Please be seated. Thank you, Joe Otokiak, for the prayer and reflections today.
Colleagues, when we started this sitting, I reminded you that we expect to hear respectful words and see respectful behaviour in this chamber. We have had three sitting days since I made those comments in my opening remarks and, honestly, I am disappointed.
When we are in this House, I don't want to hear heckling and jeering. I don't want to see eyes rolling or angry looks being directed at one another. I don't want to see and hear Members of this Assembly talking over one another or ignoring one another. This behaviour is I believe below us and the standard to which we should hold ourselves. It does not show the level of respect that each of us deserve. It does not show the level of respect that this institution deserves. And it certainly does not show the level of respect that our people, who have elected us as their representatives, deserve.
We can do better. We should do better. We must do better.
Colleagues, I am not saying that we should all be agreeing on everything. That's unreasonable. That's not possible. We are all independent, politically-minded people, who were elected to represent our people in the best way we can. Disagreement isn't just inevitable; it is necessary. It is through respectful disagreement, constructive discussions, and effective compromise that we can best represent our people in this form of consensus government.
Colleagues, we don't always agree. We don't always get what we want. That is true for the Regular Members, the Members of executive council, and for me as your Speaker. However, we can always choose to be respectful and I am, again, asking you to make that choice. Please choose your words thoughtfully and carefully. Please show each other, this institution, and our people the level of respect that we all deserve.
Colleagues, I am not only asking you to police your own behaviour in this chamber but to help your colleagues police their behaviour as well. We have our rules and procedures that must be followed and, as your Speaker, I will always do my best to provide fair and impartial rulings and advice if matters are raised with me. However, if you see or hear your colleagues speaking or acting in a manner that you feel is not in keeping with the level of decorum expected in this chamber, please let them know. Tell them that you do not want a sidebar conversation when somebody else has the floor. Tell them, constructively, if you feel that they are approaching the line, or if they have crossed it.
Colleagues, I do not want to be delivering this message again in a few days. Or in a few weeks. Our time in this chamber is limited and, frankly, even if it is necessary this is not the best use of our time.
I am going to end this by thanking you for your time and attention today and by thanking you in advance for the improved decorum that I hope and expect to see as we continue through this sitting.
Thank you, colleagues.
Mr. Speaker, residents across the Northwest Territories rely on laboratory and diagnostic imaging services to get timely answers about their health, and they expect their government to respond when access to those services are not meeting their needs.
I have heard clearly from residents, from Members in this House, and from healthcare providers about long wait times and barriers to accessing laboratory and diagnostic imaging services. These concerns were consistent, well-founded, and required action. As the Minister of Health and Social Services, I knew change was required, and I took steps to ensure that this government acted.
Mr. Speaker, demand for laboratory and diagnostic imaging services has increased significantly in recent years. More residents are living longer with chronic conditions. Chemotherapy services have expanded in the territory. Clinical practice has evolved, requiring more diagnostic testing to support safe, high-quality care. These pressures have contributed to delays in accessing testing and receiving results. This is why improving access to laboratory and diagnostic imaging services remains a priority for me as Minister and for this government. Through the proposed budget and targeted operational decisions, we have taken concrete action to improve access, increase capacity, and reduce wait times for residents.
As part of this work, Mr. Speaker, we have strengthened collaboration between the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority and Alberta Health Services. In September 2025, new technology was introduced to support faster and more secure sharing of diagnostic images including CT scans, ultrasounds, and X-rays. This allows physicians in the Northwest Territories to quickly consult with specialists in Alberta when needed, supporting timely clinical decisions in critical situations such as stroke, major trauma, or potential patient transfers.
We have also removed unnecessary administrative barriers for residents receiving care in Alberta. Alberta physicians can now order laboratory tests directly for Northwest Territories patients, eliminating the need for residents to return home for follow-up appointments simply to obtain lab requisitions. This change improves continuity of care, shortens wait times for results, and frees up primary care appointments for other residents.
Mr. Speaker, demand for our outpatient laboratory services in Yellowknife has been a particular concern raised with me, and I am pleased to report that this is where residents are already seeing meaningful improvement as a direct result of actions taken by this government.
With additional resources put in place in January, the daily number of laboratory appointment slots in Yellowknife has increased by 47 appointments per day, bringing the total to 126 appointments daily. As a result, average wait times have dropped significantly from approximately 40 to 45 days down to about 10 days. Walk-in appointments continue to be available each day.
