Robert C. McLeod

As the Member mentioned before, there are a lot of changes that are going on, and we have heard that about a lot of species that we have seen in some places that they are not used to being seen there. The Arctic Salmon Research Project is actually looking into what the appearance of salmon means to the native fish species. The lead researcher regularly reports back to the community, and my understanding is the project does rely on some of the salmon that is turned in by community fishers, and my understanding, again, there are a couple of different value gift cards that are available to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is currently a University of Manitoba Department of Fisheries and Oceans Salmon Research Project addressing the issue of salmon being captured in the Canadian Arctic in more places and in seemingly higher numbers than ever before.

Locally, in our office, there is an assistance program, CIMP, with community members taking any salmon that local residents wish to provide to the research program. The project actually is to see why there is starting to be large numbers of salmon in the Canadian Arctic. There are year-to-year changes in the harvest levels which are...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled "Northern Employee Benefits Services (NEBS) Pension Plan Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2018, and including updated Information to June 2019."

I would also like to table the following document as Minister of Environment and Natural Resources: "The Natural Resources Conservation Trust Fund Financial Statement for the year ended March 31, 2019." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Liquor Act provides for provisions for community control on the sale and distribution of liquor in the community. A community can request to hold a plebiscite on these types of controls. The department works with the communities on that process, including developing the question.

Any broader change that would apply across the Northwest Territories would likely require a legislative change. This is something that the 19th Assembly could look at, but the department, in anticipation of that, could develop some options for consideration.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The consumption of alcohol and the effects of alcohol is a very sensitive topic across the Northwest Territories. A lot of people grew up with the effects of alcohol. A lot of people are still feeling the effects of alcohol, even today, and I totally agree with the Member. I mean, if there are steps that we can take to try to curb the consumption of alcohol, one of the first things we would like to do is we like to see people make the decision to quit their drinking. That is always a first good step, but we need to do what we can as a government and as a society to try...

As far as an Indigenous employee advocate, I am not sure if we have one, but we already have a Diversity and Inclusion Unit and an Indigenous Employee Advisory Committee.

As I said before, we are winding down the life of the 18th Legislative Assembly, and as the 19th comes in, one of their priorities may be to include this as they move forward. We will let them make that decision, but we have already taken some steps to address the Members' concerns. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We always want to try and increase the number of Indigenous employees within the GNWT, and I think that the government has taken a number of steps to do so. I think that the Member pointed out some of my past comments about merit, moving a lot of them along based on merit and what they bring to the job. In my career within the GNWT, and here in the Legislative Assembly, I have seen improvement.

The 19th Assembly, when they come in, can choose to take up this approach if they want, but I am not sure that changing the policy would be the best approach to increasing Indigenous employment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is not very often you get to recognize a mother of your grade four classmate, and I am privileged to do that today. Visiting the Northwest Territories for the first time, I believe, in a long time, we have Ms. Jeanne Roska, whose son Clayton I went to school with in Inuvik. I believe her daughter is here, as well, Bernadette Vandenborn; and Edna Lorenzen is here, as well. They are all visiting the Northwest Territories, so we would like to welcome you. We hope you enjoy your visit, and we look forward to seeing you up in Inuvik sometime soon. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents entitled "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 718-18(3): Nutrition North and Cost of Living in Nunakput"; "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 730-18(3): Northwest Territories-Nunavut Bilateral Meeting on Transboundary Caribou"; and "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 738-18(3): Affirmative Action Policy." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.