Caroline Wawzonek

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following six documents: Government of the Northwest Territories Public Sector Positions since 2019-2020; Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 9-20(1): Home Heating Rebates; Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 19-20(1): Carbon tax Revenues Spent on Climate Change Adaptation; Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 41-20(1): Lutselk'e Road Access; Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 46-20(1): GNWT Carbon Taxation; and, Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 133-20(1): GNWT Policy on Indigenous Hiring. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents: Northwest Territories Carbon Tax Report 20222023; and, Followup Letter for Oral Question 4520(1): Expansion of Snare Hydro System to Tlicho Communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, it's certainly again it's certainly, I think, our hope, my hope, you know shared hope on this end, that that's not going to be the case. As I indicated, we had been initially hoping that the strategic the regional strategic environmental assessment would get moving a little faster than it has. Had that been the case, the timing of that work would well would have contributed well to the timing that we were expecting in advance of the 2028 end of funding for us. So, again, it's been a couple of years. We've had a lot of progress over on the RSEA front...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, first and foremost we are working very closely with Indigenous governments on any routing decisions that might someday be made in the future, including the Tlicho government who did trigger the request for the regional strategic environmental assessment. At this point, we're at a stage going out this summer to do some field work analysis, some early field work analysis but, again, Mr. Speaker, I do want to emphasize no final decisions on routing are going to be made without Indigenous consultation, and the GNWT does continue to participate in the regional...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories does participate. We are a participant in the process. I happen to have been in obviously in the past government, and so saw as that work was getting underway and was present at bilateral discussions with the Tlicho government when the two projects were discussed and where the desire to move forward with both was discussed. So as a partner, we can certainly engage with the others involved and see if there's a way to ensure as partners, as one participant, but just to ensure that everyone knows that there's these...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we do, as of December, have a type A land use permit that was issued to us, and with that's just going as far as going up to Lockhart Lake. Now with that, it is hoped that we could spend this summer beginning some field work assessments, and again ultimately had been hoping that more would be happening with the regional strategic environmental assessment. I can say, Mr. Speaker, we have funding right now, federal funding, that goes until 2028. So that puts a bit of a time crunch on us to advance what has been often spoke of as one of the critical...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes that Bill 6, Supplementary Appropriations Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 4, 2023-2024, be read for the third time. Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are aware of that. I'm happy to have some attention brought to it, happy to have it brought out publicly that we're aware of. And more specifically, Mr. Speaker, the department's senior officials have already met with department officials from the department of national defence and looking forward to continuing that conversation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to start out -- I don't want any suspense in this, Mr. Speaker. On behalf of the Premier and Cabinet, we'll be abstaining on this motion, but I want to speak to some reasons for why -- or on this bill rather.

Mr. Speaker, committee reviewed the approach to carbon tax that was being proposed by the Government of the Northwest Territories back in the previous Assembly and the Assembly before that, so 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024. Three times this matter has gone to committee for review. It's gone out to the public. It's gone to stakeholders. It's gone...

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories formed the Marine Transportation Services, or MTS division, in 2017 to ensure that remote communities on Great Slave Lake, the Mackenzie River, and the Arctic Coast would have continued access to essential everyday goods. After seven sailing seasons providing reliable, this commitment has not wavered. Actions speak louder than words, Mr. Speaker, and MTS's work during an extremely challenging 2023 season exemplified our dedication to customer service. The operating conditions faced by both MTS and the fuel services division in 2023...