Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is the final budget of the 19th Assembly. It provides a final opportunity to consolidate the work we have done during the 19th Assembly, set wheels in motion for the future, and ensure we end this Assembly in better financial shape than when we started.
In this budget, we show both responsiveness to the needs of the Northwest Territories and responsible fiscal management through a rightsized approach that recognizes needs and opportunities as well as our capacity to attain them.
This budget comes as we maintain stability across the Northwest Territories' economy during ongoing times of volatility and uncertainty. We successfully managed to avoid reductions to the public service or to the programs and services that public servants provide. We have not wavered in our strong focus on prioritizing work that will improve governance and sustainability and delivery of those programs and services over time, even in the face of a short or mediumterm crisis.
In this budget address, I will describe the expectations for the economy, the fiscal outlook as we move towards the next Assembly, and the actions we are proposing to strengthen the foundation for the future.
The Northwest Territories' economic indicators are positive, and our future should be bright.
This is a bold statement, but it needs to be said. The possibility for a prosperous future lies within our collective hands; not only those of elected leaders but residents across the territory. It is time to refresh our economic perspective. Focusing on our myriad of economic challenges can become selffulfilling inertia at best and an excuse for paralysis at worst. Instead, we can put emphasis on the economic opportunities around us and focus attention on what we can do to realize our potential. There will be geographic constraints and challenges that require support from other levels of government; but we should, at the least, ensure that nothing within our control remains a barrier.
We face our economic challenges because the alternative is unacceptable and not who we are. We had two years of public health shutdowns and just as the economy was rebounding, we were hit by devastating floods and rampant inflation. The example of residents facing the disaster of the recent floods is a clear demonstration that when the going gets tough, Northwest Territories' residents grab a bucket and start bailing.
Now we need to turn that determination, tenacity, hard work, and drive towards our collective future. The government can play a part to provide education, skills, health supports, and economic incentives, but the economy is not under the exclusive control of government.
The government should show timely responsiveness as well as responsible fiscal management to maintain stability for residents and communities. The government can also try to mitigate the impacts of economic disruption – and there are still notable signs of economic disruption.
We know that businesses in all sectors are struggling to find workers. This is a challenge for employers but an opportunity for prospective workers to take advantage of the market and join the workforce or add to their skills and increase their employability. We are proposing more resources in this budget to help residents obtain the education and workrelated skills training to help them take advantage of work opportunities and to help businesses meet their labour market challenges.
We are also aware of and experiencing the impacts of inflation. This is leading to higher overall costs as well as pressure on wages, which will further add to cost pressures. In response, this budget proposes increased income support benefits and continuation of the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief Program. We are also continuing to increase local food production in the fishing industry and country food harvesting to help reduce dependency on distant markets.
Unemployment is at a record low. As for inflation, the signs are there that inflation in global consumer prices is beginning to moderate as rising interest rates slow investment and transportation bottlenecks get resolved. Spending on mineral exploration is increasing and as the international drive continues to achieve netzero emissions, we will be ready with robust regulations and skills training to ensure that Northerners benefit from developing critical minerals deposits in an environmentally sustainable way.
The economy is an organic system, and no government can simply turn it on or off. However, governments can support the economy indirectly through economic initiative spending as well as more directly through capital spending and tax regimes, all of which we have done through the life of this government. As well, we have operated as a foundation of economic stability during what have been turbulent times. To continue to do so, we need to ensure the government has the fiscal capacity to provide timely responses to unexpected shocks. We have not only been responsive in emergencies; we have increased our ability to respond by improving our fiscal capacity.
Mr. Speaker, with the final budget of this Assembly, we can see the vision set out in the first budget coming together. Importantly, that vision was not a single event or moment in time. The 202324 budget continues with our goal of changing the focus towards a more allofgovernment approach that more clearly shows the tradeoffs in different public expenditures and priorities from a limited amount of revenue.
With the 202324 Capital Estimates approved last November we broke the cycle of an unrealistically large capital budget that then requires an even larger borrowing plan commitment. We rightsized our capital budget to align our capital plan with the economy’s ability to build it. And We have chosen to take the time to build in a way that maximizes the project benefits for the Northwest Territories economy and positions the GNWT for a successful fiscal transition to the 20th Legislative Assembly.
By providing more clarity on our anticipated capital spend, we have given more certainty to local businesses when bidding on projects, and this helps the GNWT to better maximize the local economic benefits of its project construction. We have also made changes to our procurement processes so that local businesses and communities can take better advantage of the business opportunities that government spending creates.
While I am encouraged when a plan starts coming together, we are not done. We have, through a more realistic approach to capital planning, provided the means for a more accurate borrowing plan and more transparency in how GNWT borrowing complies with the Fiscal Responsibility Policy. Last summer, we evaluated this policy and its requirement that at least half of GNWT capital investments is financed by the operating surplus to ensure that it is still effective in meeting our debt management principles. We have already started changes in the reporting on the future debt implications in this budget and, in short order, we will be revising and revisiting the Fiscal Responsibility Policy to help decisionmakers better understand the implications of their budgetary choices.
These steps have restored balance to our overall fiscal situation and if we continue to adhere to this fiscal strategy, we are no longer projecting to be in danger of exceeding the federallyimposed borrowing limit.
We are projecting to finish 202223 with an operating surplus of $40 million, lower than budgeted as we required more resources to deal with this year’s flooding and wildfires.
The operating surplus for the 202324 Budget is projected to be $178 million, after adjustments. This surplus is sufficient to comply with the Fiscal Responsibility Policy. Total revenues are forecast to reach $2.5 billion, and the operating budget is $2.2 billion. The 202324 total debt projection is $1.5 billion, which leaves a comfortable $311 million window below the $1.8billion borrowing limit.
Mr. Speaker, we raise revenues to fund government programs and services and to invest in infrastructure that is used to deliver programs and services to support the economy.
