Julian Morse

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yeah, I think I will just say I appreciate that they're doing this work, and I think this kind of measurement is needed. We've talked a lot about the need for economic planning and connecting it better with our economic analysis. So I am not going to belabour those points here, but just to say that while the department is doing this work, I'd appreciate it if they look into that. And the comments that have been made about the economic and fiscal outlook and how we can plan our economic planning around that using the fiscal outlook to inform our actions in the sense of if...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the 2023 supported living review recommended wraparound case management as a key systemic change needed. Has the department made any progress enacting this recommendation?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The first question, how is ITI measuring whether its business programs are actually diversifying the economy rather than reinforcing the existing composition of it?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't have the best view of the gallery in my seat, but I did notice a few constituents coming in this morning, so recognition to Susan Saunders and Brigitte Forget Watt, and I do apologize if I've missed anyone from the Frame Lake riding. Thank you.

Okay, thank you, Mr. Chair. And the Minister in response on Giant, you know, I don't want to just focus on that project but, I mean, it's a project that is going to be ongoing for a while. There's also talk of airport development and military investment. What I am wondering is what is the department actually doing to ensure -- to address the issues with these new kinds of development that are going to be -- that are where our employment numbers aren't being met and yet we have the risk that we're facing of losing employment through the diamond mines, what is the department doing to try and...

Okay, thank you, Mr. Chair. Well, I only ask because there's a number of targets in the business plan -- under ITI's business plan that I wanted to ask about. So maybe I will just start asking, and maybe this is the right section.

So I noticed that a number of the measures and targets that we have are related to northern employment, percentage of northern employment. I will just pick one project. The Giant project is below the target that the department has set. I am just wondering what is being done, generally, to increase northern employment percentages in the existing projects that we have...

Okay, thank you, Mr. Chair. I think, yeah, I mean, if I could communicate back what I am feeling when I review our business plan and particularly ITI's consideration of risk, I mean, I think that risks to the NWT economy have increased significantly in the past few years, or at least become more acute, and some significant changes occurred that were unexpected. I agree with the Minister's point that, you know, we knew that the diamond mine closures were coming. I've made lots of statements about that, and I think lots of Members have noted it. However, there have been some changes to diamond...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yeah, I want to ask some business planning questions that aren't 100 percent clear exactly where they land in the budget. So the first one I wanted to ask -- or first series, I guess -- are just the risks and mitigations activities page.

Over the last two business planning cycles, ITI has noted that no changes were required to its risk profile or mitigations. Maybe I am misunderstanding what that page is for. But does ITI have internal triggers or external indicators that they use to decide when a risk or mitigation must be updated? Are those triggers documented and time...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate again the response from the Minister. And I am wondering if maybe something like the ISD team could be established in health considering how complex some of the files are that health system clients have. So if the Premier wants to consider a new team or an expansion of the team, it's certainly something I would support. So I would appreciate hearing from the Premier on that as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, first question around that. So, I assume that the new director position is going to be indeterminate. The new communications position, is that a term position or indeterminate? Thank you, Mr. Chair.