Debates of October 30, 2025 (day 71)

October
30
2025
Session
20th Assembly, 1st Session
Day
71
Speaker
Shane Thompson
Word PDF
Members Present
Hon. Caitlin Cleveland, Mr. Edjericon, Mr. Hawkins, Hon. Lucy Kuptana, Hon. Jay MacDonald, Hon. Vince McKay, Mr. McNeely, Ms. Morgan, Mr. Morse, Ms. Reid, Mr. Rodgers, Hon. Lesa Semmler, Hon. R.J. Simpson, Mr. Testart, Hon. Shane Thompson, Hon. Caroline Wawzonek, Mrs. Weyallon Armstrong
Assembly Members
Topics
Bill 33: Technical Safety Statutes Amendment Act
Bill 34: Trespass to Property Act
Bill 35: Miscellaneous Statutes Law Amendment Act, 206
Bill 36: Appropriation Act, (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2026-2027
Bill 36: Appropriation Act, (Infrastructure Expenditures), 20262027
Bill 37: Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 20242025
Bill 37: Supplementary Appropriation Act, (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 20242025
Bill 38: Supplementary Appropriation Act, (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 20252026
Bill 39: Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 20252026
Bill 39: Supplementary Appropriation Act, (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 20252026
Committee Motion 100-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Homeownership in Communities Initiating Locally Led Housing Programs, Carried
Committee Motion 101-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Homeownership Assistance Program, Carried
Committee Motion 102-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Review of Municipal Funding Policies, Carried
Committee Motion 103-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Incentives for Development of Affordable Market Housing, Carried
Committee Motion 104-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Expedited Development of a Territorial Building Code, Carried
Committee Motion 105-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Territorial Trades Strategy for Housing-related Trades, Carried
Committee Motion 106-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right ??? Memorandums of Understanding with Indigenous Governments to Encourage Housing Development, Carri...
Committee Motion 107-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Coordination to Remove Barriers to Housing Development, Carried
Committee Motion 108-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Revision of Repair and Maintenance Policies, Carried
Committee Motion 109-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Transitional Housing, Carried
Committee Motion 110-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - 24-Hour Shelter in Yellowknife, Carried
Committee Motion 111-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - 24-Hour Shelters Across the Territory, Carried
Committee Motion 112-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Non-Profit and Charitable Organizations Providing Housing, Carried
Committee Motion 113-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Standardized Encampment Policy, Carried
Committee Motion 114-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Funding Mechanisms for Indigenous Governments and Organizations, Carried
Committee Motion 115-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Unified Territorial Advocacy Plan, Carried
Committee Motion 116-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Three-Year Housing Plan, Carried
Committee Motion 117-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Transparency and Reporting of Distinction-based Funding Allocations, Carried
Committee Motion 118-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Assessing Eligibility for Homeownership Programs, Carried
Committee Motion 119-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Age and Condition of Housing Units under Homeownership Initiative Policy, Carried
Committee Motion 120-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Housing Appeal Process, Carried
Committee Motion 121-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Rights-based Approach to Housing Rating System, Carried
Committee Motion 122-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Public Housing Tenant Eligibility Policy, Carried
Committee Motion 123-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Community Housing Plan Policy, Carried
Committee Motion 124-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Audit of the Small Community Homelessness Fund, Carried
Committee Motion 125-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Eligible Income Thresholds for Co-Payment Programs, Carried
Committee Motion 126-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Expansion of Eligibility Coverage, Carried
Committee Motion 127-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Disposal of Residential Property Policy Review, Carried
Committee Motion 128-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Community Housing Support Initiative Program, Carried
Committee Motion 129-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Housing Northwest Territories Financial Policies Review regarding Treaty Obligations, Carried
Committee Motion 130-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Collections Policy Revision, Carried
Committee Motion 131-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Government Response, Carried
Committee Motion 88-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Formal and Official Recognition of Housing as a Human Right, Carried
Committee Motion 89-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Addressing Colonial Legacies Contributing to Indigenous Homelessness, Carried
Committee Motion 90-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Territorial Housing Advocate, Carried
Committee Motion 91-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Legal Remedies for Violations of Right to Housing, Carried
Committee Motion 92-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Residential Tenancies Act Proportionality Framework, Carried
Committee Motion 93-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Review of Public Housing Evictions Policy, Carried
Committee Motion 94-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Housing Options for Individuals Evicted from Public Housing, Carried
Committee Motion 95-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Legal Aid Services for Housing-Related Matters, Carried
Committee Motion 96-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Culturally Appropriate Housing Northwest Territories' Policies, Carried
Committee Motion 97-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Modernization of Residential Tenancies Act, Carried
Committee Motion 98-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Operational Review of Rental Office, Carried
Committee Motion 99-20(1): Committee Report 29-20(1): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right - Draft Definition of Housing Continuum, Carried
Member' s Statement 787-20(1): Remediation of Lakes Near Rayrock Mine Site
Member' s Statement 788-20(1): Devolution and Economic Development
Member' s Statement 789-20(1): Arctic Security Working Group Meeting in Yellowknife
Member' s Statement 790-20(1): Measures in Departmental Business Plans to Address Trauma
Member' s Statement 791-20(1): Recruitment and Retention of Teachers in Small Communities
Member' s Statement 792-20(1): Strategic Planning
Member' s Statement 793-20(1): Delivery Models of Government Services
Member' s Statement 794-20(1): Expansion of Trades Training Programs
Member' s Statement 795-20(1): Celebration of Life for Bertha Ruby Norwegian
Member' s Statement 796-20(1): Eulogy for Larry Galt
Minister' s Statement 162-20(1): Advancing Northern Critical Infrastructure Projects
Minister' s Statement 163-20(1): Master Service Agreements with Alberta Health Services
Minister' s Statement 164-20(1): Minister Absent from the House
Motion 64-20(1): Naming of the 50th Street Affordable Housing Complex, Carried
Question 888-20(1): Arctic Security Working Group
Question 889-20(1): Teacher Housing Shortage in Small Communities
Question 890-20(1): Departmental Business Plans and Evaluation
Question 891-20(1): Supporting Trades and Apprenticeships
Question 892-20(1): 2025 Report of the Auditor General of Canada to the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly - Housing in the Northwest Territories
Question 893-20(1): Devolution Initiatives
Question 894-20(1): Funding for Therapeutic Specialists in Schools
Question 895-20(1): Strategic Planning and Economic Analysis
Question 896-20(1): Departmental Business Plans
Question 897-20(1): Trades Training and Apprenticeships
Question 898-20(1): Regulation of Online Sports Betting in the Northwest Territories
Question 899-20(1): Northwest Territories Cancer Statistics
Question 900-20(1): Aspen Apartments Project Update
Question 901-20(1): Yellowknife Airport Authority
Question 902-20(1): Health Information Privacy Breach
Question 903-20(1): Orientation and Training for Locums
Question 904-20(1): Master Service Agreements with Alberta Health Service
Recorded Vote
Tabled Document 422-20(1): Statement of Consistency for Bill 33, Technical Safety Statutes Amendment Act
Tabled Document 423-20(1): Inter-Activity Transfers Over $250,000 (April 1 to June 30, 2025)
Tabled Document 428-20(1): 2024-2025 Annual Report - Director of Child and Family Services
Tabled Document 429-20(1): Operating Plans for Northwest Territories Education Bodies for the 2025-2026 School Year Ending June 30, 2026, Volumes 1 and 2
Tabled Document 430-20(1): Northwest Territories Coroner Service 2024 Annual Report
Statements
Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you very much, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Oral questions. Member from Monfwi.

