Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to provide a fiscal update, and in doing so, I want also to speak about one of the most valuable economic resources that exists across the whole of the Northwest Territories: resiliency.
The world remains in the grip of a pandemic the likes of which few people alive in the world today have any reference point to. Canada is currently experiencing a second wave. In the Northwest Territories, we are fortunate that, since the start of the pandemic, we have been able to limit the cases of COVID-19 that have entered our borders, but that comes with a cost; travel within the territory remains tightly restricted, and as a result, many sectors of our economy continue to be seriously impacted. This follows on several months of lockdown or near lockdown earlier in the spring.
I would venture that no household in the Northwest Territories is untouched by the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, there is likely no business or industry that has not faced, or does not continue to face, financial or human resource challenges. Many households, businesses, employers, and employees are stressed, scared, or both. That is the reality of the times we are in.
Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories has a strong history of resiliency. The climate is harsh, but people have thrived here since time immemorial. Costs of living are high, but people come and grow their families here. The cost of doing business is high, and yet we do continue to attract investment.
A lot has changed since the budget speech in February. Budget 2020 spoke to the importance of working within our means by finding internal efficiencies and using creativity and innovation to deliver our mandate priorities, even in a time of slow economic growth. The need for innovation and creativity is more pressing than ever, but in the current context, we must start from a place of resiliency to put innovation and creativity to the test.
Despite all of the pandemic-related upheaval, the core values we are using to deliver fiscal responsibility to the Northwest Territories have not changed. We will still work within our means to deliver not only on the priorities of the 19th Legislative Assembly, but also to ensure that people and communities across the territory are healthy and safe. We continue to seek creative solutions to these wholly unexpected challenges. We strive to strike a balance between all of the many diverse needs that exist.
Fortunately, we will start with some good news: signs of an economic recovery are appearing. Our job market has recouped many of the resident jobs that were lost, the labour participation rate has climbed back to its March level, and the employment rate has partially recovered. Retail sales are rebounding, with the Northwest Territories outperforming the provinces so far this year, and this consumer spending is supported by stable and high average weekly earnings. We are painfully aware of sectors in the economy that are still in serious hardship, but we are cautiously optimistic that we will have 90-percent job recovery to pre-pandemic levels by the end of calendar year.
Our own revenues will drop this year. We are forecasting significant corporate income tax and resource revenue declines, as the events of 2020 will likely continue to some degree through 2021 and work their way through the economy. It is simply not possible to give direct financial support to every person or business in need, all at the same time; but from the earliest days of the pandemic, we made efforts to immediately support Northwest Territories people, businesses, and communities by waiving a number of revenues, including airport fees, bridge tolls, and leases, which will result in a decrease in our projected revenues.
Despite these revenue losses, our fiscal situation remains stable thanks in large part to two facts: we have received $92 million in immediate and very welcomed support from the Government of Canada to address the expenditure challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic; and in addition, Territorial Formula Financing provides a mainstay of fiscal support that will respond to current own-source revenue losses in future years. As a result of the new federal support, we are currently projecting this year's fiscal revenues to be $2.2 billion. That is $38 million more than what was estimated in the 2020-2021 budget.
That said, the pandemic has driven expenditures significantly higher as we implement measures to protect Northwest Territories residents and provide economic support. In total, we estimate $170 million in new expenditures for emergency measures, including additional health care costs, income assistance, and other various forms of economic relief and supports for people, businesses, and communities. To better sustain our delivery of the crucial programs and services we have implemented to protect the territory from COVID-19, we are proposing this sitting to bring these existing functions together under a COVID-19 Coordinating Secretariat that will help us better meet demand, ensure more efficient use of the GNWT's fiscal resources, and provide a clearer point of accountability for the ongoing implementation of the public health orders. With respect to COVID-19 costs, the Department of Finance will publish cost information on its website to maximize transparency.
Regardless of how we deliver the pandemic-driven activities, all these expenditures will have a material impact on our fiscal bottom line. We are planning for the worst while hoping for the best, and we are including the projected costs of $175 million by the end of this fiscal year in our updated forecast for this year. Even within this, we have tried to find efficiencies and innovative delivery methods, and to strike a balance between all of the many needs created or contributed to by the realities of the pandemic. This response includes $31.7 million, that would otherwise be spent across departments, coming into the COVID-19 secretariat as, again, a single point of accountability and administration; $72 million for other related healthcare costs, such as testing and supporting healthcare system capacity; and $72 million for economic supports, including the foregone revenues. Taking the $92 million in direct federal support into account, the projected net effect of the COVID-related expenses and costs is expected to be $83 million.