We have heard consistently over the three years of budget dialogues that there is narrow capacity for increasing taxes. In line with the goal of remaining responsive to the times, we do not want to use taxes in a way that could reduce the incentive to grow and diversify the economy. Accordingly, we will live within our current means and stay the course on taxation by following the established practice of increasing property tax rates by inflation.
We will also be debating increasing carbon tax rates this session as required by Canada in their efforts to reduce national greenhouse gas emissions. The proposals in this budget to offset the carbon tax burden, such as increased cost of living offset amounts or spending that helps individuals and businesses reduce their carbonbased fuel consumption, are conditional on approving carbon tax rate increases. If, on April 1, 2023 we do not raise carbon taxes to $65 a tonne of greenhouse gas emissions, the federal system will apply and carbon tax revenues generated in the territory will be distributed through federal programs.
Before I get to the main part of the budget where we traditionally focus on the new dollars that we are proposing to advance the priorities of this Assembly, I want to discuss what the overall $2.2 billion, or $49,000 per person, in spending is accomplishing.
The 202324 budget continues our goal of changing the focus to an allofgovernment approach that more clearly shows the tradeoffs in different public expenditures and priorities necessary with a limited amount of revenue.
I remain excited as the Government Renewal Initiative continues to create a culture change that prioritizes an evaluation mindset to ensure efficiency and responsiveness. We have a full inventory of programs and services that the GNWT delivers and are making considerable progress in identifying the priorities for the first evaluations. Substantive results are not ready to help with this year’s budget but will start being produced in time for transition to the next Assembly.
The shift towards wholeofgovernment thinking can be seen in other work that has been achieved or is underway. For example, "Changing the Relationship" is the government’s action plan in response to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQ2S+ peoples. One of its core objectives is to rebuild trust in government by ensuring programs and services are responsive to the people they serve.
We are also following in the multidepartmental development of the Homelessness Strategy that will ensure that the dollars we attach to actions in the strategy provide the best value.
We are moving ahead with our thinking from the end user perspective of government programs and services so that people are better able to access GNWT programs and services how they want, where they want, and when they want. Our government’s eServices program currently provides online access to 19 services in five different program areas. We are working diligently to increase our online offerings as quickly as possible while still ensuring that residents may be confident that their personal information and online transactions are protected.
We are well underway in implementing a host of recommendations arising out of the latest employee satisfaction survey. We are working to meet departmentspecific Indigenous hiring targets to ensure our workforce better represents the Northwest Territories' population. We are also following through on our other public service initiatives such as the Indigenous Recruitment and Retention Plan, the Affirmative Action Policy Review, and Human Resource Plan to continue to strengthen our civil service in a way that supports our vision for the Northwest Territories.
Our public service continues to work on key pieces of legislation for more robust governance rules that support economic development, protect the environment, and safeguard public safety. We expect substantial progress on the Mineral Resources Act Regulations, the Builders Lien Act, the Fire Prevention Act, the Liquor Act, and the Public Lands Act in the next year.
Housing Northwest Territories is on a path to successfully complete its mandate commitments, such as increasing the public housing stock by 100 units and supporting the transition of individuals and families to homeownership. It is focused on partnerships and working to build local capacity while continuing to advance its multiyear capital plan delivery of over $100 million involving 510 housing units across the Northwest Territories. Housing NWT continues to advance its renewal strategy, including receiving input from the Council of Leaders, to create a new mandate and implementing program and policy changes with a focus on helping those who need it most, as well as using formal and informal arrangements to improve relationships with Indigenous governments.
Mr. Speaker, this $2.2 billion operating budget proposes $150 million in additional spending over the 202223 Budget. This amount includes $62 million for expenditures in response to last spring’s flooding that we expect to substantially recover through federal disaster assistance programs. If we remove this major onetime adjustment, the total increase in spending remains a manageable 3.4 percent.
We are recommending $21 million be approved to address higher demand or higher costs for current programming that departments cannot manage from their existing budgets. This includes over $10 million to support health services, mainly out of territory supported living for adult patients, chemotherapy drugs for health agencies, and the Stanton Territorial Hospital’s intensive care unit. Other departments required more resources as well.
We are considering expenditure pressures faced by nongovernment organizations that deliver programs and services on our behalf. Budget 2023 changes our approach to funding nongovernmental organizations, with a proposed $738,000 dedicated to helping specific organizations address inflationary pressures. These include organizations helping health agencies, housing, and the Community Futures Program and Community Transfers Initiatives. We are also helping departments with the wording for multiyear agreements with some nongovernment organizations. These actions have been a long time coming, and we are going further with the establishment of an external advisory committee to better support nongovernment organizations.
New spending initiatives are $42 million, of which $10 million is supported by federal transfers.
A strong healthcare system is vital for healthy individuals and a robust community and economy.
For this reason, the Department of Health and Social Services receives the largest share of the annual operating budget and in this budget, we propose an additional $30.9 million to strengthen our healthcare delivery.
Key to a successful healthcare system is the people who deliver the care. We are proposing to add $9 million next year for actions to make it easier to recruit and retain frontline workers and to specifically address challenges in recruiting and keeping frontline registered nurses, nurse practitioners, and physicians.
We are also seeking to improve healthcare sustainability with an additional $1.2 million in this budget for personal support worker and licensed practical nurse training programs to meet expected labour force demands for home and community care and longterm care programs. This support will complement the $8.6 million proposed to fund positions at the Stanton Legacy Facility to provide for more extended care beds and support the new longterm care beds.
We propose to add $11 million to the department’s budget to transition from pandemic to endemic, including ongoing support for vaccinations and public health.