Question 899-20(1): Northwest Territories Cancer Statistics

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my original question was for the Minister of ECC, but I do have a question for Minister of Health and Social Services.

My question is the department published the NWT Health Status Chartbook in 2023 that provides cancer rates in the NWT. Can the Minister tell me if the department has statistics on cancer rates specifically in Tlicho region, for Tlicho region? Thank you.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that level of detail, I'd have to get back to the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the Health Status Chartbook, the latest statistics related to cancer are from 2020. Does the department have updated statistics that can be shared? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, that level of detail, I would have to get back to the Member. Thank you.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Great Slave.

Question 900-20(1): Aspen Apartments Project Update

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's been a while since I asked the Minister for Housing NWT a question about the Aspen Project in my riding.

I'm curious how that's going along, and if we're on schedule to open in December. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Aspen Apartments has been one of the projects of the 20th Assembly. I am pleased to note that we look at completion of mid-November for tenants to move in early December. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, just for my recollection, tenants will be public housing clients from other buildings, is that correct? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yellowknife Housing Authority will be allocated the Aspen Apartments to manage, and what we're hoping to do is we will move tenants into the building from other landlords, and also other tenants within the housing authority that need to be reallocated. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Final supplementary. Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for that. Is there a priority process for who gets to live in these newly renovated units? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, Yellowknife Housing Authority does have a tenant allocation process, and they'll review the tenant list. But looking at the list itself, we do have 36 units within Aspen Apartments. 30 of them are one-bedroom and then 6 of them are two-bedrooms, so we just have to be careful in terms of the allocation because many of them are one-bedroom units. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Minister for Housing NWT. Oral questions. Oral questions. Yellowknife Centre.

Question 901-20(1): Yellowknife Airport Authority

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Infrastructure.

Specifically, it's about the Yellowknife airport authority. Can the Minister give an update as to where that is in the current planning for implementation? Thank you.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Infrastructure.

Sorry, I may need him to clarify the question as he asked where the airport authority is at.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Member from Yellowknife Centre, I am going to allow you to clarify your question, please.

