Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that it's a complex issue and the Minister is doing his best to explain it in a way that fits into the question period. Can you make a commitment, then, to let to us know when this recreational framework will be completed and start having an effect on recreational land leases for Yellowknife? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Should this bill move forward and the airport improvement plan be implemented, although obviously I do not support that, but should it move forward, I think the committee has provided balanced and sound recommendations to improve upon the government's plans for the Yellowknife Airport. I would encourage our colleagues across the aisle to support this and to implement the recommendations and ensure that this plan is held to the highest level of public scrutiny and has the greatest benefit economically to our residents. Thank you.

The Recreational Land Use Planning Framework, does that only deal with recreational land, as its name would imply, or does it deal with all other types of land that would be subject to a land use plan?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I didn't so much ask for an assessment, but if the department had done that work. So did they do a cost assessment for each of our regional centres and the average household cost of travel and how it will be impacted by the increased fees of our gateway airport? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today marks International Women's Day, and the theme this year is "Be bold for change." The Northwest Territories certainly has no shortage of bold women leaders who have made an indelible mark on our political landscape, from Lena Pederson, our first elected MLA in 1970, at a time when the territory was just beginning to form responsible government, to Ethel Blondin-Andrew, the first Indigenous woman elected to federal parliament in 1988 and later federal Cabinet Minister. In 1991, Nellie Cournoyea was appointed as the first female Premier of a territory...

Sorry, on the air increase? Oh, the statistics? The statistics bureau, sorry, Mr. Chair, the NWT -- I don't have the document in front of me, I'm sorry, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This one-tenth of 1 per cent cost of living increase would be .08 per cent, the department indicated it worked with Statistics Canada to derive that statistic. Can we get some more details on the calculation done on that or a commitment to see detailed -- granted that this is perhaps not the venue for that, but can we get some detailed calculations?

That wasn't shared with committee during our study, and it's a little troubling to find out on the floor that they have quantified the exact cost when cost of living has been such a concern of committee and of the public who...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The total cost of this, the Minister made a comment that the honourable Member for Nahendeh was incorrect in his assessment; I just want to get back to that number. My understanding is that, should someone travel to Edmonton on a return flight, for example, from let's say Fort Simpson, the cost of that would be a $29 fee once they arrive in Edmonton and once they return to Fort Simpson there will be a $19 fee. So there are fees on both ends of the trip, is that not correct? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd also like to recognize Ms. Deneen Everett and Ms. Renee Comeau from the Yellowknife Chamber. I think we've been talking a lot about women and leadership in the Northwest Territories on the occasion of International Women's Day. This is the perfect example of strong women leadership in our business community whose advocacy is tireless and a huge benefit to the residents of the Northwest Territories and to Yellowknife. Thank you.

We've talked about universal child care for the Northwest Territories. There was a study done on this. Does the Minister support universal child care as a potential project or policy for this government to take on and will she access the feasibility of that in the life of this government?