Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following three documents: Inter-Activity Transfers Exceeding $250,000 from April 1st to September 30th, 2023; 2022-2023 Northwest Territories Power Corporation Amended Capital Budget; and, Annual Report to the Legislative Assembly under the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act 2023. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a nice little opportunity to note that unlike other systems where a Minister of Finance might actually create the budget for the government, in our system I don't actually create the budget for the Northwest Territories government, Mr. Speaker. The financial management board, which is all Ministers, sit together. I chair it. But I actually don't even vote at it, Mr. Speaker. I bring people together. I'm responsible for the policy, responsible for the management, but every department does come forward with their incentives, with their initiatives...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have been a Minister that's been advocating in support of a North of 60 tax credit now for the mineral resource industry for four now going on five years. I have done so alongside Ministers from Nunavut and the Yukon as well and have done so at the finance table as well as at the mineral resource tables that I have been sitting at under previous iterations as well as the Minister of Infrastructure responsible for energy and for regional energy initiatives. So we'll certainly try to find further opportunities to do that.

I can say, Mr. Speaker, that to date...

I certainly can provide it. I don't have it in front of me, Mr. Speaker. But I would note that in general, direct appointments, at least over the last four years that I can speak to, were in -- I believe 90 percent or so were of individuals who had either P1 or P2 status, which would be Indigenous individuals as well as long-term Northerners, but I'll ensure that we've broken that down to reflect specifically Indigenous Northwest Territories residents. It is a very high percentage of the direct appointments that are -- that go through. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Multiple questions means I can just talk all about the Indigenous Recruitment and Retention Framework. So in this case, Mr. Speaker, I can be quite succinct because in some ways it's simple. Every department has submitted their own employment plan. Those were published in November of 2022. They then have a responsibility to meet both short-term, medium-term, and long-term objectives. In October of just this last year, the employment plans were all posted online, and it shows columns of what is expected for short, medium, and long term. So there's status updates that are...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm certain I can provide some summary. I only want to be conscious that I'm not sharing DND information that is not mine to share, but can definitely provide more information about what kind of sale's pitch we're giving. And, again, happy to have more attention on it. I certainly would want to make it very plain and very clear that I share the interest, and I share the enthusiasm. We want to see that investment here. We think the Northwest Territories is the right place for it. And so I'll make sure and get something that we can all share and get behind...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, ultimately a decision about where a national defence base or a national defence expansion would take place is the national department of defence decision. Our purpose and our goal is to ensure that wherever that base is that it's in the Northwest Territories. No disrespect to our colleagues on either side, but we want it to be in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

I hope I'm reading the right thing, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, that Bill 6, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 4, 2023-2024, be read for a second -- Mr. Speaker, I'm reading the wrong -- let me try this again I think.

I'm on third reading. Unless somebody else thought I was on second reading or third reading -- okay, let me start this all again. Nothing has happened. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, that Bill 6, Supplementary Appropriations Act (Operations...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I told my kids that I wanted to use Pink Shirt Day as an opportunity to say something at the Assembly about bullying, and I asked them what they thought I should say.

My 12-year-old said, You need to catch bullying quickly. You can't let the situation repeat itself. It gets harder to stop the longer the behaviours continue. You cannot let it be normalized. You cannot let it be routine. Disrespect should never be routine. She is right. It gets easier to ignore when a behaviour becomes normal. And so days of recognition like Pink Shirt Day are good occasions...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to present to the House Bill 6, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 4, 2023-2024, to be read for the first time. Thank you.