Daniel McNeely

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Drugs and addictions workshop in the youth conference. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the urgent substance misuse and drug crisis devastating our communities across the Northwest Territories and Sahtu region. Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege of attending the substance misuse and drug crisis meeting in Fort Good Hope April 30th to May 1st organized by the Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated. The meeting brought together leaders, elders, youth, and the community members to openly discuss the challenges that plague their communities and develop a plan moving forward.

Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm satisfied with that reply. Mahsi.

Thank you. Get the main man here.

Thanks to the Member from Yellowknife Centre. And we'll pass the floor over to the Member of Tu NedheWiilideh, Mr. Edjericon.

Nothing further. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair. I too wanted to add to my colleague, Inuvik Boot Lake, is the fact that if we're going to build relationships with our Indigenous community, that position as regional director as we previously mentioned last week I believe it was that position covers 13 out of 33 communities and represents the government in three settled land claim jurisdictions. So it just adds to the importance of the role and the functions of the role and, in particular, representing this government in those jurisdictions. So I just emphasize the need, and, for the record, I support the quicker...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My question is related to page 80 in the business plan here on UNDRIP. I know we inherited the or this Assembly inherited the last Assembly's legislation on UNDRIP, which I totally agree. If it's a piece of legislation that is going to improve on the rights of Indigenous people, we do, to some extent, have those recognized rights in the Sahtu and other settlement areas. If there's any adding on powers with the existing powers we have from a modern treaty, I would say there's always room for improvement. So when I look at this, and I think of the legislation passed by the...

Okay, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks for the response to the Minister. Now let's move on to another little issue of supports here, employees, staffing.

Can the Minister elaborate or respond on support availability and into a secondment of counselling positions to assist the Sahtu Secretariat in designing and delivering this recovery program to address the drug and addictions issues they're facing? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I too agree with the principles of the business plan; however, there's always room for improvements. It's a fouryear document that really sets the direction for this Assembly and a everchanging climate, whether that climate is the cost of living in the small communities, the larger communities, and our territory as a whole. So realizing that, we really don't have any idea what the economic environment is going to be next year or the year after, but having the guiding principles to move forward with an updated review, certainly shows efficiency of this Assembly in moving...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And moving forward, there's always the cost of capital costs of delays so there's a factor to that, and I'm not too sure what that cost is because I'm not privileged to the materials, but I want the Minister to keep that in mind here, it may come back to haunt this government on the cost of capital or the cost of loss. All of a sudden your sheet of plywood already doubled if you went to six months in purchasing, for example.

My last question, an Indigenous madeinthe North to the housing crisis is being proposed by leadership of Fort Good Hope. Will the Minister accept my...