Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And it's a big question because the Member's right, there's a lot going on and there's a lot that we should expect here in the territory. In terms of investments from the federal government, there's of course the DND side of things, and we've been advancing the Mackenzie Valley Highway, Arctic Economic Security Corridor, and Taltson, and lobbying hard for many years now for those. But we're at the point where we feel like we need to be shifting from lobbying to preparing and mobilizing to actually ensure that these projects get done, get done in a timely fashion, and that the people of the Northwest Territories reap the benefits of construction and the ongoing operation of these projects. And so we are working to ensure that we have all of our ducks in a row. We're looking at ensuring that we have a workforce plan going forward. Of course, there's the shutdown in Norman Wells. There's the closure of Diavik. And so there will be a workforce looking for work. So we're working on figuring out what do we need, what sort of positions do we need for these projects, what communities need the training for those types of positions, what type of training do we already have. And I am looking forward to updating this House in the next sitting with a plan on how we're going to move forward and ensure that those benefits stay in the territory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thanks to the Premier for that reply. What really struck me was lobbying is done now. Now we've got to prepare. So I extend an invitation to the Premier that I am available. Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Finance on services and policies related to Francophone employees which I would like to ask in French. [Translation] Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Finance, for French-speaking employees. First of all, does the government make efforts to recruit in the civil service Francophones or people who speak French fluently?
[Translation Ends].
Thank you, Member from the Yellowknife North. Minister of Finance.
[Translation] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, our people who work in recruiting in the civil service are doing specific things for Francophone employees. For example, we have job fairs which are hosted by the college of the north, and in our civil service recruiting system, we have three bilingual positions, and other positions where bilingualism is an asset. And these are for people -- these are in order to recruit people who are bilingual into the NWT civil service.
[Translation Ends]
[Translation] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Finally, does the government provide financial incentives, such as bonuses, to employees who speak French and English fluently?
[Translation Ends]
[Translation] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we do offer bonuses to employees who speak not only French and English but also for those employees who are bilingual in an Indigenous language. In March of last year, we had 177 employees who received the French bilingualism bonus and 151 who received the same bonus for bilingualism in an indigenous language. Thank you, Speaker.
[Translation Ends].
Thank you, Minister of Finance. Final supplementary. Member from the Yellowknife North.
[Translation] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you very much for the reply. Which services offered by human resources are available to employees in French? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
[Translation Ends].
[Translation] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a number of services are offered. We have translation services provided by the secretariat for Francophone affairs. This is part of the department of education. And, as I said, we have recruitment services specifically for Francophones. And, Mr. Speaker, we also have services for courses that we provide to our employees in order to assist them in improving their language skills.
[Translation Ends].
Thank you, Minister of Finance. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am going to return to the Minister responsible for the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission. He just mentioned that he has asked the WSCC to speed up legislative development to bring forward the coverage, increased coverage for first responders. So what does that mean? Speed up from what? We need some timelines here. Saying in the fullness of time or saying by the end of the term, that's not reliable. I am looking for clear commitments. We need them now, especially because we've just lost nine months. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister responsible for WSCC.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess we can go back and forth on this forever, but, you know, I am just going to state that -- I am just going to state that I've asked the WSCC to work on this and speed it up, and I am hoping to hear back from the department on how quickly this can be done. And that's all I am going to say for now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister -- can the Minister commit to have a legislative proposal in place by the May-June session for the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight to review? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the timelines that I shared with the Member over nine months ago, I think would have had this done already, but at the end of the day, you know, I've asked the WSCC to find a path forward to speed this up, and I can't commit to having it done by that timeline. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister responsible for WSCC. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this would have been done today if things had gone differently. Anyway, Mr. Speaker, we need a commitment. If he can't do May-June, can he do the fall sitting? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not committing to a timeline. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister responsible for WSCC. Oral questions. Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So now I have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment on services to northern Francophones, which I will ask in French again because that was so much fun. [Translation] Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment on the subject of services for Francophone individuals in the Northwest Territories. Service standards have been updated with respect to services provided in French, and it's happened in August 2024. What government institutions provide services in French? Thank you.
[Translation Ends].