The new callback request system for laboratory appointments is also delivering results. Residents who submit completed request forms now receive a call back by the end of the next business day, providing a more predictable and accessible booking process.
Mr. Speaker, there is still work to do. Demand for laboratory and diagnostic imaging services will continue to grow, and this will remain an area of focus for me as Minister. However, the changes we have made, driven by concerns raised in this House and reflected by the proposed budget, are already improving access and reducing delays for residents. These actions demonstrate this government's commitment to listening, taking responsibility, and delivering practical improvements that help residents get the care they need, when they need it.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, last year Members of this Assembly spoke with a clear, unified voice when we passed a motion calling for compassionate medical evacuation policy to standardized escort support in emergency situations. Yet, despite this call to action, the Minister has still made no plans to support Northerners facing these kinds of medical emergencies. Far too often our constituents are forced to pay out-of-pocket just to be by their loved one's side. Families deserve support in moments of crisis, not confusion, stress, and financial burden. These are exactly the kind of broken policies MLAs are elected to fix, and I cannot tolerate these circumstances simply because the policy is the policy.
Now we have a medical travel modernization plan that focuses not on solutions but on communication. Information and navigation are the key words in this approach, a clever redirection from failing policies that portrays Northerners as having unreasonable expectations. But the Minister will never convince taxpaying Northerners to give up their right to be by their loved one's side during a medical emergency, the same right they would have for a routine scheduled appointment.
These trips come at a heavy emotional toll, and in some cases with the very lives of their loved ones. Families must be there not just for comfort but to understand the plan of care and to make life-altering decisions. The financial cost to this government is insignificant compared with a human cost that they bear. Expecting them to cover flights and accommodations in these circumstances is unacceptable. Several Range Lake families are still waiting, Mr. Speaker, for some years for the Minister to address the wrongs they experienced. And if things don't change, sadly, there will be many, many, many more to come.
This is not about money. This is about the recognition and support that can make a real difference in people's lives. We can start today, Mr. Speaker. The only question is whether this Minister will finally show the leadership to do so. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Members' statements. Member from Yellowknife North.
Mr. Speaker, I want to talk health care. I know the Minister and I do see eye to eye on many broad principles, and likely we can all agree we're striving for continuity of care, recruitment and retention of practitioners, better care closer to home, cultural safety, integrated team-based care, ensuring patients are seen by the right provider at the right time for the right reasons. Great. What worries me is that when I ask for specifics on what progress we're going to see on any of these things and when, I keep getting responses like review is on going or we're always working to improve.
At first, that sounds like a good thing but if we haven't set any targets, if we haven't figured out how to measure progress and there's no timeline attached to the review, then it's not actually a review. That's called just muddling through.
I understand that every individual within the system is trying really hard, and it feels like it would be easier if MLAs over here would just shut up about targets and metrics because isn't it enough they're trying very, very hard. But wouldn't it help everyone if instead of this relentless pressure to always just try harder, we could think more carefully about what specifically we're trying to do and put the right amount of resources towards it.
For example, Yellowknife residents were all sent a letter in October 2024 that promised everyone would be assigned to a primary care team. This is an important goal. It's fundamental for good care, for patients to be seeing practitioners who know them and know their health history, except we don't currently have nearly enough physicians or nurse practitioners to accomplish this. When I've asked how we're planning to fulfill this promise, ensuring everyone is assigned to a team, the Minister has informed me that panel sizes will continue to be reviewed. Reviewed according to what criteria? To what end? How is this review helping people who do not currently have any regular doctor or MP to get assigned to a team? How is it helping people who are on a team actually get an appointment when the slots are booked up for the foreseeable future?
Mr. Speaker, to be clear, I believe every resident in this territory should be assigned to a primary care team. So enough vague promises, let's take the steps necessary to get there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like some of my other colleagues, we have frustrations with medical travel. For many residents of the NWT, though, the promise of equitable health care is a broken one.
Medical travel programs were designed to be a bridge to specialize care but instead, Mr. Speaker, often constituents tell me it feels more like a barrier. From staggering out to these convoluted policies, expenses to a labyrinth of confusing unanswered calls, Mr. Speaker, the system becomes so convoluted that you almost need a navigator for your navigator to navigate through the process, Mr. Speaker.
