Colleagues, on December 1, 2019, Persis Gruben of Tuktoyaktuk passed away at the age of 101 years old. Persis was a much-loved and respected elder to all the people of the Beaufort Delta. She was born on the Peel River near Fort McPherson on October 20, 1918. Although she was born Gwich'in, she was welcomed into the Inuvialuit culture with open arms. Persis was the oldest living person in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. When she was died, she was the last survivor of the Shingle Point residential school.
Colleagues, please join me in expressing the condolences of this House to the family and countless friends of Persis Gruben. She will be laid to rest today in Tuktoyaktuk. Please join me in a moment of silence.
---Moment of silence
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity today to update Members on our economy and to discuss some of the fiscal challenges that we will face as we work to deliver our Assembly's shared priorities.
As we move towards the first budget of this Assembly, we must be realistic in our expectations for how quickly we can make positive changes to strengthen our programs and services and deliver on our commitments to support the NWT's economy.
The Northwest Territories' economy has struggled to recover to a level comparable to where we were before the serious global financial and economic
recession now over a decade ago. Since 2014, our economy has stabilized, but remains stagnant with real GDP growth under 1 percent per year, which is
less than half the economic growth rate for the rest of Canada. Without the construction of the Gahcho Kue mine during that time, the NWT economy would indeed have shrunk.
We expect the final data to show that, in 2019, the economy was largely supported by the public sector's investment. While Norman Wells is producing oil again after the pipeline was repaired in September 2018, mineral exploration for 2019 is expected to be lower than 2018, delaying the discovery and development of the next generation of Northwest Territories mines.
Looking forward, our economic outlook is one of tepid growth, as diamond production has passed its peak, with weaker overall exploration investment in the mining sector. As it currently stands, none of the existing diamond mines have confirmed plans for production past 2034, and the Diavik diamond mine is scheduled to close in 2025. We remain optimistic about several smaller resource projects, but there are no projects in the immediate future that would completely offset the loss of activity of one of those diamond mines closing, and the timelines for these other projects may be years after the diamond mines cease to operate.
We all know that the resource sector is a key driver in our economy, and this House knows that the industry is faced with challenges. That is why Members have made increasing resource exploration and development one of our shared priorities. Low commodity prices and global trade fluctuations have introduced a degree of uncertainty for any long-term investments in the NWT resource sector. This risk, coupled with the production costs in the North, impacts the decision-making of our local businesses, especially those who depend on the mining sector for much of their business. Global market conditions will continue to present difficulties for the next few years and could have long-term economic implications.
This stagnant economic outlook means that we are starting the 19th Legislative Assembly largely in the same position as the start of the last Assembly. For the current fiscal year, we are projecting an $80-million revenue decline from the 2019-2020 budget. This revenue decline has increased our short-term borrowing, and slow economic growth means that our total revenue growth is expected to be a modest 3.5 percent over the next five years. As a result of this year's revenue decline, current levels of spending will bring us closer to our federally imposed borrowing limit next year, leaving a small fiscal cushion to weather any further shocks to revenues or expenditures.
Knowing where we stand, the real question becomes: what will we do about it?
The best way to improve the GNWT's bottom line, Mr. Speaker, is to support our residents and businesses to build a more robust and diverse economy that can better weather these fluctuations we have seen within our resource sector. As a government, we can provide this support by better defining what we need to provide as part of regular programs and services so that there are fiscal resources available to invest back into our territory.
Put more simply, we need to work together to make decisions that will restore sustainability to our finances. We need to remember that slower economic activity leads to slower overall revenue growth, at the same time as pressure for government programs and services increases. In good economic times, the demand for social programs slows. During a downturn, our fiscal resources are squeezed to address the growing expenditure pressures and challenges our ability to invest in our long-term future.
Mr. Speaker, Cabinet will be developing a fiscal strategy over the next couple of months, and that will help us balance our wish to invest in the territory and its people, while ensuring the programs and services that our government provides are sustainable. While we are already under pre-existing timelines to consider the main estimates for the 2020-2021 fiscal year early in the new year, Cabinet does value the insight and input of Regular Members in the GNWT's budgeting and planning process.