Mr. Speaker, we cannot claim to be responsible or responsive if we do not continue to seek ways to reduce the burden of socioeconomic disadvantage or support residents experiencing mental health or addictions issues. Our investments directed to these vulnerable groups will help us achieve our goal of healthy people free from poverty and have the added benefit of reducing government expenditures over the long term by reducing residents' reliance on more expensive social programs.
We are proposing to invest almost $5.2 million to improve the existing Income Assistance Program and create a new program tailored for seniors and persons with disabilities that will help them age in their own homes with dignity. With this initiative, we intend to adjust benefit levels using the northern market basket measures and make changes to refresh the existing income exemption levels and remove barriers for using the Income Assistance Program.
Improving community safety also responds to consistent concerns from communities on issues of safety and equality. With the support of our federal partners, we are including $750,000 for a framework for enhancing victim services that will continue support to communities for personcentered victim services. With financial support from Canada under various agreements, we propose to add $2.2 million to the Department of Justice’s budget to strengthen access to justice services for residents. This new funding will improve access to the justice services, including: legal aid; Indigenous court work services; support for family members engaging with the family justice system; improvements to the family justice system; public legal education and information; and increase access to legal advice for survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence to support safety planning, making informed decisions, and to navigate the justice system and emergency protection order processes. Also included in the $2.2 million is $554,000 to further support community justice committees.
We are also proposing to establish a permanent coroner position and include 18 relief community coroner positions into the public service with $273,000 to fund this initiative.
Efforts continue to fill the gaps in our territorial emergency response system to meet ongoing challenges in dealing with major emergencies and implement the recommendations of the Auditor General of Canada. With this budget, we are recommending an additional $453,000 to enhance the emergency management organization support to community governments for emergency planning, preparedness and situational awareness, mitigation and prevention of territorial emergencies.
We also need to continue to reduce the risk to government information technology by upgrading technical equipment where necessary, and are proposing $406,000 for the Tlicho Community Services Agency to upgrade its equipment so that it remains compatible with the rest of the GNWT information systems.
Mr. Speaker, with this budget’s proposal for another $833,000, the commitment to reduce the municipal funding gap by $5 million by the end of this Assembly has been achieved. This will bring the total community contribution funding for operations and maintenance to almost $55 million.
We are also including almost $62 million in flood recovery assistance for the Town of Hay River and the Katl'odeeche First Nation Reserve for the next fiscal year. The majority of this funding is expected to be recovered from Canada under disaster and emergency assistance programs.
We have implemented the first steps toward more affordable licensed early learning and childcare programming in the territory, with the goal of reducing families' childcare costs to an average of $10 a day by 2026. This initiative is supported through federal funding and with proposed funding of $10.3 million in 202324, we are aiming to increase access to high quality, inclusive, affordable, early learning childcare spaces. The new investment will make childcare fees more affordable for families while providing early childhood educators with increased professional learning and postsecondary opportunities.
The Healthy Family Program provides contributions to 15 communities to improve their early childhood development programs with program resources, supplies and events. We are recommending a further $250,000 in 202324 to expand the program to another community.
[Translation] to the federal government in the area [Translation ends]
We are proposing to improve our Student Funding Framework to allow for consistent and stable administrative support to small schools with $368,000 in additional funding that will ensure a minimum level of administrative funding for our smaller schools. This increase will help ensure that teaching staff in small communities will be better able to focus on teaching students rather than administrative tasks.
Mr. Speaker, the Building Skills 4 Success in the Northwest Territories program focuses on delivering and developing essential skills training programs. Among its aims is to improve the availability of essential skills among the trades and for broader skills that are transferable and applicable in any workplace. This program is in partnership with the Northwest Territories Literacy Council and Aurora College. We are seeking to strengthen this program with an additional $1.9 million, supported by the federal government.
We want to strengthen our support for Northwest Territories residents in their efforts to further their formal education after high school. This will not only increase their opportunities for highpaying jobs but improve the productivity of the Northwest Territories labour force. We are recommending a further $1.5 million investment in the Student Financial Assistance Program to improve the financial stability of students to achieve their educational goals. The proposed funds include increasing the basic grant for northern Indigenous students to fully cover the average cost of tuition, books and supplies, and eliminate their 12semester limit for the basic grant. In addition, we are proposing an increase to the basic grant for nonIndigenous students who were schooled in the territory to assist with 80 per cent of the average cost of tuition, books and supplies.
To foster growth and collaboration with Indigenous government partners and offer opportunities for GNWT staff to develop their careers, we are proposing $323,000 in this budget to further our partnership in the Building Capacity in Indigenous Governments Program. Our employees will benefit from experience working in different places across the territory while Indigenous governments will benefit from building capacity and adding employment in their communities.
Mr. Speaker, we continue to look for ways that the territorial government can support the efforts of residents to build an economy that benefits Northerners.
We can help by making economic necessities more affordable. We know that the lack of affordable housing is a critical issue, creating barriers to economic development and labour force participation, and puts pressure on other GNWT social programs. We are proposing an additional $4 million for core Housing NWT programs that will be used to support home repairs, fuel tank replacements, home purchases, mobility modifications, preventative maintenance, and seniors aging in place.
We are also proposing a further $1.83 million in this budget to fund 202225 Energy Action Plan efforts to guide the development of affordable, secure, and sustainable energy for transportation, heat and electricity in the Northwest Territories. We are proposing $446,000 for meat safety regulations for locally produced, harvested and affordable food. Drafting regulations should be done by the summer, training is set to begin by winter, and full implementation, with application intake available and licenses being issued, is planned by the end of the fiscal year. This should help residents with affordable and sustainable food and support the local economy.
Budget 2023 proposes several measures to support mineral resource exploration and project development. First, we propose to further implement the Mineral Development Strategy with $280,000 to enhance the Unlocking Our Potential brand that we are using to attract global attention in our worldclass resource base and will permit us to extend the oversubscribed Prospector Training Program for another two years.
