Michael Nadli

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I sense a growing frustration amongst residents and community governments in the NWT for the GNWT's approach to land administration. Residents on leased land want ownership in the form of fee simple title to enable them to get mortgages and invest in their properties. Business owners want land that is developed and zoned for commercial and industrial use. They also want certainty that the value of their investment will not be undermined by their business being on or next to leased property, where property values are lower. Community governments need access to land for...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. You can also make sure that the school you attended is listed on Schedule K, which is the official list of federal Indian day schools.

Mr. Speaker, it is important that all of the residents of the Northwest Territories who attended federal day schools learn about their rights and obligations related to their settlement, which also covers people who have passed away since July 31, 2007. I encourage anyone who has questions to visit the official Federal Indian Day School Class Action website at www.indiandayschools.com. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. By now, most Canadians are aware of the history of residential schools. What they may not know is that there were also over 700 Indian day schools operated by the federal government between the time the first one opened in 1828 until the last one closed its doors in 1997. It is estimated that over 200,000 Indigenous children attended these schools. While these students were able to return home at the end of the day, many still suffered trauma, including physical, sexual, and emotional abuse at the hands of the authority figures entrusted with their care.

More than 35 of...

Is there a difference in engagement by the GNWT when an Aboriginal government is part of a broader self-government agreement like the Deh Cho process, versus a stand-alone government, such as the K'atlodeeche First Nations?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are to Premier McLeod. Earlier, I made reference to the community of Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation of Kakisa and their aspirations as a Deh Cho community. What they are contemplating is the question: how can their relationship with the GNWT get better? I think that it is a great opportunity. I am going ask my first question to the Premier: can the Premier update this House on the status of discussions with Ka'a'gee Tu First Nations of Kakisa on their priorities? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. In 2012, the GNWT developed a respect, recognition, and responsibility strategy to engage with Aboriginal governments. Part of this strategy includes that Aboriginal governments are essential partners in shaping the future and creating opportunities and prosperity in communities and regions. [English translation not provided].

Mr. Speaker, small communities are constantly fighting for services that are taken for granted in larger centres. Their voices can be lost, and the government spends less time considering their needs. Ka'a'gee Tu First Nations have been working hard to...

I would like to thank the Premier for his reply. My second question is: is the GNWT currently planning any future engagements with the Ka'a'gee Tu First Nations?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Committee originally planned to hold public meetings in Fort Providence, Hay River, Inuvik, and Yellowknife. However, on May 8th of this year, two thirds of the way through the formal 120-day review period, committee was notified in writing by the Finance Minister that the GNWT had revised its carbon tax approach for large emitters, those emitting 50,000 tonnes or greater of annual greenhouse gas emissions. This was of concern to committee, which already felt that the GNWT's proposed approach to large emitters was too generous. Committee was advised that this adjustment was...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I wanted to follow up on my statement on the Affirmative Action Policy. About 30 years ago, as a result of the Oka Crisis, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples did a report and released their findings on November 1, 1996. That was 30 years ago. In 2019, it is a long shot, but marijuana was legalized. Much has changed. My question is to the Minister of Finance. I asked the Minister this question before and did not get a direct answer, so I will ask again: why has the Affirmative Action Policy not been updated in the last 30 years? Does concern about the legitimacy of...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. During the spring sitting, I asked the Finance Minister, who is responsible for human resources, to make a commitment to update the GNWT's Affirmative Action Policy. As you may recall, the policy is so outdated that it still contains a commitment to do a policy review in 1994.

As I said in the House back in May, according to the GNWT's 2018 Public Service Annual Report, only 30.5 percent of the territorial government's workforce is made up of Indigenous Aboriginal people. The Minister pointed out that this number is higher in the regions, where 46 percent of the GNWT...