Our first budget will strive to be a collective effort to be accountable and efficient as we pursue our priorities and mandate. We look forward to reviewing the 2020-2021 main estimates with standing committees in the new year and to discussing them publicly during the upcoming budget session. In addition to this process, Members will also have an opportunity to help us develop and vote on supplementary appropriations in March that will provide new funding for initiatives linked to our shared priorities.
Looking longer-term into 2020, we also intend to engage with Members on the development of four-year business plans. Unlike the previous annual business plans, these four-year plans will help define a long-term agenda for departments, and Member input will be crucial to shaping the government's direction and actions for the next four years. It is through these efforts that we will meet our fiscal reality and chart a path forward in the best interest of the people we serve .
I look forward to working with all Members of the 19th Assembly to find creative and effective solutions to these challenges that we face, and to taking the steps we need to support an economy that will support our residents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to share with the Members of this Legislative Assembly my reflections as a new Minister of Health and Social Services.
I have spent my first few weeks as Minister receiving a series of comprehensive briefings from both the Department of Health and Social Services and the health and social services authorities. I have had the opportunity to meet with the Leadership Council, senior management, and staff.
One of my first thoughts after starting these briefings was how passionate and dedicated the staff and leadership are in the health and social services system. Everyone who I spoke to was there because they truly wanted to make a difference for the residents of the Northwest Territories. There is a deep-rooted, heartfelt belief across the system that we all play an important role in improving the lives of clients and patients. I am encouraged and inspired by having seen this and believe, if we harness this passion and dedication, we can make significant progress in tackling the health and social services issues our territory faces today.
As Members newly elected to this Legislative Assembly, we have all heard from our constituents about the health and social issues that our families and communities are experiencing. Many of us know first-hand what these issues look like and can draw from our own lived experiences. As Minister, I have been briefed on many of these issues and I am learning more about the challenges and about the work currently being done to address these issues. I am seeing the strengths and opportunities that we have to make progress on these issues over the life of this Assembly together.
As we work with Members to finalize the mandate in the coming weeks, we will be confirming how the government will address the Assembly's priorities and supporting all our people, including children, elders, and those struggling with mental health and addictions. These are also priorities for the department and I am confident they will share our commitment to deliver positive outcomes for all NWT residents.
Mr. Speaker, seeing what I have of the people working within the health and social services system, and learning what I have about the work currently being done and the opportunities and strengths we have available, I do believe that our health and social services system is well positioned to make progress on our shared priorities. I look forward to providing strong leadership over the next four years, reaching across the floor to work with my fellow Members colleagues, and with our Indigenous and community partners, on the important health and social services challenges facing our territory today, to make the Northwest Territories a better place to live for all residents in the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The transformation of Aurora College into a polytechnic university is a priority of this Legislative Assembly, and I am pleased to say that we continue to make progress. To be successful, we must focus investments in programs and services that lead to better education and employment outcomes for our residents, including through our post-secondary education system.
Mr. Speaker, success requires the right changes, in the right order, at the right time. Following from the government response to the Aurora College foundational review, one of those changes has been the recent establishment of an Academic Advisory Council to advise Aurora College through the technical elements of the transformation process. The Academic Advisory Council is made up of eight highly-regarded academic institutions from across Canada that will provide support and guidance on the technical aspects of the transformation.
The first meeting of the Academic Advisory Council took place on November 26, 2019. This meeting received national attention in the academic community. I was pleased to be a part of that first meeting, and I was impressed by the dedication and excitement around the table.
Mr. Speaker, to be clear, the Academic Advisory Council is a temporary measure to gain technical advice at this early stage. What is not temporary is this government's commitment to genuine engagement and ongoing communication with Northwest Territories Indigenous governments, industry stakeholders, and residents, both during the transformation and moving forward under a polytechnic university.
We have been working with Indigenous government partners, key industry stakeholders, and Aurora College staff on a variety of critical elements in the Aurora College Foundational Review, government response to the review, development of the Northwest Territories post-secondary education vision and goals, and, currently, a three-year Aurora College strategic plan. Staff involvement in the transformation will be increased with the establishment of working groups within the college in the coming year.
Mr. Speaker, I have also directed the associate deputy minister of Post-Secondary Education Renewal to take an innovative approach to Indigenous government engagement around the transformation process and with the evolution to a polytechnic university. We will soon be reaching out to Indigenous governments to establish a common understanding of what that approach will look like.