The Minister will point out the Office of Client Experience as a place where you can bring your concerns. But, Mr. Speaker, I feel it's more like an office of boundless void. It's where your questions go in and you never hear the answer. Patients' problems slip away into the darkness of administrative abyss never to be heard of from again. Mr. Speaker, if the Minister's truly listening, she would immediately implement an exit interview process and start to capture some of the raw feelings and data from people who have travelled south. Now, sure, most will be fine. It's the ones that we have travel -- problems with through this medical travel process are the ones we need to get down to the nuts and bolts.
Mr. Speaker, healing does not happen in a vacuum. Mr. Speaker, while the staff are real people at medical travel, they are shackled but these antiquated policies, Mr. Speaker. Patients shouldn't feel like they're being managed by bots. Mr. Speaker, we could do some commonsense changes, such as an automatic escort -- sorry, tongue twister there -- an automatic escort for non-medical escorts criteria processes when it comes to seniors, elders, and vulnerable patients, Mr. Speaker. An automatic process, Mr. Speaker. Elders, no Indigenous elder should ever feel that they have to navigate a complex southern hospital system alone.
Mr. Speaker, failing to recognize that family supports are essential to the outcomes is a neglect, in my opinion, from people understanding the system. We need cultural safety, human safety, and certainly empathy, Mr. Speaker.
The logical failures are exhausting. Northerners tell me that they often feel -- when they take the medical travel system, they feel like untethered kites in the wind, tossing around, trying to figure out cancellation, fragment communication and, Mr. Speaker, the list goes on. Mr. Speaker, to be frank, health care is a right. It shouldn't be a privilege of geography. So, Mr. Speaker, in closing, if you're from a small community, Indigenous community, rural or whatnot, multiple everything I just said by a hundred. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Members' statements. Member from Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this weekend, I attended the second annual Still Dark Music Festival which takes place in the heart of Yellowknife's downtown. The festival was established by a dedicated group of volunteers who were looking to help people through the dark months of winter when most of us aren't getting out as much, and it has quickly become one of my favourite events of the year.
My favourite aspects of this festival are how it highlights and celebrates both local artists and venues, and it's really clear from this year's festival that the Yellowknife's music scene is blessed with seemingly endless depths of local talent.
A few local highlights for me were seeing Jonny Vu at the Underground, Ben Pernell at the Top Knight, and Frame Lake's own punk band Upper Mall Rats who brought down the House at the Elk's Lodge. Their hit song, Medical Travel, was particularly raucous, not unlike when that subject hits the floor of this House, Mr. Speaker. And that's just scratching the surface. There were so many shows going on, you couldn't possibly attend them all.
Your Yellowknife MLAs were pleased to be able to contribute to the free event on Saturday afternoon at the visitor centre. I am pleased to note that the festival sold out as of Saturday, so I want to congratulate the board on a very successful weekend. I want to thank them for their huge contribution to our community's art scene and hope this festival continued success for many years to come. Events like this are what make our community such a wonderfully social place to live. I spoke to one of the bands attending from the south, and they were blown away at our diversity of venues, noting it was a much better scene than they enjoy in their larger southern city.
It's easy to get a bit downtrodden about Yellowknife these days, Mr. Speaker, so I really took this outside perspective to heart. We still have a lot of great things to appreciate here thanks to the people who put their time in to making events like Still Dark happen in our community. So please join me in thanking the board for their hard work and congratulating them on another successful festival. Here's to many more.
Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And just a plug for the next festival which is the Still Dead Film Festival coming up next weekend, I think it is.
Mr. Speaker, causes of homelessness are varied and complex as discussed in A Way Home, the GNWT's strategy to address homelessness and to support residents and stakeholders such as NGOs in this space. As the strategy notes, one of those causes is gender-based violence. Disproportionately affecting women, girls, and queer folks, residents need a safe spot to land when their homes become too dangerous to stay in or return to. A Way Home also notes that better supports required for frontline workers and organizations assisting these folks fleeing gender-based violence. And so GNWT action on homelessness needs to dovetail with existing support and expertise that exist in NWT NGOs. In this regard, the GNWT has taken great strides with NGO partners here in Yellowknife, and I am thankful for the transitional homes and spaces that have been created in the 20th Assembly.
