Kate Reid

Thank you, Madam Chair. If I call you Mr. Chair, I apologize; it's a habit. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I believe this may or may not be the right place to ask. It's a policy-based question. In the business plan, there is discussion around the NWT policy position on Arctic sovereignty and security. Can the committee please receive an update on the work being done on this policy? Thank you.

Yeah, no problem at all. I am on page 137, grants, contributions and transfers of governance and service integration. The line item is wraparound services from 2025-2026 to 2026-2027. The number has decreased quite sharply. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know the Minister has mentioned that in the life of this Assembly we should see targeted updates to the waters regulations that will assist with clarity for resource development.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister speak to when the Assembly, not this one, but future Assemblies may anticipate substantive amendments to the Waters Act? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. In the business plan, on page 33 under public safety, it speaks to the integrated team locations and identifying barriers to service that -- a service access that address the root causes of crime. So the measures being data collection related to the root causes of crime collected at those locations and services to support reintegration and crime prevention at integrated team locations and that they will work to identify barriers around integration and crime prevention efforts at integrated team locations.

Both of these pieces are in progress or under development. And I...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

Mr. Speaker, in GNWT executive council policy 53.02, sustainable development, one of the stated principles is that natural resources should be managed so that opportunities for future resource uses are maximized and maintenance of ecosystems is ensured. My question is, is it the Minister's position that our existing transboundary agreements with neighboring upstream jurisdictions allow for the GNWT to effectively meet the intent of this principle should effluent wastewater be released in those...

Thank you, Madam Chair. That is possibly the cutest acronym I've ever heard come out of the GNWT. It sounds like a fuzzy little critter. But I think we're all a little bit tired and loopy at this point, Madam Chair. I apologize.

But I am curious if FILU has, in its travels then, sort of started to take some data or having some sense of the scale and scope of gender-based violence emergency in this territory. I know the Minister is well aware. I am wondering, are we starting to put together any kind of database picture on the need for supports throughout the territory and the gender-based...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Water is our most precious resource, and working together is how we protect it in partnership with Indigenous governments. I want to thank my colleague from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh for raising concerns with Alberta proposing wastewater release from oil sands into the territory's watershed. From the beginning of this Assembly, on my office wall you can find a map of the Mackenzie Basin watershed. Water from northern Alberta, British Columbia, parts of Saskatchewan, and the Yukon all flow through the mighty Dehcho to the Arctic Ocean.

The NWT has one of the most pristine...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I understand that the NAP funding, and I am sorry, I just want to make sure I get the acronym right, the national action plan to end gender-based violence has been brought in from other departments into gender equity and EIA as a central location for that funding. And that NAP funding is 50 percent funded by Canada. And it's my understanding that the funding that we're currently receiving is time-bound and is going to expire at the end of 2026-2027 fiscal. And on top of that, you know, the historical funding to the NGOs that are subscribing to funding under...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Nothing further.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Continuous improvement is always great. So I will leave that one there for another time being.

The other piece I have under this activity is in the business plan. It mentions the OneGov project to develop, build, and launch a unified GNWT web platform that can consolidate ten core websites, the flagship site, I think it's just gov.nt.ca, and eight specialty marketing sites during the 20th Assembly. Could we get an update on that work, please, Madam Chair.