Members of this House will also play a role in the transformation process. I will be offering briefings to committee and will be providing quarterly progress reports throughout the process. My door is always open to Members of this House, and I welcome your comments and feedback.
Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember that, in the next ten years, we know that 78 percent of the labour market will require a post-secondary education, whether it is a certificate, diploma, degree, or a trade. Aligning with our labour-market needs ensures that our economy can develop and diversify. I want to ensure our education programs are aligned with the labour market and that Northerners are first in line for northern jobs.
I want to take this opportunity to thank the faculty and staff of Aurora College who are working with the Government of the Northwest Territories on the transformation. They continue to deliver quality programming, while at the same time developing and implementing a wide range of changes to create new opportunities for residents. My sincere thanks for their contributions and continued commitment to the students they serve.
Mr. Speaker, the transformation into a polytechnic university is a critical step in our economic and social development. Above all, we are working to secure a strong future for generations of Northerners. Their aspirations must be met with quality, accessible, and relevant education opportunities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I am very proud to recognize three deserving individuals that have recently been inducted into the Northwest Territories' Sport Hall of Fame.
The NWT Sport Hall of Fame was created to celebrate NWT athletes and sport builders who attained a high level of excellence and brought recognition and honour to the Northwest Territories.
It is through this recognition and promotion of sports that we demonstrate the great achievements of our outstanding sport contributors of the Northwest Territories. The legacy of their stories and successes will last for years to come.
The 2019 inductees are: the late Roseanne Allen, Floyd Daniels, and John Tram.
Roseanne Allen was one of the first Indigenous women to represent Canada at the Winter Olympics. She was born in Aklavik in 1954 and made history in Sapporo, Japan, when she took part in Nordic skiing at the 1972 Winter Olympics.
Mr. Speaker, not only was Roseanne known for her incredible ability on her skis, but her resilience was second to none. At the age of just 13, Roseanne became the youngest Canadian to win gold in the 5-kilometre Nordic skiing category at the Canadian Junior Championships in Port Arthur, Ontario.
Amongst an abundance of gold medals, a standout performance for Roseanne came when she successfully completed the three-person women's 5-kilometre relay team to 10th place, beating out their close rivals from the United States.
Roseanne will be forever remembered in the world of cross-country skiing and will leave a lasting legacy for young athletes across the Northwest Territories with her achievements.
Floyd Daniels was renowned in the softball world for being a fierce yet quiet competitor when on the mound. With raw pace and incredible accuracy, he became one of the most well-known pitchers in the Northwest Territories.
Floyd played in various tournaments and settings, ranging from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan; Victoria, British Columbia; and Lethbridge; all the way to Australia and various cities within the United States.
Mr. Speaker, Floyd passed away on August 18, 2019, shortly after being diagnosed with cancer. He was playing fast-pitch competitively and helping with minor league ball in Hay River up until the age of 60.
Floyd leaves a legacy of playing sports on and off the field. He was incredibly competitive but always respectful to his opponents. He would instill these values into his team and coaching throughout his career.
Mr. Speaker, the third inductee for 2019 is John Tram. John was a highly motivated athlete with natural raw talent in the sport of gymnastics. John celebrated over 39 medals, 12 of those being at international and national events throughout his wonderful career, and he continues to pass his knowledge on to the youth of the Northwest Territories to this current day.
Well known for his sportsmanship, John often got both the crowd and his competitors behind him at the numerous events he took part in. He is highly praised by previous coaches and Olympic medalists.
John dominated in the rings event. His score of 13.1 in the Western and Canadian championships has only been beaten by four other people in the last 20 years!
John now turns his focus into taking younger athletes to these events and does what he can to grow the sport across the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, all Northerners should be extremely proud of Roseanne's, Floyd's, and John's accomplishments. On November 9th, an event was held in their honour.
On behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories, I would like to congratulate all three inductees on this wonderful honour. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I would like to talk about the commercial fishery on Great Slave Lake. If you look at the various industries that have come and gone in Hay River, you will find that the commercial fishery has outlasted most of them. This is remarkable considering the harsh elements these fishers face, whether it be the winter fishery or the summer fishery. The financial return to these fishers is minimal when you consider fish prices have never kept up with the increased operating cost related to fuel, equipment, labour, and insurance.
