Kieron Testart

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. 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.

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...

I didn't get a clear answer from the Premier, there. I'm looking to see, you know, if the future of the Northwest Territories is going to be a complex one with many different levels of government and many different responsibilities. How is this government ensuring that we have an equity of service provision across the territory with the negotiation of these self-government agreements? It's important that Northerners can expect the same high-quality service from every level of government regardless of whether it's federal, territorial, or Indigenous. So what are we doing to ensure that our...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the pillars of reconciliation is the drawdown of powers from governments in Canada to Indigenous self-governments, and that is, of course, a component of the work of reconciliation here in the Northwest Territories. Yet it seems that there is some resistance from this government to a true nation-to-nation relationship as it relates to GNWT funding authority and programs and services.

I would like to ask the Premier: what specific programs, services, and authorities is this government planning on negotiating in self-government drawdowns? Thank you, Mr...

Is the Minister committed to tabling that strategy in the fall at some point? This is the last day of our sitting. Is the Minister going to table that strategy today?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to again remind the Premier that, over the life of this government in the last two years, any policy direction to the Public Utilities Board has been shared with standing committees after the fact. We have not been allowed to provide input into these policy decisions. Will the Premier commit to this side of the House today to ensure that the voices of the standing committees and the Regular Members are included before policy direction is given to the Public Utilities Board? Thank you.