Although these high costs are not good news, the GNWT has a track record of fiscal responsibility, as demonstrated again this summer when Moody's Investors Service confirmed our Aa1 credit rating for the 14th consecutive year. Past financial responsibility will help us weather the pandemic's revenue and expenditure shocks in our medium-term fiscal outlook. We are committed to continuing on this track.
This commitment will require work. Our latest medium-term outlook projects a course which, if not adjusted, results in both an operating deficit in three years and exceeding the new borrowing limit. Despite a $1.8-billion borrowing limit, our current path will start the next Legislative Assembly in violation of that limit. Resilience is not an accident; it must be consciously sought and developed through diligent effort.
We are paying for our COVID-19 pandemic response by shrinking our operating surplus, not by increasing debt and not by increasing taxes. The 2020-2021 operating surplus is projected to narrow a full $143 million from the February 2020-2021 budget to $60 million. This reduced position could impact our longer-term fiscal sustainably. But it is a response that should allow for short-term cushioning and, as a result, hopefully, more long-term resilience within our private sector.
The lower operating surplus will also increase our total debt to a projected $1.262 billion by the end of this fiscal year. Had we not successfully negotiated a $500-million increase to the federally imposed borrowing limit, this level would have been unacceptably close to the previous limit. Although the new $1.8-billion limit will provide $538 million in borrowing capacity at year-end, we need to be conscious of the risks of carrying too much debt. COVID-19 is not an excuse; we must focus on the difficult choices we need to make to live within our means, while providing the programs and services that Northwest Territories residents need, especially within the context of COVID-19.
During the budget dialogues that I held over the summer, we heard loud and clear that spending reductions are preferred over tax increases. By themselves, increasing revenues will not be sufficient and is frankly unlikely to be fruitful in the short term as the pandemic continues to impact markets across Canada and the world. Continued borrowing will be fiscally unsustainable, and letting capital assets deteriorate by starving our capital budget is unacceptable. The reality is that expenditure management will need to be the main pillar in moving the GNWT onto a sustainable fiscal path, but I want to be very clear: expenditure management is not the same as expenditure reduction. The budget dialogues participants gave considered suggestions for better expenditure management to improve our efficiency and find more value for our dollar. Now is the time to be creative and innovative. There is a path forward that will allow us to budget in a way that reflects the values and priorities of the people of the NWT. That will have to be our fiscal path.
Last, Mr. Speaker, during the budget dialogues, I also heard many thoughtful comments from people making connections between health and productivity, between education and labour market participation, and between economic growth and government-revenue growth. I believe underlying much of what we heard is evidence that we are truly pulling together as a territory. This energizes me with optimism that we show resiliency, we will rebuild and provide a legacy for the future to realize the great potential that this territory offers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Addictions have a devastating impact, not only on individuals but on families and the community, as well. It is a difficult and sensitive issue, one that is hidden in the background, quietly discussed, provided some support, but never appears front and centre.
In the past several months, Hay River has had to deal with several events that included the tragic loss of local residents. The community has seen the hospitalization of others due to overdose and vehicle accidents brought on by alcohol or drugs. When events such as these happen, we immediately look to lay blame in order to deflect responsibility from ourselves. We try to remove it from what we consider mainstream society, when in actuality it is interwoven in the very fabric of society, and we tend to normalize it.
Mr. Speaker, I recognize and admit that I have limited knowledge in the area of addictions. However, I do understand that drug addiction, no matter what walk of life you are from, does not care who it harms or what agony and grief it causes individuals and families.
I have met with people who have drug addictions, those who experience mental health issues due to drug use, those families personally impacted, and medical staff dealing with persons detoxing. I strongly believe addictions needs to be brought to the forefront and provided resources to seriously address it.