The Mining Incentive Program is another successful and oversubscribed GNWT initiative. This budget proposes to complete the increase promised in the mandate from $1 million to $1.5 million with a $200,000 increase to encourage prospecting, exploration, and investment by helping reduce financial risk at the grassroots mineral exploration stage. Every mine starts with a staked claim, and this has been a supportive program for prospectors and exploration companies to attract and support earlystage and advanced exploration projects. Work is underway to implement the Mineral Resources Act through the development of regulations required for the Act to come into force. We are adding $149,000 in 202324 to work towards their completion over the next two years. This will finalize the modernization of our regulatory environment for mineral rights governance within the existing framework for comanagement of land, water and resources.
We continue to put forward initiatives to support economic diversification and other business opportunities. In partnership with the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, $50,000 is proposed to make a business case for local cement production, which will do double duty by reducing the carbon footprint of the construction industry from transportation if cement can be produced locally.
Heritage centres keep track of the stories that make the Northwest Territories a special place with a deep history and are a valuable part for tourism industry offerings. We are proposing $500,000 to support heritage centres across the territory with ongoing funding for grants for operations, maintenance, or capital upgrades to ensure that these centres remain viable.
As part of continued implementation of the overarching Tourism 2025 Strategy, we are proposing $324,000 to provide the following:
increased funds for small communities;
investment in tourism infrastructure;
business supports to develop and offer products and services to travellers;
doubling the mentorship for businesses and youth in the tourism industry; and,
partnering with communities to offer cultural experiences and better park programming.
We are also seeking an additional $250,000 to give to the five regions so that they can develop regional marketing plans that complement larger marketing initiatives by Northwest Territories Tourism.
We are asking for a $200,000 increase to the Film Rebate Program to improve the competitiveness of the Northwest Territories film industry, with a total annual rebate program of $300,000. This program is designed to encourage content creation in the territory by rebating portions of local spending, hiring, and travel to and within the Northwest Territories for production crews.
Mr. Speaker, our role in the stewardship of our environment is a paramount priority as is our effort to adapt to the effects of climate change.
When we make decisions, we want them to be grounded in good evidence. The GNWT is working with comanagement partners to support recovery of the Bathurst and Bluenose East barrenground caribou herds, which have experienced dramatic declines. We have increased population surveys for both herds to every two years, increased the number of collared caribou, and did an additional Bathurst survey in 2022. In budget 2023, we are proposing an additional $1.14 million to monitor the population, protect important habitat, and manage predators through the traditional economy.
This budget proposes $114,000 for an applicationbased grant program for installation of electric vehicle charging stations as part of our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The GNWT is working in collaboration with Natural Resources Canada to deliver the Northwest Territories Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program. This funding is dedicated to getting EV charging to multifamily buildings, on the street, and at work. Organizations can apply all year round on a firstcome, firstserved basis, for level 2 charging stations, and this funding proposal will support 72 chargers across the territory over the next two years.
Mr. Speaker, Members of this Assembly should be proud of the work we have done together. I am grateful for the help all Members of the Assembly, residents, businesses, community leaders, stakeholders, and all budget dialogue participants for their input in developing the GNWT budgets.
[Translation begins] We could not accomplish all that we have without the ongoing support of the federal government. I am proud of how we worked together with Canada to lessen the economic disruption to people’s lives during the pandemic and deeply appreciate the federal support that was given to our government and Northwest Territories residents. We have taken what we learned about collaboration during this time to improve our partnership with Canada on our priorities such as enhancing the Slave Geological corridor, expanding the Taltson hydro project and building the Mackenzie Valley Highway. [translation ends]
We are stronger working together than alone. We have made strides in working with Indigenous governments to make sure that our priorities mesh with their priorities and we hope to continue to strengthen these relationships. We will continue to work with Canada on our shared priorities, such as healthcare.
There is momentum that attaches to the end of an Assembly. We want to use that momentum to continue the positive shift in the way we do business. We have been responsive not only to crisis but to input from residents across the Northwest Territories. I am confident that we are at the crest of change towards a culture of continuous improvement and a rightsized approach to our fiscal capacity. The implementation of fouryear business planning and the changes in how we budget for capital investments have dramatically helped improve our fiscal situation. The forward movement happening in the Government Renewal Initiative will carry this momentum into the next Assembly to ensure that the GNWT provides even more value for the dollars it spends on programs and services.
Mr. Speaker, this final budget of the 19th Assembly continues to build on our mandate priorities, and I am confident will leave the next Assembly with a fiscallysustainable framework on which to build. In addition to structural governance changes are the choices we made for investments in communities, healthcare, healthcare workers, early childhood, skills training and in support of economic growth. Our legacy is derived from all of these changes and choices that will provide returns for the benefit of the people of the Northwest Territories for generations to come. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Colleagues, we will resume after a short recess. Thank you.
SHORT RECESS
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in this House, I spoke many times about the cost of living in the riding of Nunakput and the Beaufort Delta. Our fuel, our home heating fuel, cost of propane, power, all these have gone up. Many of the NWT residents, especially the people in my riding, could barely make ends meet right now, Mr. Speaker. In the NWT, we pay double or triple than our counterparts in southern Canada to survive, yet the federal government wants to tax us more on the carbon tax.
Mr. Speaker, the carbon tax system from the federal government is going to increase cost of living for Northerners. The carbon tax is unfair to families, businesses, and communities. Small communities, especially in the Beaufort Delta, Mr. Speaker, and Nunakput riding, are going to suffer even more paying high cost of living, an extra 14 to 15 percent. The Nunakput riding already has the highest cost of living. We have some of the lowest household income. We also have no resource development, little opportunity to work to earn money, and now we're going to be having to pay more on the federal carbon tax. Unacceptable, Mr. Speaker.
