Caroline Cochrane

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Normally, questions on this topic would go to the current Minister responsible for the Status of Women. However, in discussion with it, because I was the previous Minister responsible for the Status of Women, it is appropriate that it would come to me.

There were commitments made in the 18th Legislative Assembly on behalf of Cabinet. We had committed to being part of the national action plan that would be done by the federal government, of course waiting if they got elected again, which they have been. We did a high-level review of the report, and we identified not...

Any Member who is sitting in this House today who did not hear very clearly during the candidates' debate who were all vying to become either Premier or Ministers, it was very clearly heard that MLAs were not happy that they did not have a say. The public, I believe, was not happy that we did not work as closely as we had to. Again, that will be in my mandate letter of expectation from Ministers.

Not everything will be in a mandate letter; it is impossible to do that, but I personally will be holding Ministers and departments to account when they do not provide standing committees and Regular...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The provision of the mandate letters that were provided to me as a Minister in the 18th Legislative Assembly helped to reinforce the priorities and the mandate commitments that were made by all Assembly Members during the 18th Assembly. They kept me focused on the needs, but they did not limit me. I must make that clear. They did not limit me in what my powers were. They gave me a guideline. They said, "You must do these," but I also appreciate that I had the freedom to move the departments as I felt was appropriate, based on the needs of people.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize part of my family and my team. Ms. Coco Paulette; Mr. Dylan Dawe, my son; Bonita, my adopted sister; Karen Cassaway, another half-sister from any different mother; my partner, Rory Styan; my sister, Gladys Bilande; my mother, Shirley Cochrane; my sister, Margaret Cochrane; my brother, Stanley Cochrane; my team, Cathy; my team, incredible team for helping me, Tina and Tram and Moira, I see up there. David, I see, is my constituent. I can't see in back of me. I apologize if I have missed anyone. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I want to take a moment to thank everyone in this Assembly. It has been an interesting process. I think that most people know that, when I came in, I was pretty street-knowledged, knew a lot about programs with my background, and knew nothing about politics.

I have learned over the four years. I thank the people who have brought that to me and provided that knowledge. I think that we have done some great jobs working this Assembly, and not everyone, but I think that I have also made some great friendships in this Assembly as well, and that is something that I will carry with me, as...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know you are going to get mad at me, but I want to take a moment more, probably. I want to start by recognizing the Native Women's Association of the Northwest Territories. I am not going to read off their names, but I want to say that this organization has stuck behind me 100 percent for the last four years with no lateral violence, with no backhand. They have been behind me as an Indigenous woman. I sincerely thank you for what you do for Indigenous women. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to recognize in the House my sister-in-law, Karen Cochrane, who is here...

Mr. Speaker, today there are increasing numbers of women leaders who are working at the local and regional level for the betterment of our communities, but only a handful of women have ever taken seats in this Legislative Assembly. Mr. Speaker, it's time to change that. Our governing bodies should be representative of the populations they serve, and women make up half of our population. We need more women in political leadership at all levels, but especially here in this House.

We are seeing progress. The municipal elections in the fall of 2018 saw several women being elected into positions as...

Thank you. There is no firm confirmation at this time. Again, we're in negotiations with the communities, if they're willing to. We're just at the breaking ground with talking about that, so I can't sit in this House at this point and say it is firm that it is going to happen. We're still in the discussion phase of that. The communities do see the importance of it. They do agree that schools need to be hubs. I think they're on-board for working that way, and the department will do our best to make those realities. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following four documents entitled "Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 24-18(3): Report on the Review of Bill 48: Post-Secondary Education Act"; "Doing Our Part: Initial Response to 'Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls', August 2019"; "2018-2019 Annual Report - Status of Women Council of the N.W.T."; and "Annual Report: 2017-2018 Canada-NWT Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Bilateral Agreement and Action Plan." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Again, in clarifying, we will always need bricks and mortar. Maybe not. Maybe I am again thinking narrowly. Maybe another 50 or 100 years, we won't. At this point in society, we still need those bricks-and-mortar. We are making money at our college/university institute in Inuvik. I mean, it is renting out spaces to and being utilized by scientists internationally. Why would we give that up? It is necessary. There is potential. Like I said, we need programs that will have access to tools and labs that you need in a brick-and-mortar setting. Those will bring investments.

The whole point is that...