Mr. Speaker, this government is providing some financial resources to address addictions, but knowing that this government has no issue identifying $87 million to address COVID monitoring and enforcement when no one has died in the NWT but is slow to act when it comes to dealing with a disease that is hospitalizing, killing, or destroying our family members and friends on a regular basis, I find this to be a travesty. This disease does not work in a vacuum. To fuel itself, it takes advantage of peer pressure, lack of housing, unemployment, mental health issues, personal trauma, effects of residential schools, and other realities. Because of this, I expect and look to this government to take a cross-departmental approach to address it. We must look for and action real solutions that work for the people of the NWT.
Mr. Speaker, I do not want to see another mother or father having to experience the death of a child because we are not doing enough to support the treatment of addictions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The Northwest Territories has a growing demographic of people whose voices are often not heard nor adhered to. This demographic is the elders or knowledge-keepers.
Mr. Speaker, in my Dene culture, we say to the young to respect the elders as the young do not know what the knowledge-keepers have experienced in their lifetime. Many have experienced hardships in their lives in providing for their families but have prevailed in some way, and they have always had comforting words to soothe away any pains others may be going through. There is a term coined that best describes what one does not know of them: do not criticize a knowledge-keeper unless you have walked a mile in their moccasins.
Mr. Speaker, one of the mandates that this Assembly has identified is to assist the elders to age in place, that is to stay in their own home and in their home community. Families do not want to see their knowledge-keepers leave the community to be placed into a home in another community, a place where they are in a totally strange environment, that they did not grow up in, most of all, away from their families, the very people they have nurtured all their lives. We must not forget the many grandchildren who are left behind. Far too often, the children and grandchildren do not get to spend time with the knowledge-keepers who, in time, will pass, and for all that we know, they may have been lonely for family and aching to be in the community they call home.
Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services at the appropriate time. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Members' statements. Member for Thebacha.
Mr. Speaker, since getting elected last year, I have assisted my constituents with a wide range of different issues, spanning all of the major departments of the Government of the Northwest Territories. By far, though, the one department I have dealt with the most has been the NWT Housing Corporation. In fact, I would estimate that roughly 90 percent of all my constituent concerns involve housing.
Mr. Speaker, I have noticed a concerning trend regarding housing in the NWT, particularly public housing. I am seeing a trend of mistreatment to vulnerable people, specifically for seniors and low-income people. As an example, just in the last two weeks alone, I have dealt with three constituents who are facing potential eviction from their rental units, two of whom are seniors. At a time during a global pandemic and with winter upon us, these sorts of actions by the Housing Corporation are unacceptable and must stop immediately.
Furthermore, I have also tried to help several constituents find more suitable housing for their situations. However, I continually, always, get a response back stating that the client's income is over the core net income threshold as per NWT housing policy. Anyone with an income above the core need income threshold is considered to have sufficient income to address their own housing needs, thus is ineligible for any NWT housing programs. Again, Mr. Speaker, this type of policy is not acceptable in its current form because people are falling through the cracks and are being adversely affected as a result. This policy therefore must be re-examined and changed because it is causing more harm and more headaches for long-term residents of the NWT, especially my constituents of Thebacha.
Another major issue with this Minister and her department is the lack of communication from emails I have sent to her about my constituents, along with my concerns, as ordinary MLA, regarding awarding of contracts that were done by the RCMP contract homes. In the last budget, there were funds allocated for two public housing units to be built in Fort Smith, which were not awarded, and contracts did not go out. I asked the Minister about this verbally and through email and still have not received an answer. I am concerned because there are major housing needs in Fort Smith. What happened to the allocations of these funds for these two units?
Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, there are major communication gaps within the NWT Housing Corporation, and things have got to change. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Members' statements. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We continue to see violence against our Indigenous women and girls, not just here in the North, Mr. Speaker, but across Canada. We have all seen recently over this time, during this pandemic, the loss of a young Indigenous woman from Yellowknife as well as another young woman murdered in Hay River. Outside the NWT, an Indigenous woman and a mother of seven, Joyce Echaquan, who went to the hospital to seek medical treatment, instead died while being treated like no person should be treated in a facility like that.
Mr. Speaker, in June, we were informed that an action plan to deal with the calls for justice had been delayed by the federal government, and in fact, it is my opinion that no substantial work has been done to the national action plan to this date. We also heard that, due to COVID restrictions in place, domestic and sexual violence has surged during the pandemic. The NWT has even received increased federal funding for its shelters to assist with this recently. During our last session, I asked this government to take the lead and develop an action plan, not wait any longer to give action to the calls for justice outlined in the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls final report. We need to do this now and not wait any longer. We cannot have any more stolen sisters.