Mr. Speaker, the fishery is constrained by government legislation and an overbearing government bureaucracy that is still operating using colonial methods. To make a living, these fishers need the time to ready their equipment and to be out in the lake fishing. Instead, they find themselves caught up in ever-increasing government red tape while being held hostage by government programs that are used to pit one against the other.
Mr. Speaker, when we hear fishers' concerns, our government's fallback answer is always that fishers are split on what direction to move, that they do not get along, and that there is no consensus among them. Just as the people of the NWT decided they want a change in this government, it may be time to change out some of our bureaucrats in this file and replace them with a fresh set of eyes, new ideas, and a new approach that will engage and empower the fishers and not diminish their trust in us.
Mr. Speaker, if this government wants to revitalize the commercial fishing industry, we need the fishers. We cannot do it on our own. Our role as government should be to support NWT fishers through ongoing and meaningful discussions with them. We should reduce and remove obstacles that hamper their ability to do their job. We should be assisting them in identifying practices that work to increase their return.
Mr. Speaker, this government over the years has spent millions of dollars, studying, reviewing, meeting, discussing, and travelling to look at ways to revitalize this industry. We continue doing the same thing over and over while piling up multiple reports and really getting nowhere. The reality of this industry is that fish prices are still low while equipment, equipment repair, labour, and insurance costs have all risen substantially, which diminishes the return to the fisher. We need to find a way to increase return to our NWT fishers through a combination of higher prices while reducing operating costs. Failing this, we may ultimately lose the commercial fisher. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I'll have questions for the Minister of ITI later. Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my community, there are many elders and residents with disabilities, who continue to live at home. In Inuvik, we do have a homecare program with home-support workers who provide care for these individuals from Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 5:00. The problem with the service that works between these hours is people require help after these hours and on weekends.
Some clients have to look for others to care for them outside these hours, which can lead them to be at risk for elder abuse. Sometimes, they have to be admitted into hospital because there is no one to care for them.
This government has a priority: enable seniors to age in place with dignity. I believe anyone with a disability should be able to remain in their home with dignity, as well. We are in a shortage of long-term care beds in the NWT, and our future calculations show we will continue to have a shortage of beds.
What we should be focusing on is supporting the families and clients who require homecare and home-support service beyond the hours as the program currently runs, to ensure they can age in place and they are less likely to need a long-term care bed. If we focus on this not only in Inuvik but the entire Northwest Territories, our elders and our clients with disabilities could live longer in their homes and their communities with dignity instead of housing them in regional centres or, worse yet, out of the territory.
In my previous position, I was meeting with communities, and one of the elders—we were discussing long-term care. One of the comments that they made is: going to long-term care, they feel like we're sending them to storage lockers or storage units. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have some questions for the Minister later today.
Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Residents of the Northwest Territories are experiencing a housing crisis. That is not news to the 900 individuals and families on the NWT Housing Corporation's waiting list, and it is not news to the 6,308 households that have housing problems, meaning that their house is not in good repair, not big enough for their family size, or not affordable or some combination of these three. The news is that the housing crisis got worse in the 18th Assembly, despite the Housing Corporation's best intentions for improvement.
Mr. Speaker, making public housing available and private housing affordable is a crucial issue in my constituency where two-thirds of my constituents are in public housing or in other rentals. It is also an issue for Yellowknife as a whole. There are as many people on the Yellowknife Housing Authority waiting list as there are units available, about 350. About a quarter of those who are waiting are seniors. The community survey released last month indicates problems with affordability in Yellowknife have increased to include 2,000 households. In fact, all categories of housing need in Yellowknife have gone up.
Mr. Speaker, in the 18th Assembly, I presented a motion, which all MLAs supported, for an action plan from the NWT Housing Corporation to reduce housing problems based on the 2014 survey. The plan was presented two years ago with a goal of assisting 1,000 households across the territory. I haven't seen any reporting from the Housing Corporation that indicates whether this goal was met. What I do know is that rather than going down, housing needs across the territory have doubled in the last five years.