Excellent, Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm sure the Minister was listening very carefully. I was asking about where is the Yellowknife airport authority. It's a process that oversees the airport. If the Minister needs further detail, I'm pleased to help explain further.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If he's speaking about the capital plan for the airport, there's currently work underway with engagement with the public on planning for developments around the airport. However, there's other engagements that are involved in the planning, so there's DND obviously, but also public engagement that's happening right now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for years there's been an intention to put a governance council called an airport authority over the Yellowknife airport zone, which includes the capital pieces he's mentioning. That said, I'm wondering where it is in the process because it seems to be in the dark, and it hasn't emerged for years. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With that, I'll have to reach out to the department and get him the information that he's requiring because I'm not aware of where that's at. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Minister of Infrastructure. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.

Question 902-20(1): Health Information Privacy Breach

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of my constituents came to my office the other day and was complaining about a letter she received, a notification of a privacy breach related to her audiology appointments at the health centre -- I'm sorry, at the NTHSSA. This breach occurred in September 2024, was caught in October 2024, but my constituent was only notified in June of this year.

Can the Minister explain why it took so long for the authority to notify her that her personal information had been breached? Thank you.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not aware of what the timelines are when those are reported and what the process is. However, I can follow up with NTHSSA to find out what their process is and why, if there are delays, or how long it takes to notify a resident. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would think that that information would be readily available to the Minister, but the notice was indicated as medium risk. It was names, purchase numbers, insurance coverage detail, product types, service provider.

I tried to reassure my constituent that that was relatively low risk, but can the Minister provide some clarity that a medium risk is not something that will compromise this individual's health care insurance? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that type of information, I would have to go back to the department and get an answer from them or from the NTHSSA, and once I have that I can give that back to the Member. Thank you.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister commit to reviewing the notification process for data breaches and ensure that if it is a year out that she revises those timelines so patients who do have their information breached receive notification in a timely fashion? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Great Slave.

Question 903-20(1): Orientation and Training for Locums

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I also had a constituent reach out to me recently about locums and medical travel. Specifically, there seems to be some confusion with locums still about what is a service that can be appropriately redirected to medical travel. Is that issue being cleared up by NTHSSA, or is that something that the public administrator is looking at? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Sorry, Mr. Speaker. I'm not sure what the question is. The locum travel and medical travel, I?

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Member to clarify your question. You're still on number one.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's like baseball.

Mr. Speaker, I'm trying to be quick so what I will try and illustrate for the Minister is locums sometimes direct their patients to medical travel for concerns that that patient might have for specialist services. Then the patient finds out, oh wait, that is not actually a service that is available through medical travel and they get very confused, and it seems to be happening somewhat regularly over the last few years with locums. Is there a process that the Minister is aware of to clarify policies for locums such that they are not booking medical travel unnecessarily? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when our physicians are onboarded, they are provided with some orientation. I'm not sure the extent of that orientation. However, we do have a lot of locums that come in. The process through a physician, and that is the problem I think that they're relating to, is not everything is an insured service. So if it's not an insured service, then it's not covered by our health care and therefore if there are certain things that a locum may say that -- a patient may come in and ask for them, I can't speak to what these things are unless I have details. So what I would say is if the Member wanted to provide me some examples that I could bring back to the NTHSSA, I could have NTHSSA do some kind of information sheet that kind of guides locums with the referral process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for that. I can speak broadly to my constituent's issue, which is that of dermatology. I've personally experienced this with a locum putting me through this process and reversing this process as well, and it was around allergy testing, so those are two examples I can think of.

Mr. Speaker, it's just -- I really want to impress upon the Minister that if we are to rely on locums that there is a procedure or policy that they are very aware of, such that medical travel is not something that a constituent or a patient has to deal with that entire process, which is also complicated, and then be told they're not going. So can I get at least a commitment from the Minister to look at some of that policy piece or standard operating procedure. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Member for identifying two of those.

However, I guess based on the circumstances and where you're living, those may be considered something that would be considered under medical travel. However, if there are specialists coming to, say if it's for Yellowknife, they may be traveling in at a certain time and therefore they would be put onto a waitlist for that. I can't speak to what if, so I guess if there are certain specific instances, I would recommend that the Member bring those forward through my office.

But in the meantime I know that we are working within medical travel because of having so many locums and casual nurses in our health centres that actually do the referrals, we are looking at putting in more positions to be able to be case managers so that way -- once it gets to the case manager, then the case manager will know the process and therefore can speak to the locums to have those conversations. Thank you.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral question. Member from Frame Lake.

Question 904-20(1): Master Service Agreements with Alberta Health Service

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are also for the health Minister. I just wanted to ask some questions about her statement earlier today. She mentioned that additional schedules are currently being developed to formalize existing partnerships and processes with the Alberta government. Can the Minister elaborate on this? Is this going to help with interoperability between our system and theirs? Many of my constituents have raised concerns with having to translate reports between governments and the difficulties that they have with getting records for Alberta written in the NWT and vice versa. So Can the Minister help us understand how this will improve that problem?