Daniel McNeely

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too would like to recognize Michael Nadli. I had the pleasure of working alongside him during the 18th Assembly and also recognizing our pages and the endless services they provide. Have a good weekend. And our translation department, may you all enjoy the weekend. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we gather here for our last session day for 2025, the federal government is preparing its upcoming budget address, fall economic statement, and second nation-building announcements. Our future concerns me there, Mr. Speaker, past disasters, and the future uncertainty.

Mr. Speaker, there's positive solutions. For example, for infrastructure deficit we can recruit EPCM for project execution.

Mr. Speaker, our fiscal position grows more dire by the quarter, and yet our nation-building projects that could secure our economic future, the critical infrastructure...

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We initiated the 20th Assembly with a focus on restoring fiscal balance. That was our directive, to basically and simply straighten out and strengthen our fiscal position. Our outside support, really, to some degree, in a large degree, dictates the balances and the strength of your finances because of the simple fact that we can't raise anything, we don't manufacture anything. You might make some eggs and some fuel tanks, but outside of that you're solely dependent on the third party formula funding that's coming in.

Then we moved on and addressed the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Premier answered my next question, and that was discussions underway with the Council of Leaders to support total control transfer of devolution. So I see that there's discussion going on, so I am going to waive that question and move on to the next one.

Can the Premier explain on the expectations that we can expect from the plans, if there's any in place for further talks for the remaining term of this Assembly with the federal government? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too would like to recognize the president of the North Slave Metis Alliance Marc Whitford. We have some friendly discussions. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over a decade ago, the NWT devolution agreement fundamentally transformed our territory's future. We gained province-like control over the public lands, our resources, our economic destiny. This was not merely an administrative transfer; it was a recognition that Northerners are best positioned to make decisions about the North. Legislation still remains with the Government of Canada.

Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, I spoke of the declining resource sector, mineral industry departure. Mr. Speaker, with devolution came the authority to conditionally manage our own...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thanks to the Premier for that update here. I'm glad to see that, to some degree, Mr. Speaker, we have the progress of the current system where the IGs and this government are sharing royalties. They're upgrading legislation with their MRA. My question is, has there been a five-year review as identified in the agreement done to date? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, following up on my statement on devolution, my questions are to the Premier today. Starting with the first one, can the Premier explain, since our 20th Assembly began is there any discussions or progress that have been made on transferring total devolution, control of devolution between this government and the federal government? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I couldn't have said it any better than the previous presenters to a honourable person.

I had the opportunity of meeting and talking and discussing issues there with Tony in the 18th Assembly, and Mr. Speaker, he would humorously say I was a Speaker, I was a Commissioner, I was the MLA, I was the Sergeant-at-Arms, I was the Minister, and I was also told they're not going to hire me anymore because I don't know how to stick to a job. So the conversations we had was very humorous, and I'll never forget that. So it gives me great pleasure to support this motion. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in recognition of our colleague from Range Lake's red alert last week to the mining industry, I wish to share my concerns pragmatically regarding the precarious economic position as identified in the eyes wide open economic forecast. It is shocking, Mr. Speaker.

The GNWT will see Diavik royalty revenues cut off in the first quarter of 2026, just months away, while a nation building project such as the critical infrastructure developments are needed, indeed intended to replace the declining industry and diversifying our revenue streams. The timeline presents...