Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Member pointed out, we have committed to, you know, trying to reduce the rent to a nominal fee or a dollar in the short-term, as well as, you know, ensure that we're addressing this in the long-term. Right now, currently, the way the legislation is written, we can't technically charge rent less than $150. So that's our -- really our short-term goal here is to address that. And as we work with our partners, giving a specific timeline to this process is difficult. There are many participants here. If I could, I'd be happy to do that tomorrow. But, you know, we have a process and a protocol that we follow to ensure that all the voices are heard. And I just wanted to reiterate my commitment to get this done as certainly, as quickly as we can. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Oral questions. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I got my treaty book here. I highlighted areas in terms of education, and education is a treaty right. And so --
Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, it's a prop. Okay, thank you. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister of ECE is travelling to Ottawa next week to meet with her federal counterparts. Would she use this opportunity to advocate to restore these recent cuts to the Jordan's Principle program before they come into place with our new MP who is now the Minister of Crown and Indigenous Relations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I share the Member's concern, and the answer is yes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If these cuts to Jordan's Principle go forward and it eliminates tens of millions of dollars from Indigenous students, will the Minister commit to working with the federal -- sorry, working with affected community school boards and First Nations to restore this critical funding over the summer? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a close working relationship with our education bodies. I meet with them multiple times a year. I'm meeting with them again in June. This has been a conversation on our agenda all year. It is a huge concern for both education bodies and myself. Those conversations will continue. This conversation has also happened with the NWTTA.
Mr. Speaker, one thing that is -- needs to be very clear here is the GNWT cannot afford to take on the programs that the federal government introduces and does not continue. When this program was introduced, and over the last number of years, officials at the department of education have reiterated to officials within the federal government that we cannot afford to take on this program should they choose not to continue it. So that is why the Minister of Health and Social Services and I are teaming up together to deliver this message to Ottawa. That is why I have teamed up as well with education Ministers from the Yukon and also from Nunavut because this has an impact on Indigenous people across this country and across all three territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Mr. Speaker, Jordan's Principle exists to close the gap in the standard of living between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children. Every dollar provided to our schools is, in effect, an acknowledgement by the federal government that their needs have to be met by our own territorial government. What has the department of ECE allowed our schools to become so reliant on this federal government and what's their backup plan should they provide -- this program doesn't go ahead? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, within our school funding formula, we have accounted, within the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, for different positions within schools. The federal government, with their program, accounted for putting other positions in schools that were different from the method of supporting schools that ECE had in place. So, for example, there was program support teachers that are funded through Education, Culture and Employment. Those program support teachers have funded through our inclusive schooling directive and already last year we have jump started the process of reviewing our inclusive schooling directive to make sure that we are doing this work properly and that work is already underway. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Monfwi.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, thank you. It's good to see my two pages in here, Nicoli and Shyloh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister of housing explain what specific plans are in place to ensure transitional housing and wraparound supports like those offered in Yellowknife are extended to small communities across the NWT? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was waiting for you to -- that's okay. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question.
Transitional housing and wraparound supports, it's required all across the Northwest Territories. Looking at our waiting list, looking at Behchoko, we have over 130 families waiting for housing. In your Member's statement, you indicated some applicants may wait their entire lifetime for housing. So the work we do at housing, the money that this Legislative Assembly has approved over the next number of years, the federal engagement piece, the working with the Cabinet, the federal Cabinet, working with the new federal housing Ministers, these are the conversations we're going to have. This is a vision that we have. This is a priority of this Assembly. So continued good work and advocacy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given that the $2 million federal territorial funding for transitional housing is limited, how does the Minister plan to prioritize or supplement this funding to meet the urgent need for temporary housing with wraparound support in regions like Tlicho?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my most recent visit to Behchoko, and hopefully going into Whati over the summer, I see the need going into the communities, looking at what people need in communities to survive, and transitional housing is one of those pieces, including shelter space, including warming shelter space, including transitional housing, including THARP, including public housing, including market housing. So there's a huge need in the housing continuum across the North, and the Tlicho region is one of those regions and ridings that need housing. And, again, we have to look at this on a territorial basis.
We have 32 communities in the Northwest Territories that we provide public and social housing to, so these are the decisions we make and hopefully the plan over the next three years will encompass that decision. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Final supplementary. Member from Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister say how the department is working with other GNWT departments like Health and Social Services and with Indigenous government to expand programs like Northern Pathways to Housing and ensure they include long-term social supports for residents with addictions? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In this Cabinet, we are discussing housing all the time with the different departments, including justice and health and education, eulture and employment and infrastructure, and then with finance and our Premier involved, constantly. Housing is a priority of this government. We work towards that. How do we move ahead, that's important. So we need to have plans in place, including transitional housing in all communities. But how do we get there? We need to get the funding and supports working alongside Indigenous governments who are receiving distinction-based funding through the federal-earned funding..
