Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, if there wasn't an MOU and I asked the Minister how are you supporting coordinating project development in the Northwest Territories with Indigenous governments, I think she would have given me the same answer. So my question specifically is what difference does this MOU make in terms of, like, better supporting these projects? And what are the practical effects of the MOU on our economy for these projects? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, so one of the biggest concerns is when foster parents, in particular, are having issues and feel like decisions are not being made in the best interests of the children under their care, that they are -- their homes are shut down, they're shut out of the system. What ask the Minister -- what does the Minister recommend those foster families do in those concerns? How do they have their concerns raised so we can ensure the best interests of the child are actually being followed and not some other policy that they're not even allowed to see? So how do we...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said in my Member's statement, there's a real need for a child and youth advocate in the Northwest Territories. I'm hearing from foster parents and biological parents in the system that in many cases there's a revolving door of social workers. Some of the foster families have four social workers in one year. Some have no contact with the kids' social worker for an entire year. They feel like they have been set up for failure, wrong information given, miscommunication. It's always their fault, Mr. Speaker, and when they complain their homes get shut...

Mr. Speaker, in the Northwest Territories, the child and family services system holds extraordinary power over children in care with no real independent oversight. Every choice made affects a child's life, but there's no formal review process. And since young children cannot advocate for themselves, they need someone to speak up on their behalf.

As MLAs, we are meant to serve as advocates when systems are failing Northerners yet even we are limited when it comes to child and family services cases. Because health and social services is the legal guardian of these children, it alone decides...

Well, is it the table of the symposium or the table going forward? Like, I'm trying to get a sense of what the MOU actually produces in operational terms, I guess. Is this -- is there a timeline or a schedule to look like? Is there -- are there contributing pots of funding? Like, what is it beyond a piece of paper and a great agreement? I support this kind of coordination, but what I'm trying to get at is what is the real investment? Because I like to see announcements at Roundup. I like to see announcements everywhere we go. But I like to know what they actually mean in practical terms...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on January 27th, CanNor and ITI signed an MOU to strengthen economic development and diversification, and the substance of this is to align efforts to support resource development and infrastructure, explore opportunities for more efficient pre-regulatory assistance and coordination for projects and convene a first of its kind northern Indigenous governments and development corporations project funding symposium.

So can the Minister just tell us how -- as MOUs are not, you know, structured legal agreements with money attached and all that kind of stuff, what...

Thank you. I welcome that information, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is about access to justice and ensuring there's a level playing field for everybody, especially people we are trying to rehabilitate and return as productive members of society.

Mr. Speaker, I understand that there are other ways to do this. There are ways to make this process an online portal where everyone in the Northwest Territories could access it. Is the Minister willing to look at expanding this, having a one-stop shop, modernizing the approach, because apparently there's ways to do it and do it for free. Thank you, Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, fine option programs are crucial components of the justice system that allow different ways of people who run afoul of the law to repay their debts to society in a way that doesn't involve jail time or setting them up for failure. In recent travels on the Trespass Act, I became aware that there are some concerns in communities around the accessibility of these programs. So can the Minister of Justice tell me are fine option programs and community justice committees, or their equivalent, available in all NWT communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I didn't hear a commitment there, but I will ask more details. So has the NORAD northern basing infrastructure program's needs, have they been inserted into that strategic plan? Are we going to see a strategic plan that specifically is focused on those goals, focused on meeting those needs, and focused on bringing those dollars to the North? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So I will ask one direct area of public policy. This requires an all of government approach. We need land. We need land available for the development in Yellowknife and Inuvik. My colleague from Inuvik Boot Lake mentioned this as well. Will the Premier eliminate all barriers within the GNWT policy realm to transfer the lands that the City of Yellowknife and the Town of Inuvik have been asking for, yes or no? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.