Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, I have a draft here that will go out to MLAs, and at the exact same time communication will also go out to child care providers as well today. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from the Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up on my statement earlier, my question today is to the Minister of strategic infrastructure.
Will the Minister of strategic infrastructure expand on the current steering committee to include the Indigenous governments of PKFN and the Gwich'in Tribal Council? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Sahtu. Minister responsible for Strategic Infrastructure, Energy and Supply Chains.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am already in contact quite regularly with all three of the Indigenous governments who are lining the ultimate route of the Mackenzie Valley Highway. The current MOU exists between the GNWT and SSI. We also have a work plan signed with the Pehdzeh Ki First Nation and certainly am looking and hopeful that we will see an expansion in a formal capacity to bring all three groups, or all four groups with the GNWT, into a formal agreement. So certainly supportive of that, Mr. Speaker. The next step really will be to do that in alignment with the timing preferred by those Indigenous governments. But I am -- as I say, I am in contact with them, and I am expecting that we will get to that place as this project moves forward. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the Minister for that reply. Greatly appreciated that.
My second question, Mr. Speaker, will the Minister provide this group, once it's established, with SEED capital money, particularly to the other groups outside of SSI. SSI has some funding already. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there's different pots of money that may all be available and, firstly, any and everyone interested in opening a business or expanding a business along the Mackenzie Valley Highway can and should be reaching out to their regional ITI department. That is an opportunity to create businesses and to expand businesses, build businesses, as we anticipate work on this project to move forward quickly in the next little while.
There's also funding that is managed through strategic infrastructure with respect to the capacity and work readiness. So just last week, as the Member would know having been with them, we began the work of getting work readiness groups together on the first phase of the project with those communities, and there is funding available for that. As we move into the second phase and expand that work, I expect similar funding will become available so that we can get groups up and running so they have the work readiness capacity to be ready, not only for construction but for what comes next. So it's coming, Mr. Speaker. I am very much committed to it, and I appreciate the question. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister responsible for Strategic Infrastructure, Energy and Supply Chains. Final supplementary. Member from the Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am glad we got some startup capital that's forthcoming.
My next question there, Mr. Speaker, is what negotiations are underway with the federal government for the announced Arctic infrastructure fund back in November, that pot of money, one-third is for the NWT. I just want to know what the plans are for that Arctic infrastructure fund. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say I've had the chance to speak to the Minister of Transportation. I know the Premier has as well. We've certainly taken this up with respect to wanting to make sure that that fund gets utilized appropriately. It's only an amount that starts to get at some of the needs we have. It does not build the road entirely. So I am not sure if it's going to be a one-third or if it's going to be project-allocated. We have been certainly, and I think with our sister and brother territories, saying that this is not going to be enough in a big sense. But we've been front and center already, as I say, both myself, the Premier, other Ministers as well, explaining the three major projects that we have, being in the major projects office, and so I am confident we'll get our share of it, Mr. Speaker. And my point simply being that this Arctic infrastructure fund isn't necessarily going to be what builds the Mackenzie Valley Highway. It's going to be just part of what can get us over the hurdle of all of the major projects that we have. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister responsible for Strategic Infrastructure, Energy and Supply Chains. Oral questions. Member from Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, many of my constituents are nervous at this time with mine closure because this will have an impact on their livelihood. So with that in mind, Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the Minister of ITI what specific long-term diversification initiatives is the department developing to ensure sustainable employment opportunities for regions like the Tlicho once Ekati and Gahcho Kue cease operations. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Minister of ITI.