Mr. Speaker, those in need are running out of patience with the NWT Housing Corporation and so am I. I have heard about initiatives from communities and land rights organizations that have taken matters into their own hands, including Deline and the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation. I understand their frustration. I am also losing confidence in the NWT Housing Corporation.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Mr. Speaker, I don't believe the Corporation is up to the task of providing housing and programming to alleviate the obvious need. What we do know is that the Housing Corporation has steadfastly refused to add any new units to its inventory because doing so would increase overhead costs. This is an unacceptable position. I am asking for an investment in more units immediately. We cannot expect residents to thrive, go to school, and go to work when one of their most basic needs remains unmet. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I would like to talk about education NWT. I just want to make a quick acknowledgement that it is good to see the kids come out, classroom. A big part of why I ran for office is our children, our next generation. It makes me very happy to see. I did a speech at one of our schools in my riding last week. My message was to stay in school and work hard, and I want to extend that message out to you, as well. One of the biggest things I said: you never know when in our classrooms. We can have our next Premier. We can have our next Prime Minister. We can have our next MLA, next Nobel Laureate, next Olympian. We are all pushing for you, and this is a big part of the job that we do here.
Going back to what I was saying, Mr. Speaker, there are a few specific areas in education, particularly in the smaller communities that I want to discuss. I have noticed that it is not an uncommon reality for schools in smaller communities to have classrooms of very poor student-to-teacher ratios. I have seen several instances where classes have one teacher, maybe one teacher's assistant, teaching upwards of three grades simultaneously in one class. This seems to be standard practice in many communities. Even so, I consider that to be problematic and in need of serious review.
Mr. Speaker, another area in education that needs improving is in regards to graduation rates. According to stats from the NWT Bureau of Statistics, the NWT for many years has consistently had a much lower graduation rate than the national average. For example, in 2016, the national high school graduation rate was 72 percent, whereas the NWT's average was 67 percent. Even lower than that was the territorial average graduation rate for Indigenous students, which was 61 percent.
Moreover, Mr. Speaker, again, in the 2016 Bureau of Statistics for data in my riding of Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, the average number of people who have a high school diploma or higher was only 47 percent compared to the NWT average of 72.6 percent. For me, this disparity is quite shocking and unacceptable. The Department of Education must begin work immediately to increase the gap in education between the smaller communities and the larger urban centres.
Mr. Speaker, I am seeking unanimous consent to continue my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Mr. Speaker, the 19th Assembly's mandate items addresses this issue specifically, which states that one of the desired goals of this Assembly is to increase student education outcomes of the same level as the rest of Canada.
Well, Mr. Speaker, we have a long way to go in achieving educational parity on each of the fronts that I have just mentioned, but if we want the NWT to achieve true educational parity compared to Canada's national average, I believe it is imperative that our government redouble our efforts in the smaller communities because that is where the education outcomes need to improve the most. The smaller communities have been left behind for far too long. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. The 18th Assembly collectively developed a list of priorities that Cabinet then took and turned into a lengthy wish list. That was the first time that a formal mandate was developed. At the end of the 18th Assembly, Cabinet claimed it had completed 202 of 230 mandate commitments. The advice from the Transition Matters Special Committee was that there should be fewer priorities and fewer mandate commitments. I am not convinced that we achieved that with the priorities that were tabled in this House on October 25th. As this sitting presents the first opportunity to speak to these priorities, I wish to offer some observations and comments.
As hard as our facilitators tried, we produced a list of 22 priorities versus the 25 of the 18th Assembly. Hard choices were not made amongst big infrastructure projects or even between those projects and investments in social spending that should include housing, universal childcare, and a guaranteed basic income. While we had a rigorous process, two days was not enough. We ran out of time and energy with an extremely intensive orientation and a looming leadership selection process. With even one more day, we may have been able to produce more refined priorities.
I will find it very difficult to support some of the priorities set by this Assembly. Some may work at cross-purposes with each other, such as increasing economic diversification while trying to increase mineral exploration. I am also of the view that there is very little that we can do to increase mineral exploration beyond settling outstanding Indigenous land rights and changing our messaging and the perception of the state-of-the-art environmental management system. Commodity prices and financial markets are well outside our control.
Some of the priorities provide precise direction, such as improving student outcomes to those achieved elsewhere in Canada or increasing the number of resident healthcare professionals by 20 percent. Other priorities are extremely vague: reduce core housing needs or, for example, advance universal childcare. We have not handed Cabinet an easy task. The priorities provide very little direction for the work of some of the departments' agencies and Ministers.