What is the GNWT doing about this? Is the GNWT going to protect the residents of the Northwest Territories and stand up for us to the federal government and let them do their dirty work? It has to be done. Not while I'm here, Mr. Speaker. I cannot support the carbon tax bill coming forward as a whole. We're setting ourselves up to fail. Let the federal government do their federal backstop and let them do the dirty work, Mr. Speaker.
Programs and services underfunded, limited budgets are given. There is no commitment from this government to protect our residents, especially when residents in the High Arctic will be the most impacted on implementation of this new tax if it's accepted in this House. Mr. Speaker, I'll have questions for the finance minister when I'm done. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of housing responded to questions on data collection on the homeless population. One of her responses was astonishing and disappointing. She explained that the department does not, quote, "currently have systematic collection of data on this population to allow us to track the population over time. Not only does this make it difficult for me to tell you how many NWT residents are impacted at any point, but it also means that I do not have data on how long individuals remain homeless and what kind of housing solutions they move into."
Data is important, Mr. Speaker. It improves people's lives, informs decisionmaking, shows trends, allows us to respond to challenges before they evolve into a crisis, alerts us if we need to pivot, gains trust in stakeholders, and provides strong arguments for funding. In short, Mr. Speaker, data allows our strategies to actually be strategic.
While the government says it's committed to evidencebased decisionmaking, that appears to not be the practice at housing. It is infuriating that this is how now delivering a homelessness strategy without a baseline and clear understanding of how they are serving, who they are serving, and why.
Good data collection and analytics are a proven form of homelessness prevention. Successful homelessness strategies use data to identify people at risk of homelessness and provide support before it happens. Using this data proactively has significant bottom line impacts within the justice system, child and family services, shelters, and healthcare. But we need to know who is experiencing homelessness and why. What interventions worked, and where are people falling through the gaps. Without effective integrated data collection, we won't know the answers to these questions and be able to respond strategically.
But housing data isn't only about homelessness data. Housing NWT collects public housing tenant information based on community, income, rent calculations, arrears, but the most personal information is the breakdown of tenants by age. Mr. Speaker, this, again, doesn't clearly answer who is living in public housing and what is going on. Why do people have arrears? Are rents unpaid because of pest infestations, broken appliances, snowdrifts in the living room? Have arrears been accumulated by primary leaseholders who aren't the working partner, by seasonal workers, by women, by elders who carry a debt that is not their own?
Mr. Speaker, good data can help this government determine how to address housing. Without a baseline, we won't know if the solutions are performing and without comprehensive data, we won't know if the strategy and policy changes are simply forcing a new segment of our population into homelessness. These questions aren't just about infrastructure, income thresholds, and numbers on a waitlist. Housing is about people and to understand people, you need to understand their why. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on June 23rd the federal government completed its second reading of Bill C21 which would make certain consequential amendments with respect to firearms. Currently the bill is under review by the federal standing committee on public safety and national security.
Following Bill C21's second reading, there was a clear public outcry from coast to coast to coast about the negative impacts of this bill on the way of life for Indigenous people many of who are subsistence hunters. The purpose of this bill was to improve public safety and yet the people most affected are the Indigenous people who use rifles and other hunting weapons to provide for their families and communities.
Mr. Speaker, in the NWT we are very aware of the importance of hunting. Hunting puts food on the table for families. It provides healthy, wild, and nutrientrich meat for children and elders. It is a staple, a necessity. Simply put, Indigenous people cannot live without hunting. When the Minister first provided me with the GNWT's position on this bill, I felt it wasn't strong enough. While the federal government has recently made promising amendments to the bill that improve its impacts on Indigenous hunters, the GNWT can still do more.
The GNWT should make it very clear to the federal government that no government, at any time, should be contemplating the prohibition of firearms that Indigenous people use for sustenance. The GNWT must push the federal government to come to the Northwest Territories to talk to Indigenous hunters. They must engage with the people whose very way of life and livelihoods are being impacted by the changes they are proposing.
One of the 19th Assembly's priorities is to advance UNDRIP therefore the GNWT can, and should, do more to protect the rights of Indigenous people to hunt and continue their way of life. Here is a chance to show the Indigenous people of this territory that the GNWT supports their way of life and will fight for their rights on the national stage. And I finished on time today, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Members' statements. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I'm going to revisit an issue that I've been bringing up since the start of the 19th Assembly, which still has not been addressed yet. That issue is the land lease fees for people who own cabins on lands in the NWT. I've done several statements on this issue, and I've asked the Minister of Lands many questions, but I don't seem to get any clear answers. The Minister and his department have had plenty of time to work on the Public Lands Act throughout this Assembly so hopefully we can advance this whole issue into a new positive direction for the people of the NWT.
In addition, Mr. Speaker, I've invited the Minister of Lands to come to Fort Smith to have a public meeting to discuss this whole issue with my constituents and explain to them the changes with this policy and all related fee increases. I've invited the Minister several times, but he's not been able to actually set a date and follow through with it. The Minister tells me that he's visited Fort Smith six times throughout this term, but I can honestly say that I have not seen him in Fort Smith that many times over the last three and a half years. So I hope the Minister will honour his commitment and come to Fort Smith for a public meeting to discuss cabin leases before the end of the 19th Assembly.
Overall, Mr. Speaker, there's still confusion and concern with many of my constituents about the issue of land lease fees and how these changes will impact their finances into the future or how their existing lease contracts may be affected or contradicted given these new rules coming into effect in 2018.
