Caroline Wawzonek

Fortunately, this is a policy-based item, so there certainly is opportunity to refine it as it has now rolled out and before any applications come in. Again, it's fairly early in its stages. The Member mentions the need for innovation, the desire for innovation. I have actually heard the same from industry, that they also want the opportunity to innovate, that they want the opportunity to access these funds, to be real leaders in this area. To the extent that that can be considered, I think that is a great opportunity. Again, the policy itself is not complex. It's not lengthy. It may very...

The accounts for this program were only set up as of March 31, 2020, which obviously falls and coincides quite a bit with what is happening with COVID-19. As of this point, with a few months, no, there have not been any applications yet to date.

Mr. Speaker, this government is committed to making its programs, services, and functions accessible to people in as many ways as possible. We are committed to keeping up with the worldwide shift towards online portals to access information and services of all kinds.

Our goal is that, to the greatest extent possible, people should be able to access Government of the Northwest Territories' programs and services how they want, where they want, and when they want.

The eServices team within the Department of Finance is close to a major milestone that will support our work towards this goal of...

The simple fact is: as I said earlier, having only been really up and running since the accounts were set up at the end of March, there hasn't even been an application yet, but I think, at the very least, as I've said already, whether it's a small-R internal review or whether it's a question of putting out some guidelines to help understand the interpretation of the criteria, which are admittedly short, I also have it in front of me, I think we'll have to do that to make sure that we are actually, again, capturing and targeting good projects, good ideas, so that we can actually demonstrate...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am hesitating only because I don't want to get mired in reviews on a program that hasn't even really barely rolled out. I agree with some of the comments the Member has made around ensuring that there is enough flexibility in this program to really capture true innovation, and so that we are really encouraging a sea change in terms of how we deal and how we can really use this funding to advance green opportunities and green mining. Whether it's maybe a small-scale, internal review that happens, that much, I think, is probably safe to say. Thank you.

There certainly is a vision for this project. We do recognize, most certainly, that typical well abandonment in the southern provinces costs far less than what well abandonment and reclamation will cost here in the Northwest Territories or in the North more generally. Whether that is particularly because of access and the need to transport supplies, there is also significant environmental risk here, again, with climate change being on the front lines of the Northwest Territories. There is real, clear awareness that this is an area where we need to pay significant attention. In addition to that...

Mr. Speaker, this is truly a whole-of-government opportunity, and there are a number of departments that are all engaged in terms of a GNWT working group. There has been much discussion amongst the departments, as well, around really re-examining how we deliver services that are aimed at vulnerable sectors and aimed at women specifically. I do think there will be some movement on that, also, over the next four to six months, where we can really see a concerted effort and a more organized effort. It has been part of what, as departments go through business planning and then prepare their main...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I am very happy to be able to report back to the House. The special advisor, Sabet Biscaye, who I want to acknowledge for all the work that she has done as a one-woman, -person, really running that office. She has gone out, and we have hired a local consultant, Mr. Speaker. That person has a deadline of October 16th, by which point we will have a work plan. It has been very clearly instructed on my behalf that the work plan is meant to be one that involves tremendous engagement at the front lines across the Northwest Territories. Once I have that work plan ready, I...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents: "Capital Estimates 2021-2022;" "NWT Liquor Licensing Board 66th Annual Report 2019-2020;" and "66th Annual Report 2019/20 Northwest Territories Liquor and Cannabis Commission." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I don't want to get captured with semantics. Being conscious of the fact that we have to be engaged with the federal government when we put forward any kind of procurement policy, and particularly an Indigenous procurement policy, the answer to that is yes. Whether it's going to be a specific federal strategy, I'm a little more hesitant to say, but I believe the Premier has already spoken at other occasions about the fact that we are all tasked with being responsible to go to our federal partners and counterparts to discuss all of these kinds of issues. What I will say is that I will perhaps...