Mr. Speaker, later today I will table the mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories 2023 to 2027. This mandate will be our guide as we work to advance the priorities of the 20th Legislative Assembly.
The Northwest Territories has always been a land of opportunity. Since time immemorial, it has sustained thriving and resilient Indigenous peoples, and it has welcomed and provided opportunities to new community members who have made the NWT their home. This land and its people have made significant contributions to Canada's cultural, economic, and environmental prosperity, and we still have much more to offer to Canada and the world.
The world, Mr. Speaker, is changing. We can see it in the shifting political landscapes at home and abroad, in the rising costs of goods and services, in the advancements in the technologies that are reshaping how we work and communicate, in rising temperatures, and the increased frequency and severity of natural disasters, and in virtually every other facet of life.
Mr. Speaker, as the world changes, we must ensure that our government is a source of stability for our residents that can be relied on to provide dependable and high-quality basic services. This need is reflected in the priorities of the 20th Legislative Assembly, which were developed collaboratively by all 19 Members of this Assembly.
The priorities focus on housing, the economy, health care, trauma, and safety. Although this is a small list, addressing these issues is an enormous task and will require a departure from the status quo. To face these challenges in a changing world, our government must be flexible, have the courage and compassion to embrace risk, the humility to trust and to learn from each other, and the willingness to work together in true partnership.
The mandate is not an itemized list of actions the government intends to undertake. It is a guide to focus our efforts in those priority areas, and it is a commitment to change the way the government operates so that we can better serve residents now and into the future.
It is organized into six areas of focus:
Housing
Economy
Access to Health Care
Addressing the Effects of Trauma
Emergency Management, and
Public Safety.
Mr. Speaker, we all know that there is a housing crisis in the NWT. Ensuring that there is an adequate housing stock that meets the needs of residents is essential to the present and future prosperity of our territory. People need safe homes to raise their families, businesses need accommodations to attract workers, communities need houses to help keep teachers and nurses. The GNWT cannot address this issue alone but through collaboration and coordination with Indigenous governments, community governments, and the private sector, we will work to attract more federal investments in housing, make more land available for development, and increase the construction of new homes.
Next, we must ensure that residents can afford a good home, which means strengthening our economic foundation and creating opportunities for good paying jobs. This is more important than ever because we all know that residents are feeling the pressure when paying their rent or mortgage, groceries, heat, power, gas, and all the other necessities of life.
Thanks to the hard work of countless entrepreneurs, the NWT has a diversified economy:
Tourism
Manufacturing
Construction
Professional Services
Retail
Fishing
Agriculture and, the backbone of our economy,
The resource industry.
This government is committed to doing what is necessary to grow our economy, including building our workforce through training opportunities, closing our infrastructure gap, cutting red tape and reducing administrative and regulatory burdens, and being responsive to the needs of the private sector.
Mr. Speaker, we are all aware of the impending closure of our diamond mines, which, for a quarter century, have driven the NWT's economy. It will be difficult to replace their economic contribution, but we have an abundance of natural resources from traditional commodities, such as gold, to the minerals and metals needed to fuel the global transition to a green economy. And we will work tirelessly to increase exploration and development and ensure that our residents have the opportunity to benefit from these resources.
Mr. Speaker, this government is also committed to improving access to health care. Residents need to feel confident that they can access the basic medical care they need in a culturally-safe and trauma-informed way no matter where they are in the territory.
This will be no small task. There is a severe shortage of health care professionals across Canada. This means we must find new innovative ways to attract workers to the NWT while ensuring health care workers feel supported, so they want to remain in the field and in the territory. Of course, it is vitally important to incentivize and support Northerners to pursue careers in health.
As part of this government's work to provide better access to health care, we are committed to addressing the effects of trauma. This government is dedicated to ensuring that our policies and programs are designed and renewed in a trauma-informed, anti-racist, and culturally-sensitive way. We are committed to supporting Indigenous governments and other partners in developing and delivering culturally appropriate trauma treatment, mental wellness, and addiction programs. With a focus on healing, we will make programs and services easier to access through an integrated and person-centered approach to service delivery. We will encourage community wellness and self-determination by supporting, developing, and delivering community-based wellness programs that address mental wellness, early intervention, and holistic well-being.
Next, our government is committed to taking action that will improve our ability to manage and respond to emergencies.
Mr. Speaker, the NWT is on the front lines of climate change, so it is imperative that we strengthen our ability to respond to more frequent and severe climate-driven disasters and other emergencies. By learning lessons from recent emergencies and working in partnership with Indigenous and community governments, we will ensure that our emergency management systems are robust and effective, advance innovative climate change mitigation and adaptation responses, and work to increase redundant community, energy, telecommunications, and transportation infrastructure.
Mr. Speaker, the sixth area of focus for the government over the next four years is public safety. From Yellowknife to regional centres to small communities, we are all feeling the impact that the increase in drug trafficking is having on our communities and, in many cases, on our loved ones. Ultimately, substance abuse is a public health issue but there must still be a focus on enforcement. We need to make the NWT a less inviting place for drug dealers to do business. We will focus on crime prevention through public education, early intervention, person-centered delivery, and community-driven solutions while at the same time ensuring communities and the RCMP have access to more tools to help combat the drug trade.
Mr. Speaker, these six areas are focused to concentrate government efforts on the 20th Legislative Assembly's four priorities but still broad enough to ensure there is space to incorporate and be guided by input from MLAs, Indigenous governments, the public, communities, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations. Specific actions, targets, and measures will be set out annually in the GNWT Business Plans to support a meaningful progress and transparent reporting.
As I have stated many times before, the GNWT cannot do this work alone. Success will only come through partnership with Indigenous governments.
We are committed to collaborating with Indigenous governments and residents to achieve the objectives of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Our work will be further guided by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action, and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Calls to Justice. We will work shoulder to shoulder with our Indigenous government partners as we engage the Government of Canada to advance issues of shared interest, accelerate the settling and implementing of land claims and self-government agreements, and support economic reconciliation.
Mr. Speaker, the GNWT's relationship with Indigenous governments is integral to the future prosperity of the NWT, and I am excited to continue to strengthen relationships as we work together for the benefit of all residents.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, I must mention the integral role of the public service. The public service is the GNWT's most valuable asset and deserves to be supported, validated, and respected. It is crucial that we create a positive environment that empowers employees to bring their best selves to work every day and to realize their full potential. To create this working environment, we must foster a culture that values and supports individual and team efforts, encourages empathy and efficiency in service delivery, and recognizes and incentivizes innovation and adaptability. Mr. Speaker, I am confident that this mandate will help our government make meaningful progress in advancing the priorities of the 20th Legislative Assembly.
I look forward to a busy four years working alongside Cabinet and Regular Members, Indigenous leaders, other orders of government, and of course residents, to set the Northwest Territories on a path to a strong and prosperous future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Premier. Ministers' statements. Minister of Finance.
