Are there any other questions from Members? Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Okay, my first question, in the business plan on page 36, it talks about one of the actions is to work with partners to identify barriers for remote lodge operations. And there's like a little paragraph there under progress that talks about how an economic analysis that was done across departments identified a number of regulatory barriers. And one of the case studies was remote lodges, and there were these four barriers identified:
Fire inspections,
Liquor licensing,
Environmental health and water; and
Immigration hospitality.
But it doesn't say anything about what's actually being done about those barriers. So yay, we did a study and identified barriers. So what is the next step? How is this being prioritized? How are these barriers being addressed and removed? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, within economic barriers space, some of the work that ITI does is working with their stakeholders, so different industry leaders in order to basically unroot those. And then I have the opportunity and officials as well, and deputy minister as well, at her tables to share this, both with my colleagues at the Cabinet table, this work, as well as other deputies, so that we're all essentially working together. Whether or not and how this work is then prioritized really relies on the other work that is being done within that department.
So, for example, within this example, so fire inspections are done with MACA, liquor licensing with finance, environmental health and water with health and social services. So it's really about an all-of-government approach, but we also have to take into account that there are a multitude of priorities, especially related to legislation within each of these departments, and ultimately, at the end of the day, determine what has the greatest impact for northern residents across the board. And so it's largely a prioritization exercise but work is still being done, and first and foremost is identifying what those barriers are. Thank you.
Thank you. I will go back to the Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Okay, and so is this analysis at least publicly available? So other, I mean, I am sure this might apply to many other business owners, entrepreneurs, tourism operators, so they might be able to see the work that's been done, and then is there some public, like a tracker or something that would allow them to see what is in progress, what's being done to address these things, even if they're not top priorities? It's like okay, well, next year, we're going to look at this, or in the next Assembly, just so that there's a loop back to people who are certainly interested in seeing these barriers removed. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, the work has not progressed to this stage at this point. It's work that we continue to essentially identify, uproot, and then prioritize first and foremost at the Cabinet table in relationship to the other priorities that have been identified by this Assembly. It, at this point, really is about determining what makes the most sense. There are some items that have been identified that may have a minimal economic impact for the Northwest Territories but might be very important to one person, and it doesn't mean that we, as a government, want to discount items that are important but figuring out first and foremost what may be some out-of-the-box options as to how to address them. And it doesn't mean that we're not addressing any of them to begin with.
For example, when it comes to the issue of remote lodges, we've already been able to work closely with some of these operators to identify different funding mechanisms that they can tap into to address some of the needs and some of the issues that they're identifying within their specific lodge. But that doesn't kind of go upstream, which is what some of this work is intending to do. Thank you.
Thank you. I will go to a Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thanks for that. I mean, I understand that not everything that's identified is going to be the top priority for the whole of government, but I do think this links well, and it doesn't say explicitly but, you know, with the red tape reduction working group and the overall efforts within government to try to respond and -- yeah, be more responsive to small businesses, entrepreneurs in terms of removing barriers. So I hope that that work as a whole can be made more front and center, public, in terms of what is being done, what can be done, what concerns are being heard.
Anyway, I will leave that for a second. But I also wanted to ask -- and I apologize, I can't seem to find a page number in the business plan anymore but I did write it down -- there are tourism business mentorships, and it was noted that there were four mentees for 2025-2026. And in terms of youth mentors for tourism, there were five mentees in 2025-2026. This seems like a good program.
Can you clarify, first, is this through the SEED program; and secondly, are we meeting all the demands or applications for mentors and mentees or, you know, are there even more requests out there that we couldn't meet because of limited funding? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
So, Mr. Chair, it is a program through the tourism mentorship fund, so not through SEED, so it is separate. And in addition to that, it's a program that was captured as part of Tourism 2025.
As far as I know, we are not receiving or not being inundated with requests for mentorship, and it is always the goal of industry, tourism and investment, if somebody is wanting to pursue some type of mentorship that has to do with business that we're going to find somebody to pair them up with and at least always make that connection. It's a department that is very much based in relationship building because that's where we see the greatest amount of success when we're talking about supporting young entrepreneurs or new entrepreneurs. Thank you.
Thank you. I will go back to the Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, I wonder if the Minister then can take this opportunity to explain a bit more publicly about what this program is, what its purpose is, you know, why people should apply or, you know, who should apply, and the youth program, what that's about, just so there's more awareness. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, we have funding of roughly $30,000 annually that is dedicated to young professionals that are interested in becoming business owners or further developing their business within the tourism industry. So it pairs, you know, fresh or new entrants to the tourism industry with more experienced professionals who act as the mentor. And these are people who are willing to share their years of expertise and knowledge as well as their business acumen. So, so to speak, getting to be paired up with people who, you know, have tried it the hard way or tried it a way that maybe wasn't well placed within their community and kind of worked through some of those ins and outs and are willing to share it with the next generation. I, as a past business owner myself, have found that business owners in the Northwest Territories are quite excited and quite generous with their time and expertise and willing to really grow that next generation. Thank you.