Today, Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Minister responsible for the Status of Women questions on what progress has been made on developing our own NWT action plan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. On April 17, 2020, the federal government announced $1.72 billion in financial assistance for the remediation of orphan and inactive oil and gas wells in western Canada as part of Canada's Economic Response Plan for COVID-19. On May 28, I made a statement in this House about the potential for the NWT to access similar funding, working in partnership with Yukon and Nunavut. The Premier provided some assurances that "remediation from mine sites has always been a priority." The Premier also said that a joint letter was in preparation to federal Ministers from the three northern territories to advocate for such funding.
Mr. Speaker, I have seen that letter, and it is a request for support for the mining industry with mention of accelerated funding for northern contaminated sites buried on page 3. What I have learned since is that there does not appear to be a clear lead for our government on this file, no specific asks, and little coordination.
To repeat what I said in May, the Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory shows 1,647 sites in the NWT, with an estimated assessment of remediation cost at $12.375 billion. The GNWT 2018-2019 public accounts show a total of 285 sites under our jurisdiction, with a cost of remediation estimated at $70.6 million. Our Premier needs to make this work a priority as part of our efforts on economic recovery and part of the emerging remediation economy here in the Northwest Territories. There are obvious links to NWT Indigenous economic development, businesses, and the proposed polytechnic university. Billions of dollars will be spent on environmental remediation at Giant Mine, Norman Wells, and numerous other sites. In many ways, we are pioneering new technologies, approaches, and partnerships that should be the envy of the circumpolar world and form a central part of the polytechnic university. There will be jobs created in many of our smaller communities and regional centres.
Later today, I will have questions for the Premier on whether she will make it a priority to secure federal investment for accelerated remediation of contaminated sites as a part of our drive towards economic recovery and diversification. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I want to point out that, during my constituency visits, I noticed some common themes in terms of gaps in our healthcare system, in particular dealing with the elders and mobility-restricted individuals who needed medical assistance. I am happy my colleague from Deh Cho mentioned helping our elders age in place with dignity, and it kind of follows with what I am about to say.
Mr. Speaker, I want to give this visual to you. If you could picture yourself as an elder in a small community, as an elderly individual who might not have English as a first language, and you have an immediate health issue, and you need to be assessed in your home. If you are in a small community, you will be told you will need a relative or an RCMP officer to get you to the local health centre. This is a problem. What happens if you are in this situation and are unable to call out to emergency services, i.e. an ambulance, or unable to get a hold of a relative to get you to a healthcare centre?
If I could just get you to turn on your headpieces, I want to say a few words in Chipewyan. If you're a nurse and I'm an elder, and I'm in trouble, I tell you, my nurse, "[English translation not available.]" How do you respond to that? It's something to think about. If there is a language barrier there, and that's my other point, that's where I'm going with this, Mr. Speaker, we need to fill some very glaring gaps in our small communities in terms of response for ambulatory services. Some of these issues, in my opinion, can be addressed by easily beefing up homecare and CHR staff.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I want to commend our new health Minister on addressing some of my immediate concerns that she and her staff have already addressed since taking on this new role. However, my constituents do have legitimate concerns that do need answers, and I will have some questions for the health Minister at the appropriate time. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. NWT 911 has answered almost 14,000 emergency calls. These calls come from every one of our NWT communities, even the smallest and most remote, such as Jean Marie River, Whati, and Ulukhaktok. What is more, NWT 911 has dispatched emergency services not just to NWT communities, but also to other jurisdictions such as Vancouver and Edmonton, even as far away as the Baltic States.
Mr. Speaker, we have all heard about two babies in Yellowknife and the one baby in Inuvik who 911 personnel helped to deliver, but due to the various privacy laws in the NWT, the public never really hears about the lives 911 helps to save, the real impact of emergency medical and fire services dispatched through 911.
