Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, sailing dates and specifically cargo cutoff dates are typically communicated a little later in the spring as we're still waiting to see what the water levels might look like as we get closer into the spring dates.

I can say, Mr. Speaker, and I'm happy to say, that we have new director other at MTS, and the director was able to use the opportunity of NWTAC to make some connections and good connections with communities so that when we are able to communicate and as we're able to communicate, we're doing that in an effective way. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, Mr. Chair, as we conclude deliberations on the 2025-2026 Main Estimates, I want to recognize the work of Members in shaping this budget. And through collaboration, note that we are making additional strategic investments that reflect the priority of this Assembly and the needs of Northerners.

One of the most significant outcomes of our discussions, Mr. Chair, is that there is a commitment here being made to support housing. We will be introducing a $41.6 million supplementary appropriation for Housing Northwest Territories in 2025-2026 to make critical investments in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I obviously have not a whole lot of control over what a new federal government may or may not do to funding levels that support all three territories and to, frankly, 40 percent of Canada's land mass. Certainly, with the current geopolitical climate would certainly hope that Ottawa recognizes the importance of investing in 40 percent of Canada's land mass as a statement about Arctic sovereignty, as a statement about Arctic security. The territorial formula financing approach for us comes up due in 2029, but we are engaging with the other two territories. We...

Mr. Speaker, no, that's not the only reason. The situation we faced over the last several years of climate impacts and fiscal challenges has put us in a situation where the significant sized operating surpluses that we've been managing to create for ourselves, rather than having those available to reinvest or to cushion us, are winding up being used for those purposes and so that means that we then take on more debt to fund operations and to fund our investment and capital. So looking, then, over the next few years and, frankly, seeing, you know, what is happening and what may be coming over...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are no plans at the moment to significantly modify the infrastructure that's up in the Beaufort Delta region. However, I can say that some of the -- there was a tug and a barge -- barges left up in Inuvik back in 2024 so that they are ready -- more ready and more able to move quickly as soon the waters are navigable. Obviously still hoping that this year's water levels come back and that we're not facing quite the same level of challenges next year but did take those steps to say that we are positioned so that at early parts of the season when, hopefully, things...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's not that the department doesn't have legal opinions over the last 35 years; however, I just won't be putting forward legal opinions that are subject to solicitor-client privilege here on the floor of the House. Mr. Speaker, certainly happy to sit down and engage further about the various risks that go into determining policy. I'm not going to speak to what Quebec may or may not do. And there is a significant difference in the application of, you know -- if where this was going was some suggestion around, you know, what kind of risk mitigation strategies one might...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, under the summer student program you do need to be ordinarily resident so that right now persons who, as P2, would be born in the Northwest Territories. If they are not an ordinarily resident, then they would not. If they are a P2 because they have lived more than half their life and might be a student from that -- in that respect and if they're now still ordinarily resident, then they would qualify, Mr. Speaker. If under the Indigenous employment policy, you would have -- of course, again, it's related to persons who are Indigenous to the Northwest...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we do take the safety of highways quite seriously. There's regular inspections of all the highways. To what extent there are inspections versus specific studies or studies related to private projects, I'm happy to look into it. Mr. Speaker, it may well be that the project proponents themselves have done some examinations. I know, for example, over in another -- in your own region, Mr. Speaker, the Norzinc mine certainly was looking at what impacts having extra highway traffic would bring to those, to the highways in that area. So happy to look into it and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that's an excellent observation by a member of the public. And it's a direction that we may well see ourselves moving towards in terms of being able to communicate better of what our successes and our challenges are in the space of being representative. We know that the Northwest Territories has a 50 percent Indigenous population, but it's quite right that the actual labour force is not necessarily a 50/50 split. And that may be owing to the age demographics, if people are too young or too old to be in the workforce for example. What we do find is that in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, so the Indigenous employment policy does apply to the internship and the summer student program so all students who are Indigenous -- Indigenous Canadians that are students would certainly have access to that. And to be a member -- or to have access to the student programs, that does continue to have the ordinarily resident eligibility to it. So for young people or anyone who's applying for an internship or a summer student position, they would have to have a connection to the Northwest Territories as an ordinary resident just as they would also if they...