In closing, Mr. Speaker, as I've said before, I believe the Minister of Lands knows in his heart that the new rent minimum for cabin lease costs have gone up too quickly for regular people to handle. For someone to get up 83 times in the previous Assembly to talk and question about this issue, I have to believe the Minister shares at least some of the concerns that I have about this issue. I understand that lease rent and fees have not increased in 20 years but have some foresight and consider the impact this has on average people. In this day and age, with the record level of inflation and the cost of living, many people are living pay cheque to pay cheque. So these high cabin lease rent increases are creating a significant, unforeseen issues with people across the NWT, and I hope the Minister can see that. I will have questions for the Minister of Lands later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I attended a socio-economic forum on December 5th, 2022 put on by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment as part of its work to review socio-economic agreements. The GNWT has six such agreements in place covering large resource development projects. These negotiated arrangements provide for commitments around employment, training, contracting, monitoring, northern preferences, and more in unenforceable agreements which are apparently the main tool for benefit retention. These agreements could become legal requirements for larger mining projects that anticipate spending $75 million and create more than 250 personyears of employment over five years.
The socio-economic forum was attended by about 50 participants. There was a very narrow crosssection of stakeholders, mainly ITI staff, mining industry representatives, and a few Indigenous government staff. I raised the issue of more inclusive participation in this event many times over more than two years. For example, on February 26th, 2020, the Premier, on behalf of the ITI minister said, in this House, "we will engage with all applicable stakeholders in this work."
Despite my repeated attempts, no one from the Northwest Territories Association of Communities, Status of Women Council of the NWT, Chambers of Commerce, NGOs, the Northern Territories Federation of Labour, or even Aurora College, was invited. ITI hired a facilitator from Victoria, British Columbia for the event. It is not clear why DPRA, who prepared an extensive review report on the Socio-economic Agreement Program, did not make the presentation on their own; rather, we got ITI providing its interpretation. And that full report, only released quietly after the event, clearly shows that our approach to socio-economic agreements has failed to maximize benefits.
Small groups were formed to answer a set of questions, predetermined by ITI, that had little resemblance to the research undertaken and the opportunities to improve benefit retention. In my view, this event was poorly designed and organized with a narrow crosssection of stakeholders, workshop materials were not made available until shortly before the meeting, and the full report only released after the event.
The next steps are not very clear, Mr. Speaker. Will there be any public engagement on this work to improve benefit retention, a mandate item for this government? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when we talk about addictions, we are talking about individuals who are primarily Indigenous, marginalized, and have been traumatized by residential schools and the 60s Scoop.
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to substance abuse, we have mainstream programming available, along with access to on the land programs and treatment centres, albeit the treatment centres are in southern Canada. Yesterday I spoke about the need for detox beds. Today I will focus on the need for aftercare and transitional housing supports.
Except for warehousing individuals in day and night shelters, there is no dedicated transitional sober/recovery housing for clients upon their return from treatment. Mr. Speaker, for those that are fortunate enough to access some form of detox help, and actually make it to a treatment centre or on the land program, it is leaving that facility and returning home that many find difficult. They arrive home and there is no one to meet them, no one offering up support, and no encouragement to stay the course. It is a substantive gap in the system. It is a recipe for failure and is chronically repetitive.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to focus on how we can move forward and support those that are returning from treatment. How can we close that gap and provide these individuals with the tools that will give them a chance at life and the opportunity to reconnect with family and friends?
Mr. Speaker, what is missing is the brick and mortar component that would provide beds and a safe place for the client to receive the wraparound services needed to integrate oneself back into the community upon returning home.
Mr. Speaker, there is infrastructure that is sitting empty or being underutilized that can and should be used for addiction recovery. The infrastructure I am talking about are the correctional centres in both Hay River and Fort Smith, the old Hay River medical clinic, and the Katl'odeeche First Nation's building, which was once a treatment centre, and a number of empty federal houses scattered throughout.
We also have, in partnership with NGOs, private parties, both of whom are interested and poised to set up aftercare facilities but who find the commitment, financial support, and longevity offered up by this government inadequate. These options are real and available to us but for some reason we refuse to consider them and move them forward. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we need to identify and utilize the resources we have and, in the best interest of the residents who need the service, repurpose them. This may include retraining staff to meet the new demands. Anything less is a failure on our part. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Members' statements. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's no secret that the NWT is experiencing a housing crisis. Furthermore, it's nothing new. Our residents, particularly Indigenous people, have been struggling to find safe and affordable homes for decades with little progress made by this past government. Last year, the GNWT received $60 million to help solve the housing crisis. At the time, the Honourable Premier described this investment as a drop in the bucket. I agree entirely, considering the federal government has taken steps to double its total rate of new homes construction over the next ten years. In the North, our costs are higher, our communities are greater needs, and homeownership is out of reach for so very many. Housing NWT is slow to respond to requests for housing from First Nations leaders and its programs will remain basically unchanged. We need to stop doing the same thing and expecting a different result. This government needs a new approach to housing investment that makes First Nations equal partners in delivering new homes for NWT residents.
Mr. Speaker, in December of last year, the Dene Nation noted that the GNWT had spent $30 million of federal funding towards fixing up public housing without any engagement or collaboration with First Nations. Furthermore, the Dene Nation passed a resolution calling for an immediate discussion with Dene leaders to reallocate the remaining federal housing funds to First Nation governments. The Premier is aware of this resolution as she received correspondence from the Dene Nation on December 19th, 2022; a letter I will table later today.
I've said it again, and I'll say it again. First Nations are in the best position to understand the housing needs in their communities and ought to be the ones making decisions around public housing dollars. It is time the GNWT took the message to heart and work with Dene leadership to solve the housing crisis in a collaborative and holistic fashion. Nothing for us without us is something that I've heard from the Premier say in the past. Now I'm asking that she lives up to those words and act immediately to consult and collaborate with the First Nations and make real progress on the housing crisis before the end of this term. Mr. Speaker, I will have some questions for the Deputy Premier at the appropriate time. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Tu NedheWiilideh. Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, [Translation] I will be speaking about addictions with alcohol and drugs and how that is affecting our people in the communities. I will speak on this. [Translation ends] We all know that addiction is plaguing NWT communities. Addictions to drugs and alcohol is affecting all communities in the Northwest Territories. Addiction hurts everyone. It rips families apart, traumatizes children, and impacts the whole community. In this House, we have spoke many times about the need for treatment, a culturally appropriate addiction treatment centre.