Historically, family violence shelters have been funded by health and social services across the NWT since the 1980s. In 2019, YWCA-NWT was offered time limited funding by Women and Gender Equality Canada to establish two safe homes in communities without family violence shelters. These safe homes were launched in Fort Simpson and Fort Good Hope. For nearly three years, staff at the YWCA have been working with community, Indigenous, territorial, and federal governments, to try and secure other funding for these two safe homes where the wage funding lapses at the end of this fiscal year. So far, they have not been successful.
While I am appreciative that EIA and YWCA-NWT staff will be sitting down in the new fiscal year to discuss their fiscal picture and realities of many more core services that the territory's largest NGO provides for women, children, and families, I must also point out that if these safe homes close at the end of March, it is very unlikely they will be reinstated later in 2026. Starting from scratch months from now would cost more than the $340,000 that YWCA is seeking from the GNWT at this time.
As we move towards a model of Housing NWT taking on support of spaces, EIA taking on a coordination of policy approach, and health supporting wraparound services, it is imperative that this Assembly have a fulsome understanding of how A Way Home will align with NGOs providing the frontline work in supporting residents fleeing gender-based violence, including at what cost to the public government. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Premier at the appropriate time. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Members' statements. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Town of Inuvik, led by the mayor, has set up a community leadership group, and we meet once a month up there, Mr. Speaker. It's represented by both myself and my colleague from Inuvik Twin Lakes as well as the Indigenous -- both Indigenous governments as well as various NGOs and other leadership that provide community -- organizations that provide community service. Last month's meeting, Mr. Speaker, took place at the Aurora College ARI Innovate Centre. The Innovate Centre, which was originally called the Micro-manufacturing Centre, was set up several years ago through Aurora College through ARI and was kind of set up to allow people to kind of get a leg up to potentially start a small-scale business, kind of an introduction to a little bit of technology, Mr. Speaker, such as silk screening, wood burning, 3D printing, etcetera.
Aurora College originally funded this initiative through various funding agreements such as NCIRC and ITI, but to date, this year, Aurora College has decided that they -- it doesn't seem to have a lot of interest in continuing this program, Mr. Speaker.
So, Mr. Speaker, at this point, we've got -- they've got funding until the end of March. They're looking at trying to acquire an additional approximately $200,000 to maintain the staff member they have there, to give them a year to kind of research some options again, such as NCIRC or other science research institutes through our programs at GNWT through ITI to continue this important organization that provides for so many in the community. Things like they do workshops, Mr. Speaker, where people of all ages come, elders will come for -- there's been many elders attend. They do workshops that have attracted, you know, things like create a sign for your cabin night or they'll work with antler and do some I research on how that antler can be used, what sticks to it, how long does it last, things like that, for different arts and crafts.
So, Mr. Speaker, I think it's very, very important that we continue this, that we support this organization. And I'll have some questions for the Minister of ITI on how we can look at continuing this amazing organization stays in Inuvik. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Members' statements. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Mr. Speaker, during the negotiation for Treaty 8 on July 25th, 1900, in Fort Resolution, Northwest Territories, the Commissioner promised the First Nation signatories that supplies on medicine will be put into charge of a person selected by the government and will be distributed for free to those Indians who might require them and that the physicians attached to the Commissioner should give free attendance to all Indians who might find them in need of treatment, as they passed through the country. As treaties negotiated between the Crown and Indigenous nations or provincial or territorial borders are irrelevant.
Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution upholds these rights nationally and through Bill 85 of this Assembly has committed to aligning territorial laws and policies with health-related rights and UNDRIP which affirms Indigenous people's rights to nondiscriminatory access to health and social services at the highest attainable standards. All of this means our modern date territorial government has a duty through health and social services to ensure care is provided and covered, yet these rights continue to be obstructed with irrelevant jurisdictions and borders get in the way.
Our rights are getting lost in an ever growing mess of policies and regulations and built on struggling, underfunded territory health systems. This government continues to focus on building up bureaucratic barriers instead of seeing the bigger picture, which is honouring the treaties and ensuring our people can actually access the care they are owed.
For example, last year when an elder from Lutselk'e became ill while travelling to Alberta, the Minister could not even clarify who had jurisdiction when they went to the hospital in Edmonton. At the end of the day, Lutselk'e Dene First Nation paid close to $50,000 for their escort and accommodations while time and again the Minister expects me to call the chief and tell them to cover that cost. That should be the responsibility of this government. Even with municipal levels of government right enshrined in the Canadian constitution, an obligation recognized internationally, these sacred commitments are still not being fulfilled. The Minister must explain to our people and communities what is holding up our treaties and be transparent about her work with the federal government, and she cannot rely on Jordan's Principle as backstop. Mr. Speaker, I would have questions for the Minister of health at the appropriate time. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Members' statements. Member from Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Dinaga Wek'ehodi. Dinaga, in Denezo Yatii, means this land; Wek'ehodi look after in Tlicho language.
