Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my struggle is I am not going to be able to keep this down into the short answers that I know you're looking from us. So I -- my first comment would be this may be an appropriate topic to have a public briefing on. There is a lot to be said. Another thing happening on the Snare -- on the north side of the lake is a Snare grid modernization project. Again, could have happened years ago. It's happening now. We need to get to a place where a grid system and a generating system that was built in the '70s is modernized, that the transmission lines are brought up...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, just to be clear, the focus at this time is to conclude phase one, which is the section that was approved now some governments ago between Wrigley and Norman Wells. That is what is in the environmental assessment stage right now. That's where we have a work plan that we're executing with the Pehdzeh Ki First Nation with a view to having everything filed with the board by July and therefore they can then conclude their process thereafter and to looking to have no extensions to the process. Phase two would extend the roads all the way up to Inuvik. There is...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So first of all, Mr. Chair, I do have as part of our briefing materials an overview of all the departments that have gone through government renewal processes of the program and service that they had selected. So not every single program and service was selected for a detailed evaluation or for evaluation light, if you will, but there were selections made by each department based on both areas where there was considered to be higher need but also in areas where the department knew that there would, you know -- that they'd be useful. So, for example, the youth and child...

Yes, Mr. Speaker, is the short answer. So the Department of Finance has worked with the Office of the Fire Marshal on this, but in doing so actually it's come to our attention that the fire marshal's office is looking to develop a more preestablished occupant load process across the board, not only for liquor licensing but that will benefit the liquor licensing process as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Well, let me start with the deputy with respect to the red tape reduction working group, please.

Mr. Speaker, a strong Canada needs a strong North.

There is a growing recognition across this country of the tremendous potential of the North from natural resources to water to distinctive arts and culture. This potential is not new. The people who live here see it every day. And yet successive governments, as well as residents and businesses, struggle to unlock this potential.

For too long, the North has been a fairytale for Canadian identity about snow and cold, dogsleds, and aurora. Fairytales are not real. The true story of the North lies with its people. The people who live here and know...

Mr. Chair, let me put that one first to the director, please.

Over to the director, please.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Sorry, I'm just realizing, Mr. Chair, although the director's pointing it out, that maybe I misunderstood the Member's point here, that they're -- partly that the -- there are still going to be continuing expenses. They are moved over to the Office of the Comptroller General. It's in the broader sense that the comments exist around whether or not, you know, the Government of the Northwest Territories writ large will need to continue to offer subsidies, but there are still ongoing specific subsidies that do now exist in a different division. Sorry, Mr. Chair, I'll just...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the funding request is being driven by growth in the public service, which then increases of course the number of individuals who are eligible for receiving benefits as well as their dependents, as well the rise in airfare costs post-COVID that have really not seen much reduction, not significantly so since then. Changes in flight schedules impact the availability of flights and also can lead to increases in hotel accommodations for folks who are coming from areas where some flight schedules have been reduced. In addition to that, Mr. Chair, there's been a...