Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, art is a reflection on society and the aspirations, beliefs, and observations of its members. The expression and enjoyment of art is an essential element in the health of any free and democratic society. Art is not created or defined by government, and government's role is to recognize the social, cultural, economic, and spiritual contribution that art makes to our communities. These communities of individual artists, art organizations, and art consumers, they serve in a system and the achievement of these objectives.

Mr. Speaker, the reason I am talking...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to request unanimous consent to move to item 6 on the order paper, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

When is the Minister going to come back to the House with all this work, tomorrow, the next day, the day after that? Can the Minister give us a timeline?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I also have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Similar to my honourable friend from Yellowknife North, I want to talk about arts as a generator of jobs. This also involves the Minister of Labour. This is an important issue. The Conference Board of Canada estimates the annual contribution of Canada's arts and culture industry is 7.4 per cent. As a gross total, that is more than Canada's mining, forestry, fishery sectors plus the Canadian Forces combined. We talk about transitioning, diversifying our economy. We have the artists...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the recipients of the Governor General's award for corrections exemplary services in correctional officers. They are here today, and I thank them for their tremendous work in our correctional facilities here, in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My colleague the honourable Member from Yellowknife North brought up some funding dollars. Every Member on this side of the House has brought up more funding for the arts. I am going to ask the Minister again, this time from me, if he is going to hear the majority of the House and provide more funding dollars for the arts within the life of this Assembly? Thank you.

I am glad to hear there is a whole government approach. It sounds like the Minister is committing to taking this on. We have brought this issue before. Today is not the first time it is brought up. What work has he been doing to fulfill these new arts commitments that he is talking about today? I don't see anything in today's budget around the arts.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Premier providing clarity on this. It seems like this current federal government is taking a very proactive approach in reconciling with Indigenous governments in Canada and Indigenous nations in Canada. Would the Premier agree with that assessment? Because it sounds like all the funding for self-government in the Northwest Territories is coming from Ottawa regardless of all the top-ups of funding that we need to ensure equity of service. Would he agree that the federal government is fulfilling its mandate towards reconciliation? Thank you.

Perhaps I will clarify my sources. They come from the Indigenous governments themselves who responded to the Premier's claims in the red alert; so it is not largely words from Ottawa. It is words from the people of the Northwest Territories. The Dene Nation, for example, passed a resolution calling on direct funding for programs and services to Indigenous governments in the Northwest Territories. Does the Premier support that resolution?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the final months of 2017, the Premier took to the national stage to declare serious allegations towards all of southern Canada concerning the economic future of the NWT. The Premier has said that "the dreams of Northerners are dying." Mr. Speaker, the dreams of Northerners are not dying. They are renewed by the next generation who want a prosperous future for their communities with a sustainable economy that provides benefits to all of our residents. This is why I take issue with the Premier's rhetoric, and most recently his position that the NWT cannot have a strong...