These are engagements that we have at Council of Leaders, engagements we have in bilateral discussions and face-to-face discussions and phone calls and conversations that we continue to press the need for housing in our communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Oral questions. Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance knows that I love data. So can the Minister tell us when an annual report for 2024, which is required by the Insurance Act, will be made public. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The insurance license year ends June 30th, so the June 30th, 2024, would be the end of that year. The annual report is then prepared thereafter. We could expect the 2024 Annual Report that gets prepared through the year will then be released in October, so the fall of this year. So roughly fall 2025. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for that. Can the Minister say whether the 2023 Annual Report, which is already out, takes increases resulting from claims made during the 2023 wildfires and evacuations into its calculations for gross receivable insurance premiums? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is correct, it does. The insurance premium tax that gets paid to the GNWT does take into account any increases in total gross premiums for the calendar year. So the premium tax is three percent on general insurance, one percent on fire insurance, and that is, indeed, based on the previous calendar years' insurance premiums. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Finance. Final supplementary. Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The superintendent reports on four previous years in each annual report. Can the Minister speak to what percentage increases to insurance premiums that the superintendent is tracking for 2024 or for even into 2025. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Obviously, the March 2023 -- or March 2025 year has not yet been completed, Mr. Speaker, but the 2024 amounts are still being finalized, and I can give you an estimate that we're sitting around $6.9 million. That would be 3.6 percent decrease from the 2023 reported premium tax. As I'd said earlier, we are now tabulating 2024. 2025 will be reported in a year -- just over -- just under a year from now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Finance. Oral questions. Member from Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Continuing on the insurance theme. Can the Minister tell us if the Office of the Superintendent of Insurance have received complaints from homeowners and/or businesses that they are essentially unable to access affordable insurance? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The current superintendent of insurance has been in the role since December of 2022, and I am able to say that they have not -- they have informed me that they have not received any complaints from homeowners or businesses about being unable to access insurance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Part of me wonders if that's -- whether they are even aware of the office.
Mr. Speaker, since 2021, what specifically has the Department of Finance done to investigate having a Crown corporation like SGI Canada provide affordable home and fire insurance in the NWT, and how would this be regulated? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This was a question that came up, I believe, in the last Assembly, if not earlier as well, and I can say that the Department of Finance was asked and did reach out to counterparts in Saskatchewan to better understand the SGI model, to learn whether or not it could be applicable here or brought about to the Northwest Territories. Obviously, as a fairly small jurisdiction, very small population and very small revenue base, creating a program of insurance would be next to impossible as it would not give a sufficient base of paying in in order to be able to pay out. And so in that sense, having our own Crown corporation is not financially feasible and that -- yeah, so as far as being regulated, I mean, certainly the insurance industry continues to be regulated here, Mr. Speaker. As far as the private market, certainly, again, the private market can choose whether or not to come into the jurisdiction, and that is not something that we can sort of force or require any particular private actor to come in or not. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Finance. Final supplementary. Member from Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, I think that the suggestion is not necessarily that we establish our own Crown corporation but could SGI be brought in, as they've done in other provinces, to provide insurance in the Northwest Territories and thereby give Northwest Territories access to a larger base, the way we do for some other things. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, I mean, I wasn't personally privy to the conversations with SGI but did follow up to get some information as to what became of those conversations. It was a couple of years ago now. But I can say at the time that their indication is that they don't have any interest right now in coming into the Northwest Territories market, nor do any of their brokers have any interest at this point, from what they're informed of, to coming into the Northwest Territories market.
Mr. Speaker, although, you know, again, I -- I can't really speak for an entity from another jurisdiction, the scent of our -- from the Department of Finance is that, again, the population here is quite small so that makes the market very small. The -- there's going to be very little economies of scale, very little returns, very little incentive to bring this entity here. Moreover the payouts -- because we are often in isolated communities, payouts can often be a lot higher, and so all of which leads both SGI as the parent and as well as the broker, and perhaps also others, to not have any incentive to come into this market. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Finance. Oral questions. Member from Deh Cho.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister for NTPC.
Can the Minister explain whether there's currently a plan in place to supply power to Fort Providence and Kakisa from the Taltson Hydro Project. Thank you?
Thank you, Member from the Deh Cho. Minister responsible for NTPC.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is actually a GNWT project, and so in that sense there is a plan. There certainly is a strong desire to see an opportunity to run a transmission line from just outside of Hay River through -- past Kakisa and up into Fort Providence that would -- that represents -- that extra bit would represent about 15 percent of our total emissions and obviously a significant reduction on reliance of diesel which is very volatile prices to the residents in those regions. So there is this plan in the way. It already has regulatory approval to get to constructions. We have an application in with the federal government for funding.
Mr. Speaker, one thing is we are still having some positive conversations with our friends at Naka Power. They are the distributing agent in Fort Providence and also in Kakisa, and so it's important that we discuss with them how we are going to find a way to put all this together knowing that we don't, as GNWT or NTPC, own all of that infrastructure. So that is a conversation we've had not too long ago, and I will be following up with them so we can move the project along. Thank you.
I think now you're saying you're the Minister responsible for Strategic Infrastructure, Energy, and Supply Chains. So Member from the Deh Cho.
Thank you. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Will any of the work for projects in the region lead to the creation of new jobs within NTPC? Thank you.