I can tell you one story of a community member who would have died slowly and alone without 911. One foggy day, the person had a serious car crash on a low-traffic road about 30 kilometres from the nearest community. The driver was so badly injured that they had to be medevac'd to Edmonton. The driver had happened to connect their cell phone to the car for hands-free calling and to listen to a favourite playlist. This action saved the driver's life, because automotive telematics do not call 111 or 2222, and cars are programmed to call 911 in the event of a bad crash. In this case, the car called 911. Let me say that again. The crash was so bad and the driver was in such poor condition that the car called 911. I can tell you that 911 was able to send help and talk with the driver, who was in a state of shock, for several minutes before the driver lost consciousness. The 911 dispatcher stayed on the call for 12 minutes longer before losing connection. Had 911 not been an option, that driver most certainly would have perished in that crash.
Mr. Speaker, imagine being a 911 dispatcher answering calls from people in distress, the worst calls possible, for 12-hour shifts. Most of the time, the dispatchers do not know what happens to the patient once the first responders arrive. The call is done, 911 hangs up, and the dispatcher goes on to the next emergency call. Imagine not knowing what happened to that stabbing victim you told how to stop the bleeding, that parent you taught how to administer life-saving drugs to their overdosing teen. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to finish my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
That parent you taught how to administer life-saving drugs to their overdosing teen, or that caller you walked through providing CPR to their family member for 23 minutes straight when first responders were already on another call. Did those people survive?
Mr. Speaker, I am truly worried about 911 dispatcher burnout. Only five staff are funded, so there is only one 911 dispatcher on duty per 12-hour shift, answering over 60 calls a day. The Med Response program dispatchers who are to provide support to 911 often are too busy on their own calls or don't have dispatchers on shift. As a result, the 911 staff have to do a lot of extra shifts or double shifts. At times, 911 has been so short-staffed that the dispatcher on duty doesn't get meal or break times and has to run to the bathroom hoping a call does not come in.
The last government, desperate to get 911 costs below the $1.70 per month subscriber fee, cut everything possible from the budget, even relief staff. The 911 program was directed to come back after the first six months of operation with a budget based on actuals, not projections. NWT 911 did return with a zero-based budget, asking only for two more staff, relief funding, and systems funding. The program would offer a total of seven full-time dispatchers. This right-sizing of the 911 budget was rejected by Finance, as 911 had not been operational for at least one year. As such, 911 continues with only five dispatchers, one dispatcher per shift. Besides answering 911 calls, 911 dispatchers dispatch Inuvik ambulance and Norman Wells fire; do officer safety with highway patrol; issue public safety alerts; monitor sea, land, and air emergency radio frequencies; and take 811 calls. That's right; when callers dial 811 and press number 5, they are connected to the 911 dispatcher providing an 811 scripted script.
Mr. Speaker, it's almost shameful. The COVID-19 secretariat 811 has nine operators, three nurses, four relief positions, and one manager position. They do not provide service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, as 911 does. According to my constituents, callers can never get through to anyone, and I know that because I've called myself on somebody in my yard. Well, unless they press number 5 and get the 911 dispatcher. In fact, some community chiefs have called the 911 emergency line simply to get through to someone for answers, because they could not get through to anyone at 911.
Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of MACA about why this government continues to undervalue and underfund the 911 service, a service that is clearly saving NWT residents' lives while free-flowing funding to COVID 811. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member. I know the importance of the topic, so I let you go on longer than usual, but in the future, a short supplementary extension there. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Mr. Speaker, the majority of my constituents supported the swift responses of the Chief Public Health Officer that prioritized our safety in the face of a largely unknown virus. Today, we know more and know that our responses need to be sustainable, as COVID-19 has no end date. My constituents are becoming increasingly frustrated as COVID cases surge in the South and our COVID communications and policy implementation still struggle. The announcement of the COVID secretariat wasn't well-received. We've been told there are 150 staff members, most of whom are GNWT employees on transfer assignments, of which 131 are front-line staff working with ProtectNWT, border enforcement, 811, and isolation centres. These positions have largely been filled since April and May, and the projected first-year cost is $31.7 million, an additional cost of $2.6 million compared to previous COVID response efforts.
Mr. Speaker, the safety of Northerners is paramount, and so far, we have been lucky. We have not lost Northerners to COVID, but this year we have lost Northerners to suicide, addictions, inter-partner violence, and illness, so I want to remain conscious that we not become tunnel-visioned by COVID while our demons demand more funding.