We know that in the NWT we have some of the highest rates in the country for consumption of alcohol and use of crack cocaine. The NWT has a higher rate of heavy drinkers than the national average, and Indigenous people have a higher rate than nonIndigenous. Mr. Speaker, we know that people are dying in our communities because of drug use, and death from drug use is increasing.
Mr. Speaker, crack cocaine is destroying the life of our people, especially the young people who are our future. We have many young people in small communities addicted to crack cocaine. Mr. Speaker, this is not good, and we cannot turn a blind eye to this crisis. I can tell you there are a lot of users, especially in small communities.
A news conference was just held in Hay River on January 24th, 2023, to address the alarming surge of drug poisoning deaths in Hay River. Our territory has witnessed an increase in suicide and now drugrelated death. The coroner's report showed that alcohol and drugs were a factor in 50 percent or more of all accidental death in the NWT.
We know that Indigenous people are healing from intergenerational trauma. Families in the NWT are healing from the impact of colonization and residential school. We also know, Mr. Speaker, in order to support recovery, people need to have culturally relevant healing programs, yet, Mr. Speaker, if an Indigenous person in the NWT wanted to admit themself into an Indigenousfocused addiction treatment centre, this is not a cost the government will incur. The GNWT does not have an agreement to work with any addiction treatment facility that provide culturally relevant program for Indigenous clients. Mr. Speaker, this is not acceptable. I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We all know we're at a nursing shortage and the competition to get nurses is getting stricter and stricter. But one of the things that should not be a barrier to hiring more nurses is a backlog process to get nurses from some other jurisdictions licensed.
Now, Mr. Speaker, I want to walk you through a timeline of a nurse who recently moved to the Northwest Territories, started applying for jobs, took a couple months to get through the interview process and get a contract in hand. Then once they took that contract, they went and applied to the Registered Nursing Association of Northwest Territories and Nunavut to get licensed. At this point, you have to if you're coming from another province, you have to get that registered nursing association to send your proof of license over. And as an example, Mr. Speaker, in Ontario, that process is taking about two months right now, for Ontario just to send the form to the Northwest Territories. Then the registered nurses association here, once they have the actual form, will approve you. But, Mr. Speaker, quite a few things can go wrong in this process. Say, if you started this process in the fall of 2022, for example, and the calendar year has passed to 2023, you are forced to then reapply in 2023 to make sure you have a 2023 license. So you're kind of in this limbo of hoping you get that license for 2022. And say, if you, for example, forgot to renew your license in the other jurisdiction because you thought maybe you were going to have a license in this jurisdiction by then, you might be in the position of a nurse who has been in the territory for six months, who is licensed, who has a job offer, and who cannot start work.
And, Mr. Speaker, the process I just described was for a licensed nurse coming from Canada. The process for an international nurse is even more burdensome and is an even more questionable timeline. Most recently, the Canadian nursing association has asked Premiers all across Canada to fast track their licensing. The Ontario Premier, BC, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia, have all given direction to fast track nursing license applications, especially for foreign nurses. We saw this, trying to get nurses who are fleeing the Ukraine. We have not taken that step.
In regards to the jurisdiction, what's happening is it seems other resident nurses associations are backlogged and they're not getting the forms out quick enough. But I think the Minister of health is overdue to have a meeting with our registered nursing association and discuss some solutions on how we can make sure that getting this paperwork done is not a barrier to hiring. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Arctic Winter Games were held in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo from January 29th to February 4th. We witnessed approximately 2,100 participants, coaches, admission staff, and officials from eight contingencies attend these games.
Mr. Speaker, I'm very proud to have three athletes, two coaches, and one youth ambassador from the Nahendeh riding represent the Team NWT at these games. We had three athletes from Fort Simpson, Mariah Tanche Hannah, who skated in the juvenile category. She skated personal best times in all four distances and was part of the juvenile girls gold ulu relay team. I'd like to thank Mariah's mom Joseanne Kenny who travelled to the games to support her daughter and stepped up and volunteered as a place judge for the competition.
Peyton Bennett is a juvenile skater who was called up to skate in the junior category where another skater was injured. Peyton did a great job and had skated personal best every time she stepped on the ice. She also won a gold ulu as a member of the relay team.
Brittany Kendo was a junior badminton player. She gained experience every time she stepped onto the court. This will help her as she prepares to play at the Canada Games in a few weeks. Her parents Lucy Ann and Kevin travelled to the games to support their daughter.
I can tell you their hard work, determination, and dedication to their sport was very inspiring. I know that they were very proud of their accomplishments, true to the slogan for the games, "Time to Shine." These three athletes did exactly that.
Like athletes, youth ambassador representative had a great time being part of the volunteers at these games. What I seen was Elizabeth Nelson, from Fort Liard, always ready to go and take on the task assigned to her by the host society and leaders. I know in speaking with her she had an amazing time and will encourage others to sign up for future events.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, I'd like to thank Madison Philling and Val Deneron who were the male coaches for Team NWT speed skating, and their continued support for our youth in the region. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Nahendeh. Members' statements. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased that we're joined today by Captain Jason Brinson of the Salvation Army in Yellowknife, where they provide invaluable services to the vulnerable population in food hampers all the way through to withdrawal management and sheltering. Thank you.
