted about the changes and they were receptive to them, setting the scene for continuity. I was skeptical they would support the transformation of a program they helped design that had been turned into a course. That turns out to be true. In an open letter, the coalition says the revamped offering is both incompatible with its previous success and may not generate the same level of community support.
Mr. Speaker, the evaluation of A New Day program revealed it was operating as intended and using the prescribed curriculum. That is despite significant challenges, such as the collapse of the agency that was initially contracted to provide the pilot project. The program is not broken. The staff who nurtured the program are qualified and experienced. They have partnerships that enable them to make referrals throughout the NWT. Being part of the Coalition against Family Violence has been useful, but most important, and this is most important, the dozen men formally enrolled in the program completed it, and others who completed more than half of the program reported that they had better skills and tools to control their anger.
But apparently all of this counts for nothing. The department is looking for an organization to provide this pared-down version. The flexibility of the previous program, the ability to provide both individual and group therapy, the skill of the current service providers is set to be lost for good on June 30th when the current contract ends. Mr. Speaker, it's time for the department to make good on its promise to work with the coalition to design a program that incorporates the best features of A New Day. I will have questions for the Minister. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada has a special relationship with Canada's Indigenous peoples, which carries with it certain responsibilities and obligations. This fiduciary relationship is complex and evolving in law, even as we speak. Simply put, a fiduciary is a person or agency required by law to place another person's interest ahead of their own. A "fiduciary relationship" is one in which someone in a position of trust has rights and powers they are obligated to exercise for the benefit of another.
Canada's Indigenous peoples have always held a unique legal and constitutional position. It arises from the fact that our ancestors were here living on and using the land for centuries prior to the arrival of Europeans.
Mr. Speaker, in 1763 the Royal Proclamation gave the Crown the exclusive right to negotiate the extinguishment of Aboriginal title in an effort to protect Aboriginal lands from abuses by unscrupulous settlers. In 1982, the special legal status of Canada's Indigenous peoples was constitutionally recognized and affirmed by Section 35(1) of the Constitution Act, 1982.
Since then, a number of significant court decisions relating to Aboriginal rights have defined in greater detail what the fiduciary relationship means and what the government should be doing to fulfill its fiduciary responsibilities. Mr. Speaker, in any relationship, good communication is key. In respect of Indigenous peoples in the NWT, the silence of the federal government is deafening. Most elders today believe that the federal government is not living up to the spirit and intent of promises made through the signing of treaties. The elders feel that the relationship between their nation and the federal government has changed without them knowing and how it came to be.
Most First Nations communities want to meet the needs of their residents in the areas of basic housing, access to culturally appropriate healthcare, or quality education for their children, based on what they believe are treaty rights, enshrined in the Constitution of Canada. However, through the evolution and devolution of governments, somehow the fiduciary obligations and responsibilities are not being met. Today, I call upon the Premier and his Cabinet to show the way forward in reconciling the wrongs of the past. I urge them to exert as much pressure as possible on the federal government to push Canada to live up to its fiduciary responsibility. The First Nations of the Northwest Territories deserve no less. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, building on my Member's statement yesterday on traditional foods and subsistence harvesting, I want to highlight how food from the land should be sold in local stores in the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, selling local food in local stores is among the goals of both the agriculture and the commercial fishery strategies. Key partnerships need to be put in place and all stakeholders need to be involved to make this happen. There is a high demand for local food across the Northwest Territories as people become more aware of the benefits of local food production. It is generally less expensive and healthier than imported food from the south, or at least it should be.
Mr. Speaker, as far north as the Sahtu region, people are realizing how much they can grow during the short summer season. Surplus could be sent to regions where it is much less possible to grow our own food. In the meantime, these areas, like Nunakput, have an abundance of fish, meat from caribou, reindeer, and muskox. Mr. Speaker, Nunavut has shown through its small but active char fishery and muskox hunts how selling local food is possible and benefits northern communities.
Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories needs legislation for small abattoirs that would allow people to process meat on a realistic and sustainable scale. A small scale abattoir could work in my riding and meet the needs of producers elsewhere. Mr. Speaker, large federally licensed facilities are well beyond the reach of northern producers and even small farms and ranches in southern Canada. We also need to work with companies like the Northern Store and co-ops and even the retail giants like Independent here, in Yellowknife, to sell local foods. Polar Egg is an example of a business that has led the way in that area. We need to work in cooperation with the federal Nutrition North subsidy program so that it doesn't undercut local producers who sell foods that are normally subsidized at higher rates.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, we must emphasize the goals of the agriculture and commercial fishery strategies to educate and encourage new producers. The people of the Northwest Territories are ready to learn and teach others how to grow, harvest, process, and market local produce, meat, and fish so that the benefits of local food can be shared by all. Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Mr. Speaker, the role of a Member of the Legislative Assembly is not confined to sittings of this House and work on committees. An equally important aspect of this job is helping address our constituents' concerns by helping them access government services and programs.
Mr. Speaker, it should come as no surprise that my constituents are my first priority, something I share with the honourable Members of this House. Since the election, I have constantly worked to assist Kam Lakers with the challenges they face in their everyday lives, and, when it comes to these issues, Mr. Speaker, there is no issue more prevalent than the issue of housing.
Many Northerners require assistance from their local housing authority, and many are often some of the most vulnerable members of our society. Single parents, young families, new Canadians, and the working poor are just a few examples of people who need assistance from housing programs. Unfortunately, getting access to these programs is mired in layers of bureaucratic red tape. Recently a young family approached my office for assistance in dealing with the Yellowknife Housing Authority after being unable to find the necessary forums to apply for public housing. To my dismay, a simple Google search revealed that these forms do not exist. In fact, all applications have to be made by appointment and in-person before any assessment of eligibility for public housing is determined.
This means, of course, that applicants have to find the time to meet with a housing officer and then they may learn that they are not eligible for housing in the first place. Mr. Speaker, this is a backwards process that only creates barriers to accessing an essential human need, that of housing. Mr. Speaker, there is good news, however. I have brought this issue to the attention of the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, and I am happy to report that she has directed that an online application to determine initial eligibility requirements will be in place by the end of the year. I would like to commend the Minister for not letting this problem fall through the cracks and her quick resolution to take necessary steps to lift these barriers and bring the application process online and into the 21st century.
I will have further questions on what exactly will be done to remove these and other barriers to housing accessibility and improve access to housing services, not just for Yellowknife but for all of the NWT's communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we enter into the closure of our spring session and entering into the summer student employment program season, our students across the NWT, especially in the Sahtu region, look forward to summer employment opportunities created by this government's program.
The program is commendable and enhances value against supports for knowledge, financial independence for the upcoming year. Students receive work experience and have the chance to apply at a theoretical, academic knowledge and a practical real-world context setting, and gain exposure to the GNWT as a potential employer upon graduation of their studies.
Currently, we have 22 high school students, eight graduates from art college, and more coming to the closure of their last month in studies. I would like to extend a warm welcome on behalf of this government to those incoming potential students by having our government reach out to these individuals and extend an opportunity and further engage on their collaboration of endeavours. Later, I will have questions for the appropriate Minister. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