I will have questions later today for the Premier on how she intends to work with Regular MLAs in developing specific direction for each Minister and department. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As an Assembly, we committed to supporting economic development in northern businesses. Many of my Kam Lake constituents report the challenges associated not only with starting a business, but also keeping it profitable. I believe that the GNWT can and must do more to support northern businesses.
According to 2019 NWT Statistics Bureau data, over 70 percent of the 3,600 NWT businesses employee four or fewer employees. Our economy and communities depend on these small northern businesses. Not only do they provide meaningful employment, they also support events, youth sport, and activities that enrich our communities.
Every dollar spent on NWT businesses generates a positive spinoff effect in our economy, and the loss of these businesses will hurt workers and their families, impoverishing our communities, and ultimately stand to reduce the territorial population, in turn reducing our federal transfer payments.
Mr. Speaker, Kam Lake business owners tell me that the cash flow is a challenge for their small businesses. Late payments cause a trickle-down effect of missed payments to other businesses and workers and an increase in interest costs that drive the cost of doing business. One way to grow our northern businesses, Mr. Speaker, and decrease the cost of living is by paying for services rendered on time.
Mr. Speaker, the GNWT Financial Administration Manual requires that BIP businesses get paid 20 days after receipt of a good or service. Government payments are often late. These concerns were documented by the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment in its GNWT Procurement Practices Report tabled in August. The committee recommended that the GNWT pay invoices below $10,000 within a week and that the GNWT pay a late payment penalty when it fails to make timely payments. To support northern businesses and reduce the cost of living, we must move forward with these recommendations.
Mr. Speaker, I am incredibly proud of northern entrepreneurs. I know firsthand the persistence and passion it takes to run a business. The GNWT needs to support economic growth and diversification by doing everything possible to promptly pay vendors. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about the Taltson Hydro Electric Expansion Project. As an official mandate item on the priorities list of the 19th Legislative Assembly, we have a duty to see this project move forward in a timely manner and in close cooperation with Indigenous governments.
In terms of business opportunities and environmental regulation, Mr. Speaker, this hydro expansion would provide the NWT with more renewable energy, create job opportunities, lower electricity costs, and will set the pace for a vibrant economy into the future. This has to remain a priority in order to secure any significant long-term investments in the NWT. We need this infrastructure if we want to sustain and grow our territory's economic development.
Mr. Speaker, as a Fort Smith resident, my community resides in the closest proximity to the existing Taltson hydro system, and I can tell you based on concrete evidence that the majority of Fort Smith residents support this project, and I know that the majority of Members in this House support this project as well.
Moreover, Mr. Speaker, based on the considerable amount of research that has been conducted on the Taltson expansion, all plans state that this project has the potential to eliminate approximately 240,000 tons of annual greenhouse gas emissions by replacing diesel power generation. This would occur by creating that interconnected NWT power grid as opposed to the current separate North and South Slave grids.
Overall, Mr. Speaker, this project has the capacity to nearly double the NWT's current hydro capacity output. This would serve our territory's power needs for years to come, and any surplus energy that the NWT would not utilize could be sold to other nearby provinces and territories as needed.
Mr. Speaker, as a jurisdiction that is currently undergoing notable economic decline, I believe that our territory needs a considerable boost and could really benefit from long-term infrastructure investments such as that of the Taltson hydro expansion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I will have questions for the Minister.
Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My Member's statement today is in regard to the state of education in our small communities. Mind you, what I have noted is that it is almost taboo to discuss education on a public level in our communities. Public meetings to discuss education and any initiatives have not been initiated by the school, the school boards, nor by the divisional education councils that represent the schools throughout the region.
No one seems to mind that the attendance rates are dropping, the graduation rates are not flourishing as they should be, and the fact that the academic level of education has gone by the wayside. Couple this with the fact that our schools have had to lay off good quality teachers. It is alarming that no one wants to make an issue of what can be deemed a crisis situation regarding the state of education in our small communities.
I would like to draw your attention to a Department of Education, Culture and Employment document entitled "Education Renewal and Innovation Framework, Directions for Change." It is a three-year education renewal action plan created in 2015 by the department. The document goes on to state, "The current approach to education is not producing the overall levels of student achievement that we need and should reasonably expect for the investments that are being made." The document further states, "This renewal is critical to developing the capable citizens the Northwest Territories needs."