Thank you. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to recognize Kam Lake resident Karen Patterson Wiley who has joined us in the gallery today. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today we talked earlier in regards to the potential carbon tax coming forward to the communities of Nunakput and across our territory. Mr. Speaker, what is the Minister doing to ensure that the carbon tax does not increase the cost of living in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Minister responsible for Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, so, again, the carbon tax is not a tax of the making of the Government of the Northwest Territories. It is a federal tax. But by trying to maintain our own system to it, we're well placed or better placed, in my view, to be responsive to the needs of individual communities, including those of the residents in Nunakput. So what the Department of Finance has done is calculate what we would anticipate both the direct and indirect costs of the federal carbon tax would be and we've divided up based on three zones of the Northwest Territories high fuel use, medium fuel use, and low fuel use. Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, and Ulukhaktok are all in a highuse area and, on that basis, they would be receiving an amount per individual that we calculate to be a coverage of the expected both indirect and direct costs of the fuel tax.
Residents of Tuktoyaktuk would be in the second zone. They'd be receiving an amount under the zone B allowance, which we would expect should, again, fully cover the costs of or the average costs for those residents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That really I'm really happy that they're looking at this. This is the first time we heard on this side of the House you're going in the zone system. And I'm really thinking that if that's the case, Mr. Speaker, what's the Minister doing to ensure that the carbon tax does not further increase the cost of living, especially the residents in the communities in the High Arctic who are already paying the highest cost of living and the highest tax brackets right now, and we have no way of employment because our government has no projects going on in the smaller communities. So it's a lot tougher to get work. So what is this Minister doing? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am not exactly sure what the question is with respect to the carbon tax. Certainly, Mr. Speaker, in regards to seeking out opportunities to find alternative fuel sources and energy sources, that is certainly always an effort that is being made, certainly led by my colleagues over in Infrastructure, under the energy initiatives, and that is something for which there is additional funding in this budget.
With respect to finding better alternatives for employment, that too, again, is a priority of the government and certainly is something that money departments are working on in order to see increases in small community employment. There's funding, again, in this budget in regards to regional tourism strategies. I know I've worked with some of the mayors from the Member's riding around tourism and cruise ships. So there's certainly always those efforts. But as far as the carbon tax is concerned, Mr. Speaker, again, we do want to look right now under the zone C, or the high fuel use. It's really there's only five communities, and three of them are from Nunakput. So recognizing that they're under those high cost pressures, and it would be our intention to make sure that they're not seeing a disproportionate impact from it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what I'm hearing is there's no commitment from this government to protect residents, especially the residents in the High Arctic, with the most impacted of this implementation of this tax going into our communities. Mr. Speaker, we live it. You live it too. We live in there's no jobs, nothing available for the communities that our people are needing, needing work, but we're still paying it. Either there's no work or not, we're still paying that tax. There's 33 communities across this territory, Mr. Speaker, that need help. It's not only the big the cities and the towns. It's the communities that need the help the most where they have nothing going on.
Is this Minister going to, and this government going to protect us, in regards to letting the federal government take their dirty work and let us manage it for them? That's a shame. We should be working with them let them take the federal backstop our territorial government should take the federal backstop like the Yukon did and that Nunavut government did and make a stand for their people. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the federal backstop is not going to be providing individualized COLA payments or individual payments based upon communities in the Northwest Territories. More likely than not, and I can't say for sure because I don't know what they're going to do. I certainly had no control over the fact that they decided to change their program to remove the fact that they're being a connection to the pricing signal, remove the exemption for heating fuel. That was entirely a federal decision. If we put ourselves into that, into their system, we have even less control over what happens with the revenues that are generated from Northwest Territories residents. What we've done, Mr. Speaker, is try to find a way to look carefully at every one of our communities, take in the division of those 33 communities, looked at their average costs from carbon tax, estimated what the costs would be now under the new federal system, and design a program where the individual and average cost to each resident can be met using a zone system, which was an idea brought forward by my colleagues on the other side. I'm happy to have it, especially with respect to the High Arctic communities. So the zone system of providing COLA payments back to them will indeed address that very issue. Mr. Speaker, Nunavut is not going to be they're going to also have to phase out their system. Mr. Speaker, Yukon sees everyone getting the same. If you're outside Whitehorse, you get an extra 10 percent. That won't meet the needs of the residents in Nunakput if we give them an extra 10 percent. It can be much more nuanced under our system, Mr. Speaker. And I'd be happy to review every single one of the average payments per all 33 communities with any Member of the House or provide that charting to this House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we haven't seen that detail, the detail that the Minister is saying. And she's the one that brought it up. I think that what we should be doing is in regards to shouldn't be looking for handouts. We're really good at that. This is we're resource rich and cash poor. There's no jobs. There's nothing going on in the territory. We're beggars in our own land. The federal government should step up and assist us and work with us on a federal backstop and not letting us do their dirty work, Mr. Speaker. 14 percent we're already paying in our ridings, in your riding, Mr. Speaker. Why? Why? We're the ones that we're being penalized because we live where we live. And in Oh Canada, the True North Strong and Free, that's what it should be. They should be paying us. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I've had multiple opportunities, publicly, in terms of briefings with the Members from standing committee as well in correspondence that I had marked as not being confidential, detailing the outline. I am happy to table the approach here and will do so this session. Mr. Speaker, let me take up the argument and actually quote myself and things that I have said. Specifically, it's this: The federal government recognizes that small countries and developing countries are having to pay carbon tax even though they didn't have the benefits of industrialization at the same time as other countries did using fossil fuels.
Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories is in that situation on behalf of Canada. We didn't have the opportunity to industrialize and grow our economy at the same time as the rest of Canada did when fossil fuel use was still actively happening and allowing opportunities for economies to grow on the backs of GHG emissions. That is not the way of things and we're the ones paying the price on carbon tax, paying the price with climate change now.
I agree completely with what's being said. But, Mr. Speaker, I do not want to relinquish control of those revenues that are being paid by residents of the Northwest Territories. I want to find a system that best meets the needs of the Northwest Territories residents, takes a nuanced approach to each community, tries to find a way so that there is as little impact to those who are least able to pay. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
