Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I want to begin by stating that there are measures in this budget I support. It directs resources to shelters, health capacity, and wildfire readiness. Funding for emergency shelters will receive significant boosts. A homeless division is being created within Housing NWT. There is new funding for the Yellowknife Day Shelter and Sobering Centre. These are steps in the right direction, but while I support these priorities my constituents expect clarity on how these investments will benefit small communities, not only the regional centres.
In my riding, Mr. Speaker, communities have lived the consequences of floods and fires firsthand. Some families in the South Slave are still rebuilding or returning home. K'atlodeeche First Nation residents are now only moving into new homes after the 2023 wildfire, even as flood repairs continue. Enterprise continues the long road of recovery and renewal.
Mr. Speaker, one issue I must raise clearly. Enterprise needs a dedicated seniors' public housing or a seniors' home. Elders who were displaced by the 2023 wildfire disaster want to return to their community, but they need safe, appropriate housing to do so. This is not only a matter of infrastructure; it is about dignity, connection, and supporting people to age at home.
Enterprise also needs phase 3 power, a long-standing requirement to attract new businesses, reduce barriers to investment, and support community development. Without reliable modern electrical infrastructure, economic recovery will remain limited. This is a key step toward rebuilding the local economy and creating opportunities for residents.
The gap between regional centres and our small, predominantly Indigenous communities remains stark - socially, economically, and in the delivery of public services. The government's own economic outlook shows an economy under strain with declining diamond production and a projected GDP contraction in 2026. Even as we plan for nation-building infrastructure, these headwinds are felt first and hardest in the small communities.
Mr. Speaker, if we are serious about long-term stability, reconciliation and community wellness, then this government must also be serious about settling outstanding land claims and self-government agreements. Nowhere is this more urgent than in the Deh Cho process.
For decades, Deh Cho communities have waited for clarity on land governance and resource management, clarity that is essential for economic development, environmental stewardship, and community planning. The uncertainty surrounding unresolved negotiations affects investment, housing, land use decisions, and effective co-management of land and water. Most importantly, it affects people's confidence in their future.
Mr. Speaker, moving forward decisively on the Deh Cho process is not just a legal obligation or a political commitment. It is a community wellness strategy. Advancing negotiations and supporting a clear path to conclusion would
Strengthen regional governance and decision-making;
Provide certainty for businesses, communities, and investors;
Support Indigenous stewardship and cultural revitalization;
Enable land-based healing, tourism, and economic diversification; and,
Honour the rights and history of the people who have lived on and cared for these lands since time immemorial.
Mr. Speaker, if this government is committed to readiness, then readiness must include completing the work of settling land rights and supporting Indigenous governments to exercise the authority they have always held. The GNWT must put meaningful and sustained effort into reaching fair and timely agreements, not simply managing the process but driving it forward.
Mr. Speaker, education is a treaty right, and access to that right in small communities has been eroded. After Aurora College announced the closure of 19 community learning centres in June 2025, many residents, especially Indigenous learnings, expressed serious concerns about losing local access to education and continuing education. My riding felt these impacts directly.
While the Minister has described a modernized approach through campuses and online delivery, the reality remains. In communities with poor connectivity, crowded homes and limited study space, online-only learning is not equitable. Hands-on, community-based education is essential, and because GNWT transfers make up the majority of Aurora College funding, residents demand and expect local learning opportunities in their communities, not just at three campuses.
Mr. Speaker, the fiscal challenges facing our health system are real. The new healthcare system sustainability unit has reported that per capita spending here is nearly double the national average. Medical travel is a major cost driver, and hospital services consume the largest share of staffing resources. The unit's goal is to define core services and improve efficiency without reducing access, and we must stay committed to that. But sustainability cannot be built on cutting public health promotion in small communities. Addictions, violence and trauma, remain daily realities for many of my constituents. Prevention is strongest close to home through community health promoters, elders, home visiting nurses, school-based education, and land-based healing with youth and families.
Mr. Speaker, community wellness is not only about health and housing. It is also about recreation, sports, culture and belonging.
Last year, the Enterprise Music Festival had to be cancelled; a major loss for our community spirit, tourism, local business opportunities, and the regional economy. Events like this matter. They bring people together and strengthen local pride while supporting tourism across the territory. We need to ensure communities have the support needed to host and sustain these events.
We also need more investment in sports and recreation. Sports build confidence, self-esteem, leadership and a healthy lifestyle, especially for youth. Many small communities lack coaches, programming, equipment and facilities. This government must play an active role in promoting sport and active living in all regions, not just the major centres.
Mr. Speaker, the budget must also address our climate reality. Low water levels persist across much of the territory. Increased diesel reliance and raising costs. While North Slave hydro conditions have improved somewhat, long-term uncertainty remains.
The 2025 wildfire season burned nearly 1.4 million hectares of forest in the NWT. Responders protected lives and community homes but the season was long, intense, and unpredictable. The investment in welfare capacity this year are justified, and small communities must be prioritized for wildlife urban interface training, equipment and FireSmart support.
In her budget address, the Minister stated that this budget shifts us from restraints to readiness, increasing the supplementary reserve while investing in people, essential services and economic foundation. That approach is sound, now we must ensure that readiness includes the communities most affected by past emergencies and most vulnerable to future ones.
If we invest in community-based education, local business development, tourism and festivals, sports and recreation, health promotion, transitional housing and on-the-ground presence, we will strengthen families, reduce long-term costs and close a divide that has persisted for far too long. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from the Deh Cho. I apologize, things were just a little bit; we will just take a couple seconds here.
Thank you. Sorry for my little -- just trying to get some stuff in order here.
Replies to the budget address, day 7 of 7. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