The document presents nine major action plan commitments that the Government of the Northwest Territories will ensure to undertake to improve the quality of education in our communities. It is a very bold and determined document. Unfortunately, this is the first time I have seen the document, and it is now 2019, four years later. I would further be dismayed, and rightly so, if the district education councils have not seen or had any chance to action the initiatives outlined in the Renewal Action Plan.
It is not clear if people in the communities were consulted or presented with the action plan. Had this happened, there certainly would have been measurable outcomes and the GNWT would have been on the hook to see these commitments through. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
I'll be very quick, Mr. Speaker. At the appropriate time, I will have questions for the Minister. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Two of the priorities of this Assembly are to settle and implement treaty, land, resources, and self-government agreements, and implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. I believe these are the two most important priorities of this assembly, as they go to the very heart of what is the role of the GNWT and what is the future role of this House.
When all of us as new MLAs, before breaking off into Cabinet and Regular Members, sat with Indigenous leaders, we repeatedly heard that the GNWT was a barrier at negotiating tables. I have no doubt this is true. Despite the fact that previous Assemblies also prioritized settling land rights agreements, we became a barrier at the table. This shows there is a disconnect between what is said and what is done.
That is one of the most rampant issues in our politics. We always shy away from framing the issues that are divisive. As such, no MLA in this Assembly will ever say they don't want to implement land rights and self-government agreements. Yet, if everyone agrees, that means we are asking the wrong question. The first and most important question we must ask ourselves is if we as government are willing to give up control to Indigenous governments.
Any change in circumstances, I would argue, is human nature. It causes an initial defensive reaction, especially a change that results in having less control. Yet settling outstanding land rights and self-government agreements is not a matter of "if"; it is a matter of "when." It is inevitable for this territory, and the question we must ask ourselves is: are we going to make any progress on these files or are we going to keep being a barrier at the table?
The current unsettled state of affairs and uncertainty benefits no one. It causes uncertainty in our economy and it strains our relationships with Indigenous governments. Canada's Collaborative Self-Government Fiscal Policy means there is money ready for our Indigenous governments to exercise their right to govern, yet that money is waiting for us to sign self-government agreements. It is waiting for us in his House to be bold and to take the very difficult step to give up power that rightly belongs to our Indigenous governments. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.
Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] Yesterday I spoke in my language. We had difficulties with equipment yesterday, and there is a lot of complaint in the communities regarding this little mishap yesterday. Also, I'd like to make a comment... [End of translation] ... conversation about housing. There are a lot of issues and challenges with housing in the Northwest Territories. The policy simply is not meeting the needs of our people.
In my community of Behchoko there are more than 40 units that are boarded up. Some are ready for demolition, some are burnt, and some need major renovations. None of these units are liveable at this time, not to mention that they're an eyesore in my community. The people who live there now are homeless or couch surfing in the community.
Mr. Speaker, today I would like to focus on the burnt units. None of them had fire insurance when they burned down. I had inquired numerous times, Mr. Speaker, about solutions for these burnt units. I have been told over and over that, because tenants did not have fire insurance, they do not qualify for another unit or renovation.
A number of things concern me about this situation. First and foremost, why did we ever transfer brand-new units to clients without housing insurance? Second, these clients are vulnerable citizens, people living in poverty, elders with limited income or pension. Why didn't the NWT Housing Corporation consider an agreement for house insurance with these vulnerable clients? Furthermore, these units have since been left in a state of demise in the community, some of them for more than 10 or 15 years. This is not only an eyesore, but, I'm sure, dangerous in the community.
Mr. Speaker, these policies are faulty and, as a result, families are left homeless. They cannot afford renovations or new housing and are longer able to access public housing. I believe the goal of the NWT Housing Corporation is to provide safe, affordable, and adequate housing for residents of the Northwest Territories in situations such as this one. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Masi.
---Unanimous consent granted
As I stated, Mr. Speaker, situations such as this one could be avoided or resolved if the policies that are in place were reasonable and did not create barriers for some of our most vulnerable citizens. I have followed up on these issues on behalf of my constituents and, to this point, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation has not been able to propose a reasonable solution, and that is not acceptable for my communities. Masi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