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we certainly do have a diverse economy in the Northwest Territories. We do not have a diverse GDP. So a lot of our GDP still comes from diamond mining in the Northwest Territories, and we're working hard as a Cabinet to make sure that we're diversifying our GDP. That includes things like investing in housing to make sure that we have construction projects and we're continuing to increase our construction allotment from our GDP. We're investing in health care. We're investing in, for example, adding more schools to our capital planning for large infrastructure and increasing our small capital investments as well for school infrastructure. In addition to that, Mr. Speaker, we're working as a Cabinet to ensure that we're streamlining our regulatory process to make it easier for -- and more efficient for more mines to come online. In addition, Mr. Speaker, we have other opportunities in the territory that are coming up or exist today. An example of that is Giant Mine remediation and making sure that I am working quite closely with, for example Tlicho Investment Corporation, on maximizing the opportunities that exist from that work out there to make sure that we have as many Tlicho and YKDFN residents from the Yellowknife area that are working on that project. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, well, I just wanted to tell the Minister that, you know, I think they need to start focusing on decentralization, give us more jobs. Mr. Speaker, what concrete transition supports such as retraining programs, apprenticeship opportunities, or partnerships with Indigenous governments, are being planned to help Tlicho workers who may lose their jobs in the coming years?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, through education, culture and employment we have a suite of programs that employers have access to in order to do retraining with staff. This can be something, you know, like upgrading programs but can also be more on-the-job training, so specific for certifications required for them to evolve into a new position. We're also pursuing more funding through the federal government specific to industries that have been impacted by tariffs. And this is one such industry that exists in the Northwest Territories that has seen impact because of tariffs from the United States. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of ITI. Final supplementary. Member for Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what has the GNWT done to prepare for the potential economic and population impacts that experts warn could follow mine closures, especially in our smaller regional communities? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as an entire Cabinet, we have asked okay, where we can put some additional dollars that really not only achieve our economic goals in the territory but make sure that we're also achieving our social goals. We're at a point in time, Mr. Speaker, where we have to make sure that our investments are multi-use, just like our infrastructure, and so that includes looking at investments that speak to both our social and our economic needs in the territory, hence housing and health care investments, as well as investments in education.
Mr. Speaker, in addition to that, we've ensured that we're working quite closely with our partners, understanding that mine closures will have an impact in the Northwest Territories. We know across Canada that it takes many years to see a mine open and so the work that we're doing today in trying to make sure that we're doing short-term and long-term work as a Cabinet is work that really should have been done years ago, but we're up to the challenge, Mr. Speaker, in making sure that we're having these conversations with stakeholders so that people are aware of the programs we have available. We have a website dedicated to help after mine closure so that people have all of that information consolidated in one space, and making sure that as a Cabinet we're pursuing new opportunities for this entire territory. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of ITI. Oral questions. Member from Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am going to be continuing on a similar thread to my previous colleague. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of ECE and ITI.
Mr. Speaker, does the Minister agree that transformational investment in growing the knowledge economy in the Northwest Territories is needed for economic diversification to secure our future? Thank you.
Minister of Education, Culture and Employment or ITI.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes. I agree. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Excellent, I am very glad the Minister agrees. So with that, considering the success that we have seen the Yukon and Nunavut governments have had recently in attracting post-secondary investment, what is the Minister doing to work with Aurora College to leverage third party investment in our territory? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in addition to making sure that third party investments was included in the mandate agreement with the Aurora College board of governors, I've also ensured that if I know of any programs or funding sources that I am sharing that information with Aurora College, with their board of governors. I know that because of that they have pursued specific funding that is relevant for their housing desires. I've also confirmed with them that should they want to travel to Ottawa together in order to meet with federal counterparts on some of these opportunities or with other third party funders that I am more than happy to pair these meetings up with other travel that I do in my role as Minister. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I am happy to hear that the Minister is collaborating with the college.
