Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on Friday the 2024-2025 Budget was tabled with a $2.2 billion operating budget. The Minister is proposing a practical and realistic budget to restore balance and increase our financial means to deal with unexpected events. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that the government needs to plan and budget for emergencies and unexpected natural disasters. In my riding, my constituents know all too well the devastation that can occur. In just a matter of minutes entire communities can be nearly destroyed by wildfire or flooding and, for some residents, the journey of returning home is long and painful.
As I spoke in this House before Mr. Speaker, we already have people leaving the NWT because they lost everything in the wildfires. I would like to see the Government work with communities and Indigenous governments to find creative solutions in the aftermath of natural disasters. And not everyone needs more money. The government has tools available that can support housing development like transferring land to communities to support housing solutions, or working in close partnership with Indigenous partners to leverage federal funding solutions.
Mr. Speaker, I represent four small Indigenous communities established and governed uniquely. But what is common among all of the communities in my riding and throughout the NWT is the inequity between the small communities and regional centres. There is a divide between those who have, who are living in the bigger centres and communities, and those who do not have, who are located in the small communities. So, this is my concern Mr. Speaker, that I don't see enough emphasis on improving the lives of residents in small communities in this budget. I would like to see more emphasis on building the economy in small communities.
The Small Community Employment Program is a program that gives people in small communities a job, it stimulates our local economy, it keeps people busy. This program employs summer students and supports our local governments. I would like to see this program restored. The Community Access Program is also an important funding program for small communities. It supports the development of infrastructure that improves the quality of life in small communities. This program builds docks and trails and access roads that make communities more accessible and enjoyable for residents. I would like to see this program restored.
I also see great opportunity in our small communities to increase small businesses, entrepreneurship, and tourism. I would like to see more lending, financing, and business services offered through GNWT public agencies. Dene Fur Cloud is a great example of a subsidiary business supported by Prosper NWT in my riding.
Mr. Speaker, we don't need to wait for economic development plans to be developed on how to support local economies. We have successful examples of businesses supported through GNWT public agencies. We have businesses located in small communities that create unique NWT art products, employ local people, and sell these products across the world. We need to replicate these business models in more communities. We have skilled artisans, crafters, sewers, harvesters, and people all over the world who want authentic Indigenous products. We need more focus and support for Prosper NWT to build more subsidiary businesses in small communities. We need more support through Industry, Tourism and Investment to support business development, entrepreneurship, and tourism development.
Tourism is a natural fit for the people in small communities to host tourists from new places, to show them Dene culture, their land and their way of life. We need more support in tourism to help people in small communities to take a business idea and make it a reality.
We also need more hospitality training. Although the Dene way of life is authentic, unique and in demand, tourists also expect customer service standards. How are we working with communities to build hospitality? There needs to be more emphasis on increasing the awareness of tourism, promoting the benefits of tourism and developing tourism training, especially in small communities. People in small communities also need good business advice and guidance to make their idea a reality. Small communities need consistent regular visits from business experts who will work one-on-one with them to develop their concept and to support them through their business development process.
Communities also respect and value regular consistent visits from department heads, that the leadership of departments show communities support, that they take the time to understand communities in their region and understand their challenges, and that it's followed up with access to expert services, and funding programs.
Mr. Speaker, I know the department has been supporting business development for many years, but how effective are these programs? Are they delivering the results we want to see in small communities? Are these business development programs reducing the reliance on income support? Increasing entrepreneurship helps people pay their bills. The cost of living is a struggle for many residents in small communities, so even a small home-based side business can help people pay their bills. Many residents in my riding are on income support. How are we supporting people on income support to start a small business as a means to becoming financially independent? There needs to be more reporting on the results of business development programs as well as income assistance reporting. What economic development programs or services are helping residents get off income support and participating in the economy?
Mr. Speaker, the government should be putting money towards actions that will improve the lives of residents in small communities and improve the capacity of local communities because this strengthens the territory overall.
An unfortunate reality facing my community and the territory, Mr. Speaker, is homelessness. There are many people in my riding who do not have a home to live in. They may be couch surfing or bouncing between friends and family. I do not support a decrease to the housing budget. As I have stated in this House before, housing is a human right, and we need to be making progress to uphold the right for everyone in the territories to be housed. We have too many challenges to address in small communities especially between homes in desperate need of repair to the lack of housing options and the need to address homelessness, I would like to see an increase in the housing budget.
I also am encouraged by the housing Minister's efforts to work in partnership with Indigenous governments to address housing. The GNWT needs to continue to work in new ways to support new solutions in partnership with Indigenous governments to make progress on the NWT's housing crisis.
Mr. Speaker, the old way of delivering housing isn't working. I encourage the GNWT to support Indigenous governments to identify new pilot projects to improve housing in small communities. I encourage the GNWT to not be an obstacle or to stand in the way of new ideas. Everyone has a right to be housed and we need to make progress on this.
And on education, Mr. Speaker, I am concerned about education in the small communities. Our students are shuffled along in school until they graduate and after they graduate, Mr. Speaker, the road gets rough. Many students in my riding can't keep up with post-secondary education. They return home deflated and some end up on income assistance. Mr. Speaker, we need to improve basic numeracy and literacy skills for students from junior kindergarten to grade 12 so they are prepared for the real world. We need to ensure that when students are graduated school in the NWT, they are ready and capable of pursuing what they dream of.
And finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to see an increase in health promotion and reporting. As we know, our small communities are fighting against an increase in violence, drugs and crime. Mr. Speaker, health promotion is a real way to fight back against addictions. If children understood the consequences of smoking, drinking and doing drugs, would they be easily influenced? If we had health and wellness campaigns, activities and information all over the community, it would increase people's awareness on the value of health. I am concerned that public health promotion is not being delivered effectively. I would like to see clear targets and reporting on health promotion activities in the business plan. I believe many elders in our community could better manage their health with increased education and home visits. I believe more youth would choose sports and healthy lifestyles if they understood the consequences of poor lifestyle choices. The health outcomes in our communities is not good and without ones' health, Mr. Speaker, we have nothing. Investing in health promotion is preventative. The money we put into health promotion today will save our health care system over time. Mr. Speaker, our people should be empowered to live the most healthy, active lifestyles they can, free of addictions. Our people are worth the investment. It is an investment that will bring savings over time. And these are my concerns for the 2024-2025 Budget.
Mr. Speaker I want to see small communities empowered to develop infrastructure and labour. I want people in small communities supported to start small businesses, to be provided the expertise and funding to build financial independence. I want to see small businesses develop as one solution to reducing people's dependence on income support. The government already has success stories of businesses based in small communities that hire local people and sell products worldwide. These are successful business models that the GNWT should move forward to expand elsewhere. The housing crisis in the NWT is real. Mr. Speaker, housing is a human right. I also recognize the GNWT can't be the only solution to the housing crisis. I want to see the GNWT restore the budget for housing and move forward to formalize partnership and relationships with Indigenous governments. In partnership we can find new solutions to old problems. We need to increase the education outcomes for students in the NWT. We need to ensure we provide our students the best opportunity to succeed in life, and that starts with an education. And finally, Mr. Speaker, our health is the most important. There are many challenges to overcome in small communities, and the only way we are going to overcome the economic problems, social problems, the violence and crime, is with healthy people. I want to see an increase in health promotion for the NWT so more Northerners make healthy choices. We need people that care about our health, are informed about their health and live healthy lifestyles. Our people are worth it and deserve it. A healthy territory starts with more investment in health promotion. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from the Deh Cho. Replies to Budget Address. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
