R.J. Simpson

Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Oral Question asked by the Member for Yellowknife Centre on March 12th, 2025, regarding the Senior Envoy to the Government of Canada position.

As part of an organizational shift within the Premier's Office, the Senior Envoy position was created to strengthen the Government of the Northwest Territories' federal engagement efforts. This role is designed to foster strong relationships with federal political offices in Ottawa while leveraging the renewed national interest in Canada's North. The Senior Envoy serves as a dedicated resource, ensuring that the GNWT's...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We can always work with Indigenous governments to knock on doors in Ottawa, but there's more than just the Prime Minister in Ottawa, and there's more than just the Premier in the Cabinet, so I'd have to defer that question to the Minister of housing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is why it's so important to settle land claims and implement self-government agreements, so that Indigenous governments can begin providing, you know, appropriate social housing, if that's what they wish to do. In the meantime, the Government of the Northwest Territories provides social housing, and so we need to ensure that we have an agreement with the federal government that is supporting our ability to provide that social housing. And like I said before, at the same time, we'll support Indigenous governments in their aspirations around housing as well, and we...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For many years, it's been the policy of this government to support direct payments for housing, the funding, to Indigenous governments from the federal government, so we will continue to do that. I'm happy to support Indigenous governments in their advocacy to the federal government. I never want to stand in the way of funds flowing directly to Indigenous governments. So I want to make that very clear. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's a hypothetical question, and it should be directed to the Attorney General. So I won't be answering it on both those fronts. But I'll say that our track record here in the Northwest Territories on Indigenous rights speaks for itself. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe I've already answered the Member's question. Thanks.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We've had a pretty consistent approach to dealing with the Prime Minister's office. We are advancing our federal priorities. When I meet with the Prime Minister, I speak about the need to settle land claims. That was actually what we talked about the last time that I spoke with him and then the next thing I know we have the Minister of Crown Indigenous Relations is from the Northwest Territories. So I don't know if that is a coincidence or if they're listening, but I think that's very promising.

I speak about things that the Prime Minister is interested in, things like...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So the federal government, on March 10th, released a paper about the future of the RCMP or, at least, this existing administration's take on the future of the RCMP understanding there is a change of government happening tomorrow, so we'll see what happens. And that paper said that the federal government should be committed to working closely with the provinces to support a transition away from contract policing. Of course, here in the Northwest Territories we contract the RCMP to do our policing. But in that same paper, it said that Canada should also collaborate with...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What it sounded like to me is the Member was imputing motives stating that, you know, this is an attempt at party politics and we're working as a party. I will let you know that I will never in this Assembly work as -- in a party system or strive to work in a party system or support a party system. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to take a minute to recognize some people who have been here with us for the past six weeks while I've been in the House. All of the interpreters who do the good work of letting the people of the territory know what we're up to. We were lucky enough to be invited to a potluck that they put on today, and it was a wonderful experience. And, of course, I also want to recognize Troy Aikman of the Department of Infrastructure, Mr. Steve Loutitt, one of the -- you know, the hardest working people that I've ever met, one of the most positive. He's a great member of our...