Dinaga Wek'ehodi is a landscape of profound natural, cultural, and political significance in the Northwest Territories, encompassing nearly 800 square kilometers along the North Arm of Great Slave Lake. It has been a place of gathering, teaching, and sustenance for Dene and Metis people for countless generations. This land is a living foundation of stories, language, ceremony, and knowledge passed from elder to youth, rooted in longstanding relationships with the water, the island, and the wildlife that thrive there.
Mr. Speaker, elders from the Tlicho Nation and neighboring communities remind us that the North Arm is woven into their cultural identity, used as camps, fishing, and hunting areas, travel roots, and places of spiritual power. It has been said Dinaga Wek'ehodi is a place of legends sharing, teaching, and learning. It is also a critical habitat for migratory birds, species at risk, and rich array of wildlife and flora, all of which contribute to its environmental and cultural significance.
Mr. Speaker, Dinaga Wek'ehodi is still a candidate protected area under the Protected Area Act. While this designation offers some protection, this space is meant to be temporary as establishment and management agreements are negotiated.
Mr. Speaker, this process has now been stalled for nearly a decade largely because parties cannot come to an agreement on how many seats each will hold on at co-management board. This agreement has overshadowed the common good and delayed long-term protection for an area of national and international importance.
Mr. Speaker, it is time to move forward. The people of the Northwest Territories and future generations deserve no less. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Premier. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Members' statements.
Colleagues, today, with great sadness, difficulty, and with a heavy heart, yet profound gratitude, to celebrate the extraordinary life of Cathy Kotchea Gonet. We are saying goodbye to an extraordinary woman - whose spirit, talent, compassion, strength, and unwavering dedication wove her deeply into the fabric of Fort Liard, Deh Cho region, and beyond. I know she touched countless lives within the community, region and the NWT.
Cathy's connection to traditional art was the heartbeat of her spirit. As the manager of the Acho Dene Native Craft Store, she poured her passion into getting art and crafts that preserved the stories of the Dene heritage through the beadwork, baskets and other items made of birch and teachings that bridged generations. She didn't just sell art; she taught it with infectious enthusiasm, empowering youth and community members to discover their own voices through hands-on lessons. Her shop became a gathering place where creativity flourished, and her guidance ignited pride in cultural traditions that might otherwise fade. I can tell you when people came to Fort Liard, they had to stop in at this store. I can tell you my office has several pieces that we use as gifts.
Cathy's strength shone brightest in her service to Fort Liard. A lifelong resident, she served as deputy mayor for two years before stepping up as mayor on April 15, appointed by her fellow council members to succeed the outgoing mayor. Humble yet resolved, she declared feeling honoured to lead, focusing on council goals like smooth governance and community priorities, including her role on the water advisory panel and district education authority. Even in her short term as mayor, she built bridges fostering unity, supporting essential services, and lifting others with her belief in collective progress. Her leadership exemplifies quiet power, listening deeply, acting decisively, and always prioritizing her people. She had a gift for bringing people together, creating space for dialogue and understanding, and reminding us that true leadership begins with kindness and respect.
Cathy faced challenges with courage and grace. She never wavered in her belief that a strong community is built by lifting one another up. Whether through her work, her guidance, or her laughter, she made others feel seen, valued, and capable of greatness.
Cathy's legacy endured in the art she inspired, the leaders she nurtured, and the community she strengthened. She taught us that true passion and strength create ripples of lasting change. As we say goodbye, we remember Cathy not with sadness alone but with gratitude, gratitude for her teachings, her strength, and the beauty she brought into this world. Her spirit lives on in the community she helped build and in the hearts of all who loved her.
Cathy was born May 10, 1982, in Fort Nelson to Gordon and Marie Kotchea. In Fort Liard, she met the love of her life, Michael Gonet. 15 years ago they welcomed their child Aiden Gonet into the world. After a long battle with cancer, she passed away in Edmonton on December 5th, 2025.
She is survived by many loving family members including a daughter Angel Kotchea.
