Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again echoing what the Premier said already, telecommunications is a known challenge across highways all across the Northwest Territories, across Canada. One of the roles that the Department of Finance has is as the liaison point or an advocacy point with the CRTC. I can say the CRTC recently with their representative member for the region was in the Northwest Territories, and we had an opportunity to meet, and finding a better path for telecommunications was one of the topics on that agenda. One of the challenges we've had O and M funding for cell...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Social Services and the Department of Finance have met several times over the last short while. In fact, quite recently. I have also included meetings with staff from the health care profession. And in the course of those meetings, we are in a place now where we do need we've acknowledged, and we know that we need to work together. Taking the work that's already been happening in health recruitment, which has been successful, and now building on it to ensure that we can translate what's happening there and translate that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm happy to examine my authority in this regard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, like any other new matter, item, concern, question, safety issue, or otherwise, the process would be the same. Obviously, departments would consider often what's happening in other jurisdictions, could consult locally with municipalities, jurisdictions, regional governments to see what needs there may be.

In this particular instance there is, in fact, quite a number of jurisdictions who are struggling with the question of what to do appropriately to balance considerations for Escooters. And so the Canadian Council of Motor Transportation Administers and...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents: 20242025 Main Estimates and the 20242028 Business Plans. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Fort Good Hope is still on track and fully expected to receive their barging services coming down from the top. So at this point and we do work the Department of Infrastructure and ECE and their hydrologists do connect and receive water reports regularly, so I could certainly perhaps share that. That might provide some additional comfort to the MLA. And, again, through the leadership channels that was mentioned earlier to ensure that everyone's aware of what we're monitoring, what's able. But at this moment, the information I have fresh off of the moment is that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, at the risk of it, I think I've probably already given away a bit of the answer, and the answer is yes, we will continue to do that work. There are there is some interest in the telecommunications space in the Northwest Territories on this but, really, again, there's not a private market that would support having this kind of service in the North. The market is just too small. We will really be looking to the federal government on this one and, again, really partnering likely with regional governments on whose lands or in whose regions these impacts...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think the answer is yes; it's how that is really the question here. Just recently the 2023 version of the Employee Engagement and Satisfaction Survey results have come back. I've had a chance to look at my own department's, Mr. Speaker. I often do look at other departments, including, in particular, Health and Social Services and the health authorities. I know other Ministers are doing the same. That is an important starting point. It gives us a sense on a number of indicators, including morale and training and engagement, to be able to connect some of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll try not to go on for 35 minutes again, Mr. Speaker, with respect to the budget. But on a high level, first of all, if the government has the fiscal capacity to invest in the Northwest Territories and in the people and the residents of the Northwest Territories over the long term in a sustainable way, then we can continue to provide all of the programs and services. We are running up ourselves right now against a situation where we don't have that fiscal capacity year over year and that one bad fire season can wipe us out with nothing left to show for it and nothing...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise the House that I intend to deliver the Budget Address on Friday, May 24, 2024. Thank you, Mr. Speaker