Kieron Testart

Yes, thank you. Okay, well that resolves the expenditure problem. But I think -- I just really want to drill down on this thing that there is not a proposal for a wellness plan. It's not in the pre -- there's not a preplanning thing. It's not being proposed in the budget. It's included in the speech, and it's -- and that's it. So I think it's unfair to characterize this as, like, if we -- you know, if the budget gets approved, then the wellness centre moves ahead, and we transfer the jobs in Smith. Correctional officers are not social workers. They're not addictions and treatment workers as...

Thank you. Yeah, I think that's correct. I think it's probably 500K that went in in the 19th because it was increased to a million in the 18th Assembly. So given that there is quite a bit of interest in this fund, given that it's at times an economic multiplier, and that it hasn't been increased for some time, why isn't the Minister seeking an increase to this fund at a time when we need to get the exploration projects moving quickly to take advantage of the critical -- the interest in critical minerals and the significant amount of funding that's out there for critical minerals projects and...

Just to clarify, so this money that's in this supp, this is going to -- are these improvements for the men's side of the facility, or does it work that way? So just the entire facility, or are we able to drill down into that? Because it seems odd that we're going to spend $398,000 and -- well, $398,000 on a facility that we're planning on shuttering. Thank you.

Thank you. And what is the economic -- or the department's analysis of economic multipliers related to this funding? Thank you.

Yes, thank you. And, I mean, an audit is -- I think we're looking for more of a performance audit rather than just a financial audit. I think the accounting is clear. It's more the performance of the project. So I guess we'll wait, but I know that this is not anywhere near to being a closed issue should -- you know, like, this is an extraordinary amount of money for an infrastructure project that is important but, notably, is not actually lowering the cost of living for anyone in the Northwest Territories. So for this much money to go into a project that is having an impact on greenhouse gas...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would like to ask about the mining incentive program. What was the subscription rate for the program last fiscal year? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister issue a moratorium on all future land leasing until he can get this problem solved? Because it's unfair to raise expectations in the hopes of my constituents and any other Northerner looking for a recreational land lease. Let's just call it quits. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, that's good. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's good, it's good to work with the First Nations. It's essential to work with the First Nations. But the Akaitcho process has obviously never been settled, so why have we been issuing these leases in the past? There are cabins out there. There are homes out there. Why have we made these decisions in the past, Mr. Speaker?

Mr. Speaker, frustration continues to grow among my constituents who are stuck in the process of finalizing their recreational land leases years after the department indicated their applications were moving ahead. I've been working with several constituents over the last six months -- the Minister knows who they are -- to figure out how to move forward and along the way to progress. And what I have seen so far has been incredibly disappointing.

When I last spoke on the floor, the Minister responsible, he assured me that this process was consistent and transparent, and he would work to improve...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm proud to stand and support this motion, and I thank the Member for bringing it forward. This is -- as he stated very clearly, this is not one community's issue. It is not a small community issue; it's not a Yellowknife issue; this is an issue for everyone. Everyone in the Northwest Territories, regardless of where they are in -- which is shocking when you consider how far-flung and remote some of our communities are. When it comes to this K-9 unit, this is a very specialized unit of police that serves an essential role in helping combat drug trafficking...