The family would like to thank everyone for reaching out to them during this difficult time. She will be sadly missed.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize my mother- and father-in-law who are visiting here from Saskatchewan, Ruth Welbourne and Wes Welbourne. Thank you for being here today.
Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Nunakput.
Mr. Speaker, I'd like to welcome Deborah Raddie. Debbie is the constituency assistant for Nunakput and also a good friend of mine. I thank her for her role and the good work with constituents throughout the riding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Nunakput. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize and acknowledge one of the pages. She is a Tlicho citizen originally from Behchoko, MMika Kotchilea. And her grandpa, from Gameti, is my first cousin. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to your chambers. I would like to thank you for allowing us 19 Members to represent you in these chambers. I hope you enjoy the proceedings. It's always nice to see people in the gallery.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to start my 2026-2027 Budget response by acknowledging the residents of the Northwest Territories, the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, especially to the residents of the Mackenzie Delta region. The contents within this proposed budget should shape your future, future of your community, future of the Northwest Territories and Canada. And it is our responsibility to ensure that your future is secure and safe, whether you live in Yellowknife, Hay River, Inuvik, or the small community of Tsiigehtchic. This proposed budget should reflect your fiscal and personal responsibilities from this government for the coming fiscal year.
Mr. Speaker, this proposed budget is more than dollars and cents. It should be a plan for a safe, vibrant, and sustainable future for all the residents of the Northwest Territories. It should measure the immediate needs of our homes, our communities, and our territory with a long-term vision that will shape the economic future of the Northwest Territories for generations to come. We are building on the past for our children and their children, not making promises, but making good on our promises. This government is more than halfway through its mandate, and we're still trying to make good on our priorities that we set in November of 2023, priorities that we set collectively to make the lives of the residents of the Northwest Territories healthier, economically sound and safe.
Mr. Speaker, every resident of the Northwest Territories needs assurance that their immediate and long-term future is secure and that their children's future is secure for generations to come. The security of their future weighs heavily on the decisions that we make as a government. Let us not be a status quo government but a government that will make good on the decisions that will bring prosperity to every person that calls Northwest Territories home. Let us continue to invest in our resources that will make Northwest Territories a place where investors will come and help build our economy. But we must invest in our greatest resources, and those resources are people of the Northwest Territories.
The residents of the Northwest Territories are concerned about the high cost of living, their housing needs, their health care, their children's education, just to name a few.
Mr. Speaker, if it was not for the Dempster Highway and the seasonal Aklavik-Inuvik ice road going through the Mackenzie Delta region, we would have nothing in this 2026-2027 proposed budget.
Our local Indigenous companies must be given every opportunity to participate in building the economy of the Northwest Territories. The Mackenzie Delta electoral district is vast, and our residents should be able to be competitive in contracts with the Government of the Northwest Territories whether it is through incentives or negotiated contracts. The communities of Aklavik, Teetl???it Zheh, and Tsiigehtchic, need to be recognized by this government as equal partners in the Northwest Territories. We do not have rich deposits of resources, but our communities and its residents do have traditional and cultural knowledge to share with the rest of the world.
Mr. Speaker, we have a high number of Northwest Territories residents who are struggling with addictions, with a high percentage of them being of the Indigenous population. When an individual is plagued by addictions, it has a negative impact on every department within this government. I would like to see more emphasis put on homegrown treatment and aftercare. The Northwest Territories needs its own treatment centre where our own people heal our own people. Sending our residents down south should not be the only option given to our residents. We have to start the healing process right here in the North because it is where the problem exists. Aftercare is one area that I've been hearing about because when our people return back to their respective communities, they fall right back into the situation that they left a month ago.
Mr. Speaker, Yellowknife, Hay River, and Inuvik have the highest population of homeless people, and that is where the funding is being concentrated on. They have the highest rate of homelessness because there are no options within our smaller communities, and our residents go to the bigger centres to take advantage of the services. The homeless residents would like to stay in their communities, but they have nowhere to stay. More options should be given to them so they can stay in their communities to take some stress off the larger centres.
Mr. Speaker, the housing crisis is an international crisis that we have to deal with on a daily basis. Housing NWT is working hard to overcome this issue with what funding they have at their disposal. The local housing authorities have to play a bigger role in this crisis. It does not only affect their respective communities but the territory as a whole. The housing authorities have to meet and learn from each other. We have overcrowding in our communities, but we also have people living in units where there are more rooms than occupants. The local housing authorities have to meet the needs, the residents' needs. The conditions of these units are not in living standards and yearly housing assessments are conducted but due to funding, we cannot fix these units let alone build new units. Building stick-built homes has to be a priority, not modular homes. Stick-built homes provide jobs. Jobs help stimulate the economy.
