Shane Thompson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Irene (nee) Bertrand was born April 9, 1955, on the Liard River in a boat while travelling on the way to the old Fort Liard Health Centre. Irene was raised by her parents Gabriel and Verna with help from her Grandma Selena and Grandpa Michael Bertrand. They lived about a mile above the BC border on the Liard River. The majority of her upbringing was with her Grandma Selena until she passed away. As Irene grew older, she was sent to residential school in Fort Simpson. She stayed at Lapointe Hall and attended Thomas Simpson School. Later, she was sent to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Wednesday, March 8th, 2023, I will present Bill 74, Forest Act, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm more than willing to meet with the Member and then reach out to the finance minister to have those conversations. Again, this is the finance Minister's responsibility but I'm more than willing to work with the Member to meet with the Minister on this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I thank the Member for the question. And the Member did bring it up to my attention and I did a little bit of research on that.

So the honorarium rate is set out with the financial administration manual with the Department of Finance. I can't speak on why or when the rate was set, but I can say that the honorarium is paid to individuals attending the meetings and other official businesses. But I'm willing to meet with the Minister with the Member and the Minister of Finance to get further information on this. And, again, I'd like to thank the Member for bringing...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the definition of "emergency" speaks to events of unusual proportion. The criteria clearly outlines the requirements for an event to affect a large area or a number of people. Across Canada, and the majority of the world, disaster assistance programs are not applied to events affecting a single property. The intent of such disaster assistance programs are to ensure the continued function of a community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the disaster assistance program is a governmentfunded assistance program to ensure essential community functions and cover the basic needs of residents and businesses. That is not an insurance program that covers all losses or is applied to events affecting a single property.

Mr. Speaker, the requirement is for only applying the DAP for widespread damage in line with the disaster assistance policy across Canada with the criteria of the federal disastrous financial assistance arrangement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, caribou have sustained Northerners and communities across the Northwest Territories for generations. Today, caribou herds face pressure from a wide range of natural factors and human activities throughout their range, including the impact of climate change. We all want to see healthy caribou herds that can sustain harvest and cultural traditions for generations to come. With the winter’s harvest underway and weather getting warmer, I would like to speak today on respectful harvesting, why it is important, and what our government is doing to encourage safe...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I thank the Member for the question. Current provisions for recreational or residential leases does not allow for commercial activities such as an Airbnb. Having a home business or a B and B is considered a commercial endeavour. In most jurisdictions, it requires a commercial lease as well as business license. Commercial leases are available to the public now in appropriate zoned areas. If this is a desire, lessees should reach out to the department to discuss the parameters for changing the use of their lease and potential issues that may need to be considered...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member is aware, we are wrapping up the review of the land leaseonly policy, and I committed to providing the results prior to the end of this sitting. However, we are aware that land resources and selfgovernment agreements are under negotiations, and we continue to work to ensure that land is managed appropriately under these agreements that are under negotiations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the GNWT is part of the Giant Mine Remediation Project team and is involved in all work planning, including consideration of timelines. The GMRP timeline has recently been lengthened to maximize Indigenous and northern business opportunities. The GNWT will continue to pursue opportunities associated with the Giant Mine Remediation Project that will create opportunities for Indigenous and northern businesses. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.