Today, COVID is still a global threat, but we remain accountable for a fiscally responsible government. I ask that COVID secretariat be both responsive to Northerners' needs and fiscally responsible and that we remember that this is an opportunity to build a sustainable model for any future state of emergency. In doing so, I expect that the COVID secretariat:
Be collaborative by working with local business owners, be fiscally responsible, and, moreover, empower business owners to act as COVID safety ambassadors;
Be consistent with fair and consistent policies to triage volume to ProtectNWT;
Be sustainable. Isolation centre policies must be reviewed to curb misuse, as they are our greatest cost; and
Communicate. I commend departmental communication staff, but clear, consistent, and proactive public communication needs to extend to all levels of government during a continued state of emergency.
Mr. Speaker, I don't have the difficult job of deciding appropriate risk for the NWT, where over a quarter of our population is considered high-risk, but I do know that my constituents want to be empowered and informed to support fair COVID rules and restrictions, and that our collective responsibility is to build a fiscally responsible and responsive, prepared government. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.
Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] We now have COVID-19, but since there will be a secretariat created with 150 employees at the cost of $86 million, and I want to say a few things regarding that. [Translation ends].
The Premier's allowance of COVID secretariat with 150 new positions at a cost of approximately $87 million to date to the people of the Northwest Territories. Contrary to a sphere of consensus government, the Premier has done so without consulting with Members on this side at the initial stage, Indigenous governments nor the general public, and also the business sector, as well.
Mr. Speaker, the secretariat that averts scarce resources from the 22 former priorities of the 19th Assembly, including such major directives such as universal childcare, increasing student educational outcomes, increasing affordable housing, expanding the economy, reducing the cost of living in the Northwest Territories, increasing economic diversification by supporting growth in non-extraction sectors, reducing the cost of power, and increasing the use of alternative or renewable resource energy.
Mr. Speaker, the NWT's initial pandemic response right from the get-go, which utilized existing GNWT personnel working within the home departments, has proven very effective. The government's new COVID secretariat abandons this proven cost-effective approach in favour of a new burdensome bureaucracy that promises no improvement, Mr. Speaker, at a vastly increased expense. Mr. Speaker, with that in mind, I will have questions for the Premier at a later time. Masi.
Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If there's one constant in the modern economic history of the Northwest Territories, that is monopolies and foreign ownership, whether it be Northmart, Northview or Northwestel, or sometimes it's Chinese state-owned entities and American billionaires. However, Mr. Speaker, I believe that tide is starting to turn, and it is being led by our Indigenous-owned businesses.
It is often said that government should not be in the private sector and should not be in the business of business, and I believe that. However, there is an exception for our Indigenous governments. Built into many of their land claims are preferential contracting and procurement clauses. Our Indigenous development corporations, their private arms, are some of the largest private employers in the Northwest Territories. Much of our GDP flows out of this territory, and we fail to capture the resources. The more we can do to support Indigenous businesses in capturing the GDP, that is a good thing, Mr. Speaker.
However, Mr. Speaker, we have failed to do that. We presently do not have an Indigenous procurement policy. We, as a government, have often failed to capture and uphold those land-claim clauses. Federal contracting allows non-competitive processes for Aboriginal businesses. However, we have failed to lobby the feds to make sure such contracting follows those guidelines. Our internal free trade agreements make exceptions for Aboriginal businesses, and the protectionist inclinations of many of us in this House are limited due to those free trade agreements, but not for Aboriginal-owned businesses, Mr. Speaker. There is much room to grow, and hopefully, those Indigenous-owned businesses can capture more of our GDP.
Mr. Speaker, the last census data showed that 50 percent of Indigenous residents had a job compared to 80 percent of non-Indigenous residents. Our Indigenous development corporations and businesses naturally prioritize hiring Indigenous people. Additionally, when they are successful, they don't pack up their headquarters and move south because they are inherently in it to support Northerners and support Indigenous people.
Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Finance about how we can implement a proper Indigenous procurement policy to capture more of our GDP and grow our Indigenous businesses to truly have a northern economy for Northerners. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Sharon Grace Pierrot was born in Fort Good Hope on January 12, 1962, to Jean Baptiste Gully and Alice Masoonee. Sharon lived with her mother, Alice, until her brother got sick at the age of five. Then, she moved to live with her dad in Colville Lake. She lived with her dad until she reached the age of eight when her father moved Sharon and her sister back to Fort Good Hope to attend school. Each summer break, she would be taken out of the Fort Good Hope school and return home. She attended school in Fort Good Hope until June of 1997. Then, she went to school in Inuvik in 1979.