Mr. Speaker, I note that the college recently received good news about their CAQC process, so it looks like pieces are starting to line up on the transition. Can the Minister confirm that the Polytechnic University Act will move ahead in this Assembly in order to support that transition? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we're certainly working on the required legislation for the Aurora College Polytechnic. That work has not stopped. That includes pieces like establishing a framework for that, evaluating what clauses from the existing Aurora College Act would be imported into new legislation, and also looking at the legislation or university or polytechnic legislation from other jurisdictions like the Yukon, speaking with counterparts over there as well, to find out information like what has served them well, what they would have liked to have seen different or what they feel would be other opportunities, so making sure that we're also pulling from lessons learned from other jurisdictions as we complete this work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am going to return to a subject similar to the one I just asked earlier to the health Minister but also in this Assembly, which is rheumatoid arthritis, Mr. Speaker.
Over 300 cases in the NWT are active in the sense of people need regular and ongoing treatment, some twice a year, sometimes up to four times a year, and have to fly to Edmonton for treatment. So the point being here is, Mr. Speaker, is there a better way. Rheumatoid arthritis requires a $300,000 paycheck. Has there been any analysis on understanding for value for service? So in other words, has the Minister, and her department obviously, done any work on analyzing the cost effectiveness of bringing a rheumatoid doctor to the Northwest Territories to provide clinic treatments? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what the Member is saying is what we do want. We want to be able to recruit and have specialists to be able to come to the Northwest Territories to do this. We do know that it's hard on our residents to have to travel all the time. It's -- you know, there's costs involved with that. However, right now I know that they do have -- they are working collaboratively with the Alberta Health Services to try and recruit within their -- because it's within their jurisdiction, to be able to recruit many of these specialists, you know, coming to the Northwest Territories. You know, if we put out the positions, and we have in the past, the agreements that we've had with other specialists, there's nobody that wants to move here right now in these positions. And so even with recruitment, trying to do that. So we're closely working with Alberta Health Services. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Now, Mr. Speaker, there are a whole suite of services when it comes to specialists. I am just going to call them specialists. So what type of analysis specifically are we doing? So in other words, have they done business case analysis studying about bringing these types of specialists to the Northwest Territories to run clinics here? And if that's the case, can the Minister share that with people like me? Furthermore, if it isn't the case, would she just say that? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The work that's being done, the analysis that's being done on the out-of-territory physician services, is in the -- the analysis is being completed within the health sustainability unit team. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Mr. Speaker, that's a lot of information that doesn't say a whole lot. So, Mr. Speaker, can the Minister be very specific and share what analysis that have actually been done and targeted to particular specialists so we can see what type of business case models the department is considering; would she share that information? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what I can do is I will go back to the NTHSSA and have a conversation with them of what they have done in the past; however, everything that they have done in the past and in these analyses, they are working closely with the health sustainability unit as that is one -- I believe that there's six or seven targeted areas, and that is one of them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have one question related to my Member's statement. You know, our people were not brought up on specific policies and procedures but brought up on what's best suited for their specific needs. Today, every aspect of our lives revolves around policies and procedures. You know, I get calls regularly saying, you know, they have medical needs but due to policies and procedures, I have to tell them they are not entitled to specific medical needs.
My question to the Minister is will the Minister and her department look at implementing a community navigator position into our smaller communities so that our residents' specific medical needs -- and get them the services that they require in the immediate future? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Mackenzie Delta. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what we do have for the Inuvik region, which services all of the communities, is we do have an Indigenous patient health navigator. However, within our health services and all our health centres, anyone needing information around the services that they can -- they do provide and how to access those services should be readily available by any health centre. So if there's information that the Member is wanting exactly, you know, feel free to reach out to my office so we can have -- you know, we can send out to the health centres specifically some information for them to provide to the public. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My second set of questions is also to the Minister of Health and Social Services, and I'd like to dig into some of the specific unfinished deliverables laid out in the public administrator work plan.
So my understanding was that one of the top, top priorities for the PA was to ensure the health authority stops deficit budgeting, essentially balances budget. And there was initial indication that we would see that in last year's mains and then further expectation it would be in these current mains. So for the Minister, what would lead us to believe we should expect a balanced budget by next year's mains? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Minister of Health and Social Services.
