Katrina Nokleby

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also rise to recognize the members of NAPEG that have joined us here today for the first reading of the bill. Yes, first reading of the bill make sure I have that right.

One of the really interesting things about this group I've already acknowledged Ed so I'm not going to speak further about him is that all three of the women sitting up there are my constituents. I am also a former councillor for NAPEG. So it's very exciting for me to have them all here and to have such amazing strong scientificallyminded women in my riding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also rise to recognize Ed Hoff in the galley. I have known Ed since I was here 15 years ago. He has been a great mentor and friend, and I'm not sure that he actually has retired because I don't think engineers really retire; we just consult until the end. And I just want to say if anybody wants to know anything about Yellowknife's permafrost, Ed could give you a great walking tour of that. So welcome, Ed, to the gallery. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I don't really have anything to add to what my colleague has already expressed, which I think she did a very good job on capturing how the discussion went through the committee and noting, in particular, the concerns of Indigenous governments and organizations around their expenses and their costs. And while I do wish we could expand the scope of the bill to include all the social and indirect costs that we are paying as a territory, it's unfortunate that that is not something we can go after these opioid companies or these pharmaceutical companies for. However, I do...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories intervened in Attorney General of Quebec et al versus the Attorney General of Canada, which is a challenge to a federal law, C92, which provides for First Nation, Inuit, and Metis governments to implement their own child welfare laws. My questions are for the Premier.

What was the legal basis and rationale for the Government of the Northwest Territories intervening in this case before the Supreme Court of Canada?

How does the GNWT justify its intervention in this matter when the public position of the GNWT has been...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in 2021, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation passed its first law, Inuvialuit Qitunrariit Inuuniarnikkun Maligaksat, meaning the Inuvialuit Family Way of Life law. Maligaksat draws down jurisdiction for child welfare for Inuvialuit children and youth under federal Bill C92, An Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit and Metis Children, Youth and Families.

Maligaksat establishes IRC's inherent right over child and family services to:

Ensure cultural continuity of Inuvialuit children and youth;

Enhance supports available to Inuvialuit families to thrive;

Improve...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm looking at the actually the community access road improvement, the regional, there's a million dollars being carried over there. I do understand that that one is hard to always budget for because of, you know, if a community doesn't follow through on what they had proposed it may not get spent. Is that million dollars earmarked already for projects, so is it being carried over to a specific community project, or will it be put back into the fund for application again? And I guess I'm just wondering where does that million end up going. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. And it's my understanding that this project will also be subject to the Tlicho Agreement that the Minister was referring to earlier in the tourism section. And I'm just curious to know, given that that has delayed other projects in the past, what's being done to ensure that the Frank Channel doesn't have that same issue given - at the Frank Channel Bridge given that it is such a critical piece of infrastructure to our region and to the territory as a whole?

Also, I note that it is my understanding that most of the projects that are being done under this agreement are...

Thank you, Madam Chair. When speaking about a department being overtaxed, I in no way implied that the people working in that department are not working hard. My point being that there has been numerous unplannedfor disasters over the last several years, and this is the smallest department. In the Minister's words himself, in an email, has told me that his staff could not did not have the capacity to deal with the flooding that happened in Fort Simpson so I would assume that, given the flooding that happened the year after in Hay River and now forest fires, that that would continue on.

When...

Thank you. I appreciate the Minister's answer. So in its capacity with this type of money, is MACA providing technical advice to the communities, and are they helping with the preparation of the federal application process? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I would be remiss to let $2.5 million go by and not ask a question. So can the Minister tell me does she know when this work will be complete? Thank you, Madam Chair.