Mr. Speaker, the education system, kindergarten to grade 12, is not only failing the students within our smaller communities but is failing the communities. Implementing another jurisdiction's education system is not the answer. We have to educate our children so that they are vibrant members of our territory. Socially promoting our students is no longer an option that I agree with. We have a small percentage of graduates who are able to pursue post-secondary education and find a real career path. The higher percentage of graduates do not meet the requirements to go to college or university therefore are recipients of the income assistance program. Educating our children has to be a priority; a priority that every child, every parent, every community, and this government can be proud of. This is investing in our people.
Mr. Speaker, the healthcare system is another area of great concern. The residents of the smaller communities are deeply concerned about the quality of healthcare they are receiving. I understand that we are part of this international crisis when it comes to recruiting and retaining health professionals to our territory. Recruiting and retaining health professionals is just one part of the concern. Medical travel, medical escorts, and accommodations is also an area where improvement needs to be addressed.
I would like to see the Indigenous governments play a bigger role in accommodations for their membership. Collaboration between several Indigenous governments and the GNWT can address the accommodations concern. Having a patient advocate within each of the communities will bring more efficient services to the patients. A collaborative approach between the GNWT and the communities will bring relief and assurance to the residents of the smaller communities.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring forth the concern that has been addressed for some 40 years, the concern that the Tsiigehtchic residents have been calling for over 40 years; the concern is to obligate Treaty 11, and that is to provide police and nurse services within the community of Tsiigehtchic. The population of Tsiigehtchic should not be the reason as to why they are deprived of these essential services. Tsiigehtchic is on the highway system and with the high rate of hard drugs entering our communities, Tsiigehtchic needs these services today.
Mr. Speaker, the treaty obligations of the federal and territorial government has to be maintained and made a priority. This government seems to be forgetting that Treaty 11 and other treaties were signed with the residents of the McKenzie Delta and the territory will get the best education that is available to them and the best health care that is available. In recent years, since devolution, our treaty obligations have diminished a great deal, and this government needs to revisit how they are obligating our treaty rights. Every resident of the Northwest Territories needs to be treated fairly, treated with respect, and treated as though this government takes their needs very seriously.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to thank my colleagues on this side of the House for their continued support in helping me to try and meet the needs of the residents of the McKenzie Delta region and the territory as a whole. I would also like to thank the executive council for their efforts in running the territory, building the economy of the Northwest Territories, and providing essential services for the residents of the Northwest Territories. Working together can only strengthen our government therefore providing a brighter future for the people of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up on my Member's statement, I have a question for the Minister of ECE. I may ask her to change hats halfway through, but.
In her what I am assuming are her regular meetings with the Aurora College chairperson, Mr. Speaker, I wonder could she commit to bringing the urgent plight of the Innovate Centre in Inuvik to his attention and have a conversation around why Aurora College has decided that they will no longer be supporting this organization in Inuvik. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can certainly have a conversation. As the Member has outlined, with the chair we end up having quite a few meetings or phone conversations, and I would be happy to bring up the Innovate Centre. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I certainly appreciate that. We'll look forward to a reply on that. If the college is no longer interested in funding this, again this important organization, at least for another year so they can seek funding in other sources, would she commit to looking at either the department of ECE or ITI to look at ways we can at least short-term fund this organization for a year? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. A little creative but I will allow it. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment and Minister of ITI.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker; that's dangerous precedent setting.
Mr. Speaker, so ITI has funded the Innovate Centre over the course of the last few years just over, I believe, $420,000. There's different funding avenues that might be available to the Innovate Centre, so I definitely suggest that they follow up with ITI specifically. Examples of potential funding pots for that that would be -- that already exist are the SEED funding avenue. There's also the large arts grants, depending on types of programming that they're looking to offer to residents of Inuvik. And there may even be avenues where we can look at potential business incubator type sites. So I certainly recommend a follow-up with the ITI regional staff for sure.
As far as ECE is concerned, that one would be a little bit trickier because there's not the same type of application-based funding, but I am certainly happy to continue the conversation with the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
