R.J. Simpson

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...

Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Oral Question asked by the Member for Yellowknife Centre on February 25, 2025, regarding the Senior Envoy to the Government of Canada position.

The Senior Envoy position is one position within the Premier's Office and has been remunerated at the salary range of the principal secretary position which is considered a deputy head III.

As of April 1st, 2025, the salary range of a Deputy Head III position is from $261,474 to $326,842.

Salary ranges for the Government of the Northwest Territories' employees are available publicly on the Department of Finance website.

As...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Yellowknife Shelter Information. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There's been significant advocacy by all the provinces and territories regarding housing funding. That was a prominent theme in this last federal election. And the federal government has been responding to that with some significant announcements and plans on housing. And so we'll continue to push that advocacy forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that Bill 23, An Act to Amend the Children's Law Act, be read for the second time.

This bill will bring the Northwest Territories Children's Law Act in line with changes to the federal Divorce Act that came into force in 2021. The bill will also allow for the collection, use, and disclosure of information for the purposes of the child support recalculation service and will make an amendment to provide greater flexibility for the judiciary to create broadly applicable rules of court. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And the way that the Minister of Justice influences policing in the Northwest Territories is through resourcing and through the policing priorities that are issued to the RCMP, and so it's probably a bit beyond my ability to increase the police presence in a particular community and a particular part of that community. And that being said, I've had conversations with the RCMP about Yellowknife and about downtown Yellowknife, and so I know they're well aware of the situation. And when the RCMP wants to bring forward requests for new resources, there's a process through...

So there were not nine positions rolled out in -- oh, I guess the Member was talking about last fiscal year, so that would have been 2023-2024. We're still in the 2024-2025 fiscal year.

So in the 2023-2024-fiscal year, the Member is correct, there were nine positions. Those were allocated to Aklavik, Dettah and N'dilo based in Yellowknife, Fort Good Hope, Fort McPherson, Fort Simpson, two to Fort Smith, one to the K'atlodeeche First Nation stationed in Hay River. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.