Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in 2014 the GNWT signed on the devolution agreement and as a result of that, they created the Council of Leaders. And part of that, they created the housing forum. Right now the housing forum is making an application to Build Canada Homes funds, and the Housing NWT is funding that initiative. But, Mr. Speaker, not everybody signed on to the devolution agreement - the Dehcho and Akaitcho, three of the four communities. So there is a need for an organization like Dene Nation to find a vehicle to make applications for the same funding.
So my question is to the Minister of Housing NWT that to eliminate this duplication, we also would like to see a commitment from her to fund the Dene Nation of $700,000 for this housing initiative. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Member for the question. I think I answered the question earlier. But with the NWT Housing Forum, I just want to clarify that many communities in the Akaitcho and the Dehcho region participate in the NWT Housing Forum and have ongoing discussions and work in collaboration with Housing NWT. So these conversations and these partnerships continue even if they're not part of the devolution agreement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at the Dene Nation Assembly in Fort Good Hope, they passed a resolution calling for -- to start up, to Build Canada Homes funding to build homes in the Northwest Territories. And there are also people from -- that are part of the housing forum that signed on to the motion.
So my question to the Minister, is she able to sit down with the Dene Nation, Dene National Chief George Mackenzie, to work with him in trying to figure out as to how we're all going to work together since housing is a top priority of this government? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, of course I am willing to sit down with the Dene National Chief to talk about their vision around housing in the Northwest Territories, have a conversation. But one thing I will say is I am working with Indigenous rights organizations in this Northwest Territories, and we work one-on-one or through the NWT Housing Forum. But of course willing to sit down. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Final supplementary. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yeah, it's good that she's willing to sit down with the Dene Nation to talk about housing. But the thing is that we're talking about rights-based communities. The Dehcho, Akaitcho are not part of the devolution agreement. So there's a need to sit down to sort that out because you can't sort of just take care of the people that signed on to devolution and then not deal with the ones that didn't sign on to it. So we need to address this issue in trying to help find the monies needed to get this thing off the ground on housing. Thank you.
So I will just stand, Mr. Speaker, now. Just kidding.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The NWT Council of Leaders has nothing to do with devolution. What is part of devolution is the Intergovernmental Council. Just to clarify that. But, again, we do work in partnership with the Akaitcho and the Dehcho communities that are interested in delivering housing in their communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing -- You've already got me thinking health and social services. Minister responsible for housing.
Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.
