Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table a document titled Securing Canada's Link to the Arctic - The National Defence and Security Benefits of the Mackenzie Valley Highway Project. Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that notwithstanding Rule 2.1, when the House adjourns on Tuesday, February 17th, 2026, it shall be adjourned until Tuesday, February 24th, 2026;
AND FURTHER, that any time prior to February 24th, 2026, if the Speaker is satisfied after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier or later time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice;
AND THEREFORE, the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as it has been duly adjourned to that time.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Motions. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? Motion passed.
---Carried
Mr. Speaker, I wish to present to the House Bill 42, Tlego'hli Got'ine Final Self-Government Agreement Act, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Premier. Pursuant to Rule 8.2(3), Bill 42 is deemed to have first reading and is ready for second reading. First reading of bills. Minister of Finance.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to present to the House Bill 43, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2025-2026, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Finance. First reading of bills. Oh sorry, thank you, Minister. Pursuant to Rule 8.2(3), Bill 43 is deemed to have first reading and is ready for second reading. First reading of bills. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to present to the House Bill 44, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations, Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Finance. Pursuant to Rule 8.2(3), Bill 44 is deemed to have first reading and is ready for second reading.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that Bill 43, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2025-2026, be read for the second time.
This bill makes supplementary appropriations for infrastructure expenditures of the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? The motion is carried.
---Carried
Second reading of Bills. Minister of Finance.
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, that Bill 44, Supplementary Appropriations Act (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, be read for the second time.
This bill makes supplementary appropriations for operations expenditures and borrowing authorization for the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? Motion has passed.
---Carried
I now call the Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? I am going to go to the Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 448-20(1), 2026-2027 Main Estimates, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Okay, thank you. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, will take a 20-minute break. Thank you.
---SHORT RECESS
Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 448-20(1), 2026-2027 Main Estimates. We will now resume our consideration of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. Does the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment wish to bring witnesses into the House?
Yes, please, Mr. Chair.
Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Okay, thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the chambers.
Would the Minister please introduce her witnesses.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. On my left, I have Jamie Fulford, deputy minister of Education, Culture and Employment. And on my right, I have Terry-Lynn Locke-Setter, the assistant deputy minister of education, culture and employment for corporate services.
Okay, thank you. Committee, we will resume consideration of the education, key activity, beginning on page 42 with information items on pages 44 to 46. Are there any questions? I will continue on, I don't see any. No further questions, please turn to page 43.
Sorry, I will just back up here. I am going to go to the Member from Monfwi.
Okay. Yes, thank you. Yesterday Minister said mental health workers are all in school, so I just wanted to ask the Minister. They make -- who -- is this funded by ECE only and/or through health and social services? Thank you.
Thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So 55 percent of the school-based mental health and wellness program is funded by ECE, and 45 percent of it is funded by health and social services. Thank you.
Okay, thank you. I will go back to the Member from Monfwi.
Thank you. These are mental health workers. We know that it's really greatly needed. And at one time, we had a lot of mental health workers. And I know some of them took courses to get into that field, and especially in small communities. And it's kind of sad because when we were still there, there was a lot of good mental health workers, community mental health workers where some of them took early retirement because they were laying off people due to education level. They were looking for people with Master's in mental health. They were looking for doctors. And since that time, did the qualification change for these mental health workers?
Okay, thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So the counsellors that health and social services hires typically are people with a Master's degree, and then the funding through education, culture and employment gives education bodies a lot more flexibility into what they use the funding for as long as there is a prevention aspect to it but allows them to use the funding, for example, for additional clinicians, for personal support workers, for community support workers. And so it allows them the flexibility to determine how they want to use the funding to address the mental health needs of their specific education body and their students in their schools. Thank you.
Thank you. I will go to the Member from Monfwi.