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
[Translation] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Communication standards and government services apply to communications and services provided by the government's departments. It also includes the office of the Legislative Assembly, as well as all agencies, offices, commissions, or designated organizations as set out in the regulation on government services as well as as set out in the Official Languages Act which contains criteria. This also involves central offices.
[Translation Ends].
[Translation] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for the response. Are these services actively provided, or does a request need to be made? How can residents know whether these services are currently available in French? Is it always clearly indicated?
[Translation Ends].
[Translation] Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The services that are provided are subject to a (audio). There is a process that informs the public that they can communicate in English or French when they access government services in the NWT. The goal is to make sure that individuals feel free to express themselves in the language of their choice. But, Mr. Speaker, the person could also ask for services in French if there is any kind of uncertainty.
[Translation Ends]
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife North.
[Translation] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If a government employee is bilingual, can this employee be asked to respond to a request for French services, and can a request be made to translate documents into French? Thank you, Speaker.
[Translation Ends].
[Translation] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The response that I'll give, which will be short -- I don't usually give short responses. But the answer is no. This government document to be provided to the public must be translated by the French service -- translation service. By going through this service, we ensure that the terminology used is accurate and consistent, and the draft versions are corrected before publication. Those who hold a position where bilingualism is mandatory and who receive the bilingualism bonus are encouraged to serve the public and correspond with the public in the language of their choice.
[Translation Ends].
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During our Bring Alma Home challenge there last year, which eventually was successful -- I am grateful for all those involved -- it rose a particular question that the Northwest Territories does not have a Cemeteries Act. And I've talked to the Member for Tu Nedhe that this is something we should work on, including some other people in the community. And just to be clear, Mr. Speaker, the primary function of a cemetery act, not an extensive list, of course, but is to protect the standards, operational responsibilities, financial accountability, and protection of burial grounds, etcetera. And I am sure there are many more nuances to it than that.
Mr. Speaker, my question is particular to the -- in particular, I will be directing to the Minister who's charged with being the House leader. So is there a reason why the government does not have a Cemeteries Act? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Mr. Government Leader.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't have that information at hand with me today, so I will take that as notice. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, government leader. Oral questions. Member from Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just want to ask the Minister of ECE on this last day, I am curious to know where things are at with Aurora College. It's always something I want to find out about during sessions. So I am curious to know where we're at with the implementation of the mandate agreement. Is that agreement being reported on anywhere publicly? How is the public to know where Aurora College is at in their progress? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, currently, Aurora College continues to work through its implementation plan, and I can say that in the last meeting that I was able to have with the deputy Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, the president of Aurora College, and the chair of the Aurora College board of governors, that the implementation plan is on track and in progress right now. So, Mr. Speaker, in that most recent meeting, I also did pass along much of the same comments that we're getting from the Member right now, which is that a progress tracker that is updated or updates to that implementation plan that's found in the back of the mandate agreement would be helpful to the public and being able to really tell the success story of the good work that they've been doing over the last bit. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, I am happy to provide a bit of public pressure behind that initiative that the Minister just suggested so I would just, yeah, put my support behind that and would like to see that as well.
Mr. Speaker, I know that the college was -- or the Minister's office was advertising board appointments. How is that process going, and when can we expect to see a fully appointed and -- well, full appointments to the board? Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is right. Just recently the deadline passed for the closure of the call for applications to the board of governors. And that process is underway, and those announcements will be made imminently. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate hearing that, and I am glad to hear that it is imminent.
Mr. Speaker, are there any other milestones that the college has coming up in the near future that the public should keep their eye out for? And, certainly, I will keep my eye out for it.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are a number of things that the college continues to work on that is found in the implementation plan on page 6 of the mandate agreement. The most exciting piece of that, Mr. Speaker, is that in December, the CAQC from Alberta -- so that's the accreditation body -- did travel up to the campuses here in the Northwest Territories as part of their process, and they are currently working on that process with Aurora College. And my understanding is that it was quite a successful trip and that this spring Aurora College intends to come out with very detailed information about what that process has looked like to this point and what it means for the remainder of 2026 for the college itself. So I very much look forward to being able to share that information once the college puts it out publicly. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as with most sittings, I'd like to ask the Minister of ECC about the ongoing efforts to make targeted amendments to the Waters Act and would like to do the same this sitting.
Mr. Speaker, can the Minister give us an update as to where we are at in that process to make targeted amendments to the Waters Act.
Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