Sharon and Ronald Pierrot married in September of 1986. They have five children: Darren, Lisa, Matthew, Kelsey, Terrence, and five grandchildren. Sharon did various jobs in the community to support her children, including teaching in the school and working with the Gashnu Nahanni band office. Sharon and Ronald fostered many children, and this helped Sharon decide that she wanted to make a difference. She moved to Fort Smith to take the social work program. With the diploma, she worked as a corrections officer, a probation officer, a native customs adoption officer for the Sahtu.
In 2009, Sharon was diagnosed with breast cancer and fought it to beat it. In 2010, she was victorious in this battle. After the battle, she decided to go to Colville Lake to be a haul truck driver. After a while she decided to pursue a career goal and become a child welfare officer in Fort Good Hope. In 2017, she took a job in Fort Simpson as a child wealth officer where she mentored a number of new graduates, ensuring she passed on the knowledge she had for the betterment of the children under her care.
Sharon embraced her culture. Sharon could sew, hunt, trap, and do whatever necessary to live on the land. She wanted to teach those around her the importance of keeping our culture alive. She loved being out on the land, and she said that is the place you heal and find yourself. She was no stranger to hard work. She empowered those around her, encouraged those to use their voice for change if they wanted it. Sharon was the person that encouraged people to be kind, good to one another, and be there for those that needed help. She stressed we do not know what a person is going through.
On May 9, 2019, cancer came back. Through this battle, she was fearless and courageous, and she stayed positive throughout, continued to be selfless, preparing those around her for what may come. Her body succumbed to the disease, but her spirit and mind did not. To the very end, she fought, but in Sharon's words, "I cannot wait to see what heaven looks like. It must be beautiful. I get to see my parents and those who left before us. I can celebrate with them." She will be sadly missed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation issued a public announcement stating that all evictions from rental housing units will not be carried out unless there is a significant matter involving risk to other tenants or the NWT Housing Corporation's buildings. My question is: will the Minister consider amending this policy to mandate a freeze on all evictions in the NWT until this pandemic has ended? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Member for bringing this forward. I take this very seriously when we're looking at the evictions for our residents of the territory, but dealing with COVID-19, we have to take precautions, as well, and looking at the safety for the residents of our people that are occupying our units. For the eviction notice, it does go through a lengthy process, but this is something that I will be bringing back to my department. We are currently working on how are we going to be working with our clients who are ready for eviction or who have been through the process for eviction because they are given last chance agreements, as well, but we will be reviewing them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My next question requires clarity on how responses are given to constituents. Will the Minister consider changing the policy for how her department deals with constituents who are receiving threatening letters of eviction, letters of last chance, and treating our seniors and low-income people disrespectfully and undignified?
Thank you, Member, for giving this forward. Client service is a priority of the Housing Corporation, and it is something that I have been working with very strongly. Acknowledging our client service at the LHO and at the district level, as well, we are looking at also providing training and client service training opportunities for our employees and also looking at the evictions and the process and also working with the elders, as well. However, safety is a priority, as well, for the Housing Corporation. We do deal with a lot of low-income families, and they do come with very unique situations that the Housing Corporation has got to work with. We take each file, consider it of all the situations that may come with those files.
There seems to be a communication gap between the Minister's office and the local housing authority regarding threatening letters of eviction and last-chance letters. Will the Minister ensure that the local housing authority follows the direction of the public announcement in Fort Smith?
Thank you to the Member for the question. I will be providing the Member with the process that we do follow, that lead up to eviction, just to provide clarity, as well. I will be working with my department, and I appreciate the comments coming forward.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister give me a timeline for when I can expect replies to my outstanding emails and enquiries, specifically the status of the RCMP housing contracts and the two public housing units that were supposed to be built in the 2020-2021 fiscal year? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member. The RCMP housing units in Fort Smith, five out of the six are currently under construction by the local Fort Smith contractors, and it is to be completed in 2021. The six units will be tendered in February 2021 and should be completed in 2021, the fall of 2021. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