Okay, thank you. I will go to the Member from Yellowknife North.
Okay, that's all my questions on tourism. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Okay, thank you. Are there any other Members that have questions? Okay, seeing none, please turn to page 245.
Industry, tourism and investment, tourism and parks, $18,206,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. There are additional information items from page 249 to 253. Are there any questions? Moving on. Thank you, Members.
Please return to the department summary found on page 227 with information items on page 228 to 231. Are there any questions?
Seeing no further questions, committee, I will now call the departmental summary, industry, tourism and investment, operational expenditures, total department 2026-2027 Main Estimates, $68,954,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Thank you, Minister, and thank you to the witnesses for appearing before us. Sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witnesses from the chambers.
I am going to go to the Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move the chair rise and report progress.
Thank you. There's a motion on the floor to report progress. The motion is in order and non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion carried.
---Carried
Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 448-20(1), 2026-2027 Main Estimates, and would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be conferred with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Can I have a seconder? I am going to probably pick on the guy from Thebacha. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? Motion carried.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I move, second by the honourable Member from Nunakput, that Bill 33, Technical Safety Statutes Amendment Act, be read for the third time. Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote.
The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
The Member for Hay River South. The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. The Member for Nunakput. The Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. The Member for Dehcho. The Member for Range Lake. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake. The Member for Monfwi. The Member for Frame Lake. The Member for Great Slave. The Member for Yellowknife North. The Member for Thebacha. The Member for Yellowknife South. The Member for Kam Lake. The Member for Hay River North. The Member for Yellowknife Centre.
All those opposed, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand. Thank you.
Results for the recorded vote is 16 in favour, zero opposed and zero abstentions. The motion is carried. Bill 33 has had third reading.
---Carried
Third reading of bills. Minister of Justice.
Bill 35:
Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2026,
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 35, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2026, be read for the third time. And Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
The Member for Thebacha. The Member for Yellowknife South. The Member for Kam Lake. The Member for Hay River North. The Member for Hay River South. The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. The Member for Nunakput. The Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. The Member for Dehcho. The Member for Sahtu. The Member for Yellowknife Centre. The Member for Range Lake. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake. The Member for Monfwi. The Member for Frame Lake. The Member for Great Slave. The Member for Yellowknife North.
All those opposed, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand.
Thank you. The results of the recorded vote are 17 in favour, zero opposed and zero abstentions. The motion is carried. Bill 35 has had third reading.
---Carried.
Third reading of bills. Mr. Premier.
--
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that Bill 42, Tlego'hli-Got'ine Final Self-Government Agreement Act, be read for the third time. And Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote.
To the motion. Member from the Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like the previous two motions there, or the two readings there, I will be supporting this motion here. And it's a very symbolic day to see another of our community-based self-government taking place, similar to the Deline Got'ine government. So, therefore, the milestones are being set, attributed to community-based economic drivers of self-reliance. Those are really meaningful independent words there, Mr. Speaker, in security and developing your own independence for self-governing your determination.
As a born member of the Sahtu and reviewing, Mr. Speaker, the many efforts in concluding self-government initiatives on a regional basis, and the land claims in general for the Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker, has a history. Now you're at the threshold point of concluding and being a citizen, and a corporate citizen, injecting into yourself reliant ambitions. One would only have to look at the achieved goals and objectives set by the Deline Got'ine government. And we will witness that to the point where you're saying seeing is believing. You will see the achievements by this community of 660 people come our retreat this fall. And I don't want to share the visions of accomplishments until we get there.
So, in short, this is another milestone of this government and the local governments, hand-in-hand with the federal government, concluding these milestones and moving on. We've got a huge amount of problems. And by having independent capital for their initiative would only mean that you're an economic driver with your own ambitions, your own targets, representing your own people for independence. So given that, I compliment the leadership to date on their concluding self-government package, which was ratified by the people that they represent, and I look forward to more community-based claims. My understanding is that the community of Colville Lake is not too far behind. So I can say freely, you know, the life of this 20th Assembly is going to be complimented on the achievements of self-determination. So we have something to show, led by the Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs.
So having said that, I welcome all and compliment the players that brought us to this third reading initiative. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